100 t'lm Tropical agriculturist. [aug. i, i9o8. - 
rubber tbat the niauufacturevs' ciiculai is directly 
attributable. Para rubber, which is the best 
quality, aud which rules the iDarket quotations, 
has seen some rather prominent flucluations in 
recent years and its purchase has come to be 
looked upon as a proceeilinp; of a highly speculative 
nature. In 1900 the price reached 4? 2d per lb. 
Since then it has touched 2s lOd, a figure which 
enabled those firms who bad bought largely to do 
pretty well for themselves. Of late, however, 
contrary to opinions which were freely expressed, 
a steady rise has been perceptible, the present 
price being 3s lid with every prospect of the 
figures of three years ago being exceeded in the 
near future. — India Rubber Journal, May 25. 
_ ^ 
THE LOBSTER CATEEPILLAR (STAUEOPUS 
ALTERNUS). A EEAIARKABLE PEST 
ON TEA IN CEYLON. 
(A few extractx from the Icdest B. B. Gaide.is 
Circular, Vol. II. No. 5, by Mr. E. K. 
Green, Government Entomologist. ) 
This insect has for mT,ny years been known 
as a casual tea pest. It has indeed, been hitiierto 
looked upon more as a curiosity than as a pest, 
occuiring— as it usually doss — only in small 
numbers (three or ionr) on isolated bushes. 
The possibility of rapid increase has recently 
been exemplified in a startling manner by the 
appearance of enormous numbers of the Lobster " 
caterpillar on certain tea estates in the Kalutara 
District. 
Some idea of the severity of the attack may 
be gained from the number of the caterpillars 
actually counted on individual trees. Three average 
trees in the middle of the field yielded severally 
306, 327, and 503 ; while from one specially 
loaded bush 1,349 caterpillars were removod. Put" 
ting the average at 350 only, this one field mnst 
have harboured on this particular day 29,400,000 
caterpillars (supposing each acre to contain 3,500 
trees). Besides the caterpillars actually present on 
the bushes, vast numbers were wandering about on 
the ground searching for more food, Otliers were 
to be seen climbing up the mango and the other 
trees grossing amongst the tea. There was a 
distinct and continuous sound of the mastication 
of leaves, accompanied by the pattering of the 
pellets of excreta as they fell in showers upon 
the ground. 
As recorded in the Superintendent's notes; the 
most active enemy of the Lobster caterpillar has 
been tlie common crow. These birds flocked to the 
infested fields and gorged themselves with the 
insects, apparently unaltected by the acrid secre- 
tion noticed above. Mo other natural enemies 
were observed. A few lizardfi ( Calotes ver.sicolor J 
were to be seen amongst the bushes, but they 
did not appear to be particularly interested in 
the caterpillars. 
Kemedial Measures.— On the first notice of 
an attack, the locality should be very carefully 
examined and the conditions noted. If the attack 
is confined to a small plot, it should be possible 
to collect and destroy every individual caterpillar, 
The surrounding tea, for a considerable distance, 
n)u&t be examined with equal care; for, vk'here 
the caterpillars are in force in one spot, they 
are almost sure to be present in smaller numbers 
on the neighbouring cea, the attack usually tailing 
(/If from a given centre. 
But should an area of several acres be involved 
to such an extent that every bush bears a con- 
siderable number of caterpillars, it will be hope- 
less to contend against the invasion by hand- 
picking, The cost of the remedy vAll be greater 
than the amount of crop saved. In such cases 
it will be wiser to prune the tea and to burn 
or bury the prunings. Such pruning should be 
commenced on the outskirts aud continued in- 
wards. Every green leaf must be removed. 
It was found iu practice that— where the bushes 
had been eaten bare— before the prunings could 
be heaped and burnt a very large number of the 
caterpillars had left the branches and were re- 
ascending the bushes or wandering over the 
ground. Under these circumstances it is advis- 
able that holes should be dug (ahead of the pruners) 
between each set of four trees, into which the 
prunings should be immediately swept — together 
with all fallen leaves and rubbish— and well 
covered with earth. Such holes were also be found 
to form excellent traps for the wandering cater- 
pillars, which fall into them in numbers and are 
unable to crawl up the loose earth at the sides. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
TEA AND TARIB'FS. 
In the discussion of the proposed change in the 
fiscal policy of Great Britain and its efifect on the 
Colonies, very little mention has been made of India. 
In referring to the speeches on the subject last week 
in the House of Commons, Sir Charles Dilke pointed 
out that a striking omission was one that robbed the 
new policy of all claims to be considered as a truly 
Imperial one, aud that was that the 300 millions of 
India were excluded. India paid her share of running 
the Empire, which was not done by other people and 
ibey could not leave India out in any scheme of 
federal union. India and Ceylon tea planters will be 
anxious to learn, when Mr Chamberlain's plan is 
revealed how it will affect them but donbdess they 
think with many other people that the new proposals 
are merely in the air, and may remain iu that position. 
HEALTH-GIVING QUALITIES OF TEA. 
We recently referred to an advertisement issued 
by the " Salada " Tea Company, in which tea was 
praised as preferable to coffee, because it has no 
" liver disturbing qualities." We were not responsi- 
ble for the statement, but a sprightly New York 
contemporary takes us to task for printing such a 
libel on coffee even at second hand. The fair fame 
of the berry is not to be trifled with, and those- 
who do so have to reckon with a writer in tha 
"Tea and Coffee Trade Journal." When he refers to 
the besmirching of honourable " drink and exhorts 
us to leave the " dirty work " of attacking coffee to 
the coffee substitute brands we feel duly chastened, 
although not guilty at first hand, while we admire 
the chivalry which prompts the rebuke. It is aa 
wrong to say anything ill of coffee as to speak dis- 
respectfully of Aldgatfc pump. We trust, therefore 
that those who advocate the consumption of tea will 
take to heart the advice tendered them by the writer 
we have quoted, who points his moral by the state 
ment that " the hope for more favour from the public 
for tea is not apt to be stimulated by assailing coffee 
with suggestions that it is a poison." On the subject of 
TEA AND ITS PRICE 
the "Qroeer" hag the following: "As to the 
desirability of persuading consumers to use better 
tea there are no two opinions. For some 
years there has been such excellent value 
about in the medium and iow3r gra,des, and 
there has been so much pnshiu? of those qualities by 
the multiple-shop companies, that the public have 
