THE CINCHONA-TAPPING BEETLES. to Mr. Green We and Onr Readers Are Indebted for the Following Interesting Details Respecting a Sp
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THE CINCHONA-TAPPING BEETLES. I am not fanatically in favour of the A rtocarpus integrifotia fjak) as shelter belts. If it be granted that To Mr. Green we and onr readers are indebted for such belts are useful to the chief cultivation in certain the following interesting details respecting a species of ocalities, then, surely, it is better to use for the beetle found feeding 011 the renewed hark (after shav purpose trees that have ^some intrinsic value, either ing) of succimbra trees in Maskeliya, whence the speci in their fruit or their timber than those that are men submitted to Mr. Green was brought carefully of no use whatever. Nor can I on reflection discover anything ridiculous in providing a future supply of tied up with thread. From what Mr. Green writes, it timber on a low-country estate, even at some sacrifice would seem that the object of the beetles in wounding of the space devoted to more immediately paying the bark is to cause it to exude the resinous juice on products. Young men who come to Ceylon to make which they as well as the ants feed:— their fortunes and retire to enjoy the pleasures of “ A male stag beetle (family Lucanidoe). The female affluence before they are too old, cannot be expected has much shorter mandibles, and is said to use to give their sole attention to timber, but it would them in forming a hole in the trunks of trees for not be difficult to demonstrate that few things would the reception of its eggs. Westwood says in his pay better than forest cultivation to him who made modern Classification of Insects vol. I, pp. 187 and no distinction between his own and his grand-children’s 188 :—‘ The perfect insect according to De Geer, feeds intel-est. Admitting that this would be carrying the on the honeydew upon the leaves of the oak, they love of posterity to an extreme, the estate that has also feed upon the sap exuding from the wounds of ten timber trees coming forward for every cultivated trees, which they lap up with their finely ciliated acre, will, other things being equal, have a higher maxillse and lower lip. It has been supposed that selling value at any age, than that which has none ? the larva of this insect, which chiefly hides in the The rubber plants continue to thrive and flower willow and oak, remaining in that state several years, copiously, but I have still only one pod that is the animal so much esteemed by the Romans as promises to reach maturity. The young cardamom a delicacy, and named cosstis. The injury which it plants take such slight hold of the soil, that they causes is often very considerable, boring not only cannot keep upright, and when they fall over, if not into the solid wood but also into the roots of the tree.’ immediately attended to, they die. What they may “ The specimen (stag beetle) received from Mas do ultimately I do not know, but with much care keliya about a week ago is still living and feeds their growth is very slow. on moistened sugar and jaggery. It is a male in H em iteia is in statu quo—not spreading, but many sect with immense mandibles. and greatly resembles trees have more or less of it, and some are very Lttcanus cervus, the common stag beetle of Europe.” bad. I know that dusting the affected trees with lime has no effect, but I think it probable, that it affords some protection to those that are free from NEW PRODUCTS IN THE LOWCOUNTRY: it. There is certainly one of the numerous varieties G e n e r a l P l a n t in g R e p o r t . that has hitherto remained untouched in the mid-t Western Province, 31st March 1882. of dangerous neighbours. In the first week of March, we had a few showers My experience of nutmegs has not been very en and again on 16th to 19th. On the latter day couraging. Four years ago I put down 100 seeds, the rain was combined with hail. The last twelve from which I had 32 plants which I planted out in days of the month were intensely hot and dry, causing the field. They have kept dying off one by one ever much discomfort to your humble servant, but not since, till only ten remains, and of these only three otherwise injurious. are fine promising plants. I am, however, inclined to The dry weather checked the growth of the plants give them another trial under my own eye, which somewhat, and the nursery needed hundreds of gallons advantage, the former attempt had not. The of water daily, to keep the small plants alive. This planters of this age are probably not aware is one disadvantage in the use of baskets ; they give that above 40 years ago, Mr. Anstruther, then out the moisture too rapidly for the health of the Colonial Secretary, planted above a hundred acres, at plants in them. The blossom is pretty well over for Welisara on the Negombo road. Had Ceylon been this spell, and such of the coffee trees as have reached searched, for the least suitable land, they could not have a height of from four to five feet, are running up found a worse piece. The soil was cabook gravel of stem without producing branches. The white ants are the poorest quality. When I saw it first, the few developing new tastes. I long held that they touched remaining trees were a good size. They were protected no living plant, but I found the theory would not by movable kajan screens, and two carts were employed stand when I came to cultivate cocoa, and now I bringing water to keep them alive. The land finally find them attacking Liberian coffee. It is true, I went into native hands, and I know not whether there have found only two plants destroyed, but there could now remains a single nutmeg tree on the place. There be no mistaking the cause. I believed for some time is one noble specimen of this tree, in the compound cocoa was safe from this enemy after the first year, of the railway engineer’s office, Maradana, and another but now I find them throwing up their entrenchments at Riverside Lodge, Mutwal. From what I saw at round stems an inch and a half in diameter, and denud Aniakanda in old days and from the plant under vari ing them of bark from the surface upwards. ous circumstances more recently, I judge that it I see that the question of shade for cocoa is under cannot thrive without some shade. Having a rough discussion in the Observer. All that I can admit on bark on which the seeds of the most common of our this matter is that, for the first two years, the plant parasites readily lodges, it is very subject to this may benefit from partial protection from the sun, as pest, and it is a favourite resort of the ilemias, in well as thorough shelter from wind, but that when which it is by no means alone, for the red ant is a fully established, they grow so freely with all the terrible pest to the cultivator of any fruit-bearing sun that shines here, that I cannot imagine them tree, within its range, and to be fought with fire, getting on better with less of the solar influence. I wherever they appear. am not sufficiently advanced to say how far shade, 4th April 1882.—Rain came with April. It was or its absence, may affect fruit-bearing. If the tree moderate on the 1st and 2nd but yesterday there fell should be found to bear better under partial shade one of those tremendous deluges that defy all calcu than in the open, then let them have shade by all lation. I thought I had by heavy embankments and means. vast waterways provided for retaining much of the 208 silt within the estate but within ten minutes, ditches case of advantage to stronger England—then much three feet deep and four feet wide were full and over- m ore, a fo rtio ri, should this intimate connection be lowing, and within another five minutes gaps six feet used to the advantage of the weaker in the other Aide were wrought in the embankments. This was case.—Madras Times. wnly the drainage of less than ten acres. The rain oasted about two hours and I think three inches fell. SOUTH AMERICAN CINCHONA AND THE “ Q U IL L a I T R E E ” BRITISH TEA AND COFFEE DUTIES. We and our readers are indebted to an old Ceylon We are glad to see that the question was put to planter, Mr. P. D. Millie, for some interesting in Lord Hartington whether the import duties on India formation which, at our instance, he has obtained tea and coffee could not be abolished. Attention must be directed to the matter, and the claims of India from South America where his brother is resident. in this direction must be fully ventilated. It must Our readers will see that Ceylon has not much to not be cause for discouragement that the reply was fear from the action of wretched Bolivia, the victim so unfavorable, for it would never do to show a too- of her; own treacherous conduct in the war with yielding disposition to all the demands made upon Chili.