Jan. 2, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
487 
ihe Edi!r,r. 
INDIAN FKUITS AND THEIR ENEMIES. 
United Planters' Association of Soutliern India, 
Madras, Oct. 3Ist, 1-98. 
(The Editor, Tropical Agi'iculiurhf, Colonibu). 
Sir, — 1 sliall be extremely obliged if you or any 
of your reailcrs can put nie in a position to reply t" 
the following inquiry from Souiii Africa : — ■' Are 
V<'ur '{t.c. Indian)' fruits— all or any of iheni — at- 
tacked by maggots, and if ko is there any ciiance of 
the mother Hy being C'eratitis capitata (Wied) — 
cifrquvda, (MacL)?" — lam, sir, youis faithfully, 
HARRY URMEKOD, Secretary, 
United Planters' Association of Southern India. 
We referred the above to tlie Honorary Entomo- 
logist, wiio kindly replied as follows : — 
November 4lh, 1S9S. 
i)E\R Sir, — With reference to enclosed letter — 
Oranges in Ceylon are very frequently attacked by 
the maggot of a Hy which completely tnins th5 fruit 
for eating purposes. Some months iigo I subini ted 
specimens to Mr. Austen, of the Natural Histoiy 
Museum, romwell Rood, who informs me that they 
belong to the genus Dacus allied to {CcrJtiti.j.} He 
is unable, at present, to determine the species, and 
thinks they may possibly prove to be new. 
Another species of the same genus attacks the fruits 
of the vegetable marrow and cucumber. 
I have not come across maggots in any other Ceylon 
fruits, though I believe that the mango is sometimes 
affected in this way. 
Our "orange) fly" is quite distinct from Ceratiiis 
cajHtata. — Youra truly, 
E. ERNEST GREEN. 
ALOE FIBRE. 
Suiinyside, J3addegama, Nov, 28. 
Dear Slli,— My attention has been drawn to 
an article on Aloe I'ibre in a recent issue. 
Allow nie to refer you to one of your earliest 
issues of the Tropical Agriculturist wherein I 
think you will fiiul my account of the preparation 
of this tibre and your remarks on the Raniple 
which was fully seven feet long and white as 
silk. In 1870 prior to going home I planted a 
fence of this on Auchintonl Estate about a mile 
iind a quarter in length. In 1879 I fountl that 
tt had grown so thick that it was injuring the oliee, 
so I cue down, netted, scrapsd by hand, washed 
and dried about half a ton which realizetl gross 
abont-£20 in London on £-10 i)er ton ; yet it did 
not give any piotit. If however Mr. Parkinson 
is willing to give me a commission in return. 
1 think 1 can guarantee hini from my |)lace alone 
some sixty tons clean libre with a running 
stream close by ; hut I am not sure as I abatidoneci 
the estate some years ago and have not seen it 
since. At the time I mention Messrs Denison, 
Barton and Munro in the same district also cul- 
tivated the Aloe for fence.-; and I has'c no doubt 
large (quantities can be obtained from their old 
estates. Mr. John Stephens on Cooruuduwatte near 
Gampola Inul also a large avenue of it — I am, 
dear sir, yours faithfully, 
\V, McD. YOUNCi. 
CEYLON FISHING CLUB, 
Nuwara Eliya, Nov, 29. 
Dkar Sir, -In your account 'of the annual 
meeting of the Fishing Club Ihe balance to the 
credit of the Club is incorrectly given. It should 
be R941-79, and was so written in my. report 
and in the certilicite from the Bank.— Yours 
faithfully, S. M. BURROWS, Hon. Sec. 
[We roL'ret the blunder of our Nuwara i-.liya 
Correspondent; for our printer is in no way to 
blame; and strange to say the "Times" also 
gives tlie erroneous ligures.— Ed. CO.] 
THE STAMPING OF CEYLON TEA 
PACKAGES. 
Dunedin, N.Z., Oct. 29. 
Sir,— I have read with much interest j-our re- 
niiuks upon my suggestion that the (Government 
of Ceylon should issue a stamj) to be placed upon 
all [lacki'ts and 5 and 10 lb. boxes of tea as a 
guarantee that they are packed in Ceylon. 
You say why shouhl not the N.Z. Government 
do so? For the reason that the authorities here 
are not in the slightest degree interested in the 
matter ! On your side it is quite the reverse, 
and \oii are naturally mo'e immediately inter- 
ested in the extension of the markets for Cey- 
lon !ea. 
The proposal I made is one which I am certain 
would aciiieve the end desired, and nothing short 
of a Government guarantee would sulflee to as- 
sure consunieri that the packets of tea I hey are 
using have acfitalbj been packed in Ceylon," and 
are consequently pure. As I said before much 
tea is packed in these colonies in lead packets 
and sold as pure Ceylon, the character of which 
is more or less doubtful. The G(jvernnient of 
Ceylon are even now subsidising the advertising 
of Ceylon tea, and why should it appear in any 
way an impossible thing for them to guarantee 
that all tea shipped from your side is actually 
grown there? 
'J'he labels would be sold in hundreds by the Gov- 
ernment as stamps are, and only to bona fide 
packers. The system could be carried out with 
little trouble and expense— one such "guarantee 
stamp" being affi.iced to each package ot box. 
As to the possibility of forging such stamps, 
well 1 hardly tiiink this at all probable. Ic in 
alsr, possible tc forge postage stamps and Bank 
Note«, but it is a thing not often done. The 
job is too risky, and if these stamps were issued 
by the Government they would rank in the same 
category as postage stamps, except that they 
would have no financial value. 
Again urging the adoption of this, or some 
other similar scheme to secure the same end,— I 
am, sir, yours faithfully, ' 
GliO. T. K. McKENZlE. 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
New York City, Oct. 29. 
Sir,— To the Ceylon Planters. It may be of in. 
teiest to you to learn the views of au American on 
the work done here which I shall give to yoa with 
malice towarl none. 
If it were only necessary to win success in Ceylon 
tea culture in your Island to liave the requiaito 
amount of money to purchase laud, clear it, and 
follow tho ideas ot an inexperienced individual then 
;iny one with money might set sail for Ceylou with 
success assured and be independent of the old 
planters or their experienced co-workers. All jom 
