790 
Supplement to the'' 'Tropical Agriculturist." [April i, 1892. 
He mentioned, however, that he would he care- 
ful in using it on cabbage jihints, which were 
eaten whole, and which grew rajiidly, heennse 
if the fine powder settled around tlie leaves 
there would be real danger ; witli young plants, 
however, there would not bo the same risk, and 
the slugs that feed on them would he killed 
instantaneously, Tlie cotton worm can he 
totally destroyed in tlte manner described. In 
the case of cotton, by the use of a pole witli 
hags of the powder on either end, a man, walking 
between the rows and giving the pede a shake 
now and then, would deal with 8 or 10 acres 
in a day. All this refers to kite biting insects. 
With the other class, to M'hicli tlie various scales 
befong, I’aris green is jicrfectly helpln.«.«, for the 
simple reason that we cannot get at I hem witli it. 
The universal remedy for this class of insects 
is kerosine in one form or another. The 
moment kerosine strikes it kills, but unfortu- 
nately it often kills the tree also— the leaves get 
scorched and soon drop off, and great damage 
results. Hence kerosine must be diluted in 
some way, and jnit into a shajie in which it can be 
applied to the tree without injury and yet kill 
the pe.sts. To overcome this dilliculty li good 
many remedies have been proposed, but the 
best form iu which to apply the insecticide is 
kerosine emulsion, which has been tried in all 
parts of the world with success. The following 
is the recipd for its manufacture; Take first 
a ((itart of common soft soap, or i lb. of hard 
soap (the former i.s preferable), add 2 ijuarts 
of boiling water so as to thoroughly di.ssolve 
the soap, and then put one jiint of kerosine. 
If possible a pump sbould be u.sed to churn the 
mixture, till the water, kerosine and soap 
are thoroughly interini.ved When left standing 
for a time, if the soap bo good, no fcuin of 
kerosine, should rise to the surface. Xow add 
cold .water to make, altogether, about lo pints 
of the material— that is to say, I pint of kerosine 
to about 14 or 1.) pints of the other in- 
gredients. Thi.s could be ajjplied to a tree, 
says Prof, fihelton, with the. absolute certainty 
that it would do no damage, and it i.s strong 
enough to kill almost all kinils of .scale insects. 
Hut the application of the emulsion is of the 
utmost importance, and I host; who have found it 
a failure, did not apply it as they should. All 
contact poisons must be aiiplied forcibly; the 
insect must be struck .vigorously. Tlii.s'is true 
W'ith nearly all .scale i)Psts, and’ one application 
does not alw'ays do. If one be found iusulli- 
ciont, another must be given in one or tw'o 
days, pr one or two weeks' time, ns the case 
may be. Hy thorough syringing a tree could !)(■ 
rid of all or nearly all insects, but patience and 
labour are necessary. There are a multitude 
of nuichines for applying this emuLsion, hut a 
})ump with a cyclone nozzle which would pro- 
duce, tt mist-like spray of 80U}> and kero.sine is 
one of the best means. Hy fixing the nozzle 
j)ump on the end of a pole, and by one nnui w'alking 
beside the trees with the \\oso over his shoulder, 
while the other W'alked Vehind with a bucket, 
a big orange tree could bo syringed in about 
fl minutes. 
In view of the enoimous extent of damage 
done by insects to all kimis of crops in Ceylon, 
H wogld be of immeusu benefiV to oyr culti- 
vators if facilities w'ere given for the carrying 
out of a series of experiments on the lines of 
the systems which Prof. Shelton describes ns 
being .so successful. 
OCCASIOXAh NOTKS. 
Ill the Kew for .Innuary 1891, there 
was di.seussed in some detail the origin of the 
Iire.«oiwed ginger from China. l'’rom species of 
lixing plants received at Kew from Her Majes- 
ty'.s Coii.sul at Swatow, it was concluded that 
thn. plant yielding Chinese ginger was something 
ditroTent from the ordinary ginger plant (/mi- 
(/i/ier nfftnnale). The prominence given to the 
subject ill the Kew IhiUetin led to further investi- 
gation, and the fact would aiipear now to be 
established that Chino.se ginger, in spite of the 
superficial difference in the appearance of “ the 
large Hat llnger-like masses” as compared with 
IVest Indian and other commercial ginger, is 
undoubtedly prmiuced by Zini/iher afficinnle. The 
]ilants sent bj- Her Alajesty’s Consul at Swatow 
ladonged to H/ya'ww <T(zf««y(z, and were the cause 
of misleading tlio authorities at Kew. It is 
thought that the Consul, while endeavouring to 
render a mseful service, was the innocent agent 
of a wrong conclusion having been arrived at, 
through the natives, vvho siipjdied liiip with 
the ])laiit,s, which were sent to Kew, having 
boiiglit in the wrong kind. 
Mr. .Sanierasekere, the Agricultural Instructor 
at KadugaiinawH, reporting the result of his paddy 
ciillivation for the .Malm season 1891, says: 
One acre traimiihiuted with seedlings raised from 
i|uarterhushel yielded a croji of 3!) lursliels ;threo- 
((uarters of an acre sown broadcast with .Ma-vi gave 
a crop of bushels, an average yield of 38 bushels 
jier acre. The neighbours according to their system 
obtained 29^ biishel.s from 2 acres with oj bushels 
of .seed paddy, and 2(1 bushels from 1!) acre 
after using .3J buehel.s of seed. The total yield 
of my ij acre is valued at U80-82i, and 
this deducting co.st of expenditure, loaves a 
Iirofit of Iloti ^.j. 
A S])riiikling of bone-dust wim u.sed in a portion 
of the Held where the seed was sown broadcast. 
The seedliiig.s that were idaiited out suffered much 
from the rains that followed the transjilantiiig, 
and some of the plants consequently flowered 
late and produced had ears. The follovv'ing 
will give the full details; — 
li 
K 
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