*HJS TROPiCAt 
THE ATTKACTION OF OFFENSIVE PESTS. 
Thiit odious pest, the lantana bug (Orthezia in- 
signia) which haa spread up-couutry to suuli an 
alarming extent, it is known, was originally a garden 
pest at the Jjotaniu Gardens, Peradeniya. and it 
acquired a taste for various plauts and trees. Some of 
the plants mentioned in the memorandum, as suitable 
to be grown for the benefit of birds, are thanbergia, 
daranta, and ipomea. These plants, among others, 
are mentioned Oy Mr. G-reeu in his report on the 
lantana bug, published iu January, 1899, as being food 
plants of Orthezia. This disagreeable post, for which 
there are no natural enemies in this country — birds do 
not feed on the bug, and there ai e no known insect 
parasites of it — are said to have a special taste for, 
and particularly appreciate, plants of the natural 
order '• Aoanthaceas, Rubiac'.iB, and Verbenaceae, to 
the first ot which thunbergia belongs, and to the last 
lantana and durauta, Ijjomea (natural order Convul- 
vulaceee) tilso forms one of its tood plants, Orthezia 
it was said, failing more favoured plants, could subsist 
and breed on tea. The insect was said to possess, 
enormous and rapid reproductive powers, Dr. Willey 
did not think it would be at all advisable to have iu 
the ueighboarbood of tea estates any sort of plant 
which would attract offensive pests. 
Speaking generally ou the subject of the disappear- 
ance of birds and tiie appearance o? insect pests, "It 
is only natural " said Dr. Vyilley, " that wnen forest 
land is converted into plantations insectivorous birds 
must suffer more than anything else, as they are 
deprived of their nesting places. Planters are bound 
to have tea pests, for, when a large extent of country 
is deforested, there are bound to be pests, be- 
ause such opening up of laud and planting up with 
r oduots, disturbs the balance of nature, which it is 
Almost impossible to restore." 
INXBODaCTION OF EXOTIC BIBSS — PARASITIC 
INSECTS. 
Dr, Willey thought that it would be possible to carry 
out the idea of bird sanctuaries, and that it would be 
possible also to introduce birds into such places of 
refuge. He meant exotic birds. In other countries 
they were introducing birds from outside, for instance 
crows in the Malay Peninsula, and in India several 
species of insectivorous birds were introduced through 
Calcutta some time back. 
Speaking about the parasitic Hymenoptera, the 
Ichneumon flies, which deposited their ova in the 
body of feeding larvee, and the lachiuid family of 
Dipterous flies, which attached theirs ou the oniside 
of the caterpillar — iu both oases the grabs issuing from 
the eggs devouring the flesh of the living victim — Dr, 
Willey rem&rked that Ichneumon flies should be en- 
couraged. There were a great many Geylou wisps 
which were the natural enemies of caterpillars and 
reared their young at the others' expense, which 
should not be destroyed through any mistaken 
notion, as wasps were destroyed sometimes. They 
should be recognised as friends. Most people when 
tuey saw a spider trod on it, which was a great mis- 
tike. All these insects were useful iu their way. 
RAMIE, 
DIFFERENT KINDS OF RAMIE. 
There are two kinds of Ea<mie plants which, if 
properly grown and prepared, would be bought by 
the textile trades iu Europe in any quantity, and 
at a very remunerative price, — 
(1st,) Urtica [Bidimeria) nivea, or white China-grass. 
(2ad.) Urtica utilis, or tenacissiiaa, green Bamie, 
from Java and the Indian Archipelago. 
The first will grow iu temperate zones, but the 
Baooad only ia tropical or seini-tcopiaal climitQa. 
A&RICULTURIST. [Oct. 1, 1903. 
WHITE RAMIE. 
One of the characteristics of this plant is the annual 
up-growth of the stems, which disappear in the 
autumn after having fructified- Another is the white 
down covering the undersides of the leaves. 
This plant originates in China and Oriental Asia, 
having been cultivated for centuries by the Chinese 
for their own use, the excess of production being 
exported to England under the name of China- 
grass. It grows in temperate zones like the olive 
and orange, and flowers in the autumn, after which 
the stems dry up, showing apparently no life until 
the following Spring. It is of importance to cut the 
stems before the flowering, or the fibre is spoiled. 
After experiments made in different climates it haa 
been found that the Urtica nivea is unsuitable for 
tropical or semi-tropioal countries, as the abnormal 
growth and constant flowering prevent the stems 
from maturing, and reduces both the quality and 
quantity of the fibre, It thrives, however, very well in 
temperate zones, where the heat is not excessive 
in the Spring and Autumn, and where only slight 
frosts occur in the Winter. It may be laid down 
as a general rule that the growing of Urtica nivea 
will not give good economical results in any but a 
temperate zone, the extreme limit of which is to 
where sugar-oane and bananas can be grown. This 
plant fructifies abundantly and the seeds are fertile ; 
in the experimental farm in Algiers, very large cropa 
have been obtained during the last 40 years. 
QREEN RAMIE. 
This species, Urtica tenacissima or utilis, is dis« 
tinctly characterised by having perennial stems and 
the undersides ot its leaves almost green, but some- 
times very slightly covered with a white down. It 
is a native of Java and the Indian Archipelago, and 
for industrial purposes ranks equal, if not superior, 
to China-grass. It grows like a shrub; the sterna 
speedily throw out branches and become ligneous, 
rapidly increasing in height and diameter. It lives 
for several years, and the flowering is not followed 
by the drying of the stems, as is the case with the 
white ramie. The flowering periods are not nu- 
merous, and it rarely produces any seed. In good 
moist soil, this nettle will take the form of a shrub 
up to 16 feet high, but in poorer dry soil it 
becomes a mere bush. The green ramie with its 
enormous growth is thus most suitable for tropical 
districts having constant rains or irrigation in 
periods of drought. Under such conditions this plant 
rapidly produces stems 6 to 7 feet in height, which 
should be cut for treatment in the green state, 
before the appearance of the side-shoots, but when 
having arrived at a certain degree of maturity. A 
peculiar characteristic of this ramie is that when a 
stem is cut, leaving a fair sized stump, this stump 
will throw out side shoots which (develop into high 
stems. This, on the contrary, never happens with 
the white ramie, the stems of which are annual, 
while the shoots spring from the root. There was 
for some time a doubt as to the industrial value of 
green ramie, though its richness in magnificent, 
strong fibres was well known j but lately the diffi- 
culty in its mechanical and chemical treatment 
has been overcome, and many manufacturers now 
prefer it to the white ramie. 
This is of importance to the cultivator operating 
in warm climates, as the constant and exuberant 
growth of this species enables him to get several 
crops and a correspoudingingly better financial 
return. 
This ramie is now sufficiently well known in the 
trade, and should give any grower an excellent 
result in suitable localities, that ia, in warm, moist 
climates, where the vegetation is not interrupted by 
insufficiency of rain, or where irrigation can be 
applied during dry periods. 
TRBATMBNI OF RAMIE IN A DRY OB A aSEGN SIATB. 
The methods of treating the stems "are of great 
importance to the grower, as the prios obtKiaeol 
