Dec. 1, 1900.1 THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
401 
letter I have written to the " Cey]on Stan- 
dard" on the subject and should be glad if 
you could find room for it in an early issue as 
I think what Mr. Carruthers actually did 
say, ought to be well understood. — Yours 
faithfully, B. WEBB. 
MR. CAERUTHBRS ON "CACAO."' 
Hindugalla, Peradeuiya, Nov. 3. 
The Editor' " Ceylon Standard." 
Dear Sir, — My attention has been called to a 
leading article in your issue of the 29tlx ult. 
headed "Mr, Carruthers on Cacao," whiclilis, Ithink, 
calculated to give a very erroneous impression 
of the matter. In the first place Mr. Carruthers 
never offered to give a lecture, but, in accord- 
ance with the wishes of several members of the 
N D P A, I, as Chairman, invited him to be 
present at our meeting on the 20th and to give 
a short address on plant sanitation in connec- 
tion especially with the cacao canker which was 
to be followed by a discussion so that those 
interested in cacao might have an opportunity 
of knowing wliat was being done to eradicate 
the disease. 
During the discussion, Mr. Carruthers, who, 
by the bye, spent a whole year in investigating; 
the disease and in visiting various Ceylon 
cacao estates, stated, in answer to a question 
from Mr. 0 Gibbon, that as far as his experi- 
tnents irent no predisposition in the trees was 
necessary for the attack of the fungus, but he 
never said cacao was doomed: in fact he reiterated 
his opinion that cacao would continue to be a 
most profitable product in Ceylon, if proper 
measures were taken, thougli as in duty bound, 
he warned planters against tlie disease. 
I tliink, such addresses and discussions, espe- 
cially if iiropcrly reported, should be most use- 
ful in keeping us informed up to date as to 
what is being done both by scientists and prac- 
tical planters to flght the diseases, cacao and 
our other products are liable to, and I regret 
that anything should be said in the press or 
elsewhere to discourage them. 
I should be obliged if, in justice to Mr. Cai'ru- 
thers, you would give publicity to this in your 
paper, and I must say, I think it much to be 
regretted that you did not obtain more accurate 
information before writing the article.— I am, 
dear sir, yours faithfully. 
(Sgd.)ED WARD WEBB, Chairman, N. D. P. A. 
MALARIA AND AGRICULTURE, 
Nanuoya, Oct. 26. 
Dear Sir, — Tlie following extract from re- 
marks by Professor Celli (Director of the 
School of Hygiene, University of Rome) on 
the Epidemiology and Prophylactics of Malaria, 
will, I am sure, interest not only "Enquirer' 
but your other readers too. Under the liead 
"Agriculture and Malaria," the Professor says 
» " It can now no longer be admitted tliat the 
simple stirring up of the soil in malarious 
places determines the liberation of the germs of 
this infection. On the other hand, any move- 
ment which in any way alters the liydraulic 
conditions of a given area may really become 
a local cavise, predis)50sing to the development 
of malaria : marshy vegetation, composed of canes, 
rushes, water-lilies, cresses and conferoa;, is very 
favourable to the life of the larvfe, and 
is, therefore, also favourable to and a concomitant 
of malaria by favouring the' existence of the 
larva> ot anopheles. Thus irrigated meadow 
lands in malarious places, whenever the water 
becomes c^iiite or almost stagnant in the afferent 
or efferent channels, and still more rice fields, 
with their clear and almost still water and typical 
]>a!ustral vegetation, constitute the best habitat 
of these larvaj. Hence, as is known, the forma- 
tion of rice fields cau-es the re-appearance of 
malaria where it had become extinct and where 
it already exists, they are a very active focus of 
roduction." 
The article from which I am quoting is a very 
lengthy one. But the above should suffice to 
throw light on "Enquirer's'' query. Later 
researches have both modified, but still more, sub 
Rtantiated the professor's thories, and those 
interested would do well to read through his 
article fuUj' in the British Medical Journal of 
Feb. lOth.-^Yours faithfully, 
GEO. E. P. 
PRESERVING COCONUT MILK. 
Colombo, Nov.. 10. 
Dear Sir,— Referring to the article in the 
Tropical Agricidturist, vol. xx. page 3-12, I beg 
to say that "Silicic Acid, i.e. Quartzose Sand ', 
cannot preserve cocontit milk at all, as 
is said in " Sell's Commercial Intelligencer." 
I believe the writer of the article refers to 
' Salicylic Acid ", which chemical is often 
tised for preserving wines, beer, etc., notwith- 
standing it is strictly prohibited in all Euro- 
pean countries. I suggest the method of Prof. 
Sohxlet, viz., sterilising the milk at 212° F, a 
procedure that is much used for preserving 
cowmilk for infants, f should think this is 
also the best way of preserving coconut milk. 
— I am, dear su', voiirs faithfully, 
DR P. W KOLLEK. 
-V- 
PLANTING NOTES. 
European Plants and Commerce.— In Europe 
4,200 species of plants are gathered and used for 
commercial purposes. Of these 420 have a per- 
fume tliat is plea'-ing, and enter largely into the 
manufactiu'e of scents and soaps. There are more 
species of white llowers gathered than of any 
other colour — 1,124 in all Of these 187 have an. 
agreeable scent, an extraordinarily large propor- 
tion. Next ni order come yellow blossoms with 
951, seventy-seven of them being perfumed. Red 
flo'.' ers number 82.3, of which eighty- four are 
scented. The blue flowers are of 594 varieties, 
thirty-four of which are perfumed, and the violet 
olo^soms liunibsr 308, thirteen of which are 
pleasantly odoriferous, — From " Journal of 
Horticulture." 
Planting in Nt ass aland.— We have had 
many good letters from British Central 
Africa from our well-known correspondent 
" H. B." — but none perhaps so crisp and 
chatty and full of the right sort of infor- 
mation as the one we publish elsewhere. "H B" 
specially points out how some of the surplus 
of Ceylon "creepers" cotild not do bett erthan 
try B.C. A. —easy as ABC, we gather, would 
be the career before them — for great pro- 
gress has been made there. The drawbacks 
however, are hinted at, so that the advice 
is neither visionary nor unpractical. Further 
long accounts of "Leopard" and "Lion" 
experiences by "HB"must be withheld for 
the present and will probably appear most 
suitably in our Christmas number.— " H B ", 
gives a list of several Ceylon men now iu 
Nyassaland. 
