July 2, 1894.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST; 
1 
6. The Committee of the Planters' Association re- 
mark that there exists " no official specialist " to 
whom they can refer such matters. But in the Direc- 
tor of the Museum they have a skilled naturalist able 
and willing to give them all the information required 
in entomological work. He has, moreover, long had 
the generous assistance of a member of the Planting 
Community, itself Mr. E. E. Green of Pundaluoya, a 
first rate entomologist. If Government were to make 
the appointment asked for I would suggest no fitter 
ocoupant for it than this gentleman, who adds to 
his scientific abilities the experience of a practical 
planter. I may add here that I doubt if any trained 
entomologist special'st from England would feel in- 
clined to take the post on the lines drawn out by 
the Planters' Association. 
7. I cannot therofore recommend the appointment 
of an entomologist for the agricultural community 
alone, but I would support the appointment of an 
entomological assistant to the Director of the Museum 
who would also pay speoial attention to injurious 
insects. 
8. I think that, if not already made, a referee ca 
of this matter should be made to the Director of the 
Museum to whom a copy of this letter might also 
be forwarded. — I am, &c. 
(Signed) Henry Tbimen. 
The Hon'ble the Colonial Sacretary, Colombo. 
PROPOSED APPOINTMENT OF AN ENTOMOLOGIST POB THE 
No. 37. COLOMBO MUSEUM. 
Colombo Museum, May 15, 1894. 
Sir, — With reference to your letter of the 4th instant 
oalling for my opinion on the proposals of the 
Planters' Association of Ceylon for the appointment of 
an Eutomologist, I have the honour to inform you that 
after due consideration and even after the careful 
perusil of the letter of the Hon. J. Buckingham, 
quoted in the Observer of the 12th instant, I cannot 
see the necessity of such an officer for the small area 
covered byOeylor. 
2. In the first place the whole of the results of the 
ento nological seotion of the Agricul'nriil Department 
of the Central Government of the United Stitesare 
at our service and are in the Librery of the Royal 
Asiatic Soc'ety, Of j'on Branch- 
3. The Indian Museum Notes are also supplied to 
ua by the Trusteesof the Indian Museum. It is only 
last year that in Vol. Ill p. 46 details are given of a 
most successful methoJ of treating red spid' r 
(Tetranyrhus bioculatus) by meats of a sulphur, and 
another at pace 49 by means of a Tomato, concootion 
and toe whole publication is replete w.ih inf rm»- 
tion on evory species of insect and the way of 
meeting its ravages. 
4. An officer at say R5,000 per annum with 112,000 
travelling expenses, peons and two clerks would do 
little more than read his Indian Museum Notes and 
apply the more or less successful treatments ad- 
opted therein and surely if the Notes were repub- 
lished and distributed (perhaps gratis) the planters 
conld do this for themselves. 
5i An objection may be raise i that in many cases 
tlie planter might not be able to say what it was that 
•vas effecting his crops. In all such eases I should 
le harpy to do my lest to determine the insect and 
to ref-r liim to the proper remedies, at the same 
Urn, as Mr. Buckingham points out (Para, 9) it ia 
very undesirable that Museum officers should be callod 
upon for this class of duty. 
6. In my opinion the case would ie fully met by 
the appoint-! ent of an Entomological referee to the 
Ceylon Government who should not be paid a regular 
salary, but by fixed charge^ for consultation by letter 
or fur visiting estates, &c. He must also have a 
good u icroscope with one of the best Glycerine 
immersion objectives, the publications of the United 
States and Iudian Governments, and if needed other 
Governments, and such works of reference as be con- 
siders necessary, 
7. I can heartily recommend Mr. E. E. Green of 
Eton, Pundulu ya, for sa lt a post and feel confident 
that be would be able to meet all the demands of 
either the Government or the Planters. — I am, &e. 
Signed A. Haly, Director. 
The Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Colombo. 
No. 34. 
I hardly think that there is room for the inclusion 
of a systematic course of lectures on Entomology in 
the Royal College. Its curriculum is prescribed so 
exclusively by the various competitive examinations 
in which Eotomology hardly finds a place, any ex- 
tension on the scientific side of its curriculum must 
necessarily, in view of these examinations, be academic 
rather than specialistic. 
As regards the School of Agrioulture undoubtedly K 
the introduction of a competent instruction in Ento- 
mological research would increase the utility of the 
school, especially as regards the insect ravages in 
native produce, But the school is still in its infancy, 
the numbers attending it are small, the erea of ins- 
truction at present proposed is sufficient and cannot 
be extended without prospective loss of efficiency 
with regard to subjects already included in the course 
of instruction. The special subjects at present included 
are: — (1) Agriculture, (2) Veterinary science, (3) A school 
of Forestry, it is hoped t) formulaic under the 
direction of the Forest Department at an early date 
in connection with it, (4) and this will iuclude Lind 
Surveying and ita germane subjects, (5) The ordinary 
education in English, Mathematics and Chemical 
sciences. 
The programme seems to be sufficient "qua" 
education for the present. — (Signed) J, B. Coll, D. P. I 
9-5-' 94. 
WATTLE AS A MAiNURE. 
(PROM OUR Miami CORRESPONDENT.) 
I am glad to see that this question is at last at- 
tracting some of the attention which it deserves, and 
am delighted to reco^nizo in Mr. Leslie Rogers of 
Dehra Doou a kindred spirit in the ma t r of mir ur- 
ing experiments. He eays he is himself trying various 
kinds of plant fertilizers to take the place of ordinary 
cattle maiiure ; it would be of interest to know whether 
thete are chemicals, artifioials or green manure. 
Regarding the latter be wishes to know where he 
coull get the wattlesied from ani bow and when 
these could ba sown out. I shall bo delighted to 
answer his questions as far as I am able. To begin 
with, an applicat : on to the Superintendent of the 
Government Gaidens, Ootacarnuud ought to result in 
his getting as much see J a i he required and it a not 
very prohibi' ivo cost. The variety of wattle is that 
known as the common yellow Australian kind Acacia 
dealbata, and it grows freely— some think a great deal 
too freely — on was e land tnd on the roadside. It seeds 
abundantly if left to flower, and moreover sends oat suc- 
kers from its lateral root6 in all directions, so that once 
established in a place it is not at all an eisy matter 
to get rid of it. As it moreover spreads very quickly 
oa:e should be taken from the first to keep tbo 
stuff confjDol to tho plot of land on which it is. 
A shallow ditch drawn round the wattle when one ox- 
two years oil, and a cleaning ot its edges some 
three times a jesr should, however, amply suffice 
for this purpese. A great deal of rot is talked by 
some planters on the Nilgiris ts to the awful curse 
the wattle has proved to owners of land on these 
hills, and its hideous way of spreading all over an 
estate. This is absolutely untrue, save in thosa 
cases where the gardens receive no cultivation save 
a yearly mamotie scraping. As these " totes " barely 
give euoiign return to pay their land-cases they 
may be practically classed as waste or abandoned 
laud. Where careful cultivation is carried on 
the spreading of wattle is utterly impossible, and 
where it is planted up for the sake of ma- 
nure, such simple measures as I have indioated are 
ample to keep the stuff w:tnia its proper boundaries, 
I would not hare gone over this old ground again 
