MaV 2, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



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To the Editov of the '^Ceylon Observer ,' 



DEW : NEW THEORIES AND OLD 

 PBACTICE. 



Dear Sik, — Some time ago the scientific world 

 was delighted with a new theory on dew. The 

 old theory that dew came out of the atmosphere, 

 that it was moisture deposited from the air on 

 cold substances in contact with it, was said to 

 be all wrong ; for, according to the new hypothesis, 

 dew came not from the air, but from the very 

 substances themselves on which it was found de- 

 posited. The new notion was, of course, proved 

 true by many arguments and alleged experiments. 



The Observer is not usually dry reading, but I 

 so exposed a copy for twelve hours to the heat 

 of a blazing sun, that for once it became very 

 dry indeed. At evening I spread it out on the 

 top of some stakes a little way from the ground, 

 and left it for the night. Next morning I found 

 the under half-sheet, that next the ground, quite 

 dry, but the upper half was as wet as could be 

 and covered thick with large drops of dew. This 

 dewy moisture did not certainly come out of the 

 Observer, and, as I keep a rain-gauge, it was not 

 rain. The following night I repeated the experi- 

 ment with the same result. I may add that the 

 surrounding vegetation cfec, was also dewy, but 

 the Observer seemed specially addicted to the 

 mountain dew. 



1,700 FEET ELEVATION. 

 PS. — Your esteemed correspondent " W. F." 

 hardly does justice to the new theory ; according 

 to it, dew is not merely the condensed result of 

 moisture from the ground, but from all substances 

 on which it may be found. 



CINNAMON AS IT WAS AND AS IT IS- 

 A VISIT TO THE NEGOMBO DISTRICT. 



Negombo, 3rd March. 

 Dbae Sir, — After a period of many years I liave 

 come over here on a pleasure trip, and to vifit the 

 old places where I was interested in coconut and 

 cinnamon. It is a Bad sight to see the oijce tiourish- 

 ing Cinnamon estates, which used to give very handsome 

 income, neglected and abandoned. Two of the crack 

 estates in the Kadirana district are getting on with 

 peeling. I wonder how they manage to peel iu this 

 hot aud dry weather. I shall feel obhged if the 

 Superintendents of the two estates will let me itnow 

 through your journal how they mauage to peel 

 their cinnamon. Some of the estates in Katanayaka be- 

 longing to the natives are kept in fair order. It is 

 surprising how the coconut palm stands the drought 

 in the Negombo district ; the trees are looking fresh 

 and green, while at Mirigama and Veyangoda the 

 trees are suffering dreadfully: the leaves all hanging 

 down and you can hardly see the trunks of trees, 

 and the nuts drop aud the branches break down. 

 Propping up the bunches in the season does more 

 harm thati good. The tender nuts that drop are 

 sold at 2o cts. per IGO to the villagers, who turn 

 it to copra and sell it to traders, and the traders 

 mix it with good copra and sell it to the mei-chants. 

 Buyers ought to be very careful as to how they buy 

 this season copra, as these nuts that drop down 

 this drought are immature ; they are only fit tor cook- 

 m^ purposes. I have no faith in the Miri.,'ama, 

 Ambepussa and Veyangoda districts for coconuts^; the 

 trees will not last long. The way the trees shed their 

 branches and get th;-iu at the top,and at the age of 30 

 years the trees will hardly give any crop. The great mis- 

 take done in this district is planting on the surface ; the 

 soil in the.se districts is of a hard gravelly soil, so 

 for the convenience of the cultivators they take a 



handful of, soil and place the plants. When I was 

 in Negombo I went alonj^ with the iate Mr, 

 Jeaumas to his property at Veyangoda and warned 

 bim as to the way the goyas were planting, Mr. 

 W. H. Wright is doing the correct thing iu plant- 

 ing deep. If he plants his coconuts 5 feet deep, he 

 could be certain of his trees bearing in 3 or 

 4 years, aud say in the 8th year he could calculate 

 on a good return. By planting your plants .say 4 

 to 5 feet deep you could put your plants all through 

 the year; as the plants are under ground the sun 

 does not affect them. I shall feel very much obliged 

 to Mr. Wright if he could let me know through your 

 journal the depth he puts down his plants. I took 

 a run up to Ekala. 'W^hat a change there is in the 

 place — it is quite a little town. I visited some of 

 the cinnamon estates and made enquiries for au 

 old friend of mine ; he was away from his estate. I 

 am sorry I missed seeing him. I took the liberty 

 as he was an old friend of mine, and went over his 

 estate. It is kept in perfect order, the cinnamon andco- 

 comutsare looking their best. Myold friend Mr.Piacbaud, 

 deserves credit for keeping his estate in such good 

 cultivation iu these bard times with low prices. I 

 went over the the large Ekala estite, one time owned 

 by Messrs. Darley Butler & Oa., but no v in the hands 

 of natives; it is kept in a most disertable state and the 

 bungalow standing on the hill is no more, where I 

 spent pleasant days with poor Jim Minto. On my way 

 from Mr. Piachaud's I was obliged to pass Mr. Drie- 

 berg's estate to get to the high road. I am sorry I 

 mi.ssed seeing him and making his acquaintance. Of the 

 little I saw of his property it looks well cared for, 

 the cinuamou bushes staud 8 to 9 teet high. I 

 saw gome nice species of cacao on this estate, the 

 trees staud 7 to 8 feet. I went to the Kesthouse and 

 was surprised to see the new building. It is a great 

 pity the old building was pulled down ; it used to face 

 the canal. I can't say much of the new one. I took 

 boat at the Resthouse and returned to Colombo and 

 enjoyed my trip exceedingly. — Yours truly, S. 



[For aa ausw r t ) this, see page 74(3.— Eo.] 



BOYAL JUBILEE EXHIBITION, MAN- 

 CHESTER, 1887. 

 (Silk Industry Sob-Section.) 

 To the Editor of the " Tr&pical Agriculturists 

 Leek, Staffordshire, 18th March 1837. 

 Sir, — I send you by this mail a series of circulars 

 which will explain the honorary work which I am 

 doing for the benefit of silk culture and also my 

 position as Chairman of the Silk Sub-Section of 

 the forthcoming Jubilee Exhibition at Manchester. 

 My friend Mr. J. F. Duthie of the Government 

 Botanical Gardens at Saharanpur suggests to me 

 that I should ask you if you would be kind enough 

 to help these Sericultural investigations by advertis- 

 ing in your paper as much of these Circulars as 

 you think would interest your readers and would 

 assist in serving the very important objects aimed 

 at.— Yours truly, THOMAS WABDLE. 



Directions for Collecting Silk producing Lepidoptera, 

 The Caterpitlars or Worms ehouU be collected when 

 full-grown, and whilst alive put into a bottle of spirits 

 (gin, or common white spirit of the country). When 

 dead when they should be taken out, those of each 

 kind kept separate, and then be labelled with a uumher 

 (as 1, 2, 3, etc.), written in pencil on white paper, 

 or scratched ou a piece of tin. Several specimens of 

 each kind, with its numbered label, to be wrapped 

 together in a cotton rag aiid loosely tied up with 

 cotton thread or thin string, and again placed in the 

 bottle (a good, stout pickle bottle, with wide mouth, 

 is best, and easily oljtaiuable), tilling up the bottle 

 with spirit and corking it tightly. 



The Cocoons, in good condition, to be placed together, 

 iu small hatches, labtillcd with the same number as 

 that on the worms which produce them. The batches 

 should theu be wrapped in coarse, cotton rag and 

 marked with the number on label, and tied outside. 



