Aug. 1, 1903.1 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
103 
in prophesyins that the current season is to be an 
excellent one, and we can only hope the propliets 
will pr«ve to be riglit. — Investors' Review, May 30. 
^ 
MOROCCO AND GREEN TEA. 
It is not generally known that Morocco is a 
country of importance to tea, but that is a fact, 
and how important may be seen from the circum- 
stance that the recent political troubles there 
made the London green tea market so nervous that 
it completely collapsed. Much green tea is drunk 
in Morocco, and a revolution naturally would have 
its influence on selling tea there, and London, 
which supplied the tea, knew it weW.— Planting 
Opinion, June 20. 
THE TEA TORTRIX : 
A WARNING NOTE TO PLANTERS. 
The immediate and careful attention of Plan- 
ters in Dinibula is being drawn to the appear- 
ance in that district of tlie destructive pest knovifu 
as the tea tortrix, by a letter circularised by 
the Secretary of the Vigilance Committee of the 
Diaibula Planters' Association. Accompanying the 
letter are two pamphlets of the Royal Botanic 
Gardens, one the report by the Government Myco- 
logist on Fungal LUseases, the other an account 
and life history of the tea tortrix. One Planter, 
in a letter to us, states that he had no suspicion 
that his estate harboured a single Tortrix until 
the visit of the Government Entomologist. "Plan- 
ters would go through this estate," he writes, 
"and say there svas not such a thing on the place, 
but I am catching caterpillars in certain fields at 
the rate of 2,000 to 3,000 a day, and from every 
field the pluckers bring in a few. 
THE TIME TO ATTACK THE DISEASE 
is now before it gets bad; after it gets bad it will be 
too late.'' 138 circulars have been sent out 
to yuperiutendents to put every one on guard, 
Tortrix is already very bad in some parts of Dikoya 
and Maskeliya, but Dimbula is supposed not to 
have it at all, and it is in its infancy; it can 
best be restricted now and they could be caught 
on many estates. We would urge all planters in 
their own interests to co operate in the destruc- 
tion of this pest, and there should be immediate 
action as a short delay may mean great after 
losses. Planters owe much to the useful literature 
published by the stafi' at Peradeniya, and do not 
subscribe to these circulars as we consider they 
should do ; we suggest to Agents that every estate 
should subscribe. The following is the letter 
referred to, and we append a few useful notes 
gathered from the Government Mycologist's Report 
on the Tortrix : — 
June, 1903. 
Dear Sir, — A Vigilance Uommittee was appointed 
at the last general meeting of the Dimbula Planters' 
Associatiou, couaistiug of Messrs Bjsanqaet, Jackson, 
Whiting, Dunbar, Bowie, Evana, Dew, aud vVelldon, 
(Secretari)i wita the object that, if any estate is 
severely attacked by any disease, the managers of ihe 
adjoining estates may toe informed and may combine 
to prevent the disease spreading. At the request of 
the Chairman, Dimbula Planters' Association, I 
■write to every Superintendent to ask him in event of 
his estate being severely attacked kindly to write and 
, tell me so that I may write and ask his neighbours 
to be on their guard, and so that the member of 
Committee in that neighbourhood may if necessary 
arrange for united action being taken, and also a)raD6;e 
that the estate affected should be visited by Mr, 
Carrnthers, Government Mycologist, or Mr Gr<ieu. 
Government Entomologist. This information will be 
confidential, and only be mentioned to those who are 
interested in arresting the spread of the disease. 
The diseases most to be feared are apparently — Shot 
Hole Borer ; Tea Tortrix ; Koot Disease ; Grey Blight. 
I am sending to each member two Government cir- 
culars dealing with the Isst three pests, and I believe 
that a circular will shortly be issued about Shot Hole 
Borer. I suggest that every superintendent should at 
once send a subscription of Rl to the Dirisctor, Pioyal 
Botanical Gardens Peradeniya, and ask that all the 
back numbers of these circulars that are in print 
should be sent him. This subscription of Rl covers 
in all 40 circulars, postage free, which will contain 
most interesting and valuable infoimation regarding 
New Products, Diseases of Tea and Cac;i0,&c. 
P.S. — Tortrix is very prevalent, and should be 
ct»ught immediately before its gets as bad as in Dikoy.ii 
and Maskeliya. I am catching here 5, QUO to 6 000 
daily, by che pluckers, and paying ( ) cents, f^nd it would 
be for the good of this district if everybody does the 
same. 
THE TEA TOBTRIX EGGS 
are deposited by the moth on the upper sides of 
m.ature leaves, in masses of about f inch by | 
inch of a pale-yellow colour, each mass containing 
about 2o0 eggs. These masses are conspicuous 
objects and can easily be collected by cooly women 
and children at the rate of 350 to 1,300 masses 
per day, 55,000 egg-masses having been taken 
from a held of 25 acres. Coolies should be em- 
ployed to collect the egg masses on their first 
appearance, and the same ground must be 
searched over repeatedly as long as it is found 
that eggs are being deposited. All affected leaves 
should be collected and burnt. Eggs are more 
freely deposited on tea of four to six months 
pruning than on bushes that have run for 
longer periods, so that more recently pruned trees 
in the neighbourhood of badly attacked fields 
shouUl be more particularly attended to. 
THE NEWLY HATCHED LARVA, 
like the fully grown caterpillar, is dull preen with 
a shining black head, with a few bristles on the 
body. After the second moult the caterpillars 
distribute themselves over the tea bush, each 
one spinning one or two leaves together for a 
shelter and feeding on the leaves or young shoot 
within. They nibble a leaf in places, bite into the 
base of a growing bud, gnaw a small hole in the 
side of a young shoot, and then move off and do 
the satne mischief ehevvhere ; they thus destroy 
much more than they consume. 
MKASUliES FOR DESTRUCTION. 
of the larva. When only a few shoots on each bush 
are affected the leaves and enfolded worm may 
be plucked off and destroyed, but this is costly 
when t.he bushes are badly attacked. Oa limited 
areas spraying with an arsenical compouud is 
useful ; another method is " bush- whacking," 
smartly tapping the branches with a slick. This 
shaken the worms on to the ground where they can 
be easily crushed, and also separates the leaves 
spun together. 
The tortrix chrysalis is about half an inch long, 
smooth, and of a deep red-brown colour. The 
moths aie of a pale rei brown, often finely striated 
and mottled with darker markings ; the male is 
about § in, in length with 11-lOth in. expanse 
