Deo. 1, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
381 
should say, several forms of ib. Ih is the most 
important of all the Indian Acacias from the 
economic point of view. Acacia catechu is che 
tree that yields tlie well-known " kntch " or 
" Icatli " of India. In addition, it yields a very 
pood sum and a hard, durable timber. — Indian 
Gardening and Planting, Oct, 9. 
IRRIGATED COFFEE. 
(To the Editor Madras Mail.) 
Sir, — Will you kindly publish a recent experience 
ot mine in regard to my Irrigation Coffee ? I have 
a plot of four acres which has special facilities for 
irrigation during the hot months. A portion of my 
oldest trees (7 years) are planted there. They have 
given me fonr crops, including the present, and the 
last crop was 22 cwfc out of these four acres. The plani s 
did not suffer to any extent. On the contrary, they 
put on fine wood for this year, but I was rather 
disappointed with the existing crop,— I commenced 
picking in August — which I do not estimate at more 
than 7 or 8 cwt for the whole plot. To my very 
agreeable surprise, I find now that the plants are 
throwing out "spike," mostly in a " forward " con- 
dition, and in a fortnight or so I expect them to 
blossom ; and this means that in May and June I 
shall have another crop, which, judging from the 
vigorous condition of the spike, must be rather 
abundant. One of the principal objections raised 
against coSee grown under irrigation is that the 
plants get no rest as in the Mulnaad, but the admir- 
able condition of my plants, which are t/iving a fourth 
crop and are preparhui for the fifth, shows that 
properly irrigated and well-manured, the plants take 
care of themselves, and take rest only when neces- 
sary. — 0. Meenacshaya, Gowripuram. 
THE FIBRE INDUSTRY, 
Sir,— Mr. V T Vencataram Iyer, of Valavanur' 
South Arcot, has done a great public service by 
publishing the results of liis valuable experiment 
into the plantain-tree fibre, thereby drawing 
public attention to an industry whicii may prove a 
blessing to India where these trees are grown very 
largely, and he deserves the thanks of every 
well-wisher of India. Now that he has satisfied 
himself of the highly remunerative character of 
the fibre, I beg to make a suggestion to him, 
which, whilst conferring a great benefit upon the 
landlords who grow these fruit trees on a large 
scale in Southern India, may prove highly ad- 
vantageous to himself. In Tanjore and Trichi- 
nopoly Districts, to my personal knowledge, 
these trees are grown largely. If he could 
practically instruct in person, or by an agent, 
some of these landlords, in the method of 
extracting the fibre, and arrange with them the 
sale to himself of the fibre, he could, while 
putting some money into their pockets for what 
hitherto had been a valueless article, gradually 
develop for himself an export trade, which might 
eventually grow into gigantic proportions. If 
there were many gentlemen amongst us who 
possess the same ])ractical turn of mind as Mr. V. 
Iyer, such a suggestion would be needless, but our 
men are mere theorists carping, criticising and 
complaining, without any earnestness for making 
practical efforts. 
Whilst on this subject, I take the liberty of 
suggesting another fibre of much greater value 
than plantain fibre, which could be extracted 
from pine apple plants. These might be grown 
in a plantaiu-garden so that both these valuable 
products could be had out of the same plantation. 
A very interesting anrl instructive letter on pine- 
apple fibre was published in the Madras Mail 
of the 24th June, 1901, and if Mr. V. Iyer can- 
not readily lay hands on this letter, 1 "shall be 
most happy to send ib to him. The process of 
extracting that fibre, adopted in Japan and the 
Philippines, as I learnt from Dr. Watts, is like- 
wise simple. C. MiiENACSUAYA, 
Gowripooram. 
—Madras Mail, Oct. 27. 
COCONUT BEETLE IN THE STRAITS. 
The following resolution was proposed by Mr. E V 
Gary and seconded by Mr. C R Meikle : — That in 
view of the alarming spread of the coconut beetle 
pest the Government be asked to appoint a special 
European Inspector in each Stato, whose dutv it shHll 
be to see that the provisions of Enactment V. ot 1898 
are strictly enforced. " That, in the opinion of this 
Association, it is essential that all trees which havo 
been badly attacked shall be deemed to be ' beyccd 
recovery' and forthwith uprooted, split up and burned, 
unless the owner can satisfy the Inspector that such 
trees have been regularly attended to in the past 
and are at the time of inspection free of beetle. " That 
for a second offence no excuse shall be accepted by 
the Inspector. That the burying of uprooted trees 
should not under any circumstances be allowed, the 
Enactment being amended, if neco'sary, to provide 
against this. That the Inspector should pay special 
attention to the enforcement of section 6 of the Enact- 
ment with respect to the breeding places of beetles. 
That all other palms which are infested by the coco- 
nut beetle shall be deemed to be ' breeding places ' 
within the meaning of the Enactment and dealt with 
accordingly. " It was agreed to alter the draft re- 
solution and to insert the word European before In- 
spector. The Chairman said he was in aposition to 
state that the High Commissioner had interested him- 
self in the matter and it was satisfactory to know 
that we had his sympathy. As regards the breeding 
places of the beetle he considered that all rubbish 
heaps, serdang, and sago trees where the beetles are 
known to breed should be treated as such, and tha'; 
uprooted trees should on no account be briried. There 
seemed to be no complaint of beetle in either Ne?ri 
Sembilan or Perak, and he thought that when the En- 
actment was properly carried out Selangor M ould also 
be free from them. Mr. Meikle said that he f one Jrred 
entirely with what the Chairman had said, bat if the 
matter was not taken in band at once he wai afraid 
that coconut cultivation would be impossible. Hewent 
over an estate a few days previously which was covered 
with dead serdang and other palms in which tha 
beetle breeds, but the coconut trees showed no signs 
whatever of being attacked, proving that if the pest 
is taken in hand at once there need be no fear of the 
beetle attacks becoming dangerous. — United Flanlers' 
Association i . M. 8. 
. « 
GRAVE CHARGE AGAINST A MANURE 
MERCHANT. 
Mr. A J Forest, chemical merchant, carry- 
ing on business in Brussels, was charged at 
the Mansion House Police-court, yesterday 
with obtaining large sums of money under 
false pretences from ^Ir. Henry Holling- 
shurst, chemical merchant, of 127, Fenchureh- 
street, in connection with the purchase of 
quantities of basic slag used as a fertiliser 
or manure. — Mr. Cranstoun, barrister, who 
prosecuted, said that Mr. Hollingshurst had 
entered into contracts with the defendant for 
the purchase of hundreds of tons of basic 
