M tHE TROPICAL. 
TEA BUG OF ASSAM. 
A DISPUTED POINT, 
Mr H Harold H Mann, B Sc., contributes the 
following notes :— As ia well-known HelopelHs tJieivora. 
" Tea Bng of Assam " as it was called by Mr Wood- 
Mason, the " Mosquito Blight " as it is generally 
termed — is the most alarming pest which has yet 
appeared on tea cultivated in India. It causes the 
more disquietude as it tends to increase as years go 
by, — fluctuating according to season, but generally 
increasing and invading new area?. During 1901, 
which was a particularly bad year in almost all 
districts subject to the pest, a very moderate estimate 
fives seven lakhs of rupees as the nett loss to the 
ndian Tea Industry from this cause alone. 
Though we have a knowledge, thanks to Peal, 
Wood-Mason, Dudgeon, Watt and Green, of the 
general life-history of the insect from the egg to 
the adult stage, yet there remain several points which 
have been very obscure. Of these the most important 
ia the question as to what becomes of the insect 
during the time when it apparently disappears from 
the tea bush. So complete is this disappearance, as 
a rnle, that most planters living in affected districts 
in North-East India have hardly ever seen a single 
insect during January, February and Blarch. Mr 
Dudgeon has suggested that it hibernates in the 
ground, but offers no evidence for his position, and 
declares frankly that he had not been able to verify 
his conjecture. It has also been supposed that 
hibernation takes place in water and swamps, but 
again, not a scrap of evidense in favour of the view 
exists, and the same maybe said of the very general 
idea among tea planters that in the cold weather 
the Heloveltis goes on to various jungle trees. 
With a view of acquiring information on this point, 
1 have spent a considerable time in January, February 
and March of the present year in two of the districts 
most affected by the peat — Darjeeling-Terai, and 
Caohar — at a period when the insect was supposed to be 
hibernating. As a result I have come to conclusions, 
of which the following is a summary. The ffelopeltis 
theivora can be found on the tea bush in every 
stage of development during every period 
of the year. The cold weather kills off the 
bulk of the mature insects and practically all the 
larvae, but at all times BuiHcient remain to carry on 
the pest to the next season, and in addition the 
bushes are full of eggs. These latter were found uot 
only in the usual position on the young shoot, but 
also at a much lower part of the bush than had 
previously been noticed embedded in the usual fashion 
m the mid rib of the large mature leaves. The larvae 
were found on 11th January in small numbers on 
nnpruned and sheltered bushes, then forming about 
2 per cent of the total number of insect caught. 
By 12th February, however, a very different propor- 
tion of adults and larvae were obtained, and now 
instead of 2§ per cent the larvae formed 80 per cent 
of the total catch. This proportion was approximately 
kept up during several weeks from that date. The 
difficulty in obtaining evidence of their presence at 
this time is due to their attacking almost entirely 
the slightly shaded young leaves, the surface growth 
being rarely injured in the early part ' of the year. 
The insect could further not be found on any 
jnngle plant at this time. Though jungle of very 
miscellaneous character was systematically searched 
both by myself and by the children who are regularly 
catching the insects and who are extremely expert at 
the work, not a single ono was discovered in any form. 
It appears, therefore, evident that there ia from 
' present knowledge no need to aasnme a hibernating 
Btage at all for Iielopeltu theivora, and that the 
insects remain and can be found in every stage of 
growth from the egg to the mature female full of 
eggs in the tea-bush, at all times ot the year. Whether 
the egg found low down in the buah, as described 
above can be considered as a special hibernating egg, 
^ wx luitilj sa^i bat there certainly was no cli£Cereu«9 
AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 1902. 
in structure or in method of deposition from that 
usual during the regular season. Inasmuch, then as 
there is absolutely no evidence of the cold weather 
being passed by the insect in the soil, in water, or 
on other trees, and furthermore, as careful observa- 
tion can always detect the insects and their eggs on 
tea bushes in affected districts, their ia no need to 
imagine any hybernation stage at all in India, and 
beyond a certain retardation in development due to 
the reduced temperature, the reproduction of the 
insect may be considered to take place in a similar 
manner throughout the year, and to be carried out 
on the tea bush itself during the whole period. These 
observations have a practical interest, and may lead 
to a sound method of attempting to deal with the 
pest, and experiments in this direction are now in 
progress. — Indian Daily Neus, Nov. 10. 
THE LONDON CIRCULAR ON THE 
TEA CESS. 
Dear Sir, — I am instructed by the Tea and Pro- 
duce Committee of tiiis Association to hand you 
the enclosed copy of a letter, dated 22ad Sep- 
tember, 1902, from Mr A C Kingsford, Chairman 
of the Plauter.s' Association of Ceylon, embodying 
a resolution of the Thirty Committee, dated 
13th September, 1902, and to ask whether you 
are prepared, on belialf of the interests that you 
represent, to agree to the proposed increase of 
the Tea Cess from 30 cents to 50 cents per 1001b. 
I am further instructed to invite an expression of 
your opinion generally, and any suggestions you may 
have to make, as to the appropriation of the funds at 
the disposal of the " Thirty Committee." 
At a meeting of the Tea and Produce Com- 
mittee, held on the 22Qd October, the following 
resolutions were passed, and are communicated for 
your information : — 
1st. — "That, while the Committee approve of 
the encouragement given to the Green Tea 
industry, they do not consider it necessary or 
desirable at the present moment to increase the 
Cess as recommended by the ' Thirty Committee.'" 
2ad. — That the following suggestions put for- 
ward by Mr Rutherford meet w\lh their approval: — 
"That tlie 'Thirty Committee' guarantee 4 
cents per lb. bonus on 7,000,000 lb, of green tea 
out of the 1903 Cess, whicli it is propose! 
should not be increased over its present rate, 
and in the event of there being insufficient 
funds from which to pay a bonus on greeu 
tea exported in 1903 in excess of 7,000,000, then 
the payment of the bonus of 4 cents on such excess 
quantity shall be a first charge on the unexpended 
balances for advertising, etc., and on the Cess of 
the following year." 
Answers to this circular should be sent in on or 
before the 10th November, 1902. — I am, dear sir, 
yours faithfully, 
Wm. Martin Lrake, Secretary. 
61 and 62, Gracechuroh Street, London, £. C,, 
27ch October, 1902. 
PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS AGAINST 
LIGHTNING. 
There is a subject of great interest to peop'e 
out here, as elsewhere, says " Max " in Capital 
of SOth ultimo, and that is how best to protect 
their buildings against destruction by lightning. 
The question has been discussed over and over 
again. I remember a good many years ago the 
London Times opened its columns to a lengthened 
correspondence oq the iJoint m t9 whether the 
