May 1, 1891.1 
THE TROPICAL AtSmCRlLTUruST. 
“ CEYLON AND ITS GE.MS.” 
[Communicated ) 
The writer of the article in the Thill’s of India 
(see page 792) is rather out as regards the Gemming 
Ordinance, which is even worse than he 
makes it out. Previous to the prtssnt ordinance 
being passed, there were Government regulations 
for mining for Gold and Gems, and orders to gem 
on Government land could he obtained on the 
payment of ten rupees per annum, but no pros- 
pecting licenses could be issued. On the other 
hand Government would grant a prospecting licenses 
for gold on Crown lands on the payment of ten 
rupees, and the area over which the license might 
extend could not exceed half a square mile while 
it remained in force for six months. 
The grantee had the exclusive right of prospeotiug 
within that area for that period and had the 
option at the expiration thereof of applying for a 
regular lease of not more than 50 acres within 
the said area on the terms that the minimum 
breadth of any lot was to be 70 yards, and the 
period a term not exceeding 20 years, at the expiration 
of which the lease was renewable at the lessee’s 
option on such terms as tho Governor and Exe- 
cutive Council might fix. 
These good reguh'.tions have all been repealed, and 
in their place an ordinance has been piassed for gem- 
ming vn private lands only, and there is nothing said 
in this ordinance about working for ijeins or gold in 
Crown lands; so that if any person wn hes to gem or 
prospect for gold ho will have to m:iko a special 
application to the Government Agent. A more 
ridiculous and pernicious ordinance has seldom 
been passed by the Ceylon Legislature. It is a 
pity that our Government servants should think 
themselves omniscient, for to this failing may bo 
attributed the many ill-digested ordinances which 
are constanily being passed and found unwork- 
able in their original form. 
As regards your remarks in Tuesday night’s issue, 
I think your estimate of the value of the gems 
found in Ceylon much nearer the mark than that of 
the “ Eoving Correspondent” of the Times of India. 
He also seems to think that the “European 
speeulators” may find gem mining unreniuner- 
ative ; but if this is so, I think it will La due to 
the “poor native’’ appropriating the best stones 
and receiving regular wages besides. Under such 
favourable circumstances the paucity of “ Euro- 
pean speculators” is all tho native has to complain 
of ; but the “ European speculator” may well 
grumble when he finds his attempts at developing 
an industry baulked by those wlio sbeu'd be the 
first to help him. Gem digging as practised by 
the natives enccurages them in icllenesF, gambling 
and all kinds of vice ; but as practised by capita- 
lists it means regular work and wages for tho 
miners without tlio unnatural excitement which 
follows such pursuits ; th(;t is, of course, provided 
a plan to prevent st alir.g couli be tlevieed. 
DISEASES OF I’DANTS.* 
After a few introductory observations on Phyto- 
pathology in its general aspect, the lecturer proceeded 
to discuss the questions relating to Parasitic Fungi 
in their connection with I’lunt diseases : — 
The plant diseases eaused by the presence of 
parasitic fungi are almost entirely local diseases ; it 
is quite exceptional to find a plant constitutionally' 
affected. True it is, that in many cases, especially 
with cultivated ))lants, the local disease is either so 
* A course of lectures delivered liefore the Koval 
College of Surgeons by Professor I’lowright, Al. D., 
in February, LS9J. 
803 
extensively distributed upon the host, or, more fre- 
quently, that the lesions ai’e so numerotis, that the 
host plant is killed by the parasite ; but anything 
analogous to those human diseases, in which an 
entrance having once being effected by a microbe, the 
whole organism becomes permeated by disease, as in 
the case of febrile disorders, is practically almost 
unknown in plants. 
Neither do we find that heredity plays nearly so 
important a part in the etiology of fungoid plant 
disease as it does in the animal kingdom. There are 
instances, and important ones, too, in which some- 
thing akin to heredity comes into play. Certain 
varieties of Wheat are more liable to suffer from the 
attacks of mildew than others ; certain varieties of 
Apple are more liable to canker than others ; but these 
are more instances of the constitutional peculiarity of 
a variety than true heredity. A better illustration is, 
perhaps, afforded by the Potato, some sorts of which 
seem to be hereditarily disposed to”take the disease 
more easily than others ; while, on the other hand, 
certain sorts seem to have the power of resisting it 
better, inasmuch as their foliage longer withstands 
the attacks of the Phytophthora. 
•Just as we observe that certain epidemics affecting 
the human race, when first introduced into a com- 
munity, assume great virulence, and spread with great 
rapidity ; after a time, the type becomes less severe, 
and although the cases are not less numerous, yet the 
disease, we say, wears itself out. The outbreaks of 
cholera which have occurred during the present 
century, afford an apt illustration. The introduction 
of measles into Iceland, and into the Faroe, and the 
Fiji Archipelagoes took place in recent times. Like 
smallpox and syphilis, it was much more severe and 
fatal when thus imported into virgin soil (Fagge). 
In like manner, we find that many epidemics of 
fungoid plant disease, which at their beginning are 
marked by extreme virulence, after a time change in 
type, and become less and less severe. The outbreak 
of the Potato disease iii 1845 is an illustration, and 
although the disease is still present only too severely 
amongst our Potato crop, yet we have never had so 
severe a visitation as occurred in the above-mentioned 
year. More recently, the Hollyhock disease has 
afforded us a parallel case. The fungus, Puccinia 
malvaoearum, which causes this disease, was unknown 
in Europe prior to 1869, in which year it was observed 
in Arragon, in Spain. In 1872 it was noticed in the 
Department of Marne, in France ; in the following 
year (1873), it had extented over France into England, 
devastating not only the Hollyhocks, but attacking 
also the indigenous Malvacese. For several years, so 
virulent was it, that the Hollyhock practically dis- 
appeared from our gardens. The fungus is still present 
with us, and can be found upon almost any of the com- 
mon Mallows ; but it has lost, to a great extent, the 
extreme virulence which characterised its first outbreak. 
Ourindegenous Mallows remain with us, and the.Holly- 
hock is beginning to re-appear in our gardens. A 
very similar case is that of the Celery disease. Some 
years ago Puccinia Apii appeared on cultivated Celery, 
and threatened to become as serious an affection as 
the Hollyhock disease subsequently proved. It 
spre.ad very widely in Great Britain, and gi-eatly 
alarmed horticulturists ; but it soon spent itself, 
and although the Puccinia is common enough 
on our wild Celery plants now, j’et we rarely meet 
with it in our gardens. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 
IMPKOVED TEA MACHINEKY: 
JACKSON’S PATENTS NEW DRYING AND 
WITHERING MACHINES. 
Ini'uingements of Patents : Moue Wouk for the 
Lawyers. 
Mr. Jackson of Aberdeen, the now famous Tea 
Machinist and Engineer, was, as wo anuounoed, a 
passenger by the S. S. “ Massilia ” and the Colombo 
lawyers will, at least, wolcomo his advent. For, 
it would bo scarcely necessary for Mr. Jackson to 
have left the supciinle.idenoe of his Exipr rimental 
Xl'erkshops at home, save for “legal” business which 
specially oal'ed for his personal pivsonce in Colombo. 
