436 
Supplement to the *' Tropical Agriculturist.''' [Dec. 1, 1903. 
RAINFALL TAKEN AT . THE GOVERNMENT 
STOCK GARDEN FOR NOVEMBER, 1903. 
1 
Sunday ,., 
Nil 
16 
Monday , , 
•12 
2 
Monday 
•14 
17 
Tuesday 
•10 
3 
Tuesday 
•07 
18 
Wednesday ... 
Nil 
4 
Wednesday... 
•24 
19 
Thursday 
•04 
5 
Thursday ... 
•05 
20 
Friday 
Nil 
6 
Friday 
•11 
21 
Saturday 
Nil 
7 
Saturday ... 
'c56 
on 
22 
Sunday 
Nil 
8 
Sunday 
•04 
23 
Monday 
•14 
9 
Monday ... 
•11 
24 
Tuesday 
Nil 
10 
Tuesday 
•14 
25 
Wednesday ... 
Nil 
31 
Wednesday... 
Nil 
26 
Thursday 
Nil 
12 
Thursday ... 
Nil 
27 
Friday 
Nil 
13 
Friday 
Nil 
28 
Saturday 
Nil 
14 
Saturday ... 
Nil 
29 
Sund.iy 
Nil 
15 
Sunday ... 
•09 
30 
Monday 
Nil 
Total in. ...1-75 
Mean in.... '06 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hours 
from 6th to 7th = •SO inches. 
No. of days in which rain fell — 14 days. 
Alex. Ferera. 
OCCASIONAL NOTES. 
Among our visitors during October was Mr. 
B. C. Basu, Assistant Director of Agriculture, 
Assam, who came on official duty with a view 
to acquainting himself with the cultivation and 
manufacture of Cocoa, Cinnamon, Citronella, 
Pepper and Cardamoms. Mr. Basu, to whom we 
rendered all possible aid, was a distinguished 
student of Cirencester Agricultural College, 
Under the head of Cocoa in the return of 
imports into the United States, the U. S. 
Department of Agriculture Year Book for 1902 
gives the following information : — Cocoa, crude 
and leaves and shells of 45, 924, 353 pounds im- 
ported in 1901. Whatever could this mean ? 
There would appear to be confusion between coco 
(nut), cocoa, and coca ! 
In view of the local beliefs in the existence 
of gold in the Island, it is interesting to find 
(vide Scientific American of May 2ud) that cn 
electric contrivance has been invented by Messrs 
L, Draft and A. Williams of Ealing, England 
by the use of which gold, tin, silver, copper, 
or iron bearing reefs could be accuratJy located. 
Numberless experiments are reported to have 
been made, and all are said to prove that the 
invention is not an a imaginary thing but a 
solid fact. 
The following interesting note on the botany 
of Tobacco is given by Mr, R. S. Neville (tobacco 
expert) in the Queensland AgriculturalJournal. 
Of the 50 different kinds all except two are 
indigenous to America. N. suaveolens is native 
to Australia, and N. fragrans to New Caledonia. 
rhe best are given as. (1) N. tabacum of which 
there are two species, Macrophylla (Maryland) 
and Angustifolia (Vrigiuia). Of these there are 
several varieties including the ^famous tobacco 
of Cuba and Manilla. To the second class belongs 
Latakia tobacco. (2) N. rustica is Hungarian 
tobacco cultivated largely in Europe, Asia and 
America. There is a large and a small laaved 
variety, both producing good tobacco. (3) N. 
persica, a form of tabacum produced by climatic 
influence. (4) N. crispa, a species grown in 
Syria and along the Mediterranean. (5) N. 
repanda, a Mexican species whose small leaves 
give the pecular aroma to Mexican cigars. 
We have had pressing enquiries from certain 
quarters regarding the identity of a tree called 
Massoy or Meswi, and for the information of 
those concerned we have pleasure in giving its 
botanical name (for which we are indebted to 
Mr. Ridley of the Singapore Botanic Garders) 
viz., — Cinnamomum Xanthoneurum (Blume), a 
species which Mr. J. C. Willis, Director, Royal 
Botanic Gardens, Peradeniyo, informs us is native 
to New Guinea. 
THE NEW ENTOMOLOGY. 
Among recent visitors to the Island was Mr. 
George Compere, Entomologist to the State of 
Western Australia. Mr. Compere is an Entomolo- 
gist of the new school who has little faith in 
kerosene emulsion, arsenical insecticides oi fumi- 
igation, but believes in making use of the natura 
enemies of plant pests to destroy them, His 
theory that every insect has its natural enemy 
is not a new one that has yet to be proved, for Mr. 
Compere has been working for many years on this 
line and demonstrate the soundness oi his theory 
over and over again till it is now a recognised 
" cult," His name is always associated with that 
of Mr. Koebele who did so much to save the 
fruit gardens of California, while his work in con- 
nection with the "red scale" is interesting enough 
to be referred to, as giving some idea of the 
boundless enthusiasm of the man. The facts are 
culled from an official report by the Quarantine 
Officer of the State Board of Horticulture U. S. A. 
Australia and the adjacent islands had been 
twice ransacked by Mr. Koehele and once by Mr. 
Compere in the search for an enemy of Aspidiotus 
auranti, but in vain. Mr. Compere was then 
directed to visit the Orient and found evidences 
of internal parasites on the scale at Hongkong, 
but discovering that there was no suitable tree to 
send to California, he ventured into China, in 
spite of the 'Boxer' trouble, and at last came upon 
a little orange tree slightly infested, and observed 
thi small chalcid flies depositing their eggs in the 
scales. He purchased the tree, carefully dug and 
boxed it, and shipped to San Francisco. Thus 
was the red scale suppressed in California. 
Hailing originally from the latter country, Mr. 
Compere has for some years been a resident of 
Perth, Western Australia ; but this last statement 
is hardly accurate, for while his residence is there, 
he has been more abroad than at home. 
