THE  TROPICAl 
AGRICULTUHISl. 
[JUNF,  I,  1896. 
842 
or  later  tlie  plant  \vill  ^ive  clear  indications  of 
its  cankerous  state  by  ceasing  to  be  productive. 
Tbe  bark  may  appear  (juite  entire  and  compara- 
tively liealtby.  On  being  probed,  however,  it 
will  suddenly  snap  asunder  and  reveal  a mass  of 
mud  within  a sliell  of  living  tissue.” 
The  normal  condition  ot  a large  i)ercentage  of 
tbe  tea  bushes  in  old  gardens  in  Assam  cannot 
be  saitl  to  be  a pleasant  one  for  tlie  planter,  for 
Dr.  Watt  states  that  “ hardly  a tea  garden 
e.xists  in  which  the  evil  ellects'  of  })ruuing,  fol- 
lowed, it  may  be,  by  the  depredations  of  white 
ants,  cannot  be  seen,”  and  he  goes  on  to  say  that 
it  is  no  uncommon  occurrence  to  find  the  lowe.i 
half  of  the  stem  of  tea  bushes  gnarled  and 
rotten,  with  numerous  mud  stumps  repre.senting 
abortive  banches,  or  having  one  side  only  alive, 
the  places  of  tbe  other  side  being  taken  by 
a great  open  scar,  perhaps  mud  encased  and 
infested  with  white  ants.  SuHicient  has  ])rob- 
ably  been  said  to  .show  tea  planters  bow 
very  necessary  it  is  to  look  mo-^t  carefully 
after  their  tea  bushes,  and  bow  cunningly  bis 
enemy  tlie  white  ants  will  get  inside  the  stems 
of  tbe  tea  bushes  and  be  the  eventual  death  of 
the  tree,  or  very  seriously  all'ect  the  propagation 
of  loaf.  “ The  best  protection  to  the  stem,” 
say.s  Dr.  Watt,  “far  and  away  superior  to  all 
insecticides,  is  a healthy  and  entire  bark  with 
a vigorous  sap  wood.”  As  I he  hushes  grow 
older  and  their  wooil  becomes  fully  developed, 
they  become  more  liable  to  the  attacks  of  white 
ants.  In  conclusion.  Dr.  Watt  gives  the  follow- 
ing opinion  with  regard  to  pruning  in  order  to 
strengthen  the  plants  and  to  assist  them  in  re 
sisting  the  attack  of  white  ants  : — 
“ On  general  principles  of  tea  cultivaiion  I should 
in  any  case  reconmiend  a fairly  early  periol  being 
lixed  for  the  iirst  heavy  pruning,  say  one  year,  or, 
if  pressure  of  work  prevent  this,  two  years  after 
planting  out,  bin  not  later.  I should  also  thin  out 
all  the  sickly,  useless  lateral  branches  and  unless,  in 
exceptional  cases  where  the  main  stem  hud  been 
broken  or  was  diseased,  1 should  remove  all  blanches 
from  the  stem  for  the  first  six  inches 
I should  make  the  season  of  first  heavy  pruning  my 
trimming  season  also  ami  tluis  give  the  plant  once 
and  for  all  the  chance  of  healing  up  the  haik.  of  form- 
ing in  fact  a healthy  stem  with  as  few  abrasions  or 
scars  as  possible,  'i'lio  argument  against  this  course 
is  that  by  allowing  a longer  period  ihe  plant  lias  liad 
time  to  throw  down  a well-formed  tap  root,  and  to 
thus  carry  the  secondary  ramifications  well  below  the 
level  of  deep  hoeing.  I admit  there  may  be  some 
truth  in  that  argument,  but  the  advantages  are  cer- 
tainly less  than  the  disadvantages.  'J'he  hush  for 
example,  has  meantime  formed  a straight  stem  with 
long  intervals  between  its loavesand consequently  very 
few  buds  from  which  to  develop  branches  hereafter.” 
Having  brieliy  dealt  v\itli  the  manner  in  nbioli 
wliite  ants  attack  living  plants  and  tlie  destruc- 
tion tliey  arc  capalde  of  ell'cciing,  Dr.  ^^,■ut 
proceeds  to  deal  witli  the  remedial  agencies 
a<--ainst  tliem.  When  and  where  possilile,  (lie 
w^iite  ants  siiould  be  dug  out,  not  merely  liy 
band  cleaning  tlie  stems  and  branches  of  tbe 
innd  encasements,  but  by  digging  out  and  des- 
troying tbe  nest  with  its  queen  ant.  Dr.  Watt 
is  not'^very  sanguine  of  the  value  of  any  insec- 
ticide in  the  eradication  of  the  pest  for  he 
considers  that  “ thorough  and  cleanly  agri- 
culture should  ill  the  long  run  prove  both 
more  economical  and  more  cltectual.  A 
useful  jireventive  against  white  ants  is  adojit- 
ed  in  I be  (iomlal  State,  wbicli  comsists  in 
painting  the  stems  of  trees  to  a height  of 
three  root  above  ground  wiili  a red  looking 
.substance,  “ I found,”  says  Dr.  Watt  “ tbe  red 
paint,  whatever  it  consisted  of,  was  an  eli'ectual 
jirobcction.  In  no  case  di'i  1 di-'ivcr  trees 
encased  w uli  nuul  where  tlic  red  ring  was  fairly 
\isible.  1 enquired  into  the  nature  of  tbe  pre- 
paration used,  and  tbe  i>articulars  1 obtained 
were  published  sliort ly  after  in  a paper  on  the 
subject  of  A/ dye  (Morinda  citrifolia,  . gricuit ural 
Lengcr  No.  0 of  1S95  jicajcs  because  in  some 
of  ihe  preparations  ol  was  said  to  be  tbe  colour 
imparting  ingredient.”  We  publish  on  another 
page  the  passage  relating  to  this,  and  the  con- 
cluding [lortion  of  Dr.  Vv'att’s  nio.st  interesting 
and  lalnable  jiaper,  wli'cli  will  no  doubt  be 
]iublislied  in  pamphlet  form  at  an  early  date. — 
M.  Mot'/,  April  H'l. 
THE  KLANi:  COFFEE  LAND  FIASCO. 
UriTKKS  I'KOM  .MbS.Slf.S.  ('ll  WISTM':  AND 
KDKSVTIIK. 
The  following  letters  ajipear  in  the  <''Y/vd/.v 
Times 
Sir, — My  atteutioii  lias  been  drawn  to  a state- 
ment made  in  the  lengthy  anoymoiis  conimnnication 
regarding  the  Klang  land,  wijjch  appeared  in  your 
issue  of  tlic  95th  nliinio.  Your  correspondent  states 
that  he  is  prejiareu  to  “•demonstrate”  that  I hiamtd 
the  Selangor  Do\eniuieiit.  and  he  refeis  ti)  liavuig  a 
iimiiber  oi  leitcr.s  written  by  me  to  various  persons, 
in  whieli  I refer  to  the  action  of  the  Sela.igor 
(.iovcrmiient  in  terms  ot  sliong  disapproval.  1 siqi- 
pose  ihe  lettciH  in  <jue»Uon  aie  from  a private  corres- 
poiideiice  between  wir.  W.  Fois)  the  aiKi  myself  iiere 
111  Ceylon,  and  wliiOi  Mr  Foisythe  may  have  sent 
to  his  Agent  in  order  that  he  111. ght  Itiiow  weat  onr 
opinions  were,  'i'lieso  letters  were  wiita-n  in  ihe 
middle  of  lsl)5  in  connection  with  iiiiaimdcrsiaiidings 
which  arose  regarding  the  wording  of  oiu  iitles  and  tne 
drainage  schenie,  biu  they  had  no  lefereiice  to  the 
present  state  of  affairs,  and  1 have  never  in  the  iea.st 
b a.ned  the  Selang'.-r  Guvcr..iiient  for  the  conditions 
which,  in  iny  opinion,  rendered  my  laud  quite  un- 
nited  for  the  pnr,  oso  of  preseiic  enbivation. 
Tlie  biief  your  correspondent  h^lds  may  impel  him 
to  inllict  inneli  that  is  of  no  interest  and  quite  inelc- 
vani  on  yonr  icaiieiv.  but  he  may  as  well  plongli  the 
ocean  as  try  10  gel  over  the  faei  tiiat  a lamentable 
mistake  (he  cads  it  “ huiiciuns  ”)  was  iiiaoe,  ihal  the 
land  proved  to  be  umsaited  101  immennue  iJlaiuiug, 
and  that,  wlnn  iinr-ieries  were  made,  bungalows 
erected,  amt  estimates  of  crops  in  the  ihiru  and 
fourth  years  franied.  there  was  no  idea  that  years 
must  elapse  for  the  peat  to  consolidate  or — strange 
phenomenon — the  clay  to  rise  up.  1 have  never  heard 
of  the  “ dispute”  your  corre.spondeut  refers  to.  T’hose 
who  lost  their  money  helioved  (and  1 still  lielievc 
so  ill  my  case)  that  everything  had  been  done  in 
good  faith,  but  that  an  cirur  01  judgment  bad  been 
made.  It  is  quite  another  matter  wnclher  Uie  land 
may  become  suitable  for  cofiee  in  two.  foiu',  or  ten 
■years,  and  opinions  on  that  point  may  diller.  The 
block  I owned  had  an  nmtscenaim'd  depth  of 
pent,  and  the  cxpeiiment  ol  setmg  how  long  11  would 
take  to  Cecoiiio  piaiitabio  was  one  1 was  not  pre- 
pared lor. — i uiii,  Ac..  'nio?c  Munii  ciii;i.->TiK. 
St.  Andrews,  Aiaskeiiya,  Ceyioii.  April  litli. 
Sir, — My  partners  and  I have  read  wiJi  some  in- 
terest the  leiigtliy  corrospoiuteiice  winch  has  appeared 
in  \our  coluuii.’s  in  coniieoiiou  with  wuat  is  hii  wn 
as  “ The  Klang  Land  Fiasco.”  To  bricily  smiiiiiarize 
tlio  position  01  iilfaiib,  I beg  to  slate  that  1 visited 
Klang  ill  February,  18t>l,  and  saw  only  tlie  Cnair- 
inan's  coffee  garden,  the  Daln  Dag.aiig  s estate,  and 
tiio  few  acres  planted  along  the  loadside.  The  two 
former  jilots  of  eolToo  I regarded  as  satislacloiy, 
aiKl  I requested  my  agent  t.j  select  laml  ot  a similar 
nature,  fio  agreed  to  do  .so,  but  diil  not. 
No  moiitioii  Was  at  first  made  ol  delay,  or  con- 
solidation, or  sour  soil.  \Vc  were  to  go  straight 
ahead,  ami  50U  acres  wcieto  be  planted  by  Deceiiioer, 
18i)G.  I found  upon  arrival  that  we  could  not  do 
this,  and  though  my  agent  may  be  coirect  in  asseit- 
iug  the  will  cventuollij  become  vahiablo  and  grow' 
