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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [May r, 1895. 
THE GREEK BUG IN CEYLON- 
To the. Editor, " The Field." 
Sir, — It is pretty well known that the scale insect 
called the green bug is credited with destroying the 
coffee plant in that island, or, at all events, helping to 
kill plants which, from various causes, were weakly and 
predisposed to disease or attack. The latest suggestion 
by Professor Koebele, who is now in Ceylon, is that 
one of the beetle? he introduced into California from 
Australia (libizobius ventralis) would clear off the green 
bug from the coffee. 
It is understood that this beetle, with two others 
(Vedalia cardinalis and Rovius koebelii, were success- 
fully introduced to California to destroy similar insects 
which attracted the orchards of that country. Mr. 
Koebele recommends that the beetles should be obi 
from California instead of Australia, where tin y BJte 
indigenous, as there is some difficulty in obtaining 
them from the latter country ; whilst in California the 
Government have a breeding establishment for keeping 
up the supply of the beetles. It is proposed that the 
various planters' associations should move in the mat- 
ter, and give the experiment a fair trial. 
Meanwhile it should he remembered that it is a most 
dangerous experiment for man to attempt to disturb the 
balance of Nature. Such experiments as have been 
tried— rabbits in Australia, sparrows in America, and 
the mungoose in the West Indies — have proved dtsafl- 
trous. With regard to rabbits, there was no excuse. 
So long agoas the sixteenth century the colonists wen- 
driven out of an island (Los Santos. I think I near 
Madeira from the descendants of one pregnant doe sent 
out with the live stock. Smoothbore. 
—Field, March 23rd. 
[The experience in California so far. has been 
altogether favourable. — Ed. T.A. I 
PHENOMENAL DIVIDEND OF A TEA 
COMPANY. 
An application was made on Monday at the 
Calcutta High Court by Mr. Allen, on behalf of 
the Jetinga Valley Tea Company, to enable it to 
reduce its capital with a view to declaring the 
phenomenal dividend of 50 per cent. — Madras 
Mail, April 13. 
A PEARL FISHING MACHINE. 
The following extract trom the Brisbane Courier 
will interest our readers, although very few will 
realise that the new machine can do the work. 
Dredging has been tried and found a failure owing 
to the rapid tides and the rough uneven bottom ; 
■ — -"A pearl-fishing machine has been invented, 
and Sydney capitalists are considering it. Loss 
of life through diving in deep water lias stimu- 
lated the wits of somebody or other ; though 
Queensland as the colony most concerned can- 
not claim that necessity has been a local mother 
of invention in this instance. We have to thank 
other people for the Berom pearl- fishing machine. 
But then it is rather early to admit that the 
invention will do our work. 'The Sydney com- 
pany seems satisfied, however ; and at a meet- 
ing held last Monday' (says the Star) ' the valu- 
able advantages of the machine were fully des- 
cribed. The meeting was unanimous in feeling 
that it was an excellent machine, and would 
serve its purpose better than any rival. It was 
decided to have a trial made in the deep waters 
of Sydney Harbour, and if satisfied each gen- 
tleman present would defray his share of the 
cost, and a machine would be sent to Torre* 
Strait for practical use.'" 
WOOD FOR TEA-BOXES. 
The following additional information about tea-box 
woods in Assam may prove of interest. Besides the 
woods mentioned in the October number of the 
"Forester," a large quantity of " shooks " are imported 
from Japan ; they belong to some coniferous wood, 
probably Crpptomeria Japonica, and though they cost 
rather more than Bimul at the outset, nevertheless 
as they are thoroughly seasoned and ready for dove- 
tailing, they can all be utilized without any loss. 
Consignments of what is known in the trade as 
' spruce ' are received from Vancouver's island, and 
some red wood, probably a kind of DiftUneG t ym, 
conies from Burma. 
At first sight it may seem strange that, with her 
large forest area, Assam should have to indent for 
the tea-box woods from distant countries, but it 
is esseutial among other conditions, that for a wood 
to come into practical use on a large scale, the tree 
which yields it must be gregarious ; it will never pay 
to employ a wood which is only found scattered here 
and there. Thus, though there are in theDehraDuu 
forests several trees adapted for tea- boxes, it is pro- 
bable that the planters of that district will eveutually 
use either spruce or silver fir from the neighbouring 
Himalayan forests, as soon as their available supply 
of mango trees has been exhausted. — Indian Furentrr. 
NATAL TEA. 
Mr. .1. L. Hulett expects next season to turn out 
about 500,000 lb. of tea. representing the Kear»ne.\ 
product and leaf from neighbouring growers. Mr. 
l'eachey has now his own factory, so that his supph 
to Kearsney (about tiO.uOU lb.) will not figure in that 
return in future. It will thus be seen that Natal 
tea-growing and output is on the increase. Indeed, 
the output is a few thousand pounds in excess of the 
demand. Could entrance to Cape markets be secured, 
the whole of the present crops and a good deal more, 
would be required. 
! Mr. (>. W. Drummond, of Kearsney, reports : — The 
j tea season in this district is progressing satisfactorily 
• on the whole. We are now reaping the beuefit of 
the February rains, and everything points to a full 
March. I am of opinion that original estimates will 
be reached, and in some cases exceeded, judging com- 
paratively from our own out-turn up to date. Last 
January was a record month, but in all probability 
its records will be beaten this month, if we go on as 
well as we have commenced. Swarms of young locusts 
are freely distributed ail over this district. They 
have not begun to touch the tea yet. but it will be 
a bad look-out indeed if they do, as a decent-sized 
swarm could clear a whole estate of its " flush " in 
a very short time. — Natal Mercury, March 23. 
NATAL BOTANIC GARDENS. 
The report of the curator (Mr. J. M. Wood) for 
February is as follows : — I am pleased to say that 
thp seeds of Cola acuminata, received from Kew. 
have so far grown well, and we shall, I hope, have 
a few plants in the spring for trial in other parts 
of the Colony. The nuts of this plant are now being 
largely used, and are in demand. The seeds of " cocoa" 
plant (Theob-.oma eacao) kindly brought for us by 
Mr. A. Whyte, of Nyassaland, had perished on the 
voyage, and I regret that not a single one has ger- 
minated. We ha ve supplied to the Government Police 
Station at Sydenham, in accordance with the vote 
passed at last meeting of committee. 50 plants to the 
value of £3 10s., and to Mr. Whyte. in exchange, 
j a case of economic plants value £&.—Ibid. 
/^HAFED SKIN, PILES. SCALDS, BRUISES, 
V J CUTS, STINGS, NEURALGIC and RHEU- 
MATIC PAINS, SORE EYES, EAR-ACHE. 
THROAT COLDS, and SKIN AILMENTS quickly 
,e use e of by calvert's carbolic ointment. 
Large Pots 13|d. each (English rate.) Sold at 
Chemists, Stores, &c. 
F- C CALVERT & C0-, Manchester. 
