690 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[April i, 1898 . 
pics, where we are apt to think a cool and invigor- 
ating atmosphere can always be shared equally 
by all. Tliough Ceylon is as tropical geograpliie- 
aily as it pretty well can be, yet we doubt very 
much whether it given the choice we should not 
prefer its climate generally to that which the 
Australian colonies have been experiencing during 
the last two or three months according to recent 
news received from there. Here iii Ceylon, at our 
hottest stations the maximum shade temperature 
seldom if ever exceeds 95 ® Fah. ; there it seems 
to reach as high as 125° or more, 110® being 
evidently looked upon as only an ordinary day 
temperatuie in summer.* Our annual rainfall (not 
counting the Northern Provinces) is anything be- 
tween 50 and 200 inches : whilst at Adelaide the 
total rainfall recorded for 1897 was only 15 inches 
and some odds. This scarcity of rain together with 
the recent heat wave have inevitably rendered 
everything of the nature of scrub and grass ex- 
tremely inflammable. Consequently bush fires fol- 
lowed, as generally occurs at this season, but this 
time it seems with more appalling effect than 
usual. Whole countrysides, it is said, are to be 
seen in flames for days, felling forests, devastating 
farms and settlements, schools, churches, etc., in- 
volving the lo.ss of human lives as well as great 
numbers of stock of all kinds. An escape from 
the omnipresent fires seems and sometimes is, im- 
possible, and tragic and melancholy are indeed 
many of the incidents related regarding the cir- 
cumstances. Though New Zealand, Tasmania, and 
New South Wales have all suffered severely from 
the devastation caused by these apparently spon- 
taneous fires, Victoria seems to have the largest 
areas affected, the severest form of the calamity 
being felt in the districts known as the Gippsland, 
“ the Garden of Victoria.” It is, however, the 
position of the individuals affected that com- 
mand the greatest sympathy. Flourishing settle- 
ments, the scenes of many years of arduous toil, 
have according to the Melbourne Leader been wiped 
out of existence, leaving hundreds of families home- 
less; audpver large areas “there is now neither food 
for the cattle nor, in many instances, catte to eat 
the food if there were any remaining.” 
Over Southern Australia generally the season 
which is now coming to a close seems to be re- 
ckoned as more than usually unfavourable to 
farmers and fruit-growers. The rabbit pest is 
still a question of serious dilliculty, notwithstand- 
ing the handsome rewards offered for the discovery 
of a successful and satisfactory method of dimi- 
nishing it. Poisoned water and phosphorised food 
are, at tlie reipiest of the Government, being tried 
as the latest remedial measures g but to these 
farmers especially have serious objections. 
The San Jose scale recently introditced, it is 
alleged, with nursery slock fiom California is 
also causing no .small an.xiety and trouble in 
agricultural districts. A greater nui.sance than 
this however seems to be the grasshopper plague, 
which consists, it is said, of several species, “ all 
numerous and all hungry.” They are so thick that 
“they can be taken up in shovel-fulls,” andin places 
so numerous that “it is with great difficulty the 
trains are able to get u]» the inclines on the Railway 
line.” At one place they have “ killed an avenue 
of 2 -year old pines and are now attacking pine 
trees that have been planted for 20 ye ars.” 
* The dry climate and cloudless skies seem to make a 
difference ; for as Pat said when reminded he was work- 
ing in the field with the thermometer at 110 in the 
shade, — “ Och, share the thermometer has no effect on 
the heat in this laud !” (South Australia.)— Ed. T,A. 
THE CACAO “TROUBLE” IN CEYLON. 
A gentleman acquainted with cacao cultivation 
in tlie West Indies and interested in the welfare 
of Ceylon, writes : — 
“ I hop^ the disease in the cacao trees will be found 
not of a serious character. Cultural efforts promise 
the best results. There is apparently nothing more 
in Ceylon than appears now and then in the 
extensive cncao districts of the New World. Good 
draining and thorough sweetening of the soil by the 
use of lime and replanting with strong plants 
should bring things round.” 
This is very much the counsel given by Messrs. 
Willis and Green ; but planters object that the 
trouble is present and persi.stent in what has been, 
for years, well-cultivated well-drained land, and 
where lime does not .seem to be required. We 
have confidence that if anything of aspecial nature, 
can be done to combat the fungus, Mr. Carruthers 
will be able by-and-bye to advise judiciously. 
“PLANTING IN SANTO DOMINGO.” 
Our monthly periodical brings us into contact 
with all parts of the tropical and sub-tropicai world. 
It is a link binding Ceylon not only to every 
British dependency cultivating tropical products, 
but also to a variety of countries outside the circl e 
altogether of Queen’s Victoria’s rule. Our latest 
communication is from a subsciiber who, as 
Engineer and Planter, is hard at work in the 
Republic of Santo Domingo, the Eastern half of 
the island of Haiti, with an area of 18,045 
square miles — three-fourths of Ceylon — and a 
population rising to 700,000. From the “ States- 
man’s Year Book ” we quote as follows : — 
Of the total area, about 15,500 square miles ia 
cultivable. Tobacco culture is decliniug, while the 
production of coffee, co 'oa, and bananas, as well as 
of cane-sugar ia on the increase ; some attention has 
recently been given to cattle-raising and dairy pro- 
duce; the principal industries are connected with 
agriculture and forestry. Large sugar plantations and 
factories are in full work in the south and west of 
the Republic. Iron, gold, copper, coal, salt, and other 
minerals are found, but there is no mining industry. 
The chief articles of export and the quantiti-s in 
1894 were : — Coffee, 860,000 lb. ; cocoa, 426,000 lb ; 
sugar, 20,000,000 lb. ; logwood, 512,000 lb. ; lignu'm 
vit», 2,8(50,000 lb. The imports consist of cotton 
goods, hardware, earthenware, breadstuffs, &c. 
Now for ourcorrespondent M. Bogaert, who writes 
from Santiago, under date 15th January, as fol- 
lows : — 
I am very satisfied with your magazine that was re- 
commended to me by a gentleman of Trinidad, and as 
I am a coffee and cacao planter I don’t think it would be 
possible to find one more useful and interesting for me. 
Allow me to answer several questions of your referen- 
dum : how to economise the available labour supply ; — 
3. Only Company’s estates can afford the expenses 
of steam and electrical tramway transport. I think 
that a well macadamised road of 10 to 12 feet width 
and with gradients under 7 to 8 per cent will do 
better for single planters. They cost me only 30a 
the 100 meters. 
5. I have tried all systems and finally came to 
this one which gave me excellent results. I made an 
allowance of 2 os per acre and per year ; the profits 
on this sum are divided with my native foreman 
who is allowed to treat the weeding of parcels of 3 
to 10 acres with his native people. Every sixth month 
we settle. This system brought me the weeding- 
cost down to 22 s — the foreman’s part inclusive — and 
my books show me a constant decrease of the cost. 
It must be understood that the price of labour is 
here Ish, a day. 
Although selected weeding may be good to straggle 
against certain rapid seeding weeds, I think that an 
advised planter, if by any accident he sees his estate 
