i6 
THt TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[July i, 1890. 
shares as they formed the qualification they were 
compelled under the articles of association to take. 
They had not issued any others, indeed they had only 
this small amount which really was held by the direc- 
tors. If they could find out how to cure the green 
bug, he thought they would all consider that there 
was a new future for the remaining coffee in Ceylon 
One of the directors was at Ceylon now, and be was 
very much interested in the machine that the hon. 
proprietor had alluded to. They were always on the 
alert to do anything they possibly could to destroy 
pests. The land was now so much under tea culti- 
vation that it would be very difficult to reconvert it 
into coffee, and the opinion of those who knew Ceylon 
well was that coffee would be a thing of the past in 
a very few years. As to the advances against pro- 
duce and supplies from estates, it was a very profi- 
table one, and when they merely advanced on crops, 
and not on block, they thought they were doing the 
best thing : indeed, they hoped in the future to do 
very well in that branch of the business. 
The resolution was then put and carried unani- 
mously. 
Mr. David Heid proposed the re-election of Mr. 
C. J. Lindsay Nicholson as a director. It required no 
words of his to commend the resolution to the notice 
of the shareholders, and he was quite sure it would 
meet with general acceptance. 
Mr. Welton seconded the motion, which was cor- 
dially adopted. 
The Chairman returned thanks, and moved the re- 
election of Mr. Balph A. Cameron, the managing 
director, to whose industry, intelligence, and zeal he 
specially referred. 
Mr. Malcolm seconded the resolution, which was 
unanimously agreed to. 
Mr. Ralph A. Cameron said he thoroughly appre- 
ciated the cordial assistance and help which his 
colleagues had afforded him, and they all worked with 
one object. He believed that the roughest part of the 
work was done, and that they might now look forward 
to the successful accomplishment of what they had 
undertaken. 
The auditors, Messrs. Welton, Jones, and Co., were 
re-elected on the motion of Mr. Wilson, seconded by 
Mr. Malcolm. 
A vote of thanks was accorded to the directors 
for their able conduct of the company’s affairs. 
The proceedings then terminated. 
Process of Removing Insects from Plants.— A 
novel process, by Edwin P. Fowler, of National City, 
California, consists in dislodging the vermin and 
mealy-bug by means of a sandblast, which destroy 
yearly entire groves of Lemon and Orange trees in 
Florida, South California, and other tropical States. 
In carrying out the invention, a fan blower of any 
suitable construction, or any other apparatus capable 
of creating an artificial current of air, is employed. 
The artificial current of air thus created is directed 
against the tree or other plant, and in its transit 
from the fan blower to the plant, the current of air 
is charged with sand. Of course the force of the 
artificial air current must be carefully gauged, so that 
the sand which is projected by the same against the 
trees or plants will not destroy the plants together 
with the" vermin or scale, and the sand must be 
gifted, so that no coarse particles or stones remain 
mixed with it. If the force of the air current is 
properly limited, according to the nature of the plants 
under treatment, the scale or vermin can be removed 
without injuring the trees or plants. In some cases 
it is desirable that the artificial current of air shall 
be lieatcd, and for this purpose there is combined 
with the fan blower or other apparatus a suitable 
heater. It may also be desirable in certain con- 
tingencies that tlio sand which is used for charging 
the artificial air current shall be bot, and for the 
purpose of heating tlie sand before introducing it 
into the air current, any suitable healing apparatus 
may be used , — British Mail. 
The Peogbess of the Gold-mining Industry in 
South Africa is very satisfactory, all things con- 
sidered, as the following table of raw exports shows: — 
First three Cape Colony, Natal. Total, 
months. £ £ £ 
1890 309,510 116,438 425,948 
1889 159,738 132,614 292,352 
1888 86,820 81,429 168,249 
Instead of the mining market being depressed it 
ought to be cheerful, but things often go contrary on 
the Stock Exchange. It is clear by the increased ex- 
ports via Cape Colony that the Witwatersrand mines 
are eclipsing the De Kaap fields. — 0. Mail, April 25th. 
West Australia has experienced many vicissi- 
tudes in connection with the reputed gold-fields 
there, Yilgarn and others. A fresh spurt will be given 
to gold-prospecting by the publication of the annexed 
telegram which appears in the We.steru Mail of 
the I2th April Ashburton, April 10th, — Wilson, 
Ford and Pat Bresnahan say they have got one 
thousand ounces of gold two hundred miles from 
here, fifteen miles from the river. My informant 
saw the gold, but had no means of weighing it. 
There is no doubt the find is a big one. Wilson 
who is a practioal man, says it is the richest he 
has ever seen. The gold found consists of nuggets 
and coarse gold. — Singapore Free Press. 
The Stott Insecticide Distributor was to be seen 
in action in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Gardens 
at Chiswick during the Daffodil Conference. The 
distributor consists of a metal cylinder, which is divided 
into several cells by means of perforated partitions. 
In’o these cells the manure or insecticide, in solid or 
liquid form, is inserted. At each end of the machine 
is a length of tubing, one end being attached to the 
water-tap or garden-pump, and the other to an 
ordinary hose-pipe, and the water being forced through, 
becomes impregnated with the composition in the 
cells. The strength of the solution is regulated by fhe 
filling of one or more cells of the apparatus. A special 
form of spreader is fitted fo the hose, which ensures 
a perfect spray. The apparatus is likely to prove of 
much service, and cannot well get out of order. 
An iosecticide, “ Killmright,” supplied for use in the 
machine, is of a soapy consistency. The spray can be 
used for the destruction of such pests as green-fly, 
thrips black-fly, &c.~Gardeners’ Chronicle. 
Cinnamon and Coconuts. — Veyangoda, June 1st.— 
Some Estates have commenced peeling Cinnamon for 
the Maha Mosama or big crop, while others will com- 
mence harvesting shortly. AYith the rains we had last 
year, and are having this year, the bushes are in bud all 
the year through. Speaking for myself, a month of dry 
weather is preferable to the continuous wet we are hav- 
ing, for the soil is sodden and will be all the better for a 
bit of drying and aeration. From all I hear, some of 
those who declared on honour thatthey would cease scrap- 
ing Chips seem to value their honour less than rupees. 
We lately heard that Chips were scraped on an Estate 
south of Colombo. I now hear that a proprietor of an 
Estate north of Colombo pocketed his “ honour ” with 
the rupees the Chips he is scraping is giving 
him. He too, when remonstrated with, will doubtles 
say that he will give orders to stop scraping. Be 
up and doing, Mr. Jardine, or the good work you 
have done will be undone by an unscrupulous few. 
In spite of this being the season when our largest 
Coconut crops are gathered, prices are keeping up. The 
Manager of the Desiccating Mills is the largest local 
buyer. Besides the 24- or 25,-000 nuts he must be con- 
suming weekly at his Factory, our Railway store is 
largely occupied with the Coconuts he is forwarding to 
Colombo for shipment to Europe. We have heard no- 
thing definite of the Coconut Butter manufactory that 
was stated to have been started in Colombo. I hope 
the Superintendent of the School of Agriculture has 
not ceased his investigations into the Coconut leaf 
disease. The subject is worthy of his attention. His 
latest contribution on the subject is nothing more 
than an admirable essay on the general principles of 
agricultural science. He has not thrown one spark o 
light on the subject of his] Report. — Cor i Local “B 
amiaer.'’ 
