86 
THK  TROPICAL  AGRICTJJ/TURIS  P. 
[Aug.  I,  1895. 
ielt  sa^.  Foi'  1 am  still  an  Kast  Indian  coffee  plan* 
ter  at  heart,  though  out  there  I have  frequently 
been  mistaken  for  a gentleman!  But  I gathered 
comfort  when  I detected  the  somewhat  slow  and 
laborious  work  of  our  old  friend  the  “ Borer  ” and 
my  fingers  itched  to  place  my  boot  against  the 
stump  and  with  my  ri^it  hand  draw  the  stem  to 
me  wondering  whereabouts  it  was  going  to  snap ! 
“ Give  Borer  time,"  i said  to  one  of  the  botanical 
scientists  who  watched  me  attentively,  “for  his  work 
must  be  done  slowly,  but  when  finished  it  will  be 
done  well!!”  And  like  things  are  arranged  often 
in  this  world,  this  man,  who  doubtless  could  have 
afforded  me  much  information  on  other  topics,  seemed 
totally  ignorant  of  this  particular  grub.  As  far  as 
I could  gather  they  did  not  suffer  much  from 
“ leaf"  in  fact  many  of  those  to  whom  I talked  had 
not  seemed  to  have  heard  of  it.  I hear  in  St  Vinceat 
that  land  can  still  be  picked  up  very  cheap  on  Go- 
vernment leases  and  the  American  Market  is  within 
about  ‘.t  days.  It  was  quite  like  old  times  to  see  this 
"fascinating"  tree  growing  wild  all  over  the  place 
in  most  of  the  islands,  and  were  I a younger  man 
I think  I would  chance  the  labour  difficulty  and 
quietly  begin  opening — at  St.  Vincent  for  choice. 
The  Assam  hybrid  tea-bush  too  grew  wild  in  the 
Government  gardens  at  .Jamaica.  The  cocoa  planters 
seemed  to  have  caught  on  to  a good  crop.  To  see 
the  robust  way  these  trees  grow  and  fruit  is  a pu/zle. 
Why  on  earth  won’t  they  do  in  the  Wynaad  ? For 
here  you  see  exactly  the  same  junf/Ic  trees  growing 
side  by  side  with  the  cocoa  trees  that  we  have  in 
Wynaad,  where  this  “ peevish”  tree  utterly  refuses 
lo  do.  I wonder  if  the  Viceroy  could  tell  us!  And 
such  a casual  cultivation  as  it  is  too.  The  trees  are 
planted  some  10  ft.  (more  »r  less)  apart,  and  grow 
to  look  very  much  as  the  i-hododendrons  co  on  the 
Nilgiris,  strong  and  hardy,  though  perhaps  Blimmer, 
and  the  fine  plump  scarlet  pods  as  they  hang  in 
bunches  amid  the  dark  green  leaves  look  most 
tempting.  I believe  no  manuring  has  been 
done  to  the  trees  in  any  of  the  islands  ; in  fact  I 
went  out  with  a man  who  had  come  from  home  ex- 
pressly to  find  out  what  effects  manuring  would  have 
in  the  yield.  1 do  not  know  if  when  young  the  plant 
requires  care,  but  the  estates  I saw  looked  exactly 
like  the  surrounding  jungle,  with  the  exception  that  all 
the  undergrowth  was  cut  under  the  trees,  which  grew 
as  it  were  out  of  grass  land,  utterly  ignorant  of  the 
invigorating  touch  of  the  fork  or  mamoty.  The  wily 
mongoose  was  introduced  here  some  j’oars  since  and  the 
place  swarms  with  them.  True,  they  have  destroyed 
every  snake,  but  they  have  also  killed  other  reptiles 
who  used  to  keep  down  in  their  turn,  together  \vith  the 
snake,  many  insect  pests  which  now,  having  Nature’s 
enemy  removed,  attack  the  different  products  of  the 
isle,  cocoa  included,  the  revenue  of  the  island  losing 
some  i,T0,0(X)  annually  by  their  ravages.  So  much  for 
trying  to  assist  Nature!  "How  can  we  expect  better  luck 
if  we  try  to  improve  the  value  of  the  rupee  by  legislation? 
I was  greatly  struck  with  the  physique  of  the  negroes. 
One  would  dread  one’s  Roll  Call  had  we  to  deal  with 
two  or  three  hundred  of  these  chaps.  The  [gentle 
cooly  I allow  thinks  himself  as  good  as  his  master  in 
these  days  of  education,  and  no  doubt  in  some  cases 
he  is,  but  these  go  much  further  and  think  them- 
selves better.  No,  believe  me,  there  is  nothing  like 
travelling  to  find  out  the  truth  of  things,  and 
this  trip  has  taught  me  that  India,  that  place  when 
we  were  there,  at  which  we  used  to  grumble  so, 
getting  up  an  hour  before  daybreak  so  as  to  get  a 
good  start,  and  then  forced  to  sit  up  in  our  long 
arm-chairs,  cheroot  in  mo.ith  and  drink,  some  of 
it  inside,  of  the  best  near  our  hand,  is  not  half  a 
l)ad  place  after  all.  Granted,  if  one  has  been  for- 
tunate enough  to  “ many  an  heiress  and  declare  a 
dividend"  Fngland  is  the  place  to  spend  it.  But 
should  we  have  missed  our  chance  of  becoming  a 
partner  in  so  good  a commercial  undertaking,  there 
are  far  worse  countries  than  India,  and  I often  look 
back  with  sorrow  to  those  jolly  old  days  which  used 
to  be  mine — sorrow  I say  that  iliev  have  passed.  It 
was  jolly  to  think  that  your  particular  way  of  working 
voiii  place  was  a little  better  than  your  neighbours. 
S'our  new  horse  (jual  coming  on)  had  a turn  of  speed, 
wasn't  hammer-headed,  didn't  turn  his  toes  out  when 
he  galloped,  nor  wanted  another  rib,  and  that  when 
the  rupee  just  went  a leetle  lower,  say  to  lid,  you 
really  would  go  home,  and  after  having  spent  your 
store  of  sovereigns,  just  place  a few  in  some  South 
African  or  Australian  mine,  and  coming  out  with 
tliose  few  sovereigns  now  taking  bags  to  hold  them, 
get  some  R‘2.5  for  each  and  so  be  able  to  ))rove  to 
vour  partner  that  the  trip  was  not  an  extravagance 
hut  a saving. — Madras  Mail. 
CUFFEE  BLIGHT  IN  THE  HAWAIIAN 
LSLANHS. 
FltOl’KS.SOU  KoKHELK  ADVISlNt;. 
From  the  JIairaikai  /‘/(inter  s .Voutli///,  we  learn 
tliat  resulution.s  liave  been  ailojited  by  the  Kona 
cotiee  planter.s  relative  to  the  blight,  which  is 
reappearing  in  that  district,  and  creating  nne.a,si- 
ness  among  planters.  The  reply  of  the  Com- 
missioner of  Agriculture,  which  follows,  e.xplains 
the  reasons  why  the  lady  birds  have  not  done 
the  work  expected  of  them  : — 
'The  selection  of  tha  ( 'ri/plolieaiu^  Mont rou-erieXsxdy- 
bird  for  Pulvinaria  coffee  blight  is  entirely  due  to 
the  instructions  received  from  Professor'  Koebele, 
who  sent  this  valuable  insect  from  Australia,  and  in 
parts  of  the  islands  where  the  lady-bird  was  sent 
iwith  the  exception  of  Kona)  the  results  obtained 
have  been  in  keeping  with  his  excellent  judgment. 
Under  date  of  September  :ird,  Professor 
JCoebele  writes  as  follows  : “ I have  written  vou 
previously  in  regard  to  the  feeding  habits  of  the 
(J riiptoliemus  and  Ithizohius.  You  will  do  best  always 
to  select  the  Cryptohvmus  for  the  insects  or  scales 
upon  the  coffee  plant,  as  this  is  the  beetle  to 
destroy  the  Dactylopids,  as  well  as  Pulvinaria  and 
Lecanium,  while  Ithinohius  Ventral  is  will  not  feed 
upon  the  mealy  bugs.”  That  the  l 'r!/pt(,lnM,f<  has 
done  good  work  on  all  the  Dactylopids  and  on  tlie 
Pulvinaria  is  an  established  fact,  to  support  which 
there  is  abundant  evidence. 
After  the  first  few  broods  of  these  insects  had 
been  liberated  in  Honolulu,  several  months  elapsed 
before  they  became  numerous  enough  to  enable  us 
to  gather  colonies  and  send  them  to  the  other 
islands.  Kona  was  the  first  district  to  receive  the 
lad)  -bix-d,  and  the  first  reports  received  from  there 
were  quite  encouraging.  Mr.  C.  D.  Miller,  manager 
of  the  Hawaiian  Tea  A Coffee  Uompanv,  wi'itcs 
under  date  of  October  ItUh,  18‘)4,  and  sp'eaking  of 
the  VriiptoUeinus  says  : “ The  larva  of  the  lattei- are 
doing  good  work  on  the  infected  coffee  trees,  and 
I believe  in  course  of  time  the  scale  will  be  very 
scarce.  Soon  aftei'  this,  letters  were  received  from 
Mr.  \V.  Muller  and  Mr.  M.  p’.  Scott,  staMim  that 
fronx  soxixe  cause  or  other,  the  lady-bir<ls  !5o  not 
increase  ; and  in  anotiier  letter  Mr.  Muller 
stated  that  an  insect  attacked  the  larva  of  the  lady- 
bird and  destroyed  it.  From  Mr.  Muller's  descrip- 
tion, I recognized  this  insect  to  be  the  larva  of  the 
lace-winged  fly,  a Chryxopa,  species  unnamed.  This 
insect  is  qxxite  common  all  over  ihe  islands,  and  is 
classed  as  amoixg  the  beneficial  insects.  I have 
bred  numbers  of  them  together  in  the  same  jar 
with  the  Cryptolniiiii.x,  and  with  cai'cful  ob.-erva- 
tion  I have  never  seen  them  attack  the  larva  of 
the  latter. 
I therefore  suggested  to  .Jfr.  Muller  that  he  uas 
mistaken  ixx  his  conchxsious,  and  that  the  true  cause 
of  the  C ryptola  nni.x  ixot  incieasing  was  that  the  non- 
breeding season  of  the  lady-bird  was  a])proaching, 
during  which  no  incre.ise  w.is  possible.  All  this  wss 
duly  communicated  to  Professor  Koebele,  and  bis 
opinion  asked  as  to  the  cause  of  the  lady-bird  not  in- 
creasing. His  reply  is  as  follows:  “ The  Cn/pto- 
litmus  beetle  has  its  rest  duriixg  the  winter  ixx 
Australia,  when  it  does  not  breed,  and  the  sanxe 
will  be  the  case  in  the  islands  ; but  you  will  see  good 
work  during  the  summer.  ’ 'J’his  fact  has  been  fully 
demonstrated  in  Honolulu.  During  the  summer 
months  the  beeth;  iixci'eased  to  a marvellous  extent, 
and  its  work  on  the  Dactylopids  and  Pulvinaria  was 
