gi6' 



^E TROPtCAL AORlCULtURlST* fjfuMfc i, ifS;/ 



fiodlw to exhibit, and it was quite pathetic to 

 see how mirierably those efforts had been responded 

 to and how poorly our rising product was 

 represented. People who had hunted round the 

 place in search of the tea exhibits were often like 

 tha ships that tried to find St. Helena and 

 couldn't. "But where is the tea?" they would 

 ask you and would find it at last in a corner of 

 a bench 1 I fancy a cooly could have cleared 

 the Show of all the tea on exhibition and had a 

 light load. The other products were not a whit 



better. 



Arts and Manufactures. 



Jewelry exhibited by C.B. Nugawella, E.M. of Uda- 

 nuwara; Ancient Kaudyan sword (short) with elabor- 

 ate ivory handle and sheath ; Fret- work, ebony bracket 

 by A. C. Lawrie ; Porcupine quill work-box, price K200 

 by D. F. de Silva & Oo. ; Porcupine quill writing-desk, 

 by D. F. de Silva & Oo. ; Porcupine quill inkstand, by 



D. F. de Silva & Co.; Kandyan pottery (20 pieces), K. 

 Artwork Aassociation. One pair chair designed by H. 

 Fraser, IMatale.and made by Thomas Fernando, Mora- 

 tuwa ; Eooay chair mounted with ivory from Asgiriya 

 Vihare ; Turkish modelled Mattress and cushions, by 

 Buuder Saibo (with cushions) ; Kandyan enibroidery 

 work (1 lady's jacket and 1 gentleman's belt), T. B. 

 Banabokka; Old Kandyan cloth, by Rambukv?elle P.M.; 

 Nilgaruuda cup, salven and plate, by T. B. D.; 2 Brass 

 chembuws, by V. Valoo ; Betel stand &c. by V, Valoo ; 



2 Large brass trays, by V. Valoo ; Silver trays, chembuw 

 bowls, jewel cases, &c., copper, ebony, brass, cases, by 

 K. A Association; Map of Ceylon shewing some of 

 the principal animals and natural products drawn by 

 W. Francis Masnes Perera ; one pair Indian Orchids 

 from G.S. Saxton ; a Oentenerian, a Talipot Palm 

 in blossom, by E. F. VauDort ; an Ek Hunt, by 



E. F. VanDort; a Tropical Nocturne, by E. F. Van- 

 Dort; Watercolour Pictures by Miss Mary F. A. Tench 

 Glenti'.t, Maskeliya ; Two Glasses with Water-colour 

 painting, by Mrs. F. Brame ; Moonstones from Attara- 

 galla, Kandy, by Sinne Marikar Madar Saibo includ- 

 ing the best and biggest moonstone ever confound in 

 Oeylon ; two Ivoty Scent Bottles, by Utumana l\Iulach- 

 arige Muhandirum ; Ivory Chessmen K. A. Association ; 

 Chessmen, by K. A. Association ; Ornamental Coconut 

 Ladle, by T. B. Panabokke ; 13 Clay Plates illustrating 

 Perehera ; Fretwork, by Mr. Wood ; Revolving cannon 

 in miniature by U. B. Dehigama; Ancient Iron Artis- 

 tic Adze bv Kotmale Ratamahatmaya ; Collection of 

 Brass articles from Mr. F. R. Ellis. 



Native plough, by Uudawella Arachchi; Native plough, 

 by Rambukwella R. M., of Uda Dumbara ; Native 

 kake, by Rambukwella R M. ; Various instruments of 

 husbandry by Rambukwella R. M. of Uda Dumbara ; 

 Aloe fibre rope from Kadawella estate (25 fathoms) ; 

 Collection of paddy (native varieties) exhibited by 

 S. Ratwatte, Lower Dumbara ; Paddy (native, 4 varie- 

 ties) T. B. DimbulanaR. M. ; Paddy (native, 7 varie- 

 ties) by C. B. Nugawela R. M. ; Arecanuts (2 varie- 

 ties) by L. B. Yatiwara ; Arecanuts (4 varieties) by 

 S. Weerakody Mudaliyar ; Indian corn by L. B. 

 Yatiwara ; Indian corn by Dimbulana R. M. ; Indian 

 corn by Rambukwella R. M.; Small grain (8 varie- 

 ties) by T. B. D. ; Small grain (5 varieties) by H. Abye- 

 goonasekara Korale Upper Hewahetta ; Cotton, sam- 

 ple of crop grown in the Government Experimental 

 Garden, Kegalla, exhibited by S. Weerakody ; Tree and 

 American cotton from J. P. Cotton ; West Indian 

 arrowroot from J. P. Cotton ; ^Marketable leaf tobacco 

 by Panabokke R. M. ; Honeycombs with living bees 

 by Yatiwara R. M. ; Jaggery (6 varieties) by L B. 

 Nugawela; Jaggery by M. B. Nugawela (6 varieties) ; 

 Ginger by L. B. Yatiwara ; Ginger by S. Ratwatte R. 

 M. of Uda Nuwara. 



7th May, 1887. 

 The tea contest, as between Blackstone and Agar's 

 Laud, waB said to have been very close. The matter 

 of two points or so, so line a thing inaeed, that only 

 a highly educated palate would pretend to distiu- 

 guigb the difiereuc*. Still tbeie ms the dilierencc, 



and to Mr. Barber fell for a second time the much- 

 coveted gold medal. Mr. Barber may be proud of the 

 high place he has taken, and few, I think, wili 

 grudge him this honest congratulation. At the 

 final testings, I believe, the tasters were quite 

 in the dark as to what was what, or which 

 was which. So few teas were offered, that a 

 race was nowhere except between the two well- 

 known brands, and then it was neck to neck, 

 till the peculiarly fruity flavour of Ceylon 

 teas which Blackstone possessed in a slightly 

 higher degree than Agar's Land landed the formed 

 with " the blue ribbon." What we want now is 

 trial in the Colombo or London sale rooms, to 

 test how the tea buyers regard the award. If each 

 estate were to offer at the same time a break of 

 .8,000 lb. or so, there would be a considerable public 

 extremely interested in the result. 



Those who have tasted the two teas, will bear me 

 out that for strength they are very remarkable. 

 It is when you try to describe such teas that you 

 are impressed with the necessity of cultivating the 

 jargon of the tea taster and you produced a result 

 like the following : — " Strong, little, thick, deep, 

 rasping, brisk, full rich powerful liquor, with great 

 character and fine flavour." There is in that 

 sentence a vocabulary enough for any man to set 

 up as a Colombo tea broker — and as for its hidden 

 wisdom goodness only knows all it means or if it 

 has any meaning. 



To supply omissions in my last I may say that as to 

 Estate Products, -fancy tea was very poorly represented. 

 The commercial tea samples shewn were said not to 

 be equal to the best that could be produced, but the 

 average quality was good. The first and second estate 

 teas which secured prizes far surpassed all the others 

 and fairly represent the highest class of commercial 

 tea being good in every part. Riverside would seem 

 to be a bad third. Kandenuwara estate cardamoms 

 presented a very fine appearance, but unfortunately 

 the box in which they were contained could not 

 be opened, and was thus out of competition. 

 There was a disarrangement of words in the telegrams 

 as to prize winners in this class which has been since 

 rectified as follows : Mr Tatham silver medal, Cinchona 

 bark. Mr. Milne. Liberian coffee. Mr. E. Anderson, 

 Cardamoms. Wateranteune, Cacao. Roseneath, Nut- 

 nevs Chocolate, L d'Espagnac. The rest were cor- 

 rect. A complete list is sent. The chief prizes for 

 " Cut Flowers " were given to 1st A. Tabor, 2nd J. F. 

 Hadden, 3rd A. Whyte. The up-country flowers were 

 worth looking at. The roses raised hy Mr. Whyte in 

 Kandy were not so good when compared with those 

 from the higher districts, nor could this be expected, 

 and some distinction must he drawn in future Shows 

 between Kandy and up-country flowers. Mr. Whyte's 

 vegetables got mixed up with others and could not 

 get a prize on the first day, but on Saturday the mis- 

 take was rectified, and a silver medal was awarded to 

 him. Salem estate got silver medal for some excellent 

 pine-apples which many visitors were tempted to taste 

 on the spot. Some rare king coconuts were sent by 

 Mr. J. G. de Silva; best mangoes silver medal same 

 exhibitor, who exhibited also limes and other fruits. 

 Mr. W. V. Woutersz shewed " silver cotton " preserves, 

 jaggery &c. The pomegranates came from ISIorupola 

 e.«tate, Heneratgoda, J. G. de Silva. As will be seen, 

 there was very little shown under Class 8. (pre- 

 served fruits.) 



The collection of Out Flowers were added to by the 

 contribution of bouquets on second day. Mr. A Whyte, 

 Waller and De Livera and others got silver medals for 

 the.se. Mr. AVhyte's table bouquet was in the form of a 

 pyr.imid terminated with fine variegated plants with 

 gracetul hanging palm-like leaves, and very much ad- 

 mired. Miss 0. Reimers well deserved the prize she got 

 for th' show of flowers and Mi^s Kelly received also a 

 silvei medal for her beautiful bouquet. Under the 

 head J^ive Stock were exhibited dcvii bird by Dr. 

 E. Fitzgerald, m.d. ; bear, jackal and porcupine (ex- 

 hibitor uot o»med); (brM tilk» by OriribagsiB* E. H.^ 



