6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Jan. i, 1895. 
Mr. George Wall. — We have received several 
contribution* referring to Mr. Wall's career, move 
particularly one from Kandy which will appear 
in an early issue. Writing from Nuwara EHya 
on X'masEve, the Hon. P. Cooinaraswaniy 9aj a : 
— " Will you allow me to express to you the 
pleasure Ihave experienccil in reading your article 
on Geo. Wall. It is one of the be.st biographical 
notices I have ever read." 
TheDimbula Tea Chop Esumated pop 1895- 
— The Hony. Secretary of the District Associa- 
tion has now sent us more detailed figures of the 
acreage of tea in the district and it will be seen 
how close our estimate of 36,000 acres as the tea 
in full bearing agrees with the Secretary's figures 
nearly 35,847. It will be remembered we estimated 
420 lb. on the average foi the 316,000 acres bo 
getting 15,120,000 lb. and leaving 1,052,000 tb. 
for the young tea ; and we sec no reason for 
altering these figures, which allow .111 averaj 
about 240 lb. for the 4,885 acres between -J. and 
5 years of age. Altogether, it will be observed) 
Diinbula has now 42,917 acres under tea— say, 
practically 43,000 acres, capable, if cultivation is 
maintained, of yielding when all in full bearing 
and in a favourable season, not far short of 19 
million lb. of tea — and, perhaps, before the maxi- 
mum is reached, we may see 20 million attained 
by the Pioneer Tea District in the world. Such 
anticipations in reference to coming years, should 
cause Indian planters to be chary of extending 
their plantings too freely. 
Tropical Agriculturist.— With Mr. Wall's 
portrait and biography published in the 
December number, we close the first series 
of our " Planting Pioneers." We had hoped 
before now to begin our Planting District Maps 
and Gazetteer descriptions ; but have to de- 
lay a little still. In the January issue, there- 
fore, we propose to reproduce as a frontis- 
piece, an insect pest which Mr. E. E. Green 
of Pundaluoya thinks may give trouble in 
the country unless its destruction is taken in 
hand in time and simultaneously by the planters. 
To enable this to be done, Mr. Green has 
carefully sketched it full size and through the 
kind aid of the Surveyor General, we are to re- 
produce this in a lithographed sheet with Mr. 
Green's explanatory letter-press. In reference to 
this reproduction and the importance of dealing 
with the pest, Mr. Green writes: — 
" I consider the expense ought rightly to be borne 
by Government. But as it is not likely that they 
will allow this, it is left to public-spirited men like 
yourself to throw themselves in the gap. I honestly 
think that it is most important that planters should 
be warned against this pest, which if neglected, pro- 
mises to be the most generally destructive of any we 
have experienced so far. I consider that our ex- 
perience with ' green-bug ' proves that we cannot 
afford to ignore such warnings as the damage that 
is being effected by this insect in the Peradeniya 
Gardens. If planters had realized the danger in time 
the green coffee bug might have been stamped out 
before it became unmanageable. The inconspicuous 
colour of that insect made its advance the more in- 
sidious. Fortunately the present pest is a decidedly 
conspicuous one." 
Dr. Trimen, to whom we have referred, does 
not think so seriously of the insect as likely 
to be troublesome ; but it is . well to err on the 
sate side and we are inclined to think our 
planters will do well to follow the advice of Mr. 
Green when he writes : — 
" Here is an evil insert that is likely to do great 
"harm if unchecked. Smash it whenever you see it." 
This month's issue tells all the rest, 
Value of Cacao Property.— The price at 
which Mr. Vollar liae sold hi- fine compact Ka- 
randagalla cacao property of 160 acre* lia* not 
transpired ; but it is rumoured to be one of the 
highest rates ]>er acre as yet paid for estate pro- 
perty in this island — probably not much under 
B909 pec acre. 
Entomologist. — I see our Entomologist authority 
Mr. Green anticipates mischief from a new Poochie. 
Dr. Trimen is not so pessimistic, bat then Dr. 
Trinicn is not an Entomologist. How weak il was 
of Government to refuse our request to subsidise 
Mr. Green as a Considting Entomologist, while it 
throws money broadcast on Irrigation fads, Tank oil 
canals, dredging, and wastes the time of official and 
unofficial members on Committees to enquire into 
the matter of starting an undenominational High 
School for Girls. 
M«. Geouoe Wall. — 80 we shall never see him 
again on this side the dark 6treaui. He has left 
us an example of hard work, indomitable energy — 
light of mind against matter and keen fighting for 
what he considered to be best for his adopted coun- 
try. There has been no public question of any im- 
portance in which Mr. George Wall did not take a 
most active part in the settling of. One might 
righteously oppose him, but no one could despise 
him ; for k . hefeared the face of no one. 
"Coffee Cultivation: Mexico compared with 
Ceylon as a coffee-producing country, by Allan 
Black." — Under this heading Mr. Allan Black, 
formerly of Dikoya, continues to write to the 
Interstate Grocer of America. We quote a little : — 
Southern or tropical Mexico's prospects are at the 
present time perhaps brighter than any other country 
in the world. The immense available area of land 
tit for the profitable and continuous production of 
almost all tropical plants, presents a field for safe 
investment of capital, equalled by no other tropical 
section of country in either South America, Asia or 
Africa. The cultivation of coffee and other tropical 
products may, comparatively speaking, be a new 
enterprise for American capitalists, but it is by no 
means a surprise to one who has studied the situa- 
tion to find the energetic young American investiga- 
ting new fields. Coffee, of course, is the leading 
inducement, the yearly increase of consumption in 
the United States alone, is so great, that in looking 
over the map of the world one wonders where the 
supply by and by is to come from and what prices will 
yet be realized for coffee. If a foreigner in Mexico 
minds his own business, avoids bad company and 
exercises the usual caution that one should in a strange 
country, where perhaps he speaks the language in- 
sufficiently, he will have no more chances of being 
molested in Mexico than a Mexican would have in 
the United States. Foreign enterprise receives all 
necessary encouragement and protection of the govern- 
ment, and not only American but English capitalists 
are putting their money into coffee and other 
products of the soil. The development of tropical 
agriculture is assuming very wonderful proportions. 
There are at present several well established companies 
now operating on the isthmus lands, such as the 
"Mexican Gulf Agricultural Company " the "Mexican 
Land Improvement Company," the " American 
Coffee Land Company," etc. The Mexican Land 
Improvement Company, of which Mr. Louis K'inz 
is manager, assures us that one of their largest tracts, 
of some 13,000 acres has been all sold, and many 
houses, coffee and fruit clearings are now well advanced, 
and that 1,500 acres will be planted in coffee during 
the season. The settlers on these lands are all well 
satisfied with their investments. They have had some 
hardships to endure, of course ; where are they not 
to be found, but severe weather has not been one of 
them, nor ill health another. The climate of the 
isthmus is all that can be desired, being only 143 
miles from the Pacific Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico, 
a sea breeze is continually felt, which undoubtedly 
is not only the cause of the fine appearance of the 
natives, but of the settlers residing in that section 
i of country. 
