THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[June t. 1898. 
COMMENCEMENT OF OEDINANCE. 
7. This ordinance shall come into operation on the 
1st day of January, 1898. 
SHORT TITLE. 
8. This Ordinance may be cited as the Fertilisers’ 
Ordinance No, — of 1898. Resolved: — “That the 
question of appeals be referred to Council for con- 
sideration. 
Resolved further ; — “ That the draft Ordinance as 
above indicated be submitted for the consideration 
of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon, and the Ceylon 
Chamber of Commerce.’’ 
The Joint-Committee then adjourned. 

THE CONTINUED DROUGHT: 
“RURBING IT TN.” 
e 
Writes .t, correspondent — needle.s.s to say a tea 
planter and not in a wet district : — 
“For the last few months planters have not 
had their sorrows to seek. To recapitulate them 
would be to catalogue everything tliac tends to 
harass and depress the tea industry, and all 
that is wanted now to round the circle, is perliaps 
Plague and War. And yet tliere is very little 
in the Observer's columns to indicate to the outside 
world what a death-and-life struggle there is 
going On, over a large zone of planted tea. Most 
men have their teeth set linn, and don’t incline 
to say much, and the continued dry weather — 
which is so very trying in many of the districts 
closing up flush, and drying up streams — seems 
as if it were sent to emphasise misfortune and 
‘ to rub it in.’ 
“Estimates are hopelessly behind, and when the 
planter has so much to contend with — everything 
against him— it is a little rough to be further 
handicapped by an abnormal season, such as we 
are having. Of course what can’t be helped has 
just to be endured, but it is the continued 
serving us with this unsatisfactory fare, that 
makes one long for a change. 
“The drought is certainly a severe ‘extra’ to 
pub up with — and except that the lessened out- 
put of tea has kept prices steady, and saved that 
fall of ^d which was to bring down many a 
goodly hope — and th’s can certainly be credited 
to the efl'eet of the parching season, except that 
it h.as been a sad worry. Figures come in 
of the tea harvested ; and the words ‘Decre.ase 
as compared with last year’ are growing hateful. 
So big is the array of numerals which stand 
behind it. A year ago, when one thinks of it, 
Ceylon was prejiaiing to celebrate the Diamond 
Jubilee and tliere was a spring in the air, and 
a joyousness in life; bub now a good deal has 
suffered eclipse ; merry-making has given place 
to cross-carrying ; troubles are roosting thick, 
and a planter’s ordinary misfortunes are not only 
with us, but are markedly emphasized, and 
energetically ‘rubbed in.’ There is a lesson, I 
suppose, but It is difficult to learn it, and smile !” 
The Mazawatte Rici J’iji!cha.se of Tea.— 
Wc are indebt d to Messrs. G)w Wilson t'c .Stan- 
ton for some intercsMiig particulars sent to 
us in regard to this: big transaction. We are 
glad to learn that the efl’eet on the market was 
good and that it is likely to be even better on con- 
sumption. There is this great fact in favoui' of 
the Mazawatte Company that they do not 
quote “ the best” teas at inadequate figures in 
their retail business. 
STORED PADDY. 
SERIOUS REPORT FROM THE N.-W. 
PROVINCE ; 
Disease in Every Part. 
Kurunegala, May 24, > 15 p.m. 
All the divisions of the Kurunegala districts 
report attack on stored paddy by species of 
weevil insect conqiared to what is known com- 
monly among natives as gullas. It begins the attack 
from the bottom of the granary. The grain is 
completely eaten uj), leaving the husk only, which 
contain.s minute perforations. 
The Ratemahatmayas of Hatpattus have sent in 
reports with samples of jiaddy with insects to the 
Government Agent. 
Considering the ravages caused by cattle 
murrain, and paddy cultivation for yala .season 
being unsatisfactory througbout the district, the 
present outlook is very gloomy, e.specialij as 
there will be a dearth of seed paddy for culti- 
vation. 
The unattacked paddy, when separated by 
winnowing from the damaged grain, has been 
pronounced as unfit for human consumption and 
is said to t.aste bitter. Prompt enquiry into 
this matter becomes urgently necessary. Some 
splendid showers have fallen today and the 
sky is still threatening. 
♦ 
THE CACAO DISEASE INVESTIGATION; 
MR. J. B. CARRUTHERS’ PRELIMINARY 
REPORT. 
We direct attention to the Report supplied 
by Mr. J. B. -Carruthers to the Cacao Sub-Com- 
mittee of the Planters’ Association, and by it, 
wisely sent to the press for publication. We 
have only been able to give the Report one 
Inasty penisal — and that often interrupted — so 
that we are not in a position to discuss its 
conclusions and suggestions with the care- 
ful thought which they and all the 
contents demand. For, our perusal has amply 
sufficed to show that Mr. Carruthers does not 
deal with superficial observations or hasty in- 
fei'en^es ; but that his work right along is not 
only ])laeed on a truly scientific basis, but is 
most thorough in all its details. We aie indeed 
surprised that Mr. Carruthers has been able to tell 
us so much as he does, after the compaiatively 
short term he has been at work. Recalling 
the experience of Mr. Marshall Waril and the 
period required for his investigation of the 
coflee-leaf fungus and for working out the life 
history of the same, we were prepared for a 
long interval of observation and inquiry without 
much of tangible results— that is, results that 
could be laid in popular language before tlie 
planting community. Bnt here Mr. Carruthers 
gives all concerned a very large amount of 
information and arrives at conclusions both of a 
neg.ative and ))Ositive character of great im- 
portance. This is tiie more satisfactory because we 
really think Mr. Carruthers has a more difficult 
task than that before Mr. Marshall Ward. There 
was no doubt before the ari’ival of the latter 
in the island, of the fungus that was w'orking 
all the mischief in coffee ; it was described by 
Dr. Thwaites ; named and scientiflcally placed by 
Berkeley and its ravages were appai'ent all over 
the country. Still, of course, its life history 
and course of oiieration had to be worked out, 
and this was done after a masterly fashion by 
Mr. Marshall Ward who was then enabled to 
