October i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



J2I 



NATIVE EDTTCATION: PROGRESS OF AGKI- 

 CtJLTaRE ra CE?LO.V. 

 It is no exaggeration to say that by industry directed 

 by intelligence and enterprise Ihe rice crops of 

 Cevlou couW be doubled in quantity and improved 

 argely in quality. And while admiring the intel- 

 lectual achievements of some of the more than 800 

 pupils in Mr. De Soysa's noble colleges and 

 schools, we were glad to hear the Lieut. -G-overnor 

 and the Director of Public Instruction appreciate the 

 still greater value of the practical education which will 

 be afforded to native youtli of the right stamp in 

 the Industrial School and re-modelled E.^perimental 

 Farm which the large-hearted aud munificent De Soysa 

 is about to endow. In connection with this latter 

 institution prizes should be given to young men who 

 distinguished themselves by science applied to the 

 soil in good, honest, manual labour, as well as in 

 theory. And, in connection with the Department of 

 Public Instruction or otherwise, prizes should be given 

 by Government, associations, and individuals, as we 

 some time ago suggested, not only for the best aud 

 most productive grain fields but for the best cnltiv- 

 .atcd plots of root culture and their produce ; for 

 grafted fruit trees (such as oranges and mangoes) aud 

 improved fruits and vegetables of all kinds, from 

 t'lc pineapple to the pumpkin. It is not enough 

 that produce, the origin of which may be doubtful, 

 should be sent to Shows, but persons well qualified to 

 judge should go to the fields and topes and gardens, 

 to examine and report on the style of culture adopted 

 and the results in produce obtained. Specimens of 

 grain should be thrashed iu their presence, Hud yams, 

 sweet potatoes, &c., uprooted, countid and weighed. 

 The fruits could, of course, be examined as they 

 grew, and so with overground vegetables, such as 

 pumpkins, cucumbers, &c. The state of fences, the 

 absence of weeds, and the appearance of general tidi- 

 ness and care should tell ; as also the use of improved 

 implements for tillage aud harvesting; the applic- 

 atii'U of suitaVde manures. &c. To advocate and carry 

 out Huch measures as these are worthy of the real 

 friends of the natives. No doubt it is one of the 

 principal functions of the press to expose real wrongs 

 and insist on their being redressed. But the case of 

 Irelaud shows how the progress of a country aud a 

 people can be effectu.illy stopped, and only b;id passions 

 and cruel ci-ime Icsttrcd, by so-called friends of the 

 countiy who tra<le on grievances and invent new ones as 

 the old are righted. If we know ourselves at all, we 

 feel that we are true friends of the "natives j and we 

 prove it by not only advorating improvements calc, 

 ulated to benefit them eveu more than Europeans, 

 such as railways and rods and bridges, as well as 

 education and irrigation works, but liy urging the 

 natives themselves to bay aside tl>eii- efl'cmiuato pre- 

 judices in favour of sedintary and chrical occupations 

 and to take earnestly to manly industry and spirited 

 euterprizt!, such as have raised Britain aud otlier 

 countries of the west to the proud imilience they 

 CDJoy in civilization, wealth and progress. And the 

 main reason why we make the educatioual instit- 

 utions founded and endowed by the native philanthropist 

 Mr. Charles Dc Soysa the text of such an article as 

 this is, tliat we hplieve the gentleman named to be 

 just, the model "friend of the natives." Not con- 

 tented with providing intellectual education for his 

 countrymen he is about to add the means of practical 

 training in those useful arts of life, without which 

 29 



aud their application there can be no accummulation of 

 wealth, no increased comfort, no healthy progress, and, 

 we may safely add, no genuine religion. The faith which 

 has done so much for the world is founded on spiritual 

 belief, it is true ; but Christianity is eminently pract- 

 ical, and one of its greatest te.ichers who worked 

 with his own hands as a teut-mal^er said : — " It any 

 man will not work neither let him eat." We know 

 well that brain work is often the hai'dest and most 

 weary work of anj', but brain work alone can never 

 keep the wheels of the world going or satisfy the 

 necessities of human nature. Those necessities depend 

 for their supply, mainly, on the most being made of 

 the soil, the rainfall and water and the climate : on 

 industry guided by science, in an improved agriculture 

 such as Mr. Charles De Soysa is about to aid by the 

 application, well and benevolently directed, of a por- 

 tion of his wealth: wealth the origin of which the Lieut.- 

 Goveruor so truly remarked yesterday was good, hard 

 work on the part of Mr. De Soysa's progenitors. If 

 the Sinlialese are to be ranked amongst the progress- 

 ive peoples of the earth, they must work not less but 

 more, only with more intelligence, and, tbfrefore, with 

 much greater and more profitable results than did their 

 ancestors. 



inROUGH THE TEA DISTRICTS OF 

 NORTH INDIA:-No. Ill, 



{By a Ceylon Plantrr.) 



NOWGONO, A.SSAM. 



In a previous letter I described the general character 

 of the land in Assam, and discussed some questions 

 in connection with field cultivation and building ; iu 

 this letter I propose commencing \vith the consider- 

 ation of the labour and transport ditficultips of Assam, 

 especially in regard to the effect which these have on 

 cost of production of tea. The laljour for working 

 tea estates in issam is procured from two sources, 

 the local villages aud the cooly districts of Bengal, 

 The former labourers are known as Caoharris, a term 

 which is applied to all local labour. They are gener- 

 ally engaged for short t^rins only, and receive Ii5 and 

 R6 a month, subject to deductious for non-attend- 

 ance. This source of labour is a very uncertain one, 

 and the class of men are very untrustworthy. On 

 the occurrence of sickness In the linos, they fre- 

 quently decamp in a body, to the serious loss and in- 

 convenience of their employers, and any row between 

 one of them and the manager will probably lead to 

 the loss of the whole force. They are, in fact, a most 

 independent race, and it requires great tact to manage 

 them properly. 



The Bengali labour is generally imported under three 

 years' agreements, on the expiry of which term it is 

 the custom to offer a bonus as an iuducement to them 

 to re-engage for a term of years. This labour supply 

 is the only depeudaldo one iu most localities, but the 

 difficulties in the way of procuring it are considerable. 

 It is the usual custom to send native recruiters to 

 the villages, but the restrictions placed by Govern- 

 ment on the departure of emigrants, though well- 

 meant, make the difficulties and expense of recruiting 

 very great. In some cases European assistants are 

 sent down to supply the gardens witli labour, and the 

 work they have to do is of a most unpleasant nature. 

 The bribery of native officials from tlie lowest to the 

 highest is a necessary preliminary apparently to secur- 

 ing labour. All proposed immigrants are examined 

 by Government officials regarding their willingness to 

 go, and their fitness for tlie journey ; this, admirable 



