Oct.  i,  1892.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
rapidly,  over-shadows  t’>®  ground,  fights  most  weeds 
for  itself,  and  bears  heavily  with  scarcely  any  caro  or 
attention.” 
Very  much  of  what  this  North  Borneo  planter  says  is 
equally  applicable  to  the  cultivation  of  Liberian  Coffee 
j»  Southern  India,  though  when  he  talks  of  it  coming 
into  bearing  sooner  than  Arabics  he  is  undoubtedly 
wrong,  so  far  as  experience  in  this  part  of  the  world 
go's.  The  oldest  estate  in  Southern  India,  we  telieve 
where  Liberian  Coffee  his  been  systematically  planted 
and  cu't  vated  is  the  Venture  Estate,  in  North  Travan- 
core,  and  we  are  indebted  to  the  courtesy  of  its  proprie- 
tor Mr.  Henry  M.  Knight,  for  these  very  interesting 
particulars  : —‘‘Venture  is  situated  to  the  N.  of  the  main 
road,  through  Travancore  from  Shencottah  on  the  Tin- 
nevelly  s de  to  Trevandrum  and  Quilon.  Elevation  500- 
800  feet,  aspect  general.  Rainfall  about  100  inches.  The 
Liberian  oeffee  was  planted  in  1882  and  1883  from  seed, 
said,  to  be  selected  from  Ceylon.  Five  years  from  the 
hitter  date  it  gave  r»  fair  crop,  1 ut  previous  to  this,  tea 
had  teen  planted  through  most  of  it,  and  in  the  ‘ Vacan- 
cies ’ for  no  more  coffee  was  planted  after  1883.  &. 
year  later  it  again  gave  another  fair  crop,  and  since 
then  it  has  always  done  well.  This  year  it  has  beaten 
all  previous  results,  however,  and  fifty  per  cent, 
over  the  estimate  has  already  hern  shipped.  New 
York  is  the  chief  market  for  Liberian  coffee,  hut 
I sell  now-a-days  in  London,  wh°re  I have  so'd  at 
97s.  6 1.  p'  r cw‘.,  bnt  the  average  must  be  taken  bb  being 
qni'e  10s.  lower.  There  is  some  difficulty  atout  the 
curing  for  i‘  canrot  easi'y  he  pulped  l:ke  the  Arabian 
coffee  the  pulp  beirgmuch  thicker  andthe  berries  mo-e 
variable  in  size,  but  the  manipulation  is  not  nearly  such 
‘ touchv  ’ wrrk  for  the  cherry  may  be  heaped  and 
driel  when  weather  permits,  without  much  fear  of  its 
gniDg  VfF  in  the  bean.  In  Wynaad  this  year  about 
300  acres,  I believe,  are  being  planted  up  with  Ltbe- 
riaD.  In  Travancore  there  are  about  250  acres  alrt  ady 
p'anted,  the  greater  part  of  which  however,  is  not 
over  2 years  old.  Returns  from  L;beri  n cannot  be 
looked  tor  so  soon  as  from  tho  more  delicate  Arabian 
varletv,  but  ’t‘  p >wer  to  withstand  leaf-disease  ( Ilemi ■ 
leii  T astatrix)  and  its  consistent  crops  make  it  a 
very  desiral  la  cultivation ; moreover  the  cost  of 
cultiva'ion  nee  1 not  be  so  expensive,  weeds  not  having 
the  same  prejudicial  effect  as  on  the  older  kind,  and 
pruning  nut  being  an  absolute  necessity.”  It  will 
be  noticed  that  even  at  so  low  an  elevation  as  from 
SCO  800  leet,  it  was  four  years,  at  tbe  earliest  before 
the  trees  pave  any  crop,  and  at  an  elevation  of  a 
little  over  3,000  feet,  we  have  been  assured  that  it 
is  six  years  before  auy  return  wrrth  mentioning  can 
be  looked  for.  But  this  delay  is  tar  more  than 
counterbalanced  in  all  districts  where  hemileia,  vas- 
tatrix  has  devastated  with  fatal  effects  acres  of 
Arabica.  Where  this  has  not  oceurre',  and  thpre 
ore  still  many  districts  in  Southern  India  where  in 
spite  of  leaf-disease,  Arabica  continues  to  fl  utish 
and  to  give  handsomo  returns.  Liherian  is  not  likely 
to  gain  the  same  popularity  as  the  Arabian  variety, 
but  in  less  favoured  districts  we  feel  assured  that 
the  planter  has  in  L berian  coffee,  a good  friend 
which  is  likely  to  stand  fast  by  him  for  many  years 
to  come. — Madras  Times. 
NOTES  FROM  THE  SIIEVAROYS. 
(From  our  own  Correspondent.) 
Yercaud,  5th  Aug.  1892. 
Rain  last  month  was  very  short;  I only  registered 
3 61  and  for  the  year  to  date  20'12  inches  ; very  much 
below  the  average,  but  more  than  4 inches  over  what  we 
had  last  year  to  the  earae  date.  It  has,  however,  been 
well  distributed  and  coffee  everywhere  is  looking  remark- 
ably well  ; the  berries  have  swelled  nicely,  and  there  is 
every  promis3  of  satisfac'ory  crops,  while  the  wra’her 
has  been  cloudy  and  showery,  and  very  lavourable  tor 
supplies  and  new  plauling.  Wells  are  still  very  low, 
though  there  is  no  longer  ihe  difficulty  about  d-iuking 
wat°r  there  was  some  time  back  still  more  rain  is  very 
much  wanted  ; we  had  a good  shower  yesterday  and 
there  aro  heavy  clouds  nearly  every  day,  which  must,  I 
^hmk,  result  in  tftin  soon.  The  weather  at  present  is 
431 
almost  perfect ; last  month  my  thermometer  in  tbe 
houso  only  varied  between  02°  and  72°.  I am  sorry 
to  say  green  bug  has  mode  its  appearance  up  here  an  1 
in  some  placesrather  badly,  aod  1 should  be  much!  of  - 
liged  if  my  brother  planters  would  give  me  their  expe- 
rience. I find  (in  Nietner’s  Insect  Pests)  the  white  bng; 
and  the  black  bug  ; and  the  brown  bng  ; but  nowhere 
the  green  bug  ; has  it  ever  been  described  ? ard  if  so, 
where  ? and  what,  if  anything,  is  done  for  it  ? When  a 
year  or  two  ago  it  made  its  appearmce  on  the  Nilgiris, 
there  was  a howl  from  planters  generally,  but  re  a 1 1 y — 
no  one  seems  a penny  the  worse  I There  and  up  hers 
too  it  seems  to  attack  the  shade  trees  and  specially 
guavas; — but  does  it  do  any  harm  to  the  coffee  ? Does 
it  even  attack  it  at  all  or  to  any  appreciable  ex'eot  ? 
Is  it  advisable  to  cut  down  the  shade  trees  affected? 
Might  not  this,  perhaps,  drive  it  on  to  the  coffee  ? If 
the  shade  trees  are  left  alone,  will  the  green  bug  stick 
them  or  will  it  get  on  to  the  c<  flee  ? There  is  much 
the  same  smntas  witii  black  bng,  with  which  we  are  all 
familiar  and,  of  couree,  coffee  under  the  “ buggy  ” trees 
get  covered  with  it.  Dues  it  do  them  any  harm  ? 
There  has  been  green  bug  now  in  some  of  our  districts 
for  years,  and  some  of  our  planters  must  know  a good 
deal  al  out  it ; will  they  give  us  the  benefit  of  their  ex- 
perience. Once  more — 
1.  Does  it  hurt  the  coffee  ? 
2.  Is  it  advisable  to  cut  down  the  shade  trees 
affected  ? 
3 Is  there  ar  y cure  which  can  be  applied  at  real  or - 
ab’e  cost  ? 
— Madras  Times  Au  7.  8. 
[This  planter  is  behind  the  literature  of  the  time 
in  regard  to  green  bug.  which  was  fully  described 
some  years  ago  by  Mr.  E.  E.  Green  of  Csylon.  In  this 
co’ony  it  was  and  is  considered  a deadly  enemy  to 
coffee,  generally  completing  the  work  of  destruction 
commenced  by  leaf  disiase  and  white  grub. — 
Ed.  T.A.] 
CEYLON  TEA  IN  MELBOURNE. 
The  Agrus  of2ith  July  says:  — 
The  tea  market  has  been  quite  today  and  only 
moderate  sale3  are  reported,  comprising  50  packages 
Ceylon  at  Od  to  8d,  a small  parcel  fine  Ceylon 
at  Is  81. 
In  its  issu6  of  the  27  h Argus  l ays: — 
The  tea  market  has  been  quite  dur  ng  the  week.  In 
consequence  of  the  large  quantity  of  duty-paid  stocks 
which  were  cleared  tefrre  tl  e increa*  of  the  duty, 
prices  obtainable  in  bond  for  tea  on  which  the  duty  is 
payable  at  the  higher  rate  show  a slight  fall.  The 
pi  licipal  usiness  has  been  in  Ceylons,  of  which  600 
packages  have  been  sold  during  the  week  at  (lid  to  Sd. 
The  Custom-house  statement  of  receipts  and  deliveries 
of  tea  at  the  bonds  for  last  week,  together  with  the 
stocks  in  bond  at  the  close  of  the  week,  is  as  follows: — 
Deliveries. 
Iieceipts 
For  Home 
For 
Stocks 
— 
Into 
Consump- 
Export. 
on 
Bond. 
tion. 
July  16. 
Lb. 
Lb. 
L\ 
Lb. 
Chilli 
— 
255, ‘2  7 
130 
34,495 
lu-lia 
. — 
41,304 
134 
23,631 
Ceylon 
. 63,012 
120,095 
455 
12,307 
Totals. . 
83,012 
413,610 
719 
70.453 
During  the  12  weeks  ended  16th  inst.  duty  was  paid 
on  5,134,349  lb.  tea.  On  the  other  hand,  the  exports 
under  drawback  amounted  to  989,979  lb.,  leaving 
4,244,370  lb.  for  net  home  consumption,  and,  after 
allowing  for  current  consumption,  the  duty  paid  stocks 
in  the  bands  of  the  trade  have  been  augmented  to  the 
extent  of  about  1,750,000  lb. 
CHINA  TEA  AND  TEA  TRADE. 
AN  AMERICAN  CONSUL  DENOUNCING  GREEN  TEA. 
A Consular  report,  recently  issued  by  the  Wash- 
ington Statistical  Bureau,  includes  a comprehensive 
report  on  the  history  and  present  position  of  the 
China  tea  trade,  by  an  American,  whose  impartial 
oonclusious  should  interest  all  lovers  of  the  cheering 
