352 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[October i, 1882. 



We have in diflerent years experienced equally cold, 

 wet and -.vindy vveathfr, but for periods Hjore or less 

 short. This year has been distinguished for extremes 

 of cold, wet and wind continued throughout tbe en- 

 tire immsooii pi'rioJ, and is quite exceptional. This 

 has probably been still more strongly mruked in places 

 that are more exposed to the influence of ihe S. \V. 

 monsoon. 



In July against 21" rain here, upwards oi 45" were 

 registered on an estate at the lower end of this valley, 

 wliile on and her estate near the hill-range above 

 Balangoda tbe fall was about 13" only. — I am, sir, 

 your obedient servant, GILES F. WALKER. 



THE PROSPECTS IN NEW ZEALAND :— THE 

 OTHER SIDE. 



Colombo. 9th Sept. 1882. 

 Dear Sir, — The letter appearing in your paper of last 

 evening gives such a very diifereut account to that 

 which I have always understood of New Zealand (and 

 my information has been derived from friends resid 

 ing there) that I think the enclosed letter dated 

 two days later than that of your correspondent may 

 not be without interest. I therefore send it you to 

 make any use you like of it. The position of the New 

 Zealand Govermnent stock in the London market 

 certainly does not appear to me to bear out the sweep- 

 ing accusations made by your correspondent, and con- 

 versations I have had with Sir Julius Vogel lead 

 me to think that there is a very good field for en- 

 terprize in the colony, if the intending settler has 

 energy, a small capital, and ordinary caution. At 

 this time of depression here (temporary only I firmly 

 believe), when some amongst us may be turning their 

 attention to other colonies, I think it only fail' to 

 give any information tliat may throw light on the 

 other side, and feeling that your correspondent has 

 not written quite impartially must be my excuse for 

 occupying your space. COLONIST. 



New Zealand, 31st July 1882. 

 Yours of the 1st June to hand ; thanks for it. I 

 wrote you the second letter fearing the first had 

 missed you, not having heard in reply. I find it some- 

 what difficult to reply to all your questions, but how- 

 ever will try to do so. In the first place the clim- 

 ate of New Zealand generally and this district in 

 particular is good for Europeans. The death rate never 

 exceeds 12 in the 1,000, whereas England's is something 

 like 22 — in fact, owing to the mildness of both sum- 

 mer and winter old people reach 100 often. If you 

 bring the smallest sum mentioned, viz., £5,000, and 

 purchase land at a fair market value, the returns 

 ought to enable you to save money annually, but as 

 for stating how much — no man in a young colony can 

 do that ; tlie price of everything fluctuates more than 

 in an old colony. If I could purchase this place at 

 £5 per acre which I cannot, as the agent for the 

 owner asks £7 and in its present state carries 1.50 

 cows, 400 sheep. The total outlay say for stock 

 150 head at 70s, £525 ; and 400 sheep at 10s, £200 ; rams 

 bulls, horses, £100 ; total £825. Returns : — 150 calves 

 30s £225 ; sheep, wool, £100 ; lambs £120. Total £440 

 at present market value. I pay £100 a year rent 

 leaving £300 to the good to live, &c., and, as the 

 land supplies all but labour and gi-oceries, there must 

 be a margin for profit. I have to live somewhere 

 and have to pay rent ; therefore on a farm a marf 

 lives cheaper than in a town. The place I am on 

 is delightfully healthy ; that is the reason 1 took it, 

 and I presume I will end in purchasing it, as I have been 

 spending money on it in fencing, draining, &c. This 

 land is reckoned as good second-class. For first class 

 land from £14 to £18 per acre is the present price. 

 As many wealthy people are coming into the dis- 

 tricts I doubt if there will be any decline in price. 



The market for stock is all local, as new lands are 

 being opened up so is stock required. Cereals pay 

 if you can get fail' prices for what you grow. Wheat 

 here is 4s 6d, oats 2s 6d per bushel. Of course new 

 land where broken up is better for a crop, before 

 being put into gi'ass ; so if the crop will pay the ex- 

 penses it is free. The last land I had I sold 

 for £18 10s per acre ; that returned about four 

 per cent. This place, if I gave £4,0U0, will return about 

 10 per cent, but in New Zealand in farming pursuits 

 no man can determine what his income will be ; stock 

 fluctuates so very much. This time last year cows 

 were worth £6, now about £4. But the success or 

 failure of a man in the colony depends entirely on 

 himself. Nature has done more for New Zealand than 

 for any country in the world. I would not recommend 

 any one coming here to invest all their cajjital in 

 land and stock, but place at least one-third on mort- 

 gage at 8 per cent. The wages of servants here are 

 about 15s per week for girls, £1 for men living in 

 the house, man and wife about £75 per annum ; day's 

 wa,ges of eight hours ^7s, but all farm work I get 

 done by contract. I am now ti'ying to let some 

 300 acres of scrub to be cut by contract. I have a 

 young man who looks after fences and stock, milks 

 cows, cuts up firewood, &c. Round here there are 

 some very nice people living, and with a pony chaise 



I thmk Mrs. if she likes the country would feel 



very jolly. The sporting season closes today, and I 

 have had my share of longtails ; have four hang- 

 ing up now. When I get the land clean will 

 be rable to get more as I lose so many and re- 

 quije a boat or raft on each lake as the ducks re- 

 ma n in the middle and dogs are not always to be 

 depended on. I think I have done what I can for 

 you in ans-\vering your questions, but you must come 

 youi-self. All I can answer for is climate and soil. 

 I have heard of one or two instances of moderate 

 fortunes being made, but they are few and far be- 

 tween and then mostly among business men, but I 

 thiidc all settlers are doing well — at least but few com- 

 plain and none fail. 



THE CULTIVATION OF RUBBER: PRACTICAL 



EXPERIENCE : SHOULD LOCAL SEED FROM 



YOUNG CEARA TREES BE USED ? 



12th September 1882. 

 Dear Sir, — As indiarubber is to be doubtlessly 

 one of the future great products of the island, it 

 might be as well to consider the advisability of ex- 

 tending the cultivation by means of country-grown 

 seed. With the exception of Peradeniya, there cannot 

 be any very old trees, and therefore seed taken from 

 young trees now may cause hereafter disappointment 

 by the trees dying out. In some solitary cases I have 

 found trees, after reaching 15 or 16 ft. before branching 

 suddenly drop all their leaves and apparently die, or 

 else hang for several months on the verge of it. 



Perhaps some planter may be able to account other- 

 wise for this peculiarity, but for my part I think it 

 is from defective seed. There can be no doubt that 

 cmker in cinchona, where apparently the soil is per- 

 fect, can be only another name for bad seed, and so 

 from past experience of cinchona we ought to be most 

 careful how such a valuable tree as tbe c.ioutchouc 

 tree is extended through the island. Could not Dr. 

 Trimen be asked to pronounce his opinion, once and 

 for all, as to whether it is safe to use seed from the 

 young trees of the Ceaii? Out of some 30,000 trees 

 growing well and now over one year, I have had six 

 cases of tall trees not having branched, casting their 

 leaves ; in two cases death was the result, and in four 

 cases, after having for several months remained appar- 

 ently so, they suddenly shot up again. — Yours faithfully, 



WATCHMAN. 



