39« 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. j, 18,4 
ably cultivated, and would find a Bale in the Man 
at good prioea if only they could be guaranteed a 
free from adulteration — and done up in one and 
two pound psrcela with labela on them and the 
maker's name on them.— Youra trulv, 
OLD PLANTER. 
PIGS — AND SNAKES AND SCORPIONS IN 
SOUTH AMERICA : 
A HINT TO PLANTERS IN THF LOWCOUNTRV OK 
CEYLON. 
London, E.C., Oct. 17. 
Sir, — It was not long ago that I referred to 
the custom in one country of harbouring snakes on 
account of their eating the insects : oil the present 
occasion I want to report that one of t he plan- 
ters, who was with me from the United States 
of Columbia. told me that large quantities 
of pigs were always obtained as soon as new 
land was opened, the reason being that the pigs 
went about the land and ate up the snakes and 
scorpions. The planters then found that it was 
always safe for them to move about ; so much 
was this the case, that the pig* were kept very 
close to the house and the part that was going 
to be the garden. I asked my informant if he 
had ever seen pigs tackle a large snake : he 
said he had done so, anil further, that once the 
pigs had got the snakes under, even poultry 
could protect themselves from the moderate- 
sized snakes by killing them.— Yours truly, 
THUS. CHRISTY. 
COCONUT CULTIVATION ON THE NORTH. 
EAST COAST OF INDIA. 
Kistna Collector's Office. Forest Branch. Maauli- 
patam, dated 2nd November 1894. 
From A. W. Lushington Esq., District Forest 
Officer, Kistna. 
Sir, — I have the honour to thank you for so kindly 
replying to my queries regarding coconut cultivation ; 
and to state that, as we have an Experimental Garden 
here in Masulipatam, I am quite prepared to start the 
experiments which you suggest, viz. (1) of trans- 
plantation and (2) of cultivating the coconuts with- 
out transplanting but highly manuring. Manure is 
easily obtainable, for all the Municipal night soil is 
handed over to us, and is buried in our Experimental 
Garden ; and being on the coast within five miles of 
three salt factories, that ingredient is also inex- 
pensive. If my successors carry out the arrangements 
which I have started here, and keep up the records 
efficiently, there will be no difficulty in informing 
you of the results from time to time. In the mean- 
time, I shall make further inquiries regarding the 
coconut plantations, and endeavour to obtain the 
most accurate statistics relating to the average 
yield and the longevity of the trees ; and shall let 
you know the results of these inquiries. — I have the 
honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant, 
F. MAC O'LEARY. 
For District Forest Officer. 
RAINFALL — RAINY DAYS — AND TEA 
FLUSH : A PROBLEM FOR EXPERTS. 
Oct. 26th. 
DEAR Sir, — I often see mention made in your 
paper " that tea flush has been checked by too 
much moisture Upcountry." Well that may be 
the case, or otherwise ; but your correspondents 
write in such a way as to lead to the belief that 
we have had an excess of moisture this year ; 
now such has not been the case ; here are 
figures to end Sept. 1893 and 1894. 
To end September 1893 we had 95 day* on 
which lain did not fall, and our rainfall to that 
date was 1 15*08 inches. 1S94 lo same date we had 
103 days on which no rain fell, and our fall of rain 
this year to end September 11010 inches, — so you 
will see we have had 8 more dry days this year 
and 5 inches less rain. 
Our Oct. rainfall in 1893 to 25th, was 8 95 
inches fell in 16 days. Our Oct. rainfall in 1894 
to 25th, is 9 '41 indies, fell in 16 day». 
So you will see the moisture theory in " bunkum. '' 
It is the same old cry every year. Our fluidi would 
atop once a year whatever sort of weather we 
have. Now 5lr. Editor get some of your smart 
correspondents such as "J. S, S. " "Jaffna Col- 
lege," or "Ignoramus" to solve the question of 
moisture or DO moisture- it should be more practica- 
ble than " Ether." Our rlush in now coming in 
fast and the moisture ha* not stopped. — Yours, 
K. T. B. 
It AJNFALL 
AND TEA FLUSH 
M ASK' ELI Y A. 
LOW EK 
Theberton, Watawala, Nov. 5. 
Dear Sir, — I notice you have a letter from 
K.T.B. on rainfall, days' rainfall and tea flush. 
He remarks that though the rainfall to end 
of Sept. 1S94, is less than 1893, yet the flush is 
not so good for the S. -NY. monsoon months as 
1893. No doubt, excess of rain has little to do 
with Hush. If we have sunshine and warmth, or 
less cloudy and overcast weather, an excess of 
moisture, to a certain point, will only stimulate 
growth. 
But cold cloudy weather with even less mois- 
ture, will retard the growth or Hush. I enclose 
a table of temperature and cloud for 1893-4. You 
will note, that the mean minimum temperature 
for both years is the same, but the mean maxi- 
mum is nearly 2° more for 1893 shewing more 
sunshine. The sunshine for the 5 months of 
1894 must have been very small, only 1 -6 of clear 
sky. Considering the sun would only shine out 
when it passed a patch of clear sky, the 
chances of it doing so in so small a % of it, 
would be very slight. 
If we had the instrument for registering the 
amount of sunshine per day, we should be able 
to arrive at more correct results.— Yours very 
truly, T. J. GKIGG. 
= S 
SB S 
1393. 
s 
June . . 69-5 633 66.4 
July .. 67-9 62-3 65-3 
August. . 68-0 62-0 65 0 
Sept. .. 70-1 60-7 65-4 
October. 721 61"8 66 9 
By 5 
months 347"6 310-6 329 
Mean for 
1893.. 69 5 
» for 
1894 . . 67-6 
Difference 
less Temp, 
for 1894.. . 1-9 
55 
o 
0-3 
S-4 
57 
61 
57 
1894. 
s i 
=2 £ = = 
»<2 ,2-S 
Strl S& 
o o 
68-0 63 5 
66- 8 61 7 
66 6 61-6 
67- 2 61 8 
69 4 61-4 
5 - E'B 
3 J co 
65'7 
642 
90 
62 
641 89 
64o 8-4 
65-4 7 o 
032-7 
62 1 65-8 6-5 
620 64-8 8-4 
0-1 1.0 (1-9 
Nov. 5th 1894. 
338-0 310 0 323-9 42 0 
67-6 62-0 C4-8 84 
More cloud for 1S94 
T. J. GBMfi. 
