May i, 1885. J 



THE TROPICAL AGRTCTTLTTJftTST. 



815 



the internal taxation on tea, and the impolicy of the pro- 

 posals in the memorial is 60 obvions that their represent- 

 ations ought to be successful. The suggestions as to 

 issuing opium warrants are too vague to allow us to 

 estimate what the effect of them would be on the 

 foreign drug. But as they will increase the cost of it to 

 consumers tho trade will probably suffer to some extent. 

 The interests of the Indian Government are, how- 

 ever, so involved with opinm, that the British Miuisert 

 is sure to be promptly instructed from home on all poit6n 

 concerning the article. — Nbrth-OAina Herald. 



TEA AND COFFEE IN DIKOYA. 



Dikota, April 4tb. 



After last night's rain at Matala it is hot and 

 steaming this morning and the sun is scarcely able 

 to penetrate the shroud of mist. The contrast as I as- 

 cended was very marked : it was cool, with a breezie 

 betokening rain. The process of the supercession of 

 coffee by tea is visible up to Hatton, but the view into 

 the extensive and beautiful Dikoya valley revealed 

 expanses of fine well-cultivated coffee in which evi- 

 dently faith is still retained. There is a fair sprink- 

 ling of crop but further blossom is required to set 

 in order to make an appreciable crop. 



PROSPECTS OF TEA IN DARJEELINi. 

 AND THE DOOAKS FOR 1885. 

 To the Editor "Indian Agriculturist.'' 

 Sir— The past mouth ha^ seen the close of pruning. 

 Managers art- now, during their leisure time, repairing 

 coolie lines making mats, clialnies, tookries etc, for the 

 coming season. Labour is plentiful. Want of rain is tell- 

 ing im the young plants in the iight-soil lands, and in some 

 Bpots the old plants look sickly. It is not expected that 

 we shall havi an early season, unless we have rain dur- 

 ing the 1 tnight. Estimates on old gardens are not 

 in excess of last year, as it is found there is a slight 

 deterioration 'in old plants year by year, necessitating the 

 cutting down of old bushes, or heavy manuring; the 

 latter process, uuless some new and cheap remedy is 

 found, 1- not profitable. There is no doubt tho soil is 

 becoming poorer year by year. Hence it is believed that 

 this is tin' cause of our teas not being so good as the 



CAOAO FLOURISHING IN THE MATALE DIS- 

 TRICT. 



Matale, 4th April. 

 I have seen nothing like the soil of 

 this valley for richness and depth, except in 

 volcanic Java. I had no conception previously of the 

 luxuriant growth and bearing powers of cacao, which 

 is the more remarkable in the face of the two suc- 

 cessive years of drought during the north-east mon- 

 soon. There is scaroely any trace of blight. From 

 Wariapolla, fifteen miles north of Kandy, where there 

 are grand plantations, as also at Kowdapoelella, to 

 the young plantation on the side of Arunagalla to 

 the thirty-third mile, is eminently suitable for cacao. 

 Experiments in tea have been very successful, while 

 there is much coffee still looking well. A very prom- 

 ising experiment in sericulture is being made at 

 Kowdapoelella. — E d. 



TERRIFIC HAIL-STORM AT DIKOYA. 

 Hattox, April 4th. 

 There was a fearful hail-storm at Norwood in Dikoya 

 on March 31st doing considerable damage to coffee and 

 cinchonas. When the storm d a«ed there we re three 

 inches ot bail stones on the ground. Thunder-storm 

 aud rain over Matale Valley on April 2nd. 



were in days gone by. If planters would utilize their 

 women and boys in carrying fresli soil and manure on 

 parts of their gardens year by year in the winter season, 

 or dig up the level gardens and mix this soil with 

 a certain amount of chemical manure, there is little 

 doubt that they would get a larger out-turn, and in- 

 crease the quality of the tea at but a small expend- 

 iture. The pests — red spider, moth, green fly, and 

 mosquito blight— are much dreaded by planters, and many 

 an estimate aud planter's reputation have been ruined by 

 them. A remedy in the way of an insect poison, that has 

 neither taste nor smell, was successfully used last year by 

 a person in the Darjeeling district, and we believe the 

 remedy can be obtained in the shape of a powder in tins, 

 at the " Indian Supply Association," 10, Dalhousie-square. 

 This remedy, we hear, is not a total cure, but checks the 

 uests, and diminishes the ravages of the inosquitos and 

 greenies to a point which is nominal. We read Mr. Oruik- 

 shank's speech of last week in the newspapers j and we 

 think that the tea-agents should set the good example by 

 reducing their commission by at least 1§ per cent ; this 

 would help the gardens considerably. There is an old say- 

 ing—starve a horse and he won't gallop. This we might 

 apply to coolies ; if they are well fed they can work well — 

 but if fed aud paid badly, they will not do much work. It 

 is better to pay a trained and acclimatized coolie a small 

 bonus, than to get up a raw man from his own country. 

 The supernumeraries attached to a garden are often use- 

 less. This should be looked to. Managers are often in- 

 sufficiently paid. They risk a great deal iu a bad climate, 

 and it is a very are thing to ever hear of a planter retiring. 

 Many go home, and many go home to die. Did any one 

 ever see a tea planter who has lived in the plains all his 

 life 50 years old ? It is proposed at home to increase the 

 duty on tea. If they do, we shall be the people to suffer. 

 If England wants the support of her colonies, she must put 

 a duty of 1 shilling per lb. on China tea. India can give 

 England enough tea for all her wants, provided the duty 

 is not raised. R. Recneps. 



March. 



Agriculture and Arts Association 01 Ontario. — 

 We have received a diploma from this Association 

 for a collection of Books on the various Products 

 of Ceylon. A diploma has been awarded to Mr. 

 David Dawapurarathna for a plumbago elephant. 



Showers in Tobago. — Welcome showers have bad a 

 most beneficial effeot on the country, which was beginning 

 to feel severely the effeots of the recent drought. Though 

 too late to be of much benefit to the coming orop, tho 

 general oooling down of the temperature made a very 

 agreeable change from the dry hot weather they have so 

 long had. — Colonies and India. 



The Lantana Plant. — Lantana oalled the planter's 

 curse in Coorg, does not appear to be so black as it is 

 painted. It is remarked of this plant that its growth in 

 Coorg is very vigorous, aud the spread of lantana in the 

 Attur Forest close to Fraserpett is said to be truly wonder- 

 ful, and may be expeoted in time to improve the character 

 of this forest ; while in aud about Mercara the growth of 

 young forest trees under the shelter of the lantana is most 

 marked. At present, therefore, the spread of the lantana 

 has its value by making the forest impenetrable, and leads 

 to the hope that it may enrich the soil of abandoned 

 estates which may bo overgrown with it. — Pioneer. 



Tripartite Frtiit.— Extract from "Egypt and Mohammed 

 Ali," by James Augustus St. John, I08!. Vol. II, p. 363. 



An extraordinary fruit tree, produced by an extremely 

 ingenious process. They t. ike three seeds — the citron, the 

 orange, and the lemon — and carefully removing the ex- 

 ternal coating from botli sides of onr of them, and 'rem 

 one side of the t-tco others, place the former between the 

 latter, and binding the three together with line grass, pl.iei 

 them iu tl.e earth. From tins mixed seed springs a tree, 

 the fruit of which exhibits three distinct species included 

 within one rind, the division being perfectly visible ex- 

 ternally, and the Savour of each compartment as different 

 as if it had grown on a separaf tre< lie's curious method 

 1.1 producing u tripartite fruit has been introduced by 

 Boghos YousMjutt from Smyrna, his native city, where it 

 is said to have been practised from time immemorial. 



