4o8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
aucted paper and the editor appears to have no 
knowledge of the subjects h ■ writes upon and 
his “ General Notes p^nd Art cles ” are most in- 
accurate. The chief subject in h s paper for the three 
months is Erythinalitho^perma. In the issue of 16th ins- 
tant we are told that E. lithcsp:naa is good firewood. 
No one with any experience of timber would eve- 
make such a statement, the wood is utterly worth- 
less for such a purpose, only spongy tissue. In the 
last number, 23rd instant, it is stated that the 
manager Arienkan, Shencottah, is the only person 
that can supply this variety of Erythrina : “that is 
a tall one! ” Did he not bring the seed from 
Ceylon ? Seventeen years or more, was the first 
of this variety introduced into Ceylon from .Java, 
as a shade tree for Cocoa — the old E, Indica has 
been in the island for many years. Tons of cut- 
tings and lb. of seed of E. UtJiosperma can be 
procured in Ceylon and also in Southern India. 
It is recommended as a “ wind break;’’ that is not the 
experience of tho.se who have planted it. It is a sur- 
face feeder, branches very brittle and'easily blown over 
The tree is a good temporary shade and for such 
a purpose it was planted in Java, Ceylon, Straits Settle- 
ments, Southern India and elsewhere. N,:wMr. Nelson 
informs us, that, “old half abandoned coffee’’ has revi- 
ved and become full of fruit and vigour under shade 
of E. lithosperma. We all ask where? I have Arabian 
and Liberian coffee growing with E. L. and cannot 
say that it is any better than the fields wi'h Grc- 
villeas, Albizzias and other trees. Let cocoa growers 
look round and say if their trees are superior- 
under its shade. Under thick shade of E. L. our 
Liberian coffee trees bear very sparingly. The best 
crops of coffee I have seen were grown under shade 
of Ficus Glomerata, Albizzia lebbek and stipulata, 
and Pithecolobium Saman. 
Was there ever any district in Southern India 
where the Arabian coffee trees produced such stems 
as was found in Matale, Rangala, Pussellawa, LTda- 
pussellawa and Badulla. I think not. Coffee is 
doomed in Southern India and no system of manur- 
ing will ever save it. This year it has had a most 
virulent dose of leaf disease. To satisfy my curic- 
sity as to the condition of the roots of seme of the 
severely attacked trees I had the roots of a few 
trees exposed and examined and found them to be 
in a very healthy condition. 
Let Mr. Nelson and others who write extensively 
on scientific manuring, discover an antidote for the 
cure of leaf disease, and I am sure their brother 
E lanters will gladly erect a “ statue’’ to their 
onour and glory — Mr. Nelson is great on green 
manuring, as he calls it, how long after applica- 
tion was the humus in a state for plant food ? 
Practical Agriculturists and Horticulturists, those 
who go in for high cultivation, generally apply 
manures that will give the best returns in the 
shortest periods. Most naturalists know that plants 
are most susceptible of the food their roots con- 
sume and few roots will penetrate into a decom- 
posing mass of vegetable matter. Tea can’t go on 
for ever, and will haye its time as coffee arid all 
other eastern commercial products have passed their 
course of existence. We must make the most of 
it while it is in a vigorous state and reap the 
reward. Cinchona will yet give handsome returns 
to those in new countries who can cultivate it at 
suitable devotions. When we are increasing our 
products, some should try, “Patchouli, Pojasteman 
patchouli” it is a most profitable cultivation, being 
a valuable perfume, leaves and flowers containing 
an essential oil. ARBORISTS. 
RAMIE CULTIVATION, SHADE TREES, &c. 
Nov. 4. 
Dear Sir, — Your correspondent, “ Arborist,” should 
be able to give us some useful information as to 
the' yield of ramie fibre, He says he got only two 
good cuttings of stems from his plants annually : what 
was the actual yield from his quarter acre ? T think 
yolU' correspondent is wrong in supposing that paddy 
ir 
[Dec. r, 1897 
fields are suitable for the cultivation : if thoroughly 
drained, of course fhey are, like any other flat land 
but the rl ea plant belongs to a family which is not 
aquatic. 
With regard to “ Arboris* ” ’s remarks on shade 
trees and his criticism of the Nilgiri jourusl, Plantinq 
O/jraion, It is not possible, without perusing the whole 
of the articles he refers to, to say whether the Editor's 
views are ligut or wrong. Your correspondent in an 
airy way condemns the entire contents of three 
months’ weekly issues, while admitting that he only 
occasionally has a look at the paper. He says the 
journal is “miserably conducted,” but as the Editor 
“ makes copious notes from the Tropical Aqricnifvrist ” 
there IS hope for him yet. Personally,' I may say 
that I have heard several Ceylon planters say they 
prefer the former paper as being lighter reading and 
less bulky than the “ T.A.”: th.re is probably room 
lu the East for the circulation of both. 
Arboiist flatly contradicts the Editor’s opinion 
that the dadap tree [Erythrina lithosperma) is useful 
for firewood. I have heard of one cacao estate in 
Ceylon on which the coolies use no other wood for 
fuel and know of many others on which it has been 
used for years. 
Your correspondent is in error as to the tree having 
been introduced from Java to Ceylon. The first seed 
was obtained from Assam, in 1887, with the object of 
supplying what was then thought to be of more 
importance than firewood, viz., charcoal for use in 
tea-house chalas, and cuttings from the first plants 
were distributed to the Royal Botanic Gardens and 
^adually to all the coffee districts, be^innine with 
Pussellawa and Dikoya. ^ 
As regards the benefit to be derived from planting 
dadap in poor coffee, I am able from experience to 
confirm the opinion expressed by Mr. Nelson in the 
Nilgiri journal. No one has ever supposed, e.xcent 
perhaps your correspondent, that the dadap, or any 
other shade tree, was a cure for leaf-disease in coffee - 
but its shade is distinctly beneficial, and its roots 
going down to a great depth, open up and im- 
prove the soil wonderfully. I quite agree with 
Arborist that Allnzzia, Grerillea and Ficus nlo- 
mcrata are also useful. As to Pithecolobium Saman 
It is extremely britlle, and when a few years old is one 
of the worst surface feeders known. 
“Arborist ” letter seems to indicate 
that he belongs to that class of planters which 
for want of a better term, must be classed as 
sweaters. ’ Bhndiolded he runs atilt at green 
manuring, on the ground that “ Practical Agricul- 
turists and Horticulturists, those who go in for high 
cultivation, generally apply manures that will give the 
best returns in the shortest periods. Most naturalists 
(Sic-) know that plants are most susceptible of the 
food their roots consume, and few roots will penetrate 
into a decomposing mass of vegetable matter, Tea 
can t go on for ever, . . . , , , we must make 
the most of it while it is in a vigorous state and reap 
the rewaid. We may leave the Horliculturist out of 
the question. The pntlemen who grows cabbages 
and oninons generally knows that they will attain 
maturity in a few months, and he applies fertilisers 
accordingly: with staple products such as tea and 
coffee the cose iS' rather different. There are 
probably few planters now' in Ceylon who will not 
support the statement that the application of arti- 
ficial manures to coffee was often extravagantly and 
recklessly carried on. In really scientific cultivation 
natural conditions must be considered and science 
and art must work together. “The best returns in 
the shortest period la only a paraphrase of the 
simple expression “ over-bearing.’* 
As regards the activity of roots when in search of 
food if your correspondent has the courage, let him 
try this cheap experiment. Take a few bundles of 
mana or illook grass or a dozen old gunny bags, and 
spread them over the ground in tea, coffee or anv 
other product. Then let him after the lapse of three 
01 four weeks, before the grass or bags even reach the 
stage of decomposition’ foik up the soil and see what 
growth the roots have made in order to get at th^e 
new food. — Yours faithfully, MUSTARJP, * 
