274 
THE TliOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
j^OcT. 1, 1899. 
" (6) Among beetles other than Lady-hirds are — 
"(v) Ali^er beetle of the i^neoies Gieindela .■iCj:- 
funviata, i'abr., which devours the rice-sapper 
(Leptocorisa acuta) in Cliuinparun. 
" (vi) A Carabid beetle Culosoma orientale, Hope, 
whiqh destroys the young locusts of the species 
Acndium peregrimun, Oliver. 
" II,— SOMK DIPTEKA (TWO-WINGED FLIES) 
KNOWN TO BE DESTRUCTIVE TO 
INSECT-PESTS. 
" (vii-viii) Syrphus nietneri, Scliinr., and iS'. 
splmdens, Dolesch, the larvre of tliese two flies 
are said to prey on tlie coffee Aphis (Aphis 
coffe(r) in Ceylon. 
" (ix) Anthomyia jjcshavjarensis. Bigot, parasitic 
upon the eggs of the locusts [Acridium percgri- 
nu>n) in India. 
"(x) Masicera subnigra, Wulp., parasitic uijon 
the larva' of the moth Olenc inendosa, Hubn,, which 
attack tea plants in Darjeeling. 
(xi) Mtmccra castanca, Wulp,, said to prey 
npon caterpillars of the moth Leucanui rxtranea, 
Guen., which attack the young paddy plants in 
Bengal. 
" (xii) Masicera dasydara' Wulp.. parasitic upon 
caterpillars of the moth DasycMra tlumitesii 
whicli does much damage to tea plant and sal tree 
in Assam. 
"(xiii-xiv) Jirinolicus etrigipeitnis Wulp., and 
Calodcxia Lasioca iiip<r, Wulp. The larv;c of these 
two flies are parasitic upon a hairy Lasiocampid 
caterpillar destructive to rice in the Central 
Provinces. 
" (xv) MiltogramiiM r2-punctatay^\\\\y., which 
preys upon the locust (Acridium pcregrimim) in 
India. 
III.— SOME UYMENOPTEEA (FAMILY CHALCIDID.E) 
KNOAVN TO BE DESTRUCTIVE TO 
INSECT-PESTS. 
",(xvi) Chalets (BravJiynicria) ei/^jZcea Westw,, 
preys upon the Dooars tea and sal caterpillar 
Dasychira tMvaitesii) . 
" (xvii) Cotesia flavipes, Cameron parasitic 
upon the Sorghum-borer {Diaircea naccharalis). 
"(xviii) ApJiciii'iis fhea\ Cameron, a minute 
fly-like insect that attacks the tea scale bug 
(Chlonaspis tlicce. Mask). 
" (xix-sxvi) Cirrhospilus coccivorus, Motsch., 
Encyvtus nietneri, Motsch. E. paradisicus, 
Motsch. ScuteUista cyanecf., Motsch, Blariettcc 
leopardina, Nietner, CepJicdeta piirjnireivcn- 
tris, Motsch., C. hunneiventris, Moiscli., and 
C. fuscivcntris, Motsch., are said to be parasitic 
upon the Brown bug [Lccanium coffece) of coffee 
plant in Ceylon. 
" (xxviii) Cha rtuccras vivsclformis, Motsch,, 
said to attack the white bug (Pneudococcus adoni- 
dum) of coffee plant in Ceylon. 
(xwin) Pteroiiialus oryzce, Cameron, a minute 
coppery green-coloured Ichneumon-fly believed 
to be ))arasitic upon the wheat and nee weevil 
(Cold iidra uryzie) in India. 
The above are some of the indigenous species 
of insect-paiasites of insect-pests that have come 
to light without any special inquiry, and no doubt 
systematic research (which cert.aitily ought at some 
day to be undertaken, would reveal many more. 
In the face of Mr. Barlow's report it can hardly 
]be hoped that the introduction of a single foreign 
species of Lady-bird — even if that species be able 
to hold its own against the native species — will 
have any very marked effect. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
Some Excuse for Retkenchmext. — Commenting on 
Mr. Geo. Seton's table of the workings of Indian tea 
companies the "Grocer" sees some " excuse for the 
Indian tea planters' recent anxiety to retrench." The 
forty five registered Indian tea companies did worse 
financially during 1898 than they did in the previous 
year. Then thp profit on their joint capital was, as 
our authority shows, only 5.56 per cent., whereas in 
1S97 it stood at 5.93 per cent. This diminution iu 
their profits is elaborately demonstrated in the tables 
referred to, "wherein it is sepn that the paid-up capital 
was £7,017,865, against £'7,2L5,498 in 1897; also that 
the " cultivated area " was 175,427 acres, instead of 
173,071 acres in the former year ; that the actual sale 
weight of the crop was limited to 6.'j,706,075 lb, as oppo- 
sed to 65,726, 55S lb. in 1897 ; and that the " ratio expen- 
ses to receipts" were 84 per cent, as compared with 82 
p«rcent in 1897, and 77 percent only in 1896. " Here," 
says the '■ Grocer," " certainly, is matter for serious 
consideration, and we may proceed to point out a few 
facts embodied in Mr. George .Seton's statement which 
cannot be easily gainsaid. We have already alluded 
to the capital involved, the lands planted, the aggre- 
gate quantity of tea produced, and the net average 
cost of its production. A further question of interest 
is the profits realised. These, we find, varied from O'll 
to 4-01 pence per lb, as many as seventeen companies 
(out of forty-five under review) making less than Id 
per lb profit on the whole year's working, and only 
four or five managing to earn about 2d per lb over 
and above their ordinary outlay to keep their concerns 
in going order. It is true that two companies, more 
fortunate than the rest, succeeded in netting a gain 
of 3.2] and 3.87 pence per lb, and one as much as 
4.01 pence (quoted above), but these were rare ex- 
ceptions, and served only to accentuate the poornesa 
of the returns that fell to the lot of other cultivators 
and shippers acting m the interests of British con- 
sumers. Next we notice the rates of dividend, the 
natural and final test of all industrial undertakings, 
and these, on the whole, turn out to be smaller than 
they were in previous seasons. Only a single company, 
the Brahmapootra, was successful enough to pay a divi- 
dend of 15 per cent; followed at a short distance 
by the Amalgamated Estates, the Assam, the Dooars 
and the Doom Dooma companies with their 12| per 
c'-nt ' divi '; and a little further behind came the 
Jo^ehaut with 11 per cent, and the Balijan, Gonsol. 
Tea and Lands, Jokai, Lebong, Moran and Rajmai tea 
companies with their distribution of 10 per cent on 
their paid-up capital. An 8 per cent dividend was de- 
clared by the British Assam, Lankapara and Meenglas 
proprietors ; 6 per cent by the Chubwa Com- 
pany ; and 5 per cent by the Darjeeling, Derby, 
Jiastern Assam, Jhanzie, Longai Valley, Majuli, Moa- 
bnud, Sephinjuri Bheel and Tingri interests. Othert 
doled out the more modest rates of 2 per cent to 4J per 
cent, whilst the payments of eleven Indian tea com- 
panies were simply nil ; and this notwithstanding that 
the total receipts from the 45 workings were £2,383,000, 
as contrasted with i;2, 304,000 sterling in 1897, when 
the profits were larger. As we observed a twelve- 
month ago. All this was too well-known beforehand to 
occasion any surprise amongst those acquainted with 
the secret movement of the tea trade at home; 
and there can be no doubt that the com- 
bined ill-effects of the ' 1897 ' famine, the frontier 
disturbances, and damage done to crops and 
outbuildings by earthquakes in our Indian Provinces, 
told seriously npon the industrial pursuits and condi- 
tions of life of the native populations. Bearing these 
cross circumstances in mind, it is no wonder that, 
though an enormous tea crop ' was raised, its quality 
generally was that of a poorer class, which consequently 
failed to yield a higher price with which to defray the 
heavier expenses of cultivation, and contribute towards 
ingre han^sproe ^ivjdencis,"— fi, C. Uaih Ayg.25, 
