74§ 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[June  i,  1893. 
h e emerges  from  his  hole  and  attacks  another  primary; 
of  course  they  wither  and  die.  Grub  galore  attack 
the  roots  and  ring  the  plants  just  the  same  as 
Ceylon  fellows  do ; resulting  in  some  fields  of  about 
50  per  cent  of  failures.  It’s  to  be  hoped  as  the  trees 
become  stronger  they  will  resist  aid  get  over  all 
those  pests. 
There  is  still  much  to  complain  of  against  the 
B.  C.  A.  A.,  and  the  whole  European  population  are 
vowmg  vengeance  against  the  actions  of  tbeir  em- 
ployees who  have  at  last  roused  the  natives  into  a 
general  revolt. 
The  latest  news  is 
A GRJtAT  RISING  OF  NATIVES 
on  the  upper  Shire,  midnight  scares  and  groat  excite- 
ment at  Blantyro  the  immediate  cause  of  which  it 
appears.  About  a fortnight  ago  Cnpl.  Johnstone 
released  a slave  earavan  on  the  Upper  Shire  at 
“ Luondis;”  as  he  was  returning  to  lripunbe’s  the 
natives  attacked  him,  and  although  he  had  only  20 
armed  men  he  kept  his  ground  and  brought  away 
the  slave  dealers  prisoners.  Soon  after  this  one  of  the 
AFRICAN  LAKES  CO.  BOATS 
was  proceeding  np  the  Shire  and  was  attacked  by 
the  Datives,  who  killed  one  .of  the  boatmen,  the 
others  jumped  into  the  river  and  swam  for  it  thus 
escaping.  The  A.  L.  Co.  Agent  at  Matape  has  left 
hia  station  and  run.into  Blautyre,  others  who  could 
escape  have  also  left  the  Upper  River. 
The  A.  L.  Co.  steamer  took  up  Major  Wiesmann 
and  party  by  last  tripi,  shs  has  now  stuck  on  the 
rooks  on  her  return  trip  at  Mysapa’s. 
Wissmann  who  was  camped  on  shore  at  Leopoold’s 
Bay  saw  one  of  Makangera’e  dhows  making  straight 
for  his  Campdng  ground,  so  he  fixed  np  bis  Hotch- 
kiss gun  and  sent  a lib  shell  iDto  her,  6iuking  her 
on  the  spot. 
It  was  rumoured  that  Capt.  Weatherly  and  Mr. 
Coe,  sportsmen,  were  killed,  but  it  turns  out  that 
Capt.  Weatherly  is  safe  in  Fort  Johnstone  and  Mr. 
Coe,  who  was  attacked  and  his  carriers  all  bolted  end 
left  him  reporting  his  death,  turned  np  6afe  and  well. 
This  opportunity  has  been  seized  upon  for  a general 
risiDg  of  the  native  chiefs  against  the  B.  C.  A.  A. 
who  have  disturbed  as  I said  before  the  whole  coun- 
try not,  as  would  appear,  by  their  endeavours  to 
put  down  slavery  (although  in  this  case  it  was  so) 
but  other  oauses  which  the  British  Government  does 
not  seem  disposed  to  listen  to  or  believe. 
Rumour  has  it  that  many  of  the  Chiefs  round  here 
are  rising. 
THE  COMMISSIONER,  MR.  SHARP 
Vice-Consul,  Capt.  Johnstone,  with  the  gun-boats’ 
erews  and  150  soldiers  have  gone  up  to  try  and 
negotiate  for  peaoe  or  fight.  The  new  gun-boats 
for  the  lake  are  expected  to  reach  their  destination 
soon  and  be  ready  for  service.  H.  B. 
DURBAN  BOTANIC  SOCIETY, 
Report  on  Natal  Botanic  Gardens  for  the  year  1892. 
In  this  document  which  has  reached  us,  it  is 
stated : — 
During  the  year  it  was  brought  to  my  notice  that  two 
insect  pests  had  appeared,  and  were  doing  considerable 
damage  »o  certain  cultivated  plants.  I obtained 
specimens  of  each  and  forwarded  them  to  Mr.  R. 
Trimen, f.r.s.,  of  the  South  African  Museum,  Capetown. 
The  first  one,  which  had  attacked  the  “ Umondi” 
CMorocodon  Whitei),  proved  to  be  a rather  rare  beetle 
Chrysomela  Clarki,  Baby,  a near  relation  of  the  des- 
tructive “ Colorado  beetle  ” ; and  Mr.  Trimen  states 
that  members  of  this  group  have  a habit  of  suddenly 
multiplying  to  an  immense  extent.  So  far  as  I am 
aware.,  this  pest  has  confined  its  attentions  to  the 
“ Umondi,”  and  should  it  increase  alarmingly  the  best 
way  to  get  rid  of  it  would  probably  be  to  get  rid  of  the 
“Umondi”  plant  together.  In  case,  however,  it 
should  attack  other  and  more  valuable  plants,  it  will 
be  well  to  bear  in  mind  Mr.  Trimen’s  suggestion,  viz., 
Spraying  the  plants  with  a mixture  of  “ Baris  green  ” 
(Arsenite  of  Copper ),  a tablespoonfal  to  a backet  of 
water,  to  be  kept  in  constant  agitation  when  applied. 
This  appears  to  have  been  successful  in  the  case  of  the 
Colorado  beetle.  Specimens  of  Chrysomela  Clarki, 
with  instructions  as  to  spraying  the  plants,  were  sent 
to  the  Durban  Museum,  Museum  of  Natal  Society,  and 
Botanic  Garden-,  Maiitzbnrg.  The  other  insect,  which 
bad  attacked  the  raeslie  plant,  proved  to  be  a species 
nctsD  rare,  aod  is  called  Epilochna  similis,  ThuDberg, 
amt  belongs  to  the  family  of  “ Ladybirds.”  Mr.  Trimen 
states  that  he  has  often  found  it  on  mealie  leaves,  and 
that  it  is  also  destructive  to  the  potato  plant.  Very 
probably  the  treatment  recommended  by  Mr.  Trtmeu 
for  destruction  of  Chrysomelu.  Clarki  would  be  effective 
in  this  eas9  also.  Samples  of  Banana  and  Cassava  flour 
were  obtained  by  Mr.  R.  Jameson  from  the  Government 
of  Jamaica,  and  Lauded  over  to  me.  A specimen  of 
each  wus  iotwarded  to  tbe  Botanic  Gardens,  Maritz- 
burg,  and  also  to  the  stores  of  Messrs.  Jameson  & Co., 
the  remainder  being  retained  at  my  office.  Both  of 
these  articles  could  be  produced  here  in  quantity,  but 
there  appears  to  bv  considerable  doubt  both  as  to  the 
value  of  the  Banana  flour  as  an  article  of  food,  and 
also  as  to  the  permanence  of  the  demand.  The  Cassava 
plaut  will  be  alluded  to  later  on  in  this  report.  A 
sample  of  extract  of  Mangrove  bark  was  also  obtained 
from  the  same  source  by  Mr.  R.  Jameson  ; but  as  tbe 
true  “ MaDgrove  ” is  not  at  all  common  in  Na'al  tbe 
trees  on  our  Bayside  beiDg  chiefly  Avicenna  officinalis 
and  not  Bhizophora  sp-,  there  is  little  chance  of  our 
being  able  to  supply  this  extraot,  and  I find  also  that 
it  has  not  been  favourably  reported  on  at  home.  Tbe 
Right  Hon.  W.  L.  Jackson  says  of  it : “ I have  exam- 
ined the  sample  of  Mangrove  bark  extraot,  and  I 
regret  that  I am  not  able  to  report  very  favourably  upon 
it.  Gambier  at  present  is  muoh  cheaper  ae  a tanner, 
and  I do  not  think  buyers  could  be  found  who  would 
pay  a proportionate  price  for  it.”  Two  brokers  say 
that  they  have  been  unable  to  induce  taDDers  to 
even  try  it. 
— ♦ — - 
AN  EX-CEYLON  PLANTER  IN 
AUSTRALIA. 
AUSTRALIA  AND  CEYLON  : A CONTRAST — SCARCITY  OF 
WATER— MR  HENRY  POETT  AND  1HEM1LDURA  SCHEME. 
— MISS  SHAW'S  LETTERS  ON  AD8TRALI  A— GENERAL 
ITEMS. 
The  Barrier,  New  South  Wales,  March  1893. 
In  three  daj  s will  have  completed  my  twelve  months 
here  and  I have  not  been  once  outside  the  boundary 
fence  of  the  Run  during  all  that  time.  It  has  been  a 
very  pleasant  time  altogether,  but  the  chief  pleasure 
has  been  the  m»g  dficence  of  the  climate  and  the  keen 
enjoyment  of  robust  health. 
It  sometimes  strikes  me  as  being  wonderful  to 
realize  the  difference  between  these  present  surround- 
ings and  those  of  the  Central  Province  in  Ceylon.  On 
the  one  hand  in  your  linmid  island  you  have  constant 
downpours  of  rain  ; you  have  two  monsoons  vying 
with  each  other  in  soaking  your  land  ; yon  have  rip- 
pling streams  and  ragiDg  torrents  ; — murmuring  rivers 
and  roaring  waterfalls.  The  whole  country  is  green 
and  succulent,  and  the  ever-present  water  accompanies 
you  wherever  you  go.  You  see  the  rice  fields  glis- 
tening with  this  mnch  prized  element,  along  the  side- 
drains  of  the  road  the  happy  streams  plunge  merrily 
and  disappear  beneath  culverts.  But  here  man  has 
made  it  possible  to  exist  where  the  very  blacks  in 
days  of  yore  found  it  well  Digh  impossible.  All  this 
country  was  considered  an  impracticable  desert  save 
after  heavy  rains  when  the  water-holes  became  filled 
with  water,  thus  enabling  the  travellers  to  cross  with 
safety.  But  here  in  this  desert  you  find  a luxurious 
home,  a happy  community  of  men,  a thriving  indus- 
try, a sharing^of  the  luxuries  of  civilization.  As  you 
sit  in  the  comfortable  buggy  of  the  Boss,  and  watch 
the  sombre  etuuted  timber  swiftly  whirl  by — and  the 
great  spread  of  level  plain  unroll  itself  before  the 
rapid  wheels  of  the  carriage.— You  find  it  hard  to 
realize  that  but  for  these  large  artificial  tanks — 
cot  only  the  sheep— but  the  oecupants  of  the  buggy 
