In Ceylon, leaf disease, first showed itself in .1869, in Madulsima, in the extreme eastern divi sion of the coffee districts. Next year it spread to the Kandy side, and in 1871 it became general. During the seven years previous to 1870, the out-turn ranged from 4.10 cwt. per acre in 1864, to 5•22 ini869. In 1870 the export was rrearly 900,000 cwt., and the average per acre 5.53 cwt. In 1871, 1873, 1875, and 1877, the export rose above 800,000 cwt.; but (1881) the average per acre bas never again reached 5 cwt, while in four years it has fallen below 3 cwt. The. leaf disease has undoubtedly caused a falling off of production.
• Colonel Beddome, the Conservator of Forests, is of opinion that the remedies proposed by Mr. Anderson in his Essay on Fun,goid Diseases might be tried on small given areas, but considers the expense attending the trial prohibitive as regards large estates.
Leaf Rot, the Kole Roga of the Tamil race, is from another fungus, to which the name Pelli cularia koleroga ' has been given. It appeared on the coffee trees of Mysore. It is an epiphyte, growing and developing upon the leaf, and only superficially attached to it. This enemy has been long in existence, although it is only quite recently that it has attracted attention. This disease is most'common during the rains•, and the leaves of the plants affected by it turn black and fall off, on which many of the berries also fall down, and those which remain are imperfectly ripened. On examining one of these leaves, the under surface will be seen covered with irregular greyish-white blotches, which, on being put under the microscope, are found to be filmy fungus patches, with the filamenth of the fungus inter woven into a sort of web. This fungus has received from Air. Cooke the name of Pellicularia koleroga, but it 'seems very doubtful whether it is not rather a result than the cause of the black rot. There can be little doubt that rot is partly caused by hnperfect drainage, and overcrowding of •the branches; and such being the case, the remedies will obviously be improved drainage and free pruning.
Sturnp.—Mr. Hull mentions that between 1860 and 1870, in Coorg, a blight appeared on the coffee plants, to which the name of stump was given, because of it being due to the stump of a particular forest tree peculiar to that district, felled in the process of clearing. Sooner or later all the coffee trees in the immediate neighbourhood of these stumps began mysteriously to die out, and the only remedy for the mischief was to remove the offending stumps as quickly as possible (Hull, p.
274). It has not been examined by any entomo logist ; but a great habitat of the colcopterous insects is below the bark of decaying wood, and such homes should not be left to them.
Dr. Shortt, a scientific planter, recommends carbolic acid as a protective agent against the leaf disease and, other enemies of the coffee plants.
The Gardener's Chronicle also mentions having received from Dr. Thwaites of Ceylon a specimen of a minute fungus. A few trees were first noticed to be infected in May, but at the time of Dr. Thwaites' communication (24th July) two or three acres were showing the fungus tipon the leaves. These latter fall off before their proper time. Amongst more than a thousand species of fungi received from Ceylon, this does not occur ; and it is not only quite now, but with difficulty referable to any recognise(' section of fungi. Indeed, it seems just intermediate between true mould and Uredo, alIhN1 on tho -one hand to Trichobais, and on tho other to Rhinotrichum. Though the fungus is developed from tho paren chym of the leaf, there is not any c,ovcring to the little heaPs, such a.s is so obvious in Uredo and its immediate allies, while the mode of attachment reminds one of Rhinotrichum. A new genus for its reception was therefore proposed. As the fungus is confined to tho under surface of the leaves, and the mycelium is not superficial, it may be difficult to apply a remedy; but sulphur applied by means of one of the instruments which are used in the hop grounds in Kent, or syringing with one of the sulphurcons solutions which have been recommended for the extirpation of the hop mildew, has been suggested.-llev. M. J. Berkeley ; Colombo Observer.
The Sydney Morning Herald describes an experiment on the aphis or coffee-moth, which shows that by a very simple application coffee plants may be freed from -these destructive ins. ets. A number of the insects were placed on a leaf under a powerful microscope. A drop of a simple solution of soda in water was let fall among them. They instantly left their hold on the leaf and fell dead. Such a solution could be applied without injury to coffee plants. Sulphur has hitherto been the favourite treatment.