December i, 1884.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



475 



stopped there for the night at the Ponjie Chey in 

 a "Zat," something like a cattle-shed. I don't refer 

 to Logie's cattle-sheds, but to a poor Sinhalese 

 man's shed. Next day we started for Sing-a-biu and 

 reached a nice little dak bungalow P. W. D. Got up 

 early and reached Thatchay : had comfortable quarters, 

 where Assistant Magistrate came to me, poor good soul, 

 with tea, biscuits, butter and a variety of fruits, the 

 "g'omeu" Wallah turned up, and we had a chat 

 over my adventures. Next day saw me at the Model 

 Duke well and hearty, and Kamasami saying "Na, No, 

 Na, No," and "Taisnana." I found all the plants 

 in good Older with the exception of tea, and in 

 the sacks the plants got heated and a good few have 

 not rallied. 



The big bushes were a great success and the 

 plants in splendid order. I lost no time in plant- 

 ing out, and my success I have foimeily described 

 to you. My second trip in August was with more 

 success and fewer adventures as the weather was milder 

 and rivers shallow. 



The Government made me a road to the door of 

 my house, a good carriage drive. Mr. Palmer was 

 the first to drive up to my bungalow. One morn- 

 ing I got a surprize. The Commissioner of Moulmein, 

 Col. Plant, and the Deputy Commissioner of Tavoy, 

 Mr. Duke, drove up in their carriage and pair ; also 

 Mr. Palmer, Deputy Conservator of Forests, and friend. 

 Mr. and Mrs. Bailey often ride or drive up to see 

 me. Mrs. Bailey is • a capital horse-woman and fears 

 neither rain nor sun, goes tearing on at the gallop 

 sometimes. Dr. and Mrs. Dawson also drive over 

 to see me. Dr. Dawson is my standing friend 

 for ray coolies : a good few got fever after 

 we returned from Nat-ya-doung, and I only lost one 

 cooly, poor fellow. I had him cured before I went to 

 Nat-ya-doung and left him well and working, but on 

 my return I found him too far exhausted, and had 

 him removed to the hospital in Tavoy where he died. 

 Had I been at home I would have saved his life. 

 He was a nice boy and I was sorry to lose him. 



But, Mr. Editor, I must not forget, to inform 

 you that I have gained the "bonus" from Gov- 

 ernment, aud have been paid by "Rajah Bernard," 

 aud I now can claim being the first practical planter 

 "pioneer planter ' in British Burma, three-and-a-half 

 times as large as Ceylon. 



The Government are now pressing on the " Siam 

 Road" the pack of men to be sent hero, Engineers 

 Sage, Smart, Wallace, Cox, Mathews, Sager, MoLeod, 

 Kose and other ■ sixteen men I don't know. Coolies 

 are coming down by the 1,000 ; elephants, mules, and a 

 strong transport for supplies. Bailey is at the head Ex 

 ecutive Engineer, etc. , aud the work is to be pushed on 

 for 3U miles cnrC-road 16| feet (80 miles bridleroad 

 6j feet). One man is coming that was with Lord 

 Wolseley who gained decorations of distinction in 

 Egypt, in Telegraph Department. I shall not be so long 

 in writing you next tune, and will give some expen. 

 ence of ginger, tobacco, jute, etc. 



Glad to see you have returned from England and 

 Scotland. I greedily read all your letters with interest. 



THE CULTIVATION AND PREPARATION OF 

 RHEA FIBRE. 



It is time that Ceylon planters were looking to 

 their laurels as the pioneers of " new products " ; 

 for, notwithstanding that attention was first called 

 by a Ceylon p'anter (Mr. Kay-Shuttleworth) iw our 

 columns to the field presented here for the systematic 

 cultivation of rhca, planters in Southern India are 

 likely to lead the way. Perhaps, in this matter of 

 fibres, Ceylon planters may be quite couteut to 



await the results of the pioneering work to which 

 we are about to refer, in Wynaad. But our own 

 hope was, and is, that capital for an experimental 

 Fibre Plantation in Ceylon would be forthcoming from 

 that wealthy manufacturing town in the old coun- 

 try, " the Jute Capital," to which a new fibre or 

 a liberal supply of one of proved excellence m 

 so much. A Dundee-Ceylon Fibre Plantation Limited 

 Company with a capital so modest as even from 

 R50.000 to RIOO.OOO ought to be able to test, on 

 a regular plantation, not only rhea but several 

 other indigenous or imported fibrous plaits, and 

 among so wealthy a body as the jute manu- 

 facturers of Dundee, there should be little difficulty in 

 having the shares placed. We commend the idea to 

 the gentlemen connected with the General Fibres Com- 

 pany Limited, and with Death & Ellwood's Machine, 

 as well as to old Ceylon residents in Dundee and the 

 neighbourhood. The report of progress in the cultiv- 

 ation of rheea and other fibres comes from the Mad/i a i 

 Mail, where it is said of the operations of the Glen- 

 rock Company, Wynaad :— 



Thirty acres of heavy forest land, forming the slopes of 

 the hills surrounding the mill, so that there should be at 

 little carriage of the green stems as possible, have been 

 selected for the cultivation of the rhea nettle, now number- 

 ing 200,000 plants, in thriving condition, the result by 

 successful propagation from the original stock of 2,400 

 rooted seedlings obtained by the Company between January 

 anil May last. The large forest trees in the clearing have 

 been allowed to stand, to afford shade anil protection ; 

 while the smaller trees aud undergrowth were rooted out, 

 and the ground well dug over. The drains are at distances 

 of six feet apart across the slope of the hill, and serve a 

 three-fold purpose: firstly, as catch drains, to intercept 

 the wash which, in a heavy shower, is considerable, aud 

 greater in proportion to the steepness of the slope ; secondly, 

 as irrigation channels in which the water can be held, 

 while saturation of the soil proceeds; and thirdly, as paths 

 found to be necessary owing to the thick growth of tho 

 rhea, and the difficulty of otherwise moving about the 

 plantation. At first the plants were put out at distances 

 of 18 inches apart, butit was soon found necessary, owing 

 to the vigorous habit of the plant, and the furcing character 

 of the soil, to remove the iutermeiliate oues, and all 

 extensions are now put out at three feet apart. During 

 the heavy monsoon rains, it was difficult to clear the 

 under-growth and roots, which wouid not dry, and 

 could not he burnt off, but the object being to 

 save the season, and make the most of the few remaining 

 mouths of the year during which planting operations could 

 be successfully conducted, some expenditure was incurred 

 in carrying the jungle stuff off the field. The established 

 rhea in three months throws out vigorous shoots from the 

 collar, which, when about six inches high, are removed 

 from the parent plant, with their roots, and have been 

 found the best. The greatest success has attended this 

 method of stocking the plantation, though cuttings put 

 down in nursery beds readily take root, and subsequentfy 

 admit of transplanting without any very large percentage 

 of failures. 



Although rhca is the principal staple on the Glenrock 

 estate — other fibre plants, on a less extensive scale, are 

 being cultivated on land not suited for rhea, such as the 

 aloe, the Fourcroya, the New Zealand tlax, and Colotropis. 

 Sufficient progress with these has not. yet been made to 

 enable an opinion to be pronounced regarding the .suit- 

 ability of the climate, and the locality; but the subject is 

 borne in miud by the energetic and - nthusiastic Super- 

 intendent of the Company, Mr. J. W. Minchin, who is 

 carefully noting all matters of interest to the new indus- 

 try. The fibre now being treated, is the 1 young stems ol 

 the. indigenous Marocarpits, of which there arc several 

 varieties in the forest. It is naturally a weakly plant, lov- 

 ing shade and moisture, but when cut down or layered 

 along the ground, it throws out numbers of young shoots 



