Maach I, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



S9S 



CEYLON UPCOUNTEY PLANTING EEPOET. 



THE WELCOME KAIN — COFFEE BLOSSOMS AND CKOP PROS- 

 PECTS — MR. COCHKAn's ANALYSIS OF COCA LEAVES — 

 FUNGUS IN TEA — THE SAU TREE. 



14tli Feb. 1887. 



The welcome rain which we had last week has 

 made us all jubilant. Even the depressed and 

 despised coffee has responded to the genial show- 

 ers, and it is quite a sight to see how the shuck- 

 est trees are putting on blossom. Where the 

 bushes are in any kind of heart at all, be it 

 native or otherwise, every branch and twig is full 

 of spike, and in a few days more they will be 

 clothed in a clustering magnificence of white. This 

 promise, and the prospect of good prices, are 

 stirring the inert native. The little patch of native 

 coffee which still remains after the inroads of neg- 

 lect, leaf disease and bug — a relic of an all but 

 vanished past — is being seen to ; the weeds are 

 scuffled off, the jungle stuff cut down, and hopes 

 built up, which are likely to be discounted to the 

 wily Moorman at a ruinous rate, long before the 

 harvest can be reaped. If the blossom will but 

 set— and one that was out about a fortnight ago 

 has already done so— those who have any coffee 

 remaining, may have cause for satisfaction in that 

 they spared it. We will be having erelong some 

 man going in lor a new clearing of Arabian coffee ; 

 as it is I have heard of an enquiry for Liberian 

 plants so hopeful is the Ceylon planter, prepared 

 even to double back if there seem but a poss- 

 ibility of success. From Mr. Michael Cochran, m. 

 A., F. c. s., our local chemist, I have been favoured 

 with a report of a chemical examination of coca 

 leaves, which, as being interesting to the readers 

 of the Observer, I now enclose. I was indebted 

 to Mr. J. A. Ferdinandus, of the Eoyal Botanic 

 Gardens, Peradeniya, for the sun-dried leaves which 

 formed the basis of the report, and I would like 

 when mentioning that gentleman's name, to bear 

 my testimony to his unfailing courtesy, and his 

 readiness to oblige en all occasions. Indeed this 

 willingness to serve the public is the distinguish- 

 ing feature of all the officials connected with the 

 gardens. Mr. Cochran's report is a valuable and 

 exhaustive one. Whether coca will yet be a much 

 cultivated article in Ceylon remains to be seen : 

 any how those who do try to grow it, will find that 

 the harvest of leaves is very much increased if the 

 plant be grown in the shade. In the open it is 

 more apt to produce seed. As to the profitable- 

 ness of the culture, there are many opinions current. 

 But experience in the matter is very limited and 

 while you hear a good deal which tends to its dis- 

 advantage, still there is an under current of be- 

 lief in its future. 



The dying out of tea trees, in threes, and fours, 

 which is a common enough thing in most new 

 clearings, is now traced to a fungus on the roots. 

 After having destroyed the rootlets, it attacks the 

 tap-root, and then, what before seemed a flourish- 

 ing bush, withers and dies. I understand that it 

 is not a thing likely to spread. The fungus is 

 caused from the rotting of the soft wood jungle 

 trees,* and with the decay of that useless stuff there 

 will die out tJiat which starts the fungus into life. 

 The Sau tree, which is favourably regarded as 

 a shade tree for tea, and a general opener of the 

 soil, is being pretty extensively planted out in 

 nurseries. I learn that there is a considerable de- 

 mand for the seed at present, the dry weather we 

 have come through lately, giving many the idea 



* We were the first to notice it, and we have never 

 traced the fatal fungus to any tree but one, a species 

 p( eymplocos,— Ep. 

 75 



that a light flickering shade such as is thrown by 

 the graceful foliage of the sau, would prove bene- 

 ficial to the tea plant in the dry months, and not 

 be altogether an objection in the rains. By and. 

 bye we will know more of this. Peppercorn. 



PLANTEES' ASSOCIATION OF CEYLON. 



The. following are extracts from the 33rd annual 

 report for 1886-7 of the Ceylon Planters' Associatioa 

 read at the annual meeting on 17th February, 1887: — 



planting products. 



2. Coffee. — The acreage under this product has beea 

 reduced during the past year, and, notwithstanding the 

 satisfactory prices now olitaiaable, your Committee 

 believes that in some localities a further arta now 

 under Coffee will in the comiag year give place to tea. 



The Exports for 1886 were 179,210 cwt. ag-aiust 

 315,649 cwt. in 1885. 



r^a.— Satisfactory progress in connection with this 

 product, which is rapidly becomiug the staple of the Is- 

 land has to be recorded. The acreage uuder cultivation 

 is constantly being extended both in 'Supercessiou of 

 other products and in fresh land. The season, 

 so far, has not been altogether favourf.ble to an 

 abundant yield, as the excessive damp of the South- 

 West Monsoon has been followed in many Districts 

 by a failure of the North-East rains. The unaccount- 

 able fall in price which took place early in the year, 

 was soon succeeded by a firm market. Further ad- 

 vances have been made in the improvement and cheap- 

 ening of machinery, but in the latter respect much 

 remains to be desired. 



The Exports for 1886 were 7,849,888 lb. against 

 4,372,721 lb. in 1885. 



Cinchona. — Tiie same causes which led to the large 

 export during 1885 have occasioned a similar export 

 during IbStJ, and consequently prices have fallen to a 

 barely profitable point. It is impossible to say for 

 how many months this export may continue; but it 

 is unlikely to be for long, and it is maintained entirely 

 at the expense of the future. Your Committee while 

 fully alive to the desirability of obtaining the statis- 

 tics connected with tha probable export of bark, as 

 suggested by the Dimbula Planters' Association, has 

 felt that it would not be possible, at the present 

 moment, to obtain figures which would be even 

 fairly reliable. 



The exports for 1886 were 14,675,663 lb. against 

 13,736,171 lb. in 1885. 



Cacoa. — This valuable product has asserted for itsel' 



a position of no mean importance among exports, 



I while high and remunerative prices have been maiat- 



aiiied. The increased production has been very marked 



during the past year, and bids fair in the current 



year to exceed that of aLy previous year. The 



" Helopeltis scare,' is practically at an end, aad tha 



attention of those who have hitherto held aloof from 



cacoa cultivation is being di-awn to it by ihe vtry 



encouraging results obtained on the o'd>^r plautations. 



That its successful and profitable cultivation will e 



I confined to certain localities is no doubt true, but 



' your Committee believes that, with patience and per- 



sev, ranee, a larger acreage can be advantageously mado 



available. 



The exports for 1886 were 13,056 cwt. against 7,193 

 cwt. in 1885. 



Minor rivrh(cf><. — Of these crdamoms remain the 

 most important, and the crop for the past year hat? 

 been an abundant onp. 



The exports for 1886 were 238,947 lb. against 

 184,1421b in 1885. 



Liberian Colf'ee — is at present the only other minof 

 product deserving of notice, but it is being gradually 

 cleared out to make way for tea, and may probably 

 soon c ase to be an article of (Xport. 



The expor s for 18S6 wero 3,83i Cwt. sgainsi 

 . 5,?2& cwt, iu im, 



