OCT. 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
Meanwhile all affected fronds should be at 
once destroyed. If the plants are young, the 
caterpillars and their webs can be stripped oft' 
by hand. If taken in time it should be possible 
to stamp out the pest, (see directions in 
above-mentioned report).— Yours truly, 
E. ERNEST GREEN, 
Government Entomologist. 
(We quote the important paragraph refer- 
red to as follows : — 
" A tour througli the Badulla and Passara dis- 
tricts and across country to Batticaloa was under- 
taken in April, occupying sixteen days. The main 
object of the tour was to study a caterpillar pest 
that was seriously afFecting the coconut pnlms in 
the neighbourhood of Batticaloa. On badly at- 
tacked estates the fronds of the palms were being 
completely skeletonized. A few trees are killed 
outright; but this is exceptional. I was informed 
thet they usually recover from the attack, but that 
their bearing capacity is seriously diminished for 
several years. It was found, as expected, thtitclie 
properties that were suffering most severely were 
those on which no efiorts had been made to check 
the pest, or on which unsuitable methods had been 
employed. On estates where prompt and intelli- 
gent action had been taken from the commencement 
of the attack, comparatively little damage was 
incurred. The only course to adopt is to watch for 
the earliest signs of the pest, which are quite easily 
detected, and immediately to cu*^ o3 and burn the 
affected fronds. It is u>:eless to wait until the 
leaves have been killed before removing them. By 
that time the caterpillars will have deserted sach 
fronds and migrated to fresh ones. The insect re- 
sponsible for all this damage is the caterpillar of a 
small moth belonging the family Gelechiidce. 
The species appears to be undesei ibed, but speci- 
mens have been sent to England for determination. 
The caterpillar may be recognized by the black 
head and second segment, the hinder parts being of 
a pale yellowish tint. It conceals itself beneath 
galleries composed of silk and sawdust-like pellets 
of excrenientitious matter. The resulting moth is 
of a pale gray colour with minute black specks on 
the front wings. It measures about one inch in 
expanse." 
it is for our coconut-owning correspondent 
now to respond promptly to Mr. Green's 
request for further specimens.— Ed. i.A.] 
PLANTING NOTES. 
The Pearl Fisheries of the Gulf of Califor- 
nia are let out as a concession by the Mexican 
Government, and are said to be very valuable. 
The shells of the pearl oyster are shipped to 
Europe and sell for from 16 cents to 18 cents a 
pound. The gross earnings of the fisheries are 
estimated at $200,000 per annum. — Financial 
News. 
Lemon Jelly. — Rub the yellow rind of three 
large lemons upon ^ lb. sugar, pour over it the 
strained juice of six lemons, and put it into an 
enamelled pan with 1 oz, i.singlass, 1 pint of water 
and a glass of sherrj. Stir these over the fire 
until the isinglass is dissolved, strain the jelly 
through a bag, and if not perfectly transparent mix 
it when cool with the whites and crushed shells 
of three eggs with a i pint of cold water. Let 
the jelly boil for three minutes without stir- 
ring, then let it settle for five or six minutes, and 
strain it again. Set it in dishes or in small jelly 
gltLssea-— Journal of Horticulture, Aug. 29' 
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,— Bulletin of 
Miscellaneous Information. Contents :— Jarrah 
and Karn, Maromba Vine Disease in Portucral 
Chinese Printing Blocks, Lungan Pulp, and Mis- 
cellanenus Notes. 
Why WE Prune. -First, to modify the vicrour 
ot t;he plant; second, to prodnce larger and better 
fruu ; third to keep the tree within manageable 
shape and limits ; fourth, to change the habit of 
the tree from fruit to wood production . or vice 
VCT-ra ; fifth, to remove surplus or injured parts; 
sixth, to facilitate harvesting and spraying • 
seventh, to facilitate tillage; eighth, to trairJ 
plants to some desired form —Journal af Horti- 
culture, Aug. 29. 
'• Are THE Tropics Doomed ; "-is the heading 
ot an editorial in which a foreign contemporary 
discusses the manner in which the tropical pro- 
duetion of various articles of commerce are 
being ousted from the markets of the world bv 
the scientific discoveries of the age, both in the 
laboratory and the field. The writer instances 
cinchona, indigo, and sugar as cases in which 
the tropical industries appear to be falling to 
the ground in the face of the manufacture of 
the article in temperate countries. But we 
suspect it will be a long time before tropical 
sugar and cincliona or even Bengal Indigo planters 
become extinct ? Perhaps the date may be simul- 
taneous with the year when the Russian Cau- 
casus and American Southern States produce 
enough tea for the requirements of Russia and 
the United States respectively ' 
The Coffee Ckop in Coorg.-Au estimate 
ot the coffee crop in Coorg for 1901 has been 
received in Calcutta from the local Admini- 
stration, and the figures are appended, with 
the estim.ates of 1900, for comparison :— 
1900. 1901. 
T-i ,. , tons. tons. 
Estimated yield f2 owt. an 
acre for Europeans in 1900 
and IJ cwt. in 1901) . . 2,7.51 1 988 
Estimated yield (J cwt. an 
acre for natives in 1900 and 
i cwt. in 1901) . . i_i2o 701 
Total 
3,871 
2,689 
Estimated average yield per 
acre of ordinarily well onlti- 
vated coffee in full bearing 2| cwt. 2 owt. 
Export of coffee taken from 
the toll gate returns . . 2,366 tons 8,665 tons 
Average annual export of ^-wus 
coffee in the ten preceding 
rn ,• ^^^l^ ■• 3,326 tons 3,3.58 tons 
iaking the average crop to be about 4,56C tons the 
estimate of 2 689 tons for the present Reason r;pre 
Sin & °^ "^'^"^^ '^S'^'"^' 
Poor old coffee is gradually going down in 
Coorg, as m Mysore, and everywhere u 
India; and yet we know that Coorg planters 
have of late years, been importing- coffll 
seed from Uva, Ceylon. ^ ^-^uee 
J^L ^^^oa nu'>''—,^'iV Illustrated 
World oi 626, Chiswick High Road, London W 
England, contains a description of a Remarkable 
Cure for Deafness and Head Noises which may bp 
carried out at the patient's home, and which is 
sau. to be a certain cure. This number will be 
sent free to any de.af persons sending their ad- 
dress to the LdUor. ' 
