432 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec. I, 1897 
general fungicide is Bordeaux mixture. In Europe 
this can be applied to leaves as well as 
stems, but as it is said to cause damage to Ihe former 
in W’et seasons, it w'ould be well in Ceylou to apply 
it only to tbe stem. This, however, is of less moment, 
as the disease does not appear to attack leaves or 
young shoots, and if all the leaves that fall from the 
plants are raked up and burnt the danger from the 
spores that may be resting on them will be lessened. 
The composition of Bordeaux mixture is: — 
Copper sulphate (blue vitriol) . . 61b. 
Quicklime .. .. 41b. 
Water .. .. .. 45 gallons. 
The vitriol should be dissolved in a little water and 
boiled ; to it should be added, while hot, the lime 
which bas been slaked in a small quantity of water 
and stirred into a paste. The two should be thoroughly 
mixed and the mixture diluted to 45 gallons. It 
should be tested by holding a clean steel knife 
in it for two or three minutes. If a raddish 
stain of copper is foimed on the knife there 
is not enough lime present, and more must 
be stirred in untill the mixture is neutral and 
no longer produces any stain. Before use, 
and while in use, it must be kept thoroughly stirred, 
as the important part of it is the sediment rather 
than the fluid. The mixture may be applied with 
a brush or a spraying apparatus The latter, if 
used, 'must be thoroughly cleaned with hot water 
immediately afterwards, or the tubes and taps will be 
clogged. 
Another useful fungicide is the lime and sulphur 
wash, but it must not be applied to the leaves. Its 
composition is : — 
Unslaked lime .. 25 to 40 lb. 
Salt , . 15 lb. 
Sulphur . . 20 lb. 
Water . . 60 gallons 
To mix, take ten pounds of lime, twenty of sulphur, 
and twenty gallons of water, boil till the sulphur is 
thoroughly dissolved; (ake the remainder of the lime 
and fifteen pounds of salt, slake, mix W'ith tbe 
first lot, and add enough water to make up to 
sixty gallons. Strain and use when milk waim. 
Either of these mixtures will kill the spores on 
Jibe balk, but if the disease is already established 
on the tree it is useless to apply them, and the tree 
should be killed. 
Of coKrse tbe stems of the shade (tees should 
be treated with the mixture as well as those of the 
cacao itself. 
Heavy rains will soon wash off most of the fungi- 
cide, and a new coating should be given every month 
or so. 
If care is taken to destroy all dying and dead 
stems, leaves, &c., on which the fungus might 
develop its reproductive organs, and if fungicides 
are applied regularly for at least six months, there 
would seem to be a fair chance of eradicating the 
disease to a large extent. The completely ex- 
terminate it may be regarded as all but im- 
possible. All that can be done in cases like 
this is at best to reduce the prevalence of 
disease to a large extent by killing and burning 
diseased trees, applying the preventive measures to the 
survivors, disinfecting the soil as tar as possible, 
and taking more care in cultivation to keep the 
trees in good health, and thus render theni less 
liable to disease. 
The chief causes of ill-health among cacao trees 
have already been mentioned in the proceeding 
Circular, and attention may again be drawn to the 
recommendations there made, especially those re- 
lating to the treatment of wounds and the planting 
of Forastero varieties. 
There is a good deal to be said in favour of 
the method employed by some planters of allowing 
the suckers to grow. Unskilful removal of them 
affords openings lor disease to attack the trees. Pro- 
bably on estates where there is much disease it 
would be better to leave them on the trees. 
JOHN 0 . WILLIS, 
» Pirector, Boyal Botanic OaideriB, 
THE CACAO DISEASE. 
Tlie Director of the Botanical Gardens con- 
tinues his good work and the receipt of Beports 
fioiii Kew- Gardens enables Mr. illis (in his 
circular No. Ill) to discuss at some length and 
in a way marked by practical good sense, the 
pest affecting so many of the Ceylon cacao fields 
especially in the Wattegama and Mat ale Districts. 
It is clear as the outcome of the discussion 
which is reproduced above— that there is no royal 
road to a cure— no heroic remedy; — but planters 
will find some good advice and suggestions which 
are well worth trying, klore can be done by the 
planters themselves by intelligent experiments in 
the fields affected, than in any other way, and if 
results are carefully reported, the whole community 
concerned, cannot fail to be benefitted. We need 
do no more now than direct special attention to 
what is written on the subject by Messrs. Morris 
and Willis given above. 
MINOR PROD UTS :— DRUG REPORT. 
(From the Chemist and Dmqgial.) 
London, Nov. 11 th. 
Cardamoms.— A fairly large supply (211 packages) 
was offered today, of which about 130 found buyers 
at barely steady prices, and in sotue cases a slight 
reduction in value. Ceylon-Mysore, fair long round me- 
dium palish, realised, 3s 9d to 3s lOd ; fair medium 
brownish 3s 6d ; small palish 3s Id ; very small ditto 
3s Id ; medium brownish split and dull 2s 6d to 2s 
Sd per lb Tellicherry cardamoms were all bought 
in. Fair to good bright Seeds sold at 3s 7d to 3s 8d 
per lb. ; dull ditto 2s 6d ; really fine seeds are help 
4s per lb. 
Cocoa-leaves.— The cocoa-leaves offered on our market 
nowadays are of much poorer appearance than those 
which we were accustcimed to see a few ye rs ago. 
At today’s sales 86 bales were shown. They consisted 
mostly of ordinary partly broken greyish Truxillo 
leaves, which are held at about 6d per lb., and of 
Huanoco leaves of dark colour, which were bought in 
at 8d per lb. 
Croton Seed.— The cnly p.nrcel of East Indian croton 
seed offered at auction was one of four bags very dark 
mixed seed from Colombo. This was bought in at 50s per 
CM t. ncminally. Another parcel of 10 bags dark grey small 
seed from Shanghai, which has been ottered before, was 
also bought in at 50s per cwt. 
Kola-nuts.- Steady. At auction today a fairly large 
quantity was offered. Good washed African are held at 
6d to Td per lb., dark to fair at 4d per lb. No sales 
were made. 
OILS (Essenti 1).— Citronella oil is quieter at Is 4ld per 
lb. nominally on the spot. To arrive Is 2idper lb., c.i.f. 
is asked for drums, although recently as much as Is 4^d 
per lb., c.i.'. was paid. Lemongrass oil still rising. Ca- 
juput oil still remains very scarce and dear. At auction 
2 cases of 60 bottles each were offered. They were im- 
ported as far back as 1880, and sold at the high 
fieure of Is Id per bottle, showing a decided advance 
in price. Two cases white Jamaica Oil of bay (each 28 
quart bottles) were bought in at 7s per lb. Cinnamon 
oil of fine quality is scarce. Two cases fair (T. Perera) 
oil were bronght in at Is 6d per oz., and 2 cases “sweet” 
oil at 6s per oz. Eucalyptus oil was plentifully represented 
at today's public sales. The chief consuming season is 
now at hand, but nevertheless the market shows no life. 
Nine eases pale yellow oil of good aroma from Melbourne 
were bought in at Is 2d per lb., four cases pale “Cygnet” 
oil at Is 7d per lb., eight cases fair “ R.M.C.'' Tas- 
manian oil at Is 8d per lb., and ten cases (two 33-lb. 
tins) fine globulus oil from Lisbon at Is 9d per lb. 
For ten cases fair quality oil from Adelaide Is Jd per 
lb. was suggested as the price. Twenty-five cases “Lubra” 
brand were bought in at 2s per lb., and for ten cases 
nondescript of fair appearance a bid of 9|d per lb. was 
refused. Distilled W.I. Lime oil is still plentiful. At 
today’s auctions four cases of good quality from Jamaica 
and Dominica w'ere tfhown, and sold at 3s 4d per lb., 
which shows an advance of Id on the recent figure. There 
were also two cases of expressed lime oil, of nice appear- 
ance, each containing twelve 161-oz. bottles. One real- 
ized 4s 3d per lb., a considerable reduction on the 
last price. 
Vanilla.— 862 packages of mostly new crop Bourbon 
and Mauritius will be offered at auction tomorrow (Friday 
when lower prices are, expected, * 
