June 1, 1904.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 815 
SULPHATE OP COPl'EK FOR KILLING 
WEEDS. 
A correspondent writes :— " With reference 
to the recent proposals and recommendations 
(in a contemporary) to kill the weeds on tea 
estates by a solution of sulphate of copper, 
is there not a risk of somebody (retting copper 
poisoning by Ceylon tea (a very nasty dioeasf ) 
by leaf contamination." 
In reply we should certainly say there is the 
possibUty, though — we learn on inquiry— it 
is not very decided, for the solution of copper 
would be of a very weak kind, Mr. Baur, 
we hear, has been written to on the subject 
and asked to supply the required cheniiijal 
for certain estates : but we understand that 
he does not advise its use. It is more than 
probable that, in using the solution to kill 
weeds, it will injure the tea biuh, too. It is 
doubtful, further, if it will kill the roots of 
weeds. Experiments made on the Continent 
by a great European chemist, with poppy 
weeds, showed that leaves, treated with the 
solution on the under side only, were killed : 
while those treated on the upper surface alone 
were uninjured. It is not generally known 
whether the application of the solution to 
the soil would destroy all weed-roots reached 
by it. 
NILGIRI P. A. ANNUAL MEETING. 
THE REPORT. 
The Secretary read the Report, from which we 
extract as follows :— The year opened with 52 
members, six resigned, but five new members 
have joined, so the number now stands at 5L The 
accounts are as follows : — Receipts, etc., El,937-15-5, 
and expenditure Rl, 731-9-5 ; leaving a balance iu 
hand of R203-6-0. This is comprised as follows : 
Exhibition Fund, R175 ; General Account, R28 6 0. 
On the Slat December last arrears of subscriptions 
amounted to R120. Of this, up to date I have 
received only R12, and so R108 still remain due on 
back years' snbscriptionB. I may add that, of this 
year's subscriptions, which fell due on the Ist 
January, R240 have not yet been paid in. For the 
first time in the history of the District we have 
bad visits from a fully qualified Entomologist. I 
refer to Mr H Maxwell Lefroy. Ele came first on 
a flying visit in September last to have a look at 
the scale pests which have caused so much damage 
on tea and coffee estates in various parts of the 
District. He has again visited ua this mouth 
and made a tour round to a few estates, and it is 
to be hoped that the results of his experiments and 
advice will prove to be beneficial in the nearfutuve. 
The most important point in regard to coffee is 
the scheme formulated by U. P. A. S. I. for back- 
ing up the St. Louis Exhibition with supplies to 
meet any demand arising from it. Members of this 
Association subscribed R815 and four tons of coffee, 
and it ia to be hoped that the scheme will prove 
to be the success which it promises to be. A 
matter that has been one of constant anxiety, the 
French Import tariff, seems now to be satisfactorily 
eettled. The late Convention between England and 
France has secured India against any preferential 
treatment in favour of Brazilian or other coffee. 
'With reference to the endeavour to obtain satis- 
factory accounts of the state of the coffee industry 
in Brazil, the Government of India, in accordance 
with the request of the U. P. A. S. I., have ex- 
pressed their readiness to assist us iu the matter of 
obtaining the special services of His Majesty's Oon* 
103 
suls iu Brazil to conduct an enquiry into the condi- 
tion of the coffee industry in that country. 
TheReporc was adopted. 
BUSINESS AT THE MEETING. 
The Secretary— gave an account of the vfsil 
of Mr Lefroy to the district and quoted figures aa 
to the cost of spraying tea and coffee per acre foi 
the cure of certain pests t'-iat Mr Lefroy had been 
investigating. — A vote of thanks was passed to 
Mr Lefroy for his services and the Secretary was 
asked to write to Government asking that Mr. 
Buller might be allowed to investigate diseases 
that affected tea in the district. 
The Chairman— stated that last year the 
Association had proposed to approach Governiiient 
on the matter of remission of assessment on coffee 
estates. Tiie Central Association had supported 
tlieni and Government had been approached, but 
no reply had yet been received. In the meantime 
tlie assessment was being rigorously exacted. It 
was surprising to see how year by year the exactioQ 
of assessment became more rigorous. 
A REMISSION ON RUBBER. 
Mr. L W Grev — asked if Government gave them, 
a remission on coffee, would they do so upon rubber. 
They were very much inclined to grant a remission 
on rubber now. 
A Ilesolulion regretting that Government had 
not seen fit to do anything tosvarda granting the 
reasonable request of the Association was passed. 
♦ 
THE INDIAN TEA MARKETS EXPANSION 
COMMISSION. 
That the career of the Indian Tea Markets Ex- 
pansion Conuuission has nob been the success that 
was anticipated is now very obvious. The detects 
of the Commission were inherent. Sound business 
counsel and the well ihonght-out practical propo- 
sals that emanated from men who had already to 
certain extent exploited the country were all 
unceremoniously brushed aside ; and Calcutta in 
the pride of its parochial knowledge determined to 
play the game off its own bat without concerning 
itself r.iuch about the rest of the team scattered 
over the country. 
As the pioneer in this direction, and originator 
of the scheme for a systematic exploitation of the 
Indian and trans frontier markets, I feel I have 
some right to speak out on behalf of the Indian 
Tea producers, in whose interests I originally put 
forward my ideas. A certain artifical impetus has 
now been given to the consumption of tea among 
the natives, but the staunchest supporters of the 
Commission can hardly maintain that any per- 
manent demand has been created that will 
henceforth absoibany appreciable proportion of 
our out-turn. 
Let it be understood that I do not imply neglect 
of work on the part of the Expansion Commission. 
On the contrary I frankly admit that it showed 
extraordinary energy and zeal on behalf of its sup- 
porters ; but I maintain that as constituted, the 
Commission was not qualified to give full effect to 
the mandate given it by the Indian tea industry. 
The chief causes of failure are as follow : — (a) The 
exploiting of the Indian and trans-frontier markets 
should not have been entrusted to any one local 
Calcutta firm, as no such private firm could possess 
the necessary experience and qualifications for 
work, which could only be successfully conducted 
by a composite association of planters, proprietors, 
