Dec.  r,  1892,] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
375 
should  be  made  a steeper  gradient  than  1 in  14,  and 
that  Dowhere  had  he  seen  roads  kept  in  such  ex- 
cellent order  as  in  Ceylon.  A very  different  policy 
appears  to  commend  itself  to  the  authorities  here, 
a policy  which  would  depiive  an  industrial  class 
engaged  in  the  dtvdopmeut  of  the  resources  of  the 
country  and  adding  materially  to  its  wealth  and  im- 
portance, of  the  advantages  of  good  roads.  1 shall 
not  enlarge  upon  the  subject  lurther  beyond  ex- 
pressing the  hope  that  the  ventilation  it  has  received 
in  the  Press  will  be  fruitful  in  bringing  about  some 
permanent  good. 
The  important  works  of  digging  and,  to  a smaller 
extent,  renovation  pitting  have  now  been  in  band 
for  some  time.  The  latter  is  a luxury  that  cannot  be 
largely  indulged  in  unless  labour  happens  to  be  ex- 
ceptionally abundant.  The  benefit  which  results  from 
it  is  fully  recognised  everywhere;  but,  owiDg  to  the 
slow  progress  of  this  work,  it  has  to  be  limited  to 
fields  which  are  deemed  to  require  it  most,  and  is 
generally  carried  out  in  rotation.  With  regard  to 
trench-ploughing,  it  is  said  lhat  “ the  incorporation 
of  subsoil  with  soil  is  a procedure  to  be  ad  pled  only 
with  great  caution,”  as,  being  more  of  the  nature 
of  the  underlying  rock,  ic  tends  to  weaken  the  sur- 
face soil.  Renovation  pitting  does  not,  however, 
operate  in  the  same  way,  as  it  is  i nly  done  some  time 
after  the  coffee  has  been  planted.  The  pits  also  form 
reservoirs  for  much  valuable  matter  which  would 
otherwise  be  dispersed  end  lost;  and  thus,  in  process 
of  time,  an  increased  depth  ol  good  soil  is  obtained. 
Some  planters  are  of  opinion  that  renovation  pits 
answer  very  well  in  lieu  of  drams  ; indeed,  they 
would  appear  to  lower  the  level  at  which  water 
stagnates,  but  they  can  only  do  so  tempcraiily, 
Tlie  only  objection,  apparently,  that  can  be  urged 
against  renovatiou  pitting  is  that  it  prevents 
the  soil  being  kept  iu  a fine  state  of  tilth.  The 
intervals  between  the  pits  become  by  compression  quite 
dense  aud  hard,  which,  for  reasons  explained  in  Mr. 
Graham  Anderson’s  letter  <n  “The  Weeding  of 
Coffee  Estates,”  would  give  rise  to  increased  tem- 
perature. That  an  increase  ol  borer  would  follow  is 
very  probable.  The  totals  of  the  losses  from  borer 
this  season  were,  in  many  cases,  so  appalling  that  Mr. 
Anderson’s  remarks  iu  this  connection  are  well  de- 
serving of  the  attention  of  all  planters.  From  what 
can  be  gathered  on  the  subject  from  agricultural  works, 
there  can  be  no  doubt  that  keepiug  the  soil  in  a fine 
state  of  tilth,  by  frequent  stirring,  would  tend  to  ki  ep 
places  oool,  as  its  capillarity  is  increased  ; and,  for 
reasons  which  Mr.  Anderson  give,  the  prubabiliues  are 
that  this  would  operate  to  some  extent  iu  checkmating 
borer.  It  was  noticeable  here  that  borer  was  severer 
in  parts  that  had  been  removated  last  year  than  in 
thosa  that  had  been  dug  ; but  it  was  just  the  reverse 
as  regards  leaf  disease.  This  defect  in  renova- 
ting pitting  would  perhaps  be  remedied  by 
digging  the  parts  removated  lat<a  in  the 
year  and  filling  in  the  pits;  but  unless  they 
have  been  openid  early  in  the  year,  it  is  generally 
considered  undesirable  to  fill  them  in  the  same  seat  on. 
I have  mentioned  the  practice  on  some  estates  of  man- 
uringin  renovation  pits.  This  is  done  in  November 
and  December,  sometimes  late,  in  pits  opened  be- 
tween June  and  August.  It  has  been  attended  by  the 
best  possible  results.  Two  successive  good  crops  have 
been  obtained  oilfields  treated  in  this  way.  Forking 
and  loosening  the  hard  intervale  between  the  pits, 
without  filling  them  in,  has  been  found  to  act  benefici- 
ally, as  indicated  by  the  improved  appearance  of  the 
trees.  There  are  fields  of  coffee  all  over  the  country 
which  practically  enjoy  a complete  immunity  from  leaf 
disease.  It  is  evident  that  the  conditions  which  obtain 
in  these  fields  are  unfavourable  to  the  spread  of  the 
fuDgus.  I must  not  omit  to  mention  that  a field 
here  which  had  a bad  attack  of  leaf  disease  3 years 
ago  has  kept  remarkably  free  of  it  ever  since. 
The  additional  care  and  attention  paid  to  it  probaDly 
accounts  lor  this.  On  the  other  hand,  fields  free  of 
it  in  some  seasons  take  it  in  other  seasons,  and  it  is 
invariably  found  that,  where  this  is  the  case,  the  soil 
baa  become  sour. 
Tho  excessive  wet  weather  this  year  has  consider- 
ably retarded  the  recovery  of  sick  trees.  The  N.-E 
Monsoon  set  in  hero  on  tho  3rd  instant,  and  since 
then  there  has  been  almost  continuous  gloomy  weather 
with  light  raiu  and  occasional  heavy  showtrs.  The 
entire  absence  of  thunder  makes  the  resemblance  to 
the  S.  W.  Monsoon  almost  complete.  Plenty  of  sun- 
shine with  occasional  ihunderstorins  is  normal  October 
weather.  This  afternoon  the  clouds  and  rain  were 
travelling  up  from  tho  South-West.  It  is  supposed 
that  the  excessive  wet  will  prove  hurtful  to  young 
supplies.  Preparations  for  orop  are  being  begun.  It 
ripens  earlier  iu  the  Bamboo  than  up  here.  On  one 
place  here,  however,  a few  children  have  been  put  on 
gathering  and  are,  I believe,  bringing  in  a quarter  of 
a bushel  each. — M.  Mail,  Nov.  4. 

GOVERNMENT  CINCHONA  PLANTATIONS. 
We  have  received  a copy  of  Mr.  M-.  A.  Lawson's 
Administration  Report  of  the  Government  Cinchona 
Plantations  and  Quinine  Factory  for  the  year  ending 
31st  March,  1892.  The  information  concerning  the 
work  on  the  plantations  is  meagre,  but  we  gather  that 
no  new  acreage  was  opened  during  the  year  under 
review  but  that  only  young  plants  were  put  out  in 
the  fields  where  the  oid  trees  had  been  uprooted  or 
had  died  out.  From  a statement  showing  the  ap- 
proximate number  of  plants  in  the  permanent  planta- 
tions, we  learn  that  on  the  31st  March  last  there 
were  1,779,894,  of  which  34,200  were  planted  out  during 
the  previous  twelve  months.  Whether  this  latter 
number  represents  the  actual  plants  put  down  without 
any  allowance  for  vacancies  or  only  for  vacancies  up 
to  the  end  of  the  monsoon,  we  have  no  means  of  find- 
ing out,  nor  are  we  aware  when  the  last  census  of  the 
old  trees  was  taken.  In  the  statement  referred  to  there 
are  only  columns  for  “plants last  year,”  “ coppiced  or 
uprooted,”  “ planted  in  this  year  ” ; but  considering 
the  mortality  which  exists  in  every  cinchona  plan- 
tation to  a greater  or  less  degree,  it  would  be  more 
satisfactory  if  another  column  were  added  showing 
the  number  of  plants  that  had  died  out  during  the 
twelve  months  under  review.  As  it  is,  we  are  doubt- 
ful whether  the  grand  total  of,  say,  18  lakhs  gives 
even  an  approximate  idea  of  the  correct  number  of 
trees  in  these  plantations.  In  January  and  February 
last  ten  acres  of  old  Succirubras  were  uprooted  at 
Naduvatam.  These  trees  were  very  old  and  bad, 
and  only  yielded  40,150  lb.  of  dry  bark,  and  this, 
too,  of  a very  inferior  quality,  from  a manufactur- 
ing point  of  view.  The  ground  uprooted  was  re- 
planted in  March  and  April.  This  is  much  earlier 
than  customary;  but,  adds  Mr.  Lawson,  “ it  is  in 
accordance  with  horticultural  principles,  and  the 
result,  so  far,  has  proved  satisfactory.”  Besides  the 
up-keep  of  roads,  bridges,  buildings,  &c.,  trenching 
and  manuring  was  the  chief  work  done  in  the  field. 
The  principal  fertiliser  applied  consisted  of  a mixture 
of  cattle  dung,  20  parts,  lime  1 part  and  wood  ashes 
| part,  a quarter  of  a bushel  being  given  to  each 
plant.  Experiments  were  made  in  planting  out 
seedlings  in  the  field  earlier  than  the  monsoon,  but 
apparently  such  work  requires  extra  care  and  ex- 
pense, and  with  such  a poor  paying  product  as  cin- 
chona is,  this  change  of  the  planting  season  is  never 
likely  to  be  adopted  by  the  practical  planter. 
Particular  attention  was  given  to  the  harvesting  of 
cinchona  seed  and  the  raising  of  plants  in  the 
nurseries.  Writing  of  this,  Mr.  Lawson  remarks : — 
“ It  has  been  often  stated  that  the  seed  of  cinchona 
is  deteriorating,  and  this  may  be  true  in  certain  cases ; 
but  experience  would  tend  to  show  that  when 
the  seed  is  collected  from  healthy  trees,  and 
taken  only  when  quite  ripe,  it  is  perfectly  sound; 
that  it  germinates  freely,  and  produces  vigorous 
p'ants.  The  cause  of  the  great  mortality  which 
used  to  take  place  in  the  Government  nurseries  in 
former  years  was  due  to  the  seed  being  grown  in  too 
damp  a soil,  and  to  the  plants  being  over-shaded 
and  over-watered.  Also  the  plants  were  put  out  in 
the  beds  far  too  close  to  each  other  ; formerly  the 
seedlings  were  pricked  out  at  distances  of  2 inches 
x li,  but  they  are  now  pricked  out  4 inches  x 4, 
