Ogt. 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
241 
TEA PESTS AND SCIENTIFIC KEMEDIES. 
The Kunaon correspondent of the Planter 
writes :— 
I suppose all ha^-e read Dr. Watt's remarkably 
candid views on this matter of a scientist for tea, 
and if one or two of his observations do not 
strike home tlien surely nothing will. "I know 
of no industry of a similar magnitude where 
empiricism is allowed to have such limitless sway." 
Such is the opinion of a dispassionate and per- 
haps the highest scientific authority in Indian at 
the present moment. It amounts surely to the 
severest condemnation of current tea methods 
that has as yet seen the light of day, and besides 
which Sir Alexander Mackenzie's observations 
were nowhere. I note Cachar votes for an en- 
tomologist, but Dr. Watt states that Ceylon has, 
in addition to their chemist, appointed an entomo- 
logist of the very highest European repute, and 
with the incomparable advantage of himself being 
a planter. Why then, I would venture to ask, 
should India spend a lot more money on another 
entomologist ? Ceylon planters are surely fellow 
men, and nothing discovered there in the way 
of entomology is going to be hid under a bushel, 
because, as I understand, Mr. Green is Govern- 
ment entomologist. In my very humble opinion, 
entomology without direct reference to renovation, 
and great improvement in cultural methods will 
turn out to be of the least real advantage to tea. 
I speak in this matter as one with twenty-six 
and a half-j'ear's consecutive horticultural 
practice in its every branch of fruit, plant, 
and vegetable life. Now if there is one fact borne 
out by all experience and a multitude of observers, 
it is this : — No sooner does any kind of 
plant become enfeebled, than in come the insect 
pests. As sure as the sun rises in the east and 
sets in the west do insects show at all times a 
marked preference for the weak or enfeebled, no 
matter from what cause arising, and I am per- 
fectly sure — setting aside the scientific aspects of 
the matter and looking at exactly where it affects 
the planter, this matter of insect pests and plants 
is for all practical purposes in the nature of cause 
and efi'ect. There are quite a number of most 
effective insecticides. I do not believe for example 
any green fly exists that will for a moment stand 
against a strong decoction of quassia ; thrip also 
succumb to its intensely bitter qualities. Again, 
the Bordeaux mixture, consisting simply of sul- 
phate of copper and lime, is remarkably effective 
against a number of insect pests and I know that 
even water heated to 180° F. will efli'ectively des- 
troy green fly. Here is a remedy which in the abs- 
tract costs nothing at all, but the inoment one 
comes to practical details and its application to 
thousands of acres of tea plants growing out in 
the open what of the expense, and what of the 
expense still more in the case of remedies costing 
money and their application to thousands of acres 
of tea. It will surprise me exceedingly if the 
salvation of tea is found in entomology. Of course, 
it would be of the greatest interest and probably 
no small value to know the exact life-history of 
each pest and how best to take the pest at the 
greatest disadvantage. All the same we shall, of 
course, see what we do see, but entomology is not 
going to stamp out mosquito, thrip, red spider, and 
green fly while the inducing cause remains, or at all 
,events, there is such a magnificent field for their 
existence. If I may venture an opinion, I would 
say tea today stands in need of two conspicu- 
ous reforms above all others first— tea manufac- 
ture reduced to a scientific basis in its every pro- 
cess. Secondly, absolute reform in culture, which 
includes pruning. If this be so, then it indi- 
cates a chemist in the factoi'y, and what Dr. 
Watt terms an agriculturist in the field, but 
which, I think, would be mucli more correctly 
termed a horticultuj-ist or at all events, an agri 
hprticulturist, It is not by any means plear what 
an agriculturist, as such, can know about the 
tea plant or is likely to discover. ... At the 
present moment tliis is how I have for a long 
time conceived the matter stands : — The planter 
has by his methods of culture and ghastly prun- 
ing, produced a sickly bush, constitutionally. A 
vast acreage of tea is not what it ought to be, 
and might be, or rather should have been ; the 
food and drink of this sickly out of sorts bush 
is wrong, but tlie planter now demands a doctor 
and medicine ^o beat off the pests tiiat beset its 
enfeebled frame. Now if experience is worth any- 
thing at all, this is not the way to go to work 
to ett'ect a permanent cure. There must be a 
radical change in tlie methods that make the 
pests so plentiful. Without this it will be a cease- 
less warfare, and Assam may be filled with en- 
tomologists, and as time goes on tl:ey will get 
more and more to do, because, however much 
j'ou may destroy on the spot, you can't at any 
price destroy surroundings of unlimited dimen- 
sions without leform in the plant and culture. 
It is my firm conviction the phrase " let 'em all 
come " will be a very painful reality for tea, and 
this will be constantly growing worse until the root 
of the matter is energetically dealt with. 
COCOA PLANTING IN SAMOA. 
A report on cocoa planting in Samoa has been 
received at the Foreign Office from H. M. Consul 
at Apia. In an introduction to the report, the 
Consul states that it would seem, assuming the 
price of cocoa not to fall radically and no cocoa 
disease to arise, both of which events seem un- 
likely to occur, that a potential commercial future 
has at length arisen for the Samoa group, after 
years of depression owing to the fall in the price 
of copra and the apparent unsuitability of the 
climate for other cultivations, such as rice, sugar, 
tea or cotton. • 
Small capitalists (£500 to £2,000) going to Samoa 
and purchasing or leasing land for the purpose 
of cocoa planting, would stand a good chance of 
making a fair income after the first three or four 
years— provided that they either possess a practi- 
cal knowledge of tropical planting or will take 
advice from those in Samoa who have experience 
in the matter. 
Cocoa was first experimentally grown in Samoa 
by "Die Deutsche Handels und Plantagen 
G-esellschaft der Sudsee Inseln zu Hamburg" on 
one of their plantations near Apia. In 1892 a 
favorable report on the quality of the bean was 
received from Germany. In 1893-4 a large number 
of seeds were distributed among the Samoans, 
and a few small plantations were started by some 
of tlie more enterprising of the British and other 
foreign residents, which are now coming into 
bearing. The number of small plantations are 
rapidly increasing and the amount of land at 
present bearing cocoa trees is estimated to be 75 
acres. 
The most encouraging reports continue to be 
received from Hamburg, San Francisco and 
Sydney regarding the quality of the Samoan 
cocoa, the price varying between £60 and £80 
per ton. An English planter in this island lias 
an agreement with the German firm to cut and 
take all his cocoa, he paying freight to market 
and receiving two-thirds of proceeds, and the 
firm one-third, but it is stated that this arrange- 
ment has not as yet been extended to others. 
However, there need be no difliculty as to drying 
and preparing the cocoa for market, as another 
planter who prepared his own in a rough manner 
received 16 cents (about 8d) per lb. in San Fran- 
cisco, whereas the cocoa prepared by the German 
firm realised 18 cents (about 9d) per lb. in Ham- 
burg. The expense of fitting up, drying and pre- 
paring rooms would not be great if divided 
amongst several planters, gmall plantations ar^ 
