864 



VHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[May i, 1885. 



bring the stiff, inert or sour subsoil to the top. 

 An experiment on Ihe estate whence I write is 

 most interesting and promising. Stones, where they 

 exist, are used to protect the upper sides of paths. 

 Then small drains a few inches deep are cut at 

 distances of a couple yards apart, following the 

 contour of the ground, and into these are placed 

 aud covered over with soil all primings, fallen leaves, 

 weeds and fragments of decomposing timber. With 

 forkiug carried out in the spaces between the terraces 

 thus formed, cultivation is perfect, the weeds de- 

 composing and yielding manure. We were told that 

 encouraging results had not followed forking on one 

 of the Awisawella estates, and we should certaiuly 

 think the best results from that process cannot he 

 attained until the rock fragments on the surface of 

 the soil have been arranged into terraces round the hill 

 faces. We believe the expense of the operatiou will be 

 more than amply repaid, forking and ultimately manur- 

 ing being theu possible. The tea estates in the Lower | 

 Kelani Valley have been opened on all descriptions of ; 

 land. In forest so grand that Mr. Byrde told me of a 

 hora tree he had measured when jelled, the length 

 of which was 189 feet, the girth and cubic contents i 

 being in proportion. To utilize forest like this, 

 steam saw-mills were used, but the enterprize, we ; 

 believe, proved uuprolitable in competition with 

 superior advantages enjoyed by "lumberers" in the 

 valley of the Kaluganga. Transit in the latter case 

 is probably easier and cheaper. Then places, like 

 Penritb, are being opened on old cheua equal to 

 forest, while a couple of estates we visited en route 

 to Mipitikande had been formed from bamboo- 

 land, the bamboo being not the great borer-breeding 

 Bambusa arundinacea of the Wynaad and Coorg, 

 but the small Ceylon batali, the undergrowth of 

 many of our jungles. On enquiring with some sur- 

 prize, we were told that the profuse existence of the 

 small bamboo was really a sign of good soil, and 

 certainly the growth of tea bushes on Spring Vale 

 was all that could be desired. In Upper JJimbula or 

 Lindula here, our forest generally is very poor com- 

 pared with the tall giants of the Lower Kelani 

 Valley and especially the tremendous trunks and 

 umbrageous heads of the Matale trees, — trees which 

 contractors hesitate or refuse to f ice. Of course 

 altitude and climate account fur much, but when, in 

 prospecting wo suspected poor soil, we were reassured 

 hy the statement that a luxuriant undergrowth of NILU 

 {s/robilaidhui) always indicated a rich soil, aud cert- 

 ainly, as it has turned out, a tiuer aud more suit- 

 able soil for tea there could not possibly be found, 

 such being the decision of a succession of Assam 

 authorities. Now that the earth has been cultivated 

 Under cinchonas or tea, or each in succession, for 

 some eight years, its appearaDC, when terraced as 

 described above, surprizes ourselves as well as others. 

 We mention the matter as an encouragement to some 

 who nuy have needless feu-s as to poor soil, 

 like the purchasers of property near Awisawella, 

 who were frightened at the carpeting of broken 

 stone they fouud on this sod. Those stones, built 

 into terraces : conserving soil, warmth aud moisture 

 aud themselves gradually decomposing, roiy yet prove 

 the chief elements in the successful culture of tea 

 in that region. Reversing Shakspere's epitaph, let 

 us say : 



"Blessed be he who moves those stones," 

 into terraces encircling the hills like necklaces. The 

 8toniuess of the soil as well as the tierce heat of 

 the atmosphere rendered our ascent through the fine 

 tea (some of it " Iudigenous Assam") on Avisawella 

 estate somewhat trying, but oh ! the delightful change 

 and instant relief when we attaint d the summit at 

 700 feet or so above sea-level and commenced a 



walk through forty acres (they -seemed four hundred) 

 of Malabar cardamoms. The plants themselves, with 

 leafy brauches risiug from twelve to twenty feet 

 high, were sufficient to afford a large proportion of 

 shade; but the cardamom plantation was effectually 

 shaded and so were we by a grove of the noblest 

 possible .trees, common to Ceylon, some of them 

 valuable timer trees. Happily the proportion of 

 valuable timber trees in the forests of the hill re- 

 gions of Oeylon, destroyed in the process of clear- 

 ing, is small. The case is different in the forests 

 of the lowcountry, and adjoining Avisawella we 

 saw laud, the property of one of the numerous clan 

 Fernando, the timber from which had over and over 

 again repaid the price paid for the land. Cases of 

 this kind, as well as the advisability of setting aside 

 forest reserves for timber, have doubtless influenced 

 Government in its present obstructive policy as to the 

 sale of lauds suitable for tea. But, the climatic argu- 

 ment put aside as absurd, in a monsoon-eugirdled 

 island like Ceylon, Mr. Vincent's own report yields 

 the best reasons against excessive forest reserves. The 

 number of timbers which the public will purchase aud 

 use is, after all, exceedingly limited and the localities 

 whence even such timbers can bo cheaply conveyed to 

 market are also very few. Besides which the tendency 

 of our day is everywhere to supersede wood by iron in 

 structures. Take only the case of old iron rails. They 

 have been largely used in the erection of coal sheds 

 and in bridging streams, and they will be more and 

 more used in the construction of factories and withering 

 houses on tea estates, combining as they do strength 

 with the quality of occupying but a fraction of the 

 space taken up by stoue pillars and thick woeiden posts. 

 The use of iron, too, will decrease the real danger from 

 fire. Let us hope, therefore, that a moderate and wise 

 policy in regard to forest reserves may prevail such as 

 will not check the enterprize on which the reviving 

 prosperity of the colony depends. Much of the now 

 forested lands in the valley through which the noble 

 Kelani flows in its course of nearly one hundred miles 

 from mountain to sea can be spared for clearance 

 without climatic, scenic, or economic injury resulting. 

 We were amongst the luxuriant cardamoms and the 

 noble forest shade, ou the top of Avisawella estate, 

 when we concluded our last instalment of notes of 

 our journeys up the Valley of the Kelaniganga. 

 More luxuriant cardamom growth wc did not again 

 see ou our journey, the debris eveu of fallen stalks 

 being enormous. Mr. Byrde considered the use of 

 the knife iu removing withered stalks inadmissible, 

 as the stallis died back aud so far weakened the 

 s'ool. Withered branches here were, therefore, 

 pulled up, but subsequently on other places we 

 found cutting resorted to. Ihe mode in which the 

 acetnes of the "Malabar" cardamoms creep along 

 the surface of the soil was not in accordance with our 

 sense of the fitness of things, and here and elsewhere 

 we suggested wooden shingles or flat earthen tiles 

 to be placed beueath the fruit stalks. We were told, 

 liowever, that neither rain nor soft earth splashed 

 up did any material damage, although we certainly 

 preferred the upright habit of the fruit-stalks on the 

 Mysore cardamoms which we subsequently -aiv gro.ving 

 ou the top of Gooineia estate. in both cases the 

 plants flouri hed. the Mysore kind being much more 

 independent of shade. '1 h se, however, as far as our 

 recollection goes, we saw nowhere except ou Goomera. 

 In proceeding from Oouonnagalla, under the guidance 

 of Mr. M. H. Thomas, wc passed through either a 

 mile or two miles of tine cardamons, — fine generally, 

 although exceptional spots showed that this plant 

 above most others decelerates rich loam. Shady and 

 well watered ravines are evidently its favourite 

 hauuls, and in a ravine of this description we taw 

 some most promising plants belonging to Madulkelly 



