66 
Supplement to the “ Tropical Agriculturist: 
[July 1, 1897. 
Southern Province. — Paddy and dry grain. 
Plentiful yala harvest expected in Galle district ; 
fair prospects of paddy crop in Matara and 
Hambantota. Fruits and vegetables plentiful in 
Galle, .scarce in Hambantota. 
Eastern Province, — Paddy. Threshing of Mun- 
mari crops in progress in Batticaloa. The rnurrain 
in Batticaloa North has created a scarcity of 
buffaloes for ploughing. Prospects of pinmari 
crops in Trincomalee satisfactory. Tobacco har- 
vested and dried and fetching higher prices than 
usual. 
North-Western Province.— Qto]} prospects gen- 
erally good. 
North-Central Province. — Eainfall at Anuradha- 
pural-15in. Outlook for paddy generally satis- 
factory. A few cases of murrain among cattle, but 
active steps were taken to stamp them out. 
Uoa Province.— VviCiA^'. Malm crop ripening, 
only middling owing to damage by flies. Fruits 
and vegetables plentiful and cheap. 
Sabaraffamuwa Province. — -Paddy. Malm crop 
good on the whole, Yala sowing going on. Health 
of people and cattle satisfactory. 
♦ 
RAINFALL TAKEN AT THE SCHOOL OF 
AGRICULTURE 
DURING 
THE MONTH 
OP 
JUNE, 
1897. 
1 
Tuesday . . 
102 
18 
Friday . . 
•23 
2 
Wednesday . . 
•54 
19 
Saturday . . 
•92 
3 
Thursday 
•30 
20 
Sunday 
2-27 
4 
Friday 
1'50 
21 
Monday 
■15 
5 
Saturday 
•43 
22 
Tuesday 
•53 
6 
Sunday 
1'63 
23 
Wednesday. . 
•57 
7 
Monday 
•72 
24 
Thursday . . 
Nil 
8 
Tuesday 
•08 
25 
Friday 
Nil 
9 
Wednesday . . 
Nil 
26 
Saturday . . 
Nil 
10 
Thursday 
Nil 
27 
Sunday 
Nil 
11 
Friday 
■01 
28 
Monday 
Nil 
12 
Saturday . . 
•05 
29 
Tuesday 
Nil 
13 
Sunday 
•40 
30 
Wednesday . . 
Nil 
14 
Monday 
•70 
1 
Thursday . . 
Nil 
15 
Tuesday 
•13 
— 
16 
Wednesday . . 
•12 
Total . 
11-80 
17 
Thursday . . 
•52 
Mean . 
. -39 
Greatest amount of rainfall in any 24 hours on 
the 20th Sunday inches 2’27. 
Recorded by A. R. Jeremiah. 
♦ 
THE BORING BEETLE INFESTING CACAO' 
“ You have followed the correspondence about 
the boring beetle infesting cacao,” said Fig. 
“ Well ! I have, partially,” replied Potts, who 
was an old man with something of the cynic 
in him and possessing the air of one who was not 
likely to be troubled very much with the conduct 
of beetles or anything else in life. 
“ Do you think” said the former “ the ravages 
of this insect would ever likely put an end to the 
cacao industry of the colony by the extermination 
of the plant, as the Hemileia vastatri.v destroyed 
the coffee ?” 
“ You don’t want the beetle” said the latter 
looking bored “ to do that, so long as you have 
got the planter. Did he not prove himself to be 
the enemy of the coffee !” 
“ I envy your assurance” said Fig with a glare. 
“ How do you make out that the planter who 
fosters his cacao with such care is its enemy.” 
“ In the same way” replied Potts “ that the fos- 
tering cure of a child is inimical to a kitten, a 
robin or a grasshopper ; or any other pet that a 
child may' fancy. However well-meant its atten- 
tions may be, they are uusuited to the conditions 
of life of the pet, w'hich falls a victim to its 
attentions.” 
“ How did the Ceylon Planter kill the coffee 
plant” said Fig. “ Did he not attend to its reqiure- 
ments 
“ Requirements” ! exclaimed Potts. “ Did it re- 
quire to be cut down to 18 inches from the ground, 
any more than a fo.x terrier needs its tail to be 
docked and its ears trimued so as to suit the tasce 
of the dog fancier ! Did the laws of Nature or 
the results of evolution blunder in the length of 
tail given to the dog, or the height and shape 
given to the coffee plant ? ” 
But we had to cut the coffee tree down” said 
Fig “ in order to facilitate the harvesting of our 
crop, and it bore a better berry under this treat- 
meant.” 
“ So it did’’ interrupted Potts “ for a time.” 
“ And we pruned it, and handled it” continued 
Fig “ and the bush was all the better for it.” 
“ And you helped Nature” added Potts “ as you 
think, by running counter to its established pro- 
visions.” 
“ But we manured the plants liberally” said Pig. 
“ And stimulated the plant to bear heavy crops” 
echoed Potts “ regardless of the requirements of 
the tree in other directions, which areas inscrut- 
able to the agriculturist as a thousand other 
things are in Nature.” 
“ But we had to get in our estimates” said Pig, 
“ and we got them in successfully for many 
years.” 
“ Yes” said Potts, “ the crop was the principal 
object of your cultivation and the test of your 
estate. Everything was crop, you fixed your 
own standard of yield per acre. Y’ou fi.xed upon 
the height and shape of the bush. Y'ou fixed upon 
the rule that coffee should be grown in the open 
like the turf on a racecour-^e, regardless of the 
conditions under which the tree flourished in its 
native habitat where you found it. And you do 
not evince the least prick of conscience that you 
have done the least violence to that plant.” 
“ Well” said Fig, “ what have we done to the 
cacao plant ?” 
“ You have cultivated it” said Potts. “ Is that 
not enough” ! 
“ Really” said Pig “ you are very provoking.” 
“ Where” said Potts “ did you obtain your hints 
from for the cultivation of the cacao plant ?” 
“ From the West Indies of course” said Fig 
“ and other countries where the tree was culti- 
vated before we got it.” 
“ And where did the West Indian planters get 
their hints from regarding the treatment of fruit- 
bearing trees ?” said Potts. 
“ From enligliteued Europe” said Fig triumphant- 
ly. “ See how successfully the farmers are with 
their apples and peaches in England.” 
“ Yes, yes, that is alright in England” said Potts, 
“ where your summer does not extend beyond three 
months in the year, and where the tree has rest 
