872 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
(June i, 1891. 
MOETALITY FKOM SNAlvE BITES. 
ConcerniDg deaths in India from the bites cf wild 
animals and snakes, the stutistics recently published 
are not only enormous, but show an increase over 
former years in mortality, and Mr. J. Moray Brown, 
dealing with the subject in Land and Water, asks 
whether the circumstances under which the lives of over 
20,000 human beings, and over 50,000 cattle are sacri- 
ficed annually, are not worthy of consideration ? Not 
only in India do authorities concur that the evil is 
great and needs remedy, but in England also the 
matter is attracting considerable attention, and, though 
a variety of opinions have been expressed the mischief 
goes on. It has been urged that as civiiitatiun ad- 
vances, the ferce naturce retire into the depths of the 
forest. It is true that, to a certfdn extent, this is the 
case, but not entirely, for anyone conversant with the 
habits of tigers and panthers— in especial — must be 
aware that there are among them individuals which 
prey almost exclusively on cattle and human beings, 
and which lay up for months in the merest pretence 
of cover, provided it be within reasonable reach of 
a village. On the other band, snakes will be 
found in the most populous parts, and neither the 
Government House of a Viceroy nor the hut of the 
humblest ireasant, is safe from their intrusion. The 
lethargy and superstition of natives themselves cer- 
tainly offer great opposition to any radical cure, but 
lethargy and superstition can be successfully combated 
by the energy and determination of Europeans. The 
poisoning of wild beasts hes been triad in certain 
places, but this is not only revolting to the English- 
mau in whose hrenst any of the traditimal love of 
sport of his race is inherent, but is fraught with 
considerable danger to the individual desired to ba 
benefited. Once poison is laid down, you know not 
where it may end — very likely iu taking the life of 
some of those you would tain shield, tor a certain 
sect or caste named the Dheres will eat any carr on 
they may come across. That the mortality from 
snake-bite is decidedly on the increase teems an 
acknowledged fact; but this may be due to a better 
system of reporting and it may also be urged that 
many deaths are put down io snake-bite which arc 
due to other causes. This latter argument may, how- 
ever, be met with the retort that many cases of 
death from snake-bite are never reporled at all and 
60 those should counterbalance the deaths wrongly 
attributed to the attacks of snakes. The matter has, 
no doubt, attracted the serious consideration of the 
Government, and Lord Cross has addressed urgent 
inquiries to the Indian Goverumeut, asking if noth- 
ing further can be done to check this mortality. 
The Indian Government, however, seems to be unable 
to suggest any remedy, and states that the general 
opinion seems to be that the system cf offering rewards 
for their destruction has stimulated the bree.ling of 
snakes by natives, and the only plan that they recom-. 
mend is that District efinoers stould be instructed to 
see that all cover in the vicinity of villa, is cleared 
away, while local Governments are left to decide 
whether they shall, or sh-dl not, continue the system of 
rewar, Is. Mr. Moray Brown thinks that if the pro- 
hibition to enter reserved forests, which has bten iu 
force for the last few years, were relaxed, and officers 
of the army encouraged to spoud their leave iu the 
jungles, the carnivora would ba greatly diminished, and 
the forests would be no worro (Uiough Government 
Lope they are better) than they wore 20 years ago. Such 
a cou'se would not unnaturally be objected to by many 
Indian forest officers and ollioial civilians, who would 
resent their private preserves, kept for their own 
amusement and the de'e.ctalion ct any dislinguislied 
globe-trotter, being shot by outsiders. But surely iu 
the vast jungles of India there is loom for both, and 
the measure would be more than compensated for by 
the knowledge of the country and its inluibitaiits ac- 
quired by military officers, to say nothing of the mau- 
uer they would thin the ranks of destructive wild 
animals at no expense to Goveiiiinenl ! As to the de- 
struction of snakoH, though there are numerous vaiie- 
ties of Huakes in India which aro more or less veuo- 
mouB, the following are the most destrnotive to life; — 
The cobra {Najatrijmdians), the krait {Bunyarus 
cceruleus), kupntir {Ecleu, carinata), the hamadryas 
(Ophiodhagus elaps), the raj samp (Bungarits fasciatus): 
Sir J. Fayrer suggests “that a plain description and 
a faithful representation in colour of each species 
would make the people acquainted with the characters 
which distinguish the venomous from the harmless 
varieties,” and he suggests further that a scale of 
rewards, varying from ei„ht fo two annas should be 
given for each snake killed, according to its poisonous 
propensities, Mr. Moray Brown goes farther, and 
proposes that in every village should be displayed in 
a public place, where every ryot and traveller could 
see them, life-size painted clay models of the five most 
venomous snakes. These could be produced at a 
comparatively _ trifl.ng cost, and would familiarise the 
population with the appearance of their great enemies. 
But he thinks the Government might also appoint 
men with a knowledge of natural history for a certain 
period to travel about the country, and after thoroughly 
investigating the subject, report upon it, and recommend 
some course ot action. Let a certain fixed sum be 
devoted to this. Erom E30,000 to E40.000 ought to 
cover their salary and travelling expenses, and this 
would not be an out-of-the-way sum to expend on 
the experiment, and if extended over a period of, say 
three years, would be hardly felt by the revenue. 
By adopting such a course the Government would be 
more likely to obtain a suggesHon of some value, and 
much unnecessary burden would be shifted from the 
shoulders of a very over-worked class — namely, the 
Indian civilians who have multifarious other duties 
to attend to. In conclusion, he sa>s, “we have the 
men, and have the money to araelii rate, or endeavour 
t'l ameborate the present condition of affairs, then 
why not make use of both ? ” — M, Mail. 
GRAFTING OF COFFEE. 
We have received the following ktter on the subject 
of grafting coffee trees from Mr. J. Cameron, of the 
Lai Bagh Garden.", at Bangalore. It will be of great 
interest to planters who are thiukieg of trying the 
experiment of grafting Arabian cAL-e on Liberian 
stocks, for the purpose of lendeting it less liable to 
leaf disease: — 
BAXr:.i.i,OBE, April 15tb. 
Dear Mr. Ferguson,* — I am ; aking a few experi- 
ments in coffee-grafting, but they are not far a-lvauced, 
and I cannot tell you what the ultimate results may 
be; bub for practical purposes in the field, I would 
strongly advise that experiments of the kind be put 
in baud to some extent on every estate. The grafted 
area need not be extensive until the results are proved 
advantageous. Inarching is the best mode of treat- 
ment, and for this purpose two plants of different 
varieties or of the same variety should be planted 
ne.ar each other in the same pit. When they are big 
enough they are united. Healthy seedlings of two 
years’ growth would be about the age and size, or per- 
haps younger. An acre or two jolanted iu this way 
with a view to inarching would soon discover the 
merits of the pructice. The coffee shrub grafts very 
readily, and I have united the following successfully; 
1. Liberian on Liberian ; obj.->ct, to hasten and im- 
prove b aring and to dwarf the tree. 
2. Liberian on Arabian ; object, the same as No. I. 
3. Arabian on Liber an ; object, to strengthen the 
vegetative growth of the first named, and render it 
less subject to disease, etc. 
4' Maragogipe on Li’oerian ; object experimental. 
5. Liboiian on Maragogii.e, object expeiimental. 
We lirvQ grafted at present only a doztii or half a 
dozen, iu each method, but there can be no doubt 
that cofi’ep, like other fruit bearing iplaats, can be 
improved by this treatment. 
I have no objection to your publishing my letter on the 
subject oi'Krat'iug coffee, but I should first explain that 
the morfas operuJidi recommended for ostatts, and that 
^ Au Indian planter. — Ep. C. O. 
