324 
Wr TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [November 2, 1891, 
tiouble, but am anxious to know whether the system is 
worth developing. 
Sfoxa W. Weston. Esq., to A. J. Simson, Esq., dated 
Singell, 30th October 1890. 
I now send yon my report on the tomato decoction as 
B cure for certain blights. I will answer all your 
questions first, and then add a few remarks after. 
1. I have only treated " red spider," but am of 
opinion that all blights which crawl (have no wings) 
could be prevented by this treatment. 
2. 80 far the bloclr of bushes treated last year and 
this for "red spider " have not been attacked again. 
The 1889 block has now been free for seventeen months. 
S. I consider the decoction should be applied as soon 
%B the first signs of the blight appear. The best and 
quickest method of applying the decoction is with 
eyringes with rose heads. Syringe the bush thoroughly 
morning and evening. The quantity depends on the 
size of the bush. 
4. By the destruction of the blight, the bush is 
enabled to flush or throw out new shoots quicker. 
That is, it continues to flush in its natural manner. 
5. In no way is the health of the bush impaired by 
the nse of this decoction. 
6. The leaf is in no way affected in color, taste, or 
other wiflOi 
7. Taking 4,840 bushels to the acre, the cost of 
labor would be cot more than KIO per diem (an acre) 
this is giving 50 large bushes to each child to thoroughly 
■yringe morning and evening. 
8. Yes, in this district one might say it grows wild, 
for when once planted, the plants come on with very 
little attention. 
9. Take 80 lb. of tomato leaves and stalks (bine), • 
throw a portion into a cask, and pulp well with a long 
wooden mortar. Continue adding till the whole of the 
801b. is pulped, then add 40 quarts of water and mix 
well. The decoction is now ready for use. Old leaves 
and bme which are striugy are useless. 
10. The advantage derived in treating "red spider" 
IB most important : — 
Firstly, it prevents the shedding of leaves by des- 
troying the spider before it wears them. 
Secondly, by preventing the shedding of leaves the 
plant is enabled to gather its necessary quantity of 
dew at night during the dry months, and consequently 
it has the strength to flush. 
11. The disadvantages are nil. 
My experiments have not been on a large enough 
scale for me, to form an idea as to what extent the 
outturn has been affected, but there is no doubt that 
it would be greatly benefited by the prevention of the 
spreading of the blight on its first appearance. 
I consider the tomato docoction as a preventive is 
better than the tobacco decoction used at home for the 
destruction of blights in "hop gardens." With re- 
ference to my answer to your question No. 2, of course 
we have had an unusual year of weather in every way, 
which undoubtedly has afiected all blights as well as 
the quality of the leaf ; and taking this into consider- 
ation, as well as the small area at present treated, I 
would not like to say more without making another 
experiment on a large scale, say 10 acres next year. 
But one thing I am certain of is, that the decoction 
of the strength given in para. 9 kills "red spider." 
No. G. The leaf from which tea is made can iii 
no way suffer by using the decoction ; for as long as 
the bush is suffering from "red spider," it does not 
flush, and as soon as the pest is destroyed the treat- 
ment ia discontinued. 
If I have not answered all the questions to your 
■atisfaotion, let me know, and I shall only bo too 
plfaaed to give you any further particulars you may 
wish for. 
From A.J. Simson, Esq , toW. Westson, Esq., dated 
Calcutta, 11th November 1890. 
I rnukt apologise for not having yet thanked j( u for 
the fu"l report you have sent me on the tomato treat- 
ment of blight. It is very complete, and I am much 
obliged for the trouble you have taken to make it co. 
One point strikes me, however, and that is the expense 
which you put at RIO per acre per diem. This, at 
first sight, app ars prohibitive as it seems for a garden 
of 500 acres R5.000 per diera or per annum R18,25,000. 
But I know it has not to be done every day even 
during the season, and should therefore like to know 
how many days' treatment on an average you find 
suflicient in the first instance, to rid attacked bushes 
and how often the decoction has to be applied after- 
wards to keep them free. You say 1889 block has 
been free for seventeen months, from which I infer 
that the effect carries on beyond one sea'on even. In 
rpferenoe to this question it would be interesting to 
know what yon cousidered the average expenditure on 
the treatment per ncre per annum, and whether you 
think such expenditure compensated for by the in- 
creased yield of leaf, if so, to what extent. 
I am sorry to trouble you further, but think my 
information will be complete if you can kindly reply 
to these points. 
From W. Weston, Esq., to A. J. Simson, Esq., dated 
Singell, 3rd December 1891. 
In answer to your question how many days' treat- 
ment I found sufficient in the first instance to rid 
attacked bushes? 
Eighteen to 27 days' treatment entirely got rid of 
the spider, but I believe if a stronger decoction wag 
used, it would act quicker, and at the same time not 
injure the bushes or leaves. The bushes when once 
treated have not been attacked again, and so far the 
treatment shows a perfect cure. 
In answer to your question referring to duration of 
time the effect lasts, and the average expenditure on 
the treatment, I take the average expenditure on 
treatment per acre, R130 per annum, and if this means 
a permanent cure, which it so far shows in the 1889 
block, which has been free for over 17 mouths. 1 
consider the expenditure would iu every way be com- 
pensated for by the increased yield for no red spider 
would mean one's getting the proper outturn from 
each acre of tea every year after the cure has been 
effected, which cure so far seems permanent. 
With reference to your figures of expenditure ou a 
500 acre garden treated for "red spider," it would be 
impossible for the whole area to suffer at once, as red 
spider starts on a portion of a block or blocks, and 
spreads if left alone ; therefore, if the attacked 
parts are treated with the decoction on its first 
appearance, the spreading is prevented, and the 
expenditure in consequence is brought down to a 
minimum. 
Should we suffer from red spider next season, I in- 
tend trying a strong decoction which, I have no doubt, 
will cure in a smaller space of time, and of course 
reduce the expenditure per acre. 
If I have not answered all your questions as you 
wish write and let me know, for I am only too pleased 
to answer them. 
THE CULTURE OP COFFEE, &c., IN 
SINGAPORE. 
Mr. Ridley, the Director of the Straits Gardens and 
Forests, in noticing Dr. Burok's papers on leaf' 
diEease in Java, writes : — 
All who have seen a view of the coffee fields in 
Oeylon, must have noticed the entire absence of any 
hedges or jungle breaking up the enormous tracts of 
coffee cutivation. The ground is, it is true, very 
undulating and hil'y, but there is no attempt made 
to separate the fields at all by hedges. The whole 
country is open to the sweep of the prevailing wiad 
to carry the fungus spores from end to end of the 
island, and, indeed, the undulating nature of the 
ground is in favour of the spread of the disease. 
Professor Marshall Ward, when he was investigating 
the disease in Ceylon, pointed out this very thing, 
and urged the formation of hedges. It is not prob- 
able that this simple method would have so far 
arrested the disease as to save now ruined cultivation 
in Ceylon, but it wculd, doubtless, have lessened the 
violrnce and rapidity of the attack, and given some 
chance of combating the disease, by breaking up tho 
