586 
TFebruary I, 1802 . 
IHE TrtOP»’CAL AQRICULTURIST. 
C. Owin}| to the facility witli which Cacao can l>o 
l^rowu under the Hliade of haiiaiiari, the cxtcuKioii 
of Cacao plantiuK in .liunaica ehould proceed jian 
iia.H.Ht witli that of fruit culture. The little attention, 
however, ho f.ir devoted to properly curing the produce 
in a matter of grave concern to thoae intereatod in 
the Inland, and it in to be hoped that the mcasureH 
now in courBO of being taken to roinedy tlie defect 
will y>roduce reHiilta of a more hopeful chiuacter. 
I have, &c., 
Kdw. Wingfield, Ebij C. B., Colonial Office, Bowiiing 8t 
(Bgd.) V. Mouuih. 
]ViiMOiu>!‘nithetl d- Co., /iVvu/ AV/r. 
41 Mincing I^ane, London, 13 . 1 . 2.jth June, 18‘U. 
^ 11 . We duly received your loitor 01 11th in«tant 
requesting us to supply for the Government of 
Jamaica, commercial munplcs of the vanoua Hortn 
of cured Cacao which come into the London 
market, aud w'o have much pleauvc to advwe you 
that we have denpatched four HaiiipIeH, the boat of 
the respective kiudn to your addiesa, viz:— 
No. 1. Fine Ceylon, value L>1/ per cwt., fro 
Aloowihare Krttate. . ^ . 
No. ‘2. Flue Tniudad, value 98/ per cwt., from 
Locouu.soo Katate. 
No. .H. Fine Grenada, value 05/ per cwt., from 
Tufton Hall Estate. 
No. I. Fine Guayaquil, value 90, cwt., from 
Arrila Prima Estate. 
We have not included a saniple of Caracas, as 
that growth ia generally cured in the earth of 
tile country and attempts made in various places 
to prepare Cacao in that manner have almost iu* 
variably ended in a disappointment. A small 
proportion of Jamaica Cacao imported hero has 
undergone fermentation to a greater or less degree, 
but the bulk is of very ordinary quality, the only 
West Indian Cacao taking rank below it being Ht. 
Domingo from Jeremine, whilst that from bamaua 
in tlio same Island is superior to .lamaica It 
has how'dver all the characteristics of good Cacao — 
although wanting in size, and if properly harvested, 
fermented or sweated, and tJioii dried in the smi 
until the heaii becomes ciisp to the feel, so that 
the shell is fairly loose, and the interior dry and 
of an even chocolate brown, not violet colour 
when broken, it should command tlie general atten- 
tion of Trade. Great care should he taken to protect 
it from vain whilst curing. It must lie noted that 
manufacturers cannot pay much attention to 
small parcels, and that to insure a ready sale luH 
much less than a ton weight of even colour and 
Qualitv should he shipped, the larger tlio lot the better. 
^ We are, Ac.. 
(Bgd.) Wii.soN, Smituktt A Co. 
1). Moiaiis, Khq. 
- - — 
ANGTIII':!!. COFFKIC I’KST. 
Tn view of wliat liiis alveiidy been ho Buocesfully 
attempted in tlie exiierimental gardens of Mergm, 
and also with referenee to the prospect of ho 
im-roased cultivation of the oofloe plant in the 
Bouthorn districtH of lliis province, it may not he 
witliout some interest, even to general readers, to 
become ncquuniled, in some slight degi-ee, at least 
witli an insect pest tiiat has only recently been 
found to work great mischief and loss in tne 
coffee plaiitatioiiK of distant Guatemala. Wo are 
i.„bilited to tlie interest taken in tins matter by 
mir Consul in that slate, Mr. Artliur Chapman, 
«lio has embodied in ins last annual report, tlie 
I^>nort of the scientist, M. Vendrell, a member of 
Itmuiaii and Spanisli Agricultural Bocieties, and 
vho Zde his investigations, by order of the local 
Government; of Guatemala, m tho plantations in 
Uie Department of Amatillnii whera the disease 
niused by the insect nest, had resulted m oxten- 
sive ravages in the coffee plantations. 
‘ coffee IS one of the chief articles of growth m 
Guatemala, where also the coclmeal insect is 
obtained, in immonso qiiaiititios for export, on tlie 
•umerous members ol tlie Cactus trible, so common 
ou tVie virgin noil of that country. And, it in oot 
a little Htrange, that the peat, ao much complained 
about a3 a “now and hitherto unknown troulde,” 
hnould he HO much like the cochne.al iiiaect, which 
Ih Huch a prolific aourco of local wealtli. The 
insect, called a '‘ehinch’* or “bug” by the agi'icul- 
turaliiitH, in declared by M. Vendrell to be “a 
standing menace to the coffee industry,” and ia 
tlierofore well dosevving of attention by all eoIToo 
planters. The genua to wliich the peat bolonga— the 
f'ucvifhv — not only includes many species which are 
higldy injurious to plant-life, but not a few which 
have come to he of use to man. Among the letter 
are tho covhuvuly already referred to, tlio /<u', wlicli 
is found in Kuch abundance in our Shan State ; 
the iituium growing wliero few forms of civilised 
life are to he found, though in some places largely 
renlacod by exudations h-om such trees as tlie 
asJi and tamorisk; and lastly the ('hfueAf ll\i.r 
insect so remarkably peculiar in its habits as well 
as in its produce of wax in parts of Cliina, like 
Si-chuen. 
As general characteristics of the genus wo may note 
the want of wings in the females, tlie degeneration 
of the suctorial proboscis posterior wings in tlio 
males, and tlie peculiar life-history of both sexes. In 
the early stages of their growth tliey are iu form 
like miniature tortoisc-sholls, and may he .-eon run- 
ning all over the planth tliey affect. Soon, the 
females become impregnated, and thou they settle 
down to the work of maternity on tlio branches and 
loaves, Iniraiug thuir suckers deep into the tender 
tissues in order to imhihe tho nourishment tliey 
require from the jiiicos of the plant. Henceforward 
tlie females do notiiing hut feed and breed; and the 
latter process is so wonderfully prolific that tlio 
ova of a single female, looking at certiiin Keasons 
like a pinch of dry dust, number very often millions. 
When in this state the wind blows this living dust about 
in ail directions, and not uufrequently the careful 
gardener finds a favourite rose or plant, wliich tlio 
evening before ho liad loft quite clean and healthy, 
covered in the morning l>y multitudes of these 
insects scomiug to have coiiio into existence magi- 
cally. Tlie matured femaleH often become quite 
plump and fat, looking like berries, hut more 
generally they form distinct excrescences, some 
round and plump, others Hut like scales. .\t tlie 
present time iu Jiaiigoon a specio.s of tliese sealc- 
nsocts may be found on tlie luick of roi:o leaves. 
They look like black dots, and frequently have a 
margin of white, tinder a magnify ng gla.ss tliey 
may bo watclied witli a “good deal of amusement 
and iustriictioii. 'I’lio popular name by w'hich 
tliorto insects are know'n is Bcale-insects,” 
Tho cofi'ee scale-iiiHect, which lias lately caused 
such consternation in Guatemala, appears as small 
galls or oxcresccnces similar to hiiihU tortoise-shells 
on tho edges of which are small double points. 
Under a microscope the back shows a ceiitrai 
crest traversing its longtli, aud also a number of 
small points covering the whole surface, just like 
wliat may be seen ou some marine shells. Its 
color is variable. When first noticed, unlike the 
rose-leaf sealo, it is of a reddish color, but becomes 
a dark yellow as it grows in size and developos its 
eggs. In its last stage it becomes the color of the 
hark of tlie coffee plant, and tliis is so when the 
iusecot dries and its outer shell becomes thin, 
ligneous and fragile. If the yellowish liquid, con- 
tained in tho body of tho mature female, ho 
examined under a microscope, it will he found to 
contain thousands of little eggs. If a dry insect 
he opened there will lie seen a little, very fine, 
dry powder of a reddish yellow color which ia 
transported by the wind in somewhat the way iu 
which the pollen of fiowevs is wafted. From eacli 
egg issues ^ a maggot, and this goes through its 
transformation like the generation which gave its 
birth. 
It is said that when the insect first takes 
possession of a coffee plant, it is liarely notice- 
able ; but after a time an infinity of small red 
spots appear in tho trunk and branches, and these 
iueroase in si^o daily until they attain their 
normal dimensions. Then it is that the coffet^ 
