262 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
COFFEE AND PEEPER EXPORTS 
FROM SOUTHERN INDIA: 
GREAT FALLING-OFF IN COFFEE AND 
INCREASE IN PEPPER; 
“LADYBIRD ' BEETLES WANTED TO SAVE 
COFFEE ; 
WHY NOT CULTIVATE PEPPER FREELY 
IN CEYLON ? 
VVe are once again indebted to our old friend, 
Mr. Ralph Tatham (agent on the West Coast 
of India for Messrs. Arbuthnot & Co.) for the 
Annual Statement of Coffee and Pep)>er E.\ ports 
from Soiitliern India. His letter and full detailed 
table will be found as a Supplement on opposite 
page, and are worthy of the attention of all 
who take an interest in our old staple and in 
the second product — Pepi er— which was once a 
leading export from Ceylon, and which ought 
to be a good deal more cultivated than it is in 
our W’estern Province and especially in the 
Kegalla district where “ pepper ” reigned supreme 
in the times of the Dutch and the early part of 
the present century. Planters, even in the Kelani 
Valley, are on the lookout for another “string to 
their bow ” and have been testing Liberian coffee, 
&c., — w by not then try pepper? What good reason 
can be given why Southern India should export in 
one year as <i uch as 222,383 cwt. of pepper valued 
at nearly four million of rupees ; while Ceylon last 
year exported only a miserable 374 cwt. worth ten 
ihousand ruiees? The Dutch had an export 
rising from 4,000 to 5,000 cwt., chiefly picked 
in the Kegalla and Hanweila districts, and 
Governor Van Imhoff in 1740 considered that 
pepper was a far more important product for 
cultivation in Ceylon than either cardamoms or 
coffee, and that the natives should be induced to 
greatly extend the industry in this spice which 
might in course of time be made to rival its far- 
famed sister spice, Ceylon cinnamon. Now that the 
Governor is visiting the Kegalla district and 
that both His Excellency and the planters 
want to ensure a steady and increasing traffic 
for the new Kelani railway, we trust attention will 
be turned to this time-honored and very pro- 
fitable protluct so long peculiar to the said Kegalla 
district. The case is one where the Director of 
the Botanic Gardens might well be asked, in 
conjunction with the Assistant Agent of 
the district and the local Planters’ As- 
sociation, to inquire how best the culture 
of pepper can be revived in native gardens, 
and introduced into European plantations in 
Kegalla and Ratnapura districts as also in ad- 
jacent portions of the Western Province. 
Turning to coffee, Mr. Tathanj has but a poor 
account to furnish and we much fear it is “the 
beginning of the end ” for this staple in Mysore and 
Coorg as it was in the “ eighties ” in Ceylon. The 
conditions described at the recent meeting of the 
United Planters’ Association of Southern India, 
exactly coincide with the experience of U\a — 
our driest and richest district in this island— a few 
years back. Until then, coffee in Uva had kej)t 
up against leaf disease; but when “green bug” 
appeared the planters found they had a far 
more terrible enemy to contend with and gradu- 
ally nearly every one of them had to give up the 
struggle. The only chance we can see 
for coffee in Mysore and Coorg lies in the 
introduction of the “ladybird” beetles to 
eat off the pernicious bug as they, apparently, 
[Oct. I, 1897. 
have done, from the coffee of the Hawaiian islands. 
Our latest information on the subject from 
Mr. E. E. Green— to whom we referred some 
papers — is encouraging. We quote as follows 
fiom Ml'. Green’s letter : — 
The correspondence between the Government of 
Madias and the Commissioner of Agricultiu'e to the 
Hawaiian Government bears high testimony to the 
value of Mr. Koebele’s work in the introduction of 
“Ladybird” beetles and other beneficial insects. 1 
think you have already published the Commissioner's 
letter in reply to the enquiries of the Madras 
Government. He states that Mr. Koebele’s services 
would be unavailable for at least two or three years 
to come. (They appreciate the value of his work too 
much to part with him in a hurry). But the Com- 
missioner is making enquiries in the United States 
for other tr^iined entomologists who might be willing 
to undertake the work. If anything is to be dece- 
it should be done quickly — or there will be little 
coffee left to benefit. I have by this last mail received 
a letter from Mr. Alexander Craw, quarantine officer 
and entomologist to the State Board of HorticuLure, 
California. He wiites; — “Our new lady-birds are 
doing splendid work, and especially Rhir/tbius Ventralia 
on Lecaniums, that there was so much adverse criticism 
about when we first distributed them. Two weeks 
ago I sent Dr. L. O. Howard two good sized boxes 
of Vedalia Cardinalis and Novius Kcehelii to send 
to Egypt.” 
We commend this important information to the 
attention of Mr Tatham, his principals Messrs. 
Arbuthnot & Co., and to all otliers interested in 
the maintenannce of coffee in Southern India, 
and also to the few proprietors who have fields of 
the old staple still remaining in Ceylon. It will 
be a great pity if the opportunity is lost of giving 
a fair trial to the lady-bird beetle against the 
“ green bug” before any coffee left both here 
and ill Mysore and Coorg, is weakened beyond 
recovery. 
“ How TO Economise Labour.”- A proprie- 
tary planter thus expresses his opinion in reference 
to the series of letters now appearing in our 
columns : — “ I think this series of que.stions will 
prove most interesting and useful. There is no 
doubt that some stirring up of the mental soil is 
wanted in these directions. There has, no doubt, 
been a tendency to keep too long in a groove, 
especially with regard to weeding. We have come 
to look upon the existing state of things in the 
same way as formerly they accepted the flatness 
and fixity of the earth. Did anything practical 
ever come of that single-rail railway in Ireland ? 
Something of that nature might be a .saving in 
cost and suitable in Ceylon. If it could be laid 
down cheaply enough, some modification of the 
‘ Switchback ’ might be practical. But Govern- 
ment ouglit to do more in the matter of providing 
cart roads to stations. By estate path I am under 
four miles from the station ; by cart road 8h, 
two and a half of lohich I have to carry my tea and 
everythmy else on coolies’ heads. For the last 
few months, I have been unable to take my horse 
to the station on account of the bridges. [Now 
there is a very good trace for a cart road to the 
station, which would join the estates from the 
Dimbula Gap by a loop road. Sackville was very 
keen on this being carried Ihrough, but got no 
support, and so it remains.] Cuscus grass I do not 
know, but if it neither seeds nor spreads it would 
act veiy beneficially in preventing loss of soil if 
planted above drains. My coolies are allowed all 
the garden room in a reasonable way they wish, 
but what they do not like is transport." 
