550 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Feb. I, 18S7. 



What applies to the Dahlia applies still more for- 

 cibly to ttie Potato, notWithstaQilia^ the fact that 

 the tubers form the only part specially selected. Tain 

 is the more remarkable, coQsideriasj the number of 

 varieties iu cultivatiou at an early period of their 

 history even in this country. In the northern parts 

 of Britain, before the ravages of the Potato murrain 

 became so severe, numerous favourita and valuable 

 sorts enjoyed an extensive cult'vation, rangiog over 

 wide districts. Now these sorts were so distinct both 

 in the subterreuean and aerial parts, that anyone 

 possessed to an ordinary degree of the faculties of 

 observation, could tell to a nicety by the stems and 

 leaves alone what particular variety would be found 

 on digging up the plant. Of the twelve to eighteen 

 varieties coming under my observation, and mostly 

 cultivated in the field, I could readily distinguish at 

 sight all, except those which were mere sports from 

 other varieties, differing in the stripes, flakes or mark- 

 ings of the tubers, but having stems and foliage per- 

 fectly similar. This fact amply testifies to the amount 

 of variation in the aerial parts of Potatos, uotwith- 

 gtauding that they have not been selected on that ac- 

 count, nor particularly desired for such. Between the 

 stems and tubers there was generally a more or less 

 pronounced correlation in colour. This is the less re- 

 markable when we consider that stems and tubers 

 in this instance consist of homologous parts modifif^d 

 to perform each their own particular functions. Ex- 

 cepting chlorophyll, or the green colouring matter of 

 plants, the other colours are much less affected by 

 light or its absence, so that the relation between 

 stems and tubers of Potatos becomes more apparent, 

 rendering their correlative variation a matter of com- 

 mon and expected occurence. li striking contrast to 

 the deep purple, almost black, tubers and purplish 

 stems of some varieties may be mentioned their white 

 flowers, while other sorts with white tubers have pink 

 or purple flowers. — J. F. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 



OFFICIAL REPORTS ON CEYLON TOBACCO 

 AND OILS. 



{From the " Times of Ceylon:') 



No one can read the reports we publish to-day 

 without being struck with the possibilities they open 

 up for the future. "We give them in detail (See 

 Supplement a-hj, that our readers may note what is 

 said of other products than those to which Euro- 

 pean planters have as yet given any attention. It 

 IS as well, however, not to be led away by the 

 favorable nature of the report of the Committee on 

 Ceylon tobacco, for no product is more fickle in 

 its'financial results, and none requires greater personal 

 care and attention than this one. Speaking generally, 

 nothing but loss has resulted from the many at- 

 tempts made by European planters to cultivate to- 

 bacco in Jaffna, Tangalla, and other suitable 

 localities, though it seems hard to believe that the 

 care and foresight of intelligent Europeans are 

 unable to compete with the haphazard and waste- 

 ful system of natives. But such is the verdict of 

 the past. TheCoramite^, which inspected the samples 

 of tobacco s-'ut from Ceylon, report, as will be seen, 

 very favourably upon them, but, though many 

 tropical countries in the eastern and western hemi- 

 spheres are noted for the excellence of their to- 

 bacco, and though the industry m America and 

 Java may be said to be exceedingly prosperous, 

 yet, with all our natural advantages for the growth 

 of such a product, Ceylon has not as yet been a 

 coit-petitor in the production of the fragrant weed. 

 However this may be, we expect our rexders will 

 be surprized to hear that as much as 6,645,129 lb. 

 of tobacco were raised in Ceylon during 1885. But so 

 says the Government Blue Book for that year. We 

 subjoin the acreage estimated to be under tobacco 

 in 1885. the quantity raised, and the rate per acre 

 in each province of the island, which we have com- 

 piled with some little trouble from the Government 

 iplue Book, as follows;— 



The previous Blue Book gave 16,910 acres as under 

 tobacco in Ceylon (1884), but it is quite evident from 

 th« above table that no reliance whatever is to be 

 placed upon the Blue Book returns. We have the 

 yield per acre in the N irthern Pravinca and Jaffna 

 set down at 1,019 lb , whilst that of the Central Pro- 

 Tince it iaid to be 156 lb. per acre, and of the 

 Southern Province 44 lb. per acre I Such returns 

 show the carelessness with which Provincial Agents 

 compile their returns, and reflect the greatest discredit 

 upon the Government. We will, however, leave the 

 inaccuracies of the Blue Book and its incompleteness 

 to be dealt with on another occasion, for that is a 

 subject to which we intend to invite the attention 

 of the public and the Government as soon as possible. 

 We think that it cannot be denied that the cultiv- 

 ation of tobacco, not merely amongst EuropoRns but 

 amongst natives also, is declining in popularity in 

 Ceylon. But a few years ago and Uva tobacco was 

 well known as even more fragrant in the form of 

 cigars than the Dumbera leaf, but who ever hears 

 now of Ruch a thing as Uva cigars? We imagine, 

 with regard to the above figures, that the only items 

 of any accuracy in them are the figures for the Cen- 

 tral Province, the greater portion of which acreage 

 lies in or near the Dumbera Valley. A prnctical 

 planter, writing in the Handbook and Directory for 

 1877-78, said that "t >bacco cultivation is not suited to 

 European colonists. The necessary skill can only be 

 acquired through a series of blunders, and, when it is 

 acquired, it can only be applied as far as one pair of 

 eyes can reach." But surely this dictum is capable of 

 modification. What is possible of accomplishment by 

 Dutch planters in Java and by American landowners 

 in Virginia is surely not beyond tha abilities of Ceylon 

 men, given a climate suitable to the phnt — a climate 

 which is to be found iu the Northern, North- Western 

 and parts of the Eastern Provinces. It seems strange, 

 therefore, not only that failure should hitherto have 

 attended all the efforts of Europeans to cultivate the 

 leaf m those localities, but stranger still that these 

 few failures should have prevented many other at- 

 tempts being made by enterpriziug planters, who could 

 easily acquaint themselves with the most profitable 

 methods of cultivation and curing. If the question 

 had been put to a representative coffee planter 

 ten or fifteen years ago -" Why do you not grow tea 

 instead of coffee?" — his only answer would have 

 been that nothing could possibly pay better than 

 coffee, an' that he knew nothing of tea which was very 

 difficult to manipulate. In fact, it was generally 

 thouEcht that the manufacture of tea was a secret art of 

 the Chinese, unknown to Ruropeans, so complicated and 

 intricate as to necessitate the employment of a large 

 number of skilled hands. As these did not exist in 

 Ceylon, it was thought quite imjiossible to introduce 

 the cultivation of tea as a European enterprize, though 

 th'^ fact that the shrub would groic, and that tea could 

 be made in Ceylon, had bei-n demonstrated many yearei 

 before that. Is it not probable, we would ask, that a 

 similar result may await U3 in the mitter of to- 

 bacco cultivation? That it will (//•oc, and that it is 

 even possible to cure it, and smoke it, is known to all 

 of us, but because the pi-ocess of manipulation and cur- 

 ing is said to be difficult, the cultivation is neglected 

 by Kurope ins. In such cases as this the Government 

 should give every possible encouragement to planters, 

 both here and elsewhere, by the free grant of land to 

 commence operations. If Deli planters and others' 

 with a full knowledge of tobacco cultivation were 

 induced to make a commencement in suitable 

 localitieis ia Ceylon, the reault might be fiatisfactorj* 



