326 



linu TROPiCAi- AGRICULTURIST. 



[October i, 1884. 



winds, are to be regarded as primary and productive of 

 the movement of the air, and which, on the other hand, 

 are secondary, and represent rather a loss of the energy 

 of the movement. It seems probable, for instance, that 

 the shoulder of high pressure, which exists over Kajput- 

 ana during the prevalence of west and north-west winds, 

 is in a great measure a secondary effect of this kind ; 

 and similarly, the low pressure which under similar con- 

 ditions, lies along the foot of the Himalaya. The ex- 

 ceptionally low pressure in the central calm of a cyclone 

 is now generally recognized as an effect of the centri- 

 fugal movement of the winds around. 



The experience of recent years indicates that a seasou 

 in which the pressure of the higher atmospheric strata 

 is excessive, is one in which the laud winds are unduly 

 prevalent ; and by a process of exhaustive reasoning, sup- 

 ported by occasional observation, I have been led to infer 

 that, except at certain times in the cold season, the 

 higher strata of the atmosphere lying over the mountain 

 zone around North-Western and Western India, are the 

 principal and immediate source of these winds. 



It would be out of place to enter here on an exposition 

 of the reasons which have led me to this view ; and it 

 is my intention to give th?m in another place. Moreover 

 systematic observation of a kind which we can hardly 

 expect from the class of men who furnish the registers 

 of our observatories, is yet required to confirm its accuracy. 

 What is more especially required now is a knowledge of 

 the prevailing movements of the higher atmospheric strata, 

 as indicated by those of the clouds characteristic of great 

 elevations; and this requires watchfulness and judgment, 

 only to be expected of educated observers, who take an 

 intelligent interest in the conduct of the observations. 

 Such persons are at present extremely rare iu India. 

 It will thus be seen that the laws which govern the 

 movements of the lower atmosphere in which we live, 

 including cyclones, a series of which constitute what, 

 borrowing an eastern term, we call monsoons, arc- 

 much more complex and distant from human ken 

 than we imagined, and that we must wait for the 

 "more light" which the researches of men like 

 Blanford, Klliott and other observers will throw 

 on the phenomena of air : calm and in motion, dry 

 or saturated with moisture, blowing as a steady 

 gentle breeze, or raging as a destructive tornado over 

 limited snaces or wide areas of our globe. There are 

 many difficulties in the way, but we cannot doubt 

 that the result of all the careful observations now 

 made, recorded, compared and compelled to reveal the 

 laws of the atmosphere will be to enable men to 

 predict and guard against not only storms but seasons 

 of deficient rainfall, such as for centuries back as 

 they recurred spread desolating famines and pestil- 

 ences over India. 



Ceylon is doing its part in this great and useful 

 work, the twelve stations in our island scattered 

 from south to north, from east to west, and reaching 

 from sea level to 6,240 feet, included in Mr. Blanford's 

 list of nearly 500 stations altogether, giving valuable and 

 trustworthy results. Corrections have now, however, 

 to be made in the case of Kandy and Nuwara Eliya 

 from the date of shifting of the barometers up to 

 1881. The instrument at Galle, it seems, was shifted 

 from 40 to 48 feet above sea-level in June of this 

 year ; that at Kandy from an eleiation of 1.H50 feet to 

 1,696 in June 1881. while at Nu» ara l«liya, so l ngago 

 as February 1879, the observing station was removed 

 from 6,1."'0 feet above sea level to 6 240. I he elev ; 

 ations. .longitudes and latitudes of eight stations in 

 Ceylon, carefully ascertained, are tints given : — 



Stations. Altitudes. Latitude N, U< ngit'idc I'. 



Colombo ... 40 6° 56' 79° 52' 



Jaffna ... 9 9° 40' 79° 56' 



Triucomaler ... 175 S° 33' 81° 15' 



Batticaloa ... 26 7° 43' Sl°44' 



Hambantota ... 40 6° 7' Sl° 7' 



Galle ... 48 6° 1' S<)° 14' 



Kandy ... 1,696 7° 18' S0°40' 



Nuwara Lliya... 6,240 6° 59' 80° 47' 



CEYLON PLANTING NEWS. 



12th September 1884. 

 In tea planting the question of germinated seed 

 vs. plants is worth considering. The objects to be 

 obtained are of course to have as few vacancies as 

 possible, and that the progress of the plants after- 

 wards may be that of vigorous-growing shrubs. 



The season which we are now passing through has, 

 from its abnormal dryness, been a good test of what 

 germiuated seed planted at stake can do, as well as 

 of the hardiness of the nursery plants. The dryiug 

 wind and scanty rainfall — in some districts at least — 

 has been of such an extreme nature during the last 

 few months as to entitle one to regard it as ex- 

 ceptional. We may soon again have another year 

 like this ; but the chaueee are we wou't. 



Now, like many others, I put out some weeks ago 

 in old coffee a considerable number of tine tea plants, 

 and as I had more holes than plants I finished up 

 the work by means of germiuated seed planted at stake. 

 The plants for some considerable time did well, 

 fought against the adverse season so pluckily, that, if 

 anythiug like rain had come within six weeks of ths 

 time they were put iuto the ground, the failures would 

 have been very few. But day after day the clouds 

 passed over us, and the much-needed and anxiously, 

 looked-for downpour wjs nowhere. 



The portions facing the south-west did get, from 

 time to time, a slight damping from a flyiug shower ; 

 but the amount that fell was hardly more than 

 measurable, while the parts of the field with a north- 

 east exposure benefited very much less in that way. 

 The germiuated seed was all put in in the north- 

 east side. 



I have carefully examined the results, and find that 

 in the south-west exposure the failures in the plants 

 are from 7 to 10 per cent, whereas in the north-east 

 tin y are in some parts as high as 50 per cent. The 

 germinated seeds, on the other hand, are doing well- 

 coming up regularly— and "here they hud not appeared I 

 found in every instance which I examined — and I ex- 

 amined a considerable number — that they were all on 

 the way. The chances were rather against the germinated 

 seed, for I only put one seed into each hole, and 

 it was all planted in a north-east exposure. 



Mentioning my experience to another planter, he 

 told me that germinated seed which he put in this 

 time last year is now as high as from three to three- 

 and-a-half feet, whereas the plants planted out at 

 the same time have not mado anything like such 

 progress. 



Of course, in regard to seed planted at stake, it 

 is more difficult to protect it from enemies, wecders, 

 rats and eueh like, thau if put out in a nursery. 

 There are cases which I know of where a promising 

 lot of tender tea growing in the open has been 

 levelled in a night by rats, and even the very seed 

 dug up and eat.n. Still, all this considered, I am 

 not sure if it be not the better way, when tea seed 

 is cheap,* to tuke the risk of planting at stake and 

 thus save the trouble and expense of nurseries. 

 Best of all might be to utilize both systems : 

 germinated seed first, with a moderately-sized nursery 

 as a reserve to fall back on in tbe event of failures 

 While on tea, I may mention that a certain crack 

 estate near Oampola is said to have 900 lb. per acre 

 of made tea already in this year. Whether or not, 

 however, at the cost of oext year's crop by delayed 

 pruning, remains yet to be seen. But all the same 

 it is a wonderful yield, and shows that in Ceylon tea 

 has found its true home. [This corroborates what 

 our Liudula correspondent heard of an anticipated 

 total of 1,200 lb. per acre. If realized over the whole 

 bearing acreage, the yield will, we believe, be entirely 

 unprecedented. — Ed.] 



* As it certainly is, now. — En. 



