Dec. '], 1898,] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
439 
and investigate it, I hope to explain tliis iu my 
additional report. 
The methods prescribed to be used for the 
prevention of the fungus la the pods are the 
same, whether the fungus is one species or another. 
I do not consider that if measures are taken 
as advised in all the reports, to destroy the pods 
witii any sign of disease that cacao planters 
need view with any additional alarm the fact 
that the canker fungus spreads into the pods— 
indeed ib explains to a great extent the rapid 
increase of the canker on some estates at certain 
seasons of the year and gives us reason to hope 
that now that we know what to do to combat 
it, we may be able more quickly to get rid of 
our enemy, — Yours faithfully, 
J. B. CARKUTM.EKS. 
ARISTOLOCHFA GIGAS. 
Sir, — This plant, recently advertised by Mr. Craasy 
was, I believe, first introduced int.) Ceylon (R. B, 
Gardens) from Jamaica in 1880, under the name 
of Aviitolo cilia yrandijiora. There are several varieties 
of it growing in the island. It is altogether a very 
curious-flower; and is, I believe, allied 1 3 theDarling- 
tonia. Ttie liquid substance found in the flower is 
said to be equal to the gastric juice in animals. The 
plant being carnivorous; flies and'other insects falling 
into the flower are said to be "devoured," the liquid 
in it assisting in their digestion. By this means the 
plant derives jjarti il nourishment. To the uninitiated 
this may appear to be a little too far-fetched, but 
there ia nevertheless some truth iu it. C, 
Sir, — With reference to your correspondent " C." 
he is quite mistaken in supposing that Aristolochia 
Gigas var : Sturtcvantii, is the same as A. Grandi- 
flora. It is an entiiely distinct variety with much 
larger flowers and I introduced it into Ceylon. 
There are many kinds of Aristolochia but onlv 
two indigenous to Ceylon according to Ur. Tri- 
men's work on Ceylon Flora see vol. iii. p. 421. A, 
Gigas which I advertise has the largest flowers 
of any known variety. E. B. CREASY. 
No. II. 
Nov. 21. 
Dear Sin, — With reference to the correspondence 
iu your columns on the above plant, " C " is not 
justified iu classifying it under Aristolochia grandi- 
flora, or in the assertion that " several vai-ietics of 
it ara growing in the Island," and it ia barbarous to 
term this handsome climber a " carnivorous plant," 
which is no more a fleah-eater than a favorite Lima 
or Orange tree which may be fed with dead pariah 
dogs and cats. Plants may of course, according to 
their need, derive nourishment from decomposed 
annnal matter by means of their root organs, but 
that they can take in such nourishment by their 
flowers or leaves is not yet proved. An accumulation 
of dead insects round the ovary of a plant is thus 
more likely to be adverse to the beallh of that plant 
than otherwise, though as it reaches the roots in 
decomposed condition it may afford nutriment aa 
manure. 
Many flowers, owing to their certain peculiar for- 
mation, require the agency of insects to fertilize 
them, and the Aristolochia is only a single example. 
The insects in this case, attracted no doubt by the 
strong offensive odour, can hardly be said to " fall 
in " as " C " says, and their egie^s from the flower 
is prevented by means of the curvature of the 
flower-tube and the downwardly pointed hairs on 
the inside ; and instead of being '' devoured or di- 
gested iu the liquid," which does not exist, they 
arc liberated after unconsciously effecting pollina- 
tion. The Aristolochia moreover is not related to 
Darlingtonia, which it no more resembles than a 
pomolo. The D.xrlingtonia is the " pitcher plant of 
California, and like the North American pitcher plant 
(S8,rracenia) it has most remarkable tubular leaves 
rising erect from the groan.i to about 2 feet in height, 
and in the case of Sarracenia to 6 ft. sometimes- 
A sweetish fluid secretion in these pitchers entices 
insects to enter, which in consequence of the in- 
ternal hairs pointing downwards and a peculiar lid 
at the top, are unable to escape. As the leaves live 
to some age they are often found half-full of dead 
insect matter, which enriches the soil where th« 
plants flourish. 
A familiar example of a pitcher plant in Ceylon 
is the climber known as " Bandura-vel " (Nepenthes), 
which has the ends of the leaves formed iuto pitchers, 
which also invariably contain a quantity of fluid, and 
capture insects in the same manner as previously 
described. iUany plants however act as Fly-catchers 
by a totally diflierent method : — e.g. the " Sundew " 
(Drosera) by means of the viscidly tipped hairs on 
the upper surface of the leaves, and the '' venus 
fly-trap " (Dionoaa) by reason of a high degree of 
irritability in the leaf blade which, when touctjed, 
instantly closes its bristled margins together, in which 
state they remain until all movement ceases.— Yours 
faithfully, ' E. 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
LETTER FROM MR. W. MACKENZIE. 
Kandy, Nov. 23. 
Dear Sir,— I herein enclose a letter from Mr. 
Wm. Mackenzie to Mr. Lane, on the subject of 
Ceylon Tea in America and Canada together 
with, for perusal and use, the advertisements and 
other matter referred to under separate cover, — 
I ani, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
A. PHILIP, 
.Secretary, "Thirty Committee." 
New York, Oct. 22. 
Dear Lane, — In my last letter from here, I gave 
you an idea of the dullness of the tea market in the 
States. I mentioned that one prominent man had 
described the condition produced by the tax as " dis- 
astrous," while another said the " trade was para- 
lyzed." 
Since then I have been in Canada. On my way 
there I spent a day in Boston. One of our friends 
there said the business was "dead"; another firm, 
that has spent much money on advertising our teas 
during the last year, were going " out of the busi- 
ness" at once, and so on, and so on. 
As regards the consumer, there is no doubt that 
with coffee so very cheap, he does not drink as much 
tea at 40 cts, as he did before the duty went on, 
when he could get it for 30 cts. But the very great 
decrease in the shipments of all teas to America so 
far this year, a drop of one-third, or from 52 millions to 
35 millions to end of September, is not due entirely 
t'j the falling off iu consumption. Dealers are living 
from hand to mouth on old stocks, which were in 
before the imposition of duty. The stocks must be very 
low, and when replenishing begins, the imports should 
be large. Meantime, grocers are afraid to buy in 
case the duty should be suddenly tiken off, " and 
they be left with stocks on hand on which the duty 
had been paid. 
In Canada, matters are very different. There is 
nothing so much advertised there aa Ceylon tea. Not 
ou-ly are the papers full of it, but walls of houses and 
boardings of empty spaces iu the towns are covered 
with large placards, while many grocers' shops havo 
two and three signs in large white enamelled lottora en 
their windows, " Sale in Ceylon Tea," " Monsoon," 
" Kolonua," "Blue Ribbon," " Tetley'g," etc., etc. 
I came across four new packages the " Ceylon — 
CoylonTea," the "Kakwaua," etc., etc. In Montreal 
a large van was being drawn by four horses at a rattling 
pace through the streets, from the top of which men 
were throwing samples on to the pavemout. This waj 
anew brand; the " Anglo Saxon." 
