September i, 1883,] 



THfi TSOPICAL AGKICULTURIST, 



173 



THE SPRING VALLEY AND OUVAH (CEYLON) 

 COFFEE COMPANIES' EEPOETS. 

 We nowgire details of these documents. It will be 

 matter of wide-spresd regret that even the fine and liber- 

 ally cultured Uva properties, which form the subject of 

 these reports, and which once gave snob splendid returns, 

 have suflfered so much from the effect of leaf-disease and 

 adverse seasons, that Spring Valley gave but a trifl- 

 ing profit, while the other group of estates showed 

 a positive loss. The appearance and prospects of 

 the estates had, however, very greatly improved, 

 and much is jnstiflably hoped from the system- 

 atic application of manure by means of wire tram- 

 ways. We meant to have noticed those tramways 

 and the facilities they afford for conveying fertiliz- 

 ing substances up the steepest inclines and to the 

 most distant portions of the cultivation, in the pro- 

 per place in our account of a lecent visit to TJva and 

 of .Spring Valley revisited, after an interval of over 

 forty-two years. We are compelled, now, however, to 

 anticipate and to state tliat all we saw and heard 

 during our visit was calculated fully to support the 

 statements as to improved appearance and prospects 

 of Spring Valley contained iji the report. We should 

 have scarcely imagined, from the' appearance of the 

 magniticent expanses of coffee which clothed the sides 

 of Naniunakulikanda, with scatterings of fruit still on 

 and blossom bursting in snowy whiteness, that the 

 leaf-fnngna had ever been here at its debilitating work. 

 In walking up to the tine cattle establishment on 

 Spring Valley, the younger Mr. Rettie descanted on the 

 beneficial effects of manuring the estate by means of 

 "tramways." Having for the moment forgotten all 

 WB had heard of aerial wire tramwajs, we thought 

 only of narrow gauge railways, and we asked, looking up 

 at the steeps wliicb surrounded us: "what is the gradient 

 you are able to manage ? " " Oh ! any gradient," was 

 the respouse, "even one in one." We looked sharply for 

 the usual signs of insanity, but our informant did 

 not seem cjnecious of having said anything oxtra- 

 ordinary, and speedily we came to where, by the motive 

 power of the splendid water-wheel, the wire tramways 

 were at work, carrying baskets of manure not only up 

 to the tops of the hills but beyond them in places 

 hidden from sight, while the emptied baskets came 

 Bti earning back. We did not ask for details of the 

 cost of the tine and well kept cattle establishment, 

 in which there were some beautiful animals, but the 

 encouraging fact we did learn was that the cost of 

 S'inding the manure nphill to central positions by 

 melius of the tramways was only 9d per ton ! That 

 is a fact of great significance not only to those whose 

 surrounding circumstances enable them, like the pro- 

 prietors of Spring Valley estate, to keep cattle for the 

 sake of tlie resuhig manure, but to those who, al- 

 though they cannot keep cattle profitably, wish to 

 apply to thier plants composts of pulp, ravine stuff and 

 artificial manures. Estite proprietois know that the 

 mere cost of conveying such manure, in small baskets 

 carried generally on the heads of women who think it 

 undignified to liuiiy themselves, is so high as to be 

 almo t prohibitory. This source of expenditure can be 

 most materially diminished by the use of wire tram- 

 ways, the first co.st of which, it will be seen, is not 

 large, while they cm be worked by the ordinary 

 water-wheels of estates. The manure used on Spring 

 33 



Valley is compost of cattli during, made as balky 

 as possible with managiasi, &c. , and fortified witli phos- 

 phatic and amiuonical substances in proportic us which 

 science and experience have dictated, The effect of such 

 manuring is unmistakable, and now I hat cajjital expendit- 

 ure on Spring Valley estate has ceased, the place 

 being in perfect order and with all appliances except 

 additional wire tramways, we were told that the 

 20,000 bushels of coffee antioipateil at the crop nf 

 this season will yield more net profit than 40,000 

 did in the palmy days of largo crops and woudeifu[ 

 dividends. While the wire tramways were carrying 

 up the compost to where it was needed and wjiere 

 it was doing so much to improve wood, leafage and 

 fruit, guinea-grass was fiying down from the topmost 

 portions of the cultivated raug's by means of wire 

 shoots. The fields of guinea-gra'is on the summits 

 of the Namuuakuli sub-rang*, which constitute Spring 

 Valley estate, were conspicuous from their brilliant 

 emerald-gref n colour, as we descended the mountain 

 passes of Uva to BaduUa, the limit between coffee 

 and grass being defined by a line as sharp and straight 

 as the use of a theodolite could make it. What 

 with bundles of guinea-grass coining flying down 

 from distances aloft which reduced the gras« cutters 

 to pigmies, baskets of manure going up, and eiupy 

 baskets coming down, the air seemed alive with large 

 hawks and monntxin eagles. It was an animated 

 and animating sight, and we can honestly bear testi- 

 mony to the fine condition of this graud property, 

 so well managed by Mr. Rettie and his assistants, 

 and especially testify to the excellent effect of the 

 liberal system of nianuring adopted. Here, at any 

 rate, manure does not go merely to provide more 

 food for Jlemilcia vastatrix. It was to us a source 

 of great regret that on this occasion we wero unable 

 to accept an invitation — whicii we were told had 

 held go'd for ten years (!) — to visit the highlands 

 of Glen Alpin — in its day one of tlie very finest 

 estates in Ceylon and with the promise now of re- 

 juvenescence by means of Mr. Brown's tramway 

 system and under the careful superintendence ot Mr. 

 Lavie. En route to Spring Valley we saw evideuc^s 

 of the success of cacao on Kockhill, as noticed in 

 tlie report. Details, however, we must reserve for 

 the regular account of our journey, But we could 

 not let the reports go forth without adding the im 

 pn ssiou — altogether favourable — left on our mind by 

 our recent visit to the magnificent estate of Spring 

 Valley, before ivhich, managed and manured as it 

 is, we believe there is still a great futura. The 

 same may bo said of a large proportion of the coffeo 

 estates of Uva, and we are sanguine that Sir Arthur 

 Gonlon will not bo long ruler of Ceylon uhen he 

 will feel justified in proposing that the Uva railway 

 extension be completed into Uva, through twenty- 

 five miles of th; finest country with the nn st sal- 

 ubrious climate in the world. 



SPRING VALLEY COFFEE 

 LBUTED. 



COMP.WY 



[From the Annual li'port.) 

 Good spring blossoms for crop ISSli-Si have Ij'cn out, 

 and are reported as maturing favourably, and sh-ni'd the 

 autumn blossoms ] rove equally good, there is every reason 

 to beUeve that this cr jj) will be a large one, as leaf disease 

 has been less ^-iilent and the weather gen jrally season- 

 able. Recent reports fromSpriug Valley iudicato'a marked 

 improvement in the condition of the property as com- 

 pared with the two previous season,=, and wherever manure 

 had been applied, the effect was most telling and satisfactory. 

 "With reference to this latter point, the Compain's Mau- 

 iiger assures the Directors that with pleuty of manure, such 

 as is now made on the property, there is little to be feared 

 from leat'-disease. That a large and liberal supply of 



