336 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Nov. i, 1894. 
DISEASE OF COCONUT TREES IN 
TRAVAN CORE. 
Sir,— I shall feel thankful if any of your readers 
would, suggesting remedits, kindly explain for the 
beoetit of us Tiavanroriam, the following interesting 
ye* disastrous phtnonionon: — 
Quite recently, in the cntral and northern districts 
of Travancore, we have lost several beaut- 1 ul coco- 
nut trees from decay of the tender, unexpected leaf 
shoot. At first, the lowtr end of the shoot grows 
di-coloured, and, in a few day.-, general perfection of 
this and more or less of the c»bbsge ensues ; the 
shoot droops and, in some cases falls to the ground ; 
the tree decays soon after, and we are left lojfcers-on 
and loser*. 
In trying to account for this remarkable disease, 
we are convinced that it cannot be the work of the 
Rhinoceros or Longi-oorn beetle ; for both these de- 
predators bore into the shoot, cabbage or stem of the 
palm and, by early detection and careful tending, in 
the majority of cases, death cm be staje!. But in 
the case in hand, the only sign to us of the presence 
of the disease is the drooping on the tree of the 
leaf-shoot when obviously, a'l cur efforts to remedy 
the evil are ineffectual because too late. The expla- 
nation most generally accepted by the natives is that 
"falling stars" (meteorites, th>y eay) hive been at 
work. Another reuson advanced Lai it that dec»y is 
brought about by an exuberance of sap, and that it 
can be remedied by bleeding the tree. Thin would at 
least appear to be plausible, from the fact that iu our 
very moist climate evaporation is too slow to keep 
paoe with the incessant ascent of water in the stem, 
and that it is only the moist vigorous trees that are, 
as a rule, affeoted ; but the remedy is desperate. B v 
a third cause given, the malady is attributed to the 
Attacks of fungi. 
With all these explanations, however, the fact re- 
mains that we are losing many of our valuable trees 
without making any attempt, so far as I know, to, if 
possible, prevent it. The hot weather ha? been uo- 
usaally severe with this year, and ihe monsoon rains 
uuprecedentedly soanty ; but 1 am not at all certain 
•whether these facts are of themselves sufficient to 
explain away the very unsatisfactory state of affairs 
now obtaining in our coconut gardens. 
—Indian Forester. A. M. Sawyer. 
DRUG REPORT. 
(From Chemist and Druggist.) 
London, Sept, 13th. 
ANNATTO. — Good bright seed from Madras was bought 
in at today's auctions at 4jd per lb. A lot of very 
common seed soli " without reserve " at f d per lb , 
aud another parcel of fairly bright appearance realised 
2*i(l pgr lb i 
* Cashew-nuts.— At the auctions today a barrel ef this 
drug wL.ich is m>t often met with in the open market 
s' ld at 5s per cwt. The 1tuit came from St. Lucia 
(W. Indies.) ■ ** . .„ . 
Cinchona. — The auctions on Tuesday next will be 
l&rger than these 6ales have been of late. About l,9u0 
packages bark of Bast Indian, and some 500 bales of 
African growth will be offered on that occasion. The 
South American barks offeied at today's drug-sales did 
not meet With as good an inquiry as has been shown 
for some of these varieties lately, aud prices generally Were 
lather ersier. Of Loxa bark, 26 serons sold at Is 4d 
to is5d per lb. for g. od bright sound, aud at Is Id per 
lb for damaged qnill. Fifteen serons good bold brignt 
Huan co quill realised 9d per lb., and for 18 serons Gua- 
vaquil Iaxa, fair mixed, partly thin and broken from s-d 
to lOd per lb. was paid. Eighty-four bales yellow Calisaya 
bark were all bought in, gocd genuine orange, but very 
broken at Is 7d per lb. lor a paicel of spun us Cali- 
sava from Mollendo, bold bright yellow flat prices Is 
6d ner lb. is required. Recently as much as is 6d 
rierl'i has been paid for this kind of bark, which a 
couple of years ago, when genuine calisaya was more 
plentiful than now, could be bought in quantity at 
6d CocI— The only parcel of leaves offered today was one 
of 12 bales fair bright but broken Truxillo character, 
which, was bought in at l«d per lb. 
CnoTON-sEKD.— Scarce, and small parcels are eager lj 
bought up at high prices ; 26s per cwt. was paid for 
a t cwt. bag of email dark-br^wn mixed imported from 
Ceylou. 
Kola in demand at firm prices. Seven package* West 
Iodian kolas sold at from lljd to is per lb. for good 
to tine bright Washed, partly slightly mouldy. 
Quimnk. — On Saturday a o,Oia-oz. spot-parcel of second- 
hand German quiniuc, in tins, gold at )2d per < c. No 
business whatever is reported this wees. The nearest prios 
for fecond-hai. ; OermaD iu bulk would be Is per or. 
Vanilla. — A considerable psrt of the vanilla offered at 
auction today (about 150 tlus) consisted cf second- 
hand parcels, of which the butt sold without reserve; 
good crystallised ;j to 8} inches, 14* 6j to 17a; fair 
6 to 74 inches 13s ; common foxy aud dull, down to 
4B 2d per lb. 
VARIOUS PLANTING NOTES. 
Tube-planting at Simla.— The Forest Department 
did some good work in connection with tree-planting 
at Simla during the late rains, 26,649 trees having 
been planted in all; viz., 16,104 in Simla and 
10,515 in the new catchment area.— Indian Forester. 
Yucca Gloriosa.— Ocr Supplementary Illustration 
in the pres nt issne depicts a view at Nant Hall, 
Prestatyn, North Wales, of a bed of Yucca gloriosa, 
Adam's Needle, called so because it not only provides 
the neeule, iu the long sharp th m at the apex of the 
leaves, but also the thread. It is not uncommon to 
see Yuccas of several speoies used for tbe furnishing 
of vases, the central plants in a bed of flowers, aud 
as isolated specimens on the lawn, and sometimes on 
rockwork, and nearly always with good effect. But 
it is in masses of a number of these plants that tbe 
true characteristics of the plants are best observ d 
and admired. They lose the stiffness of habit shown 
by erect single specimens, by tbe crowding and elbow- 
ing inevitable from their position, andiiisooly here 
and there in a group that erect growing plants m»y be 
seen, although there is always a strong trend upwards 
of the head, however much the stem may lean over, 
and the flower 6baft is nearly always erect. As fur- 
nis' ing of a hardy perennial character for subtropical 
gardens the Yuccas rival the hardy Bamboos and 
Chamoerops excelsa, and should never be missing, 
whether the fine effectiveness of foliage or flower, 
or both combined, are desired in this kind of gard. n. 
A word as to culture. If we would see Yuccas at 
their best, they should, above all things, have shelter 
from those points of th« compass whence blow the 
strongest and coldest winds. The position ought to be 
high rather than low, dry rather than wet, and the 
soil a rich friable porous loam, and then, if pieces of 
natural rock in size from cubes of 1 foot to double 
that size be half sunk in the soil, and amongst which 
the Yuccas may be planted, the latter will never suffer 
from drought in the summer, nor will the roots be so 
easily disturbed by the wind acting on the crowns 
as is the case with plants in a soil unweighted with 
misses of stone. In fact, the stout stakes that are 
indispensable in the one case ii.ay almost be done 
without in the other, a great gain in point of appear- 
ance, 'ihe natural appearance of the Yuccas, when 
grown in masses, should be preserved, and all 
trimming of dead leaves and the removal of dead 
tips forbidden. The most that might be tolerated in 
this way would be the removal of heads that have 
once flowered, their retention serving no useful pur- 
pose, whilst it helps to exhaust the soil. As a man- 
orial aid, s.rme rotten manure may be spread over 
the roots any time in the spring months, covering 
this with a little mould, so as to hide it from 
view, if that be thought worth while. The bed in our 
illustration is one the site for which was ehosr-n with 
much judgment, and that occupies a sheltered part of 
the garden. Nant Hall is an old place, its history 
going back about 300 years. Of course in that long 
period iv has changed owners severa. times, and has 
undergone considerable alterations and extensions. 
The present proprietors, who have converted it into 
an hotel, purchased it tram H. D. Pochin, Esq.— 
Gardeners' Chronicle. 
