GcroBfiR T, 1885.2 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURISl". 



291 



this month, showing that low qniility silk can be 

 treated with a preparation of glrcerine and converted 

 into imitation catgut, which has tiner propecrtiea than 

 that ordinarily supplied, for it is stronger than cat- 

 gut and is not so easily acted on by the atmo- 

 spheric changes. — I am, yours obediently. 



THOS. CHRISTY, 



ECOXOXIt IN TEA-LEAD. 



The Cevlon Tea and Coffee Co., Ld., 1, Guildhall 

 Chambers, 33, Basinghall St., •21st Aug. 1S85. 



Dear Sir, — Amongst the many things in which 

 keen competition here has necessitated strict eco- 

 nomy being practised, there is one item which may 

 be serviceable to your planters. In conmiencing to 

 lead boxes, half-chests and chests for our English 

 and foreign trade, tea-lead in the ordinary sheets 

 was used. But the cutting to waste was great. I 

 then considered the possibility of obtaining the lead 

 in three pieces for each case : a top, a bottom and 

 one piece for the four sides. I have had the tea- 

 lead for 20, 50, and 100 lb. cases cut at the works 

 in these three pieces, thus saving waste, time, and 

 soldering. I commend this to your tea-planters, who, 

 I find on examination, lose greatly in the turnover 

 and extra solder and labour, a chest often con- 

 taining six pieces and rarely less than five. I 

 pack all sorts of tea here, large and small. — Yours 

 faithfully, A. L. HUTCHISON, 



ilanafling Director. 



[Very like an advertisement ? — En.] 



THE YIELD OF TEA PER ACBE IN 

 CEYLOK. 



22pa August 18S5. • 



Dear Sir, — In commenting on my letter which 

 appeared in your "Overland" issue of 19h instant 

 you a-k : " Bat how about the low averages worked 

 oat by Mr. Rutherford ? " 



Now, in the fir t place, I would cirefuUy avoid 

 committing myself to an aver.ige of 400 lb. per acre 

 for the island, tor some years to come at all events, ; 

 although I see no reason why that rate of yield 

 should not be obtained under fair average con- 

 ditions as to soil, climate and cultivation, without J 

 sacrifice of quality in the 6th year from planting. | 

 Individual escates may produce heavier crops whilst 1 

 others are left f.<r behind, and will be so proSably 

 to the end, for reasons which are obvious enough 

 without particular zation. 



Mr. Rutherford's Ftatement affords its own ex- ' 

 plana'ion of the p^int r-aised by your inquiry, 

 inasmuch as he attributes the low yield for 1885 

 which he puts at 2101b. per acre to Vne immaturity 

 ot our plants ; and that this dops in great part 

 account for ii may be seen from the fact, that 

 whereas acoordins to his tible the average yield 

 rises in 1886 to 212 lb. per acre, it Mis in the 

 followimj year to 175 lb. nnj'ig to th- addition 

 of .SO.OOO acres planted in 1884 and jieldiii? only 

 100 lt>. per acre to the bearing acreage for 188')-7. 

 It is this disproportion in the eri'ly yerr? of the new 

 enterprise between tho acreage of tea only just 

 com'neDcin^ to giv*- leaf and I hat of our older tea— 

 the ratio being 50 under 4 to 19 over 4 years old 

 — which reduces the average yield. lu 18S7-8 the 

 disproportion is lessened, the rates beinc t>9 to 30, 

 and a correspondingly be ter average yie'd is shown. 



We have however to account for the low average 

 yield shown by .Mr. Rutherford for t°a 4 years old 

 and upwards ia 1S85 6 ; and >ou will observe that 

 I do not challenge the subjtan'ial accuracy of hia 

 estimate. 



The reason must, I think, bo sought for in the 

 fact that at first we planted much too widely, and 

 thus had too few trees to the acre, This Trid« ' 



planting wcu'd tell most unfavourably in poor lu d 

 Tlius 4 X 1 or 4 X ,"1 m-.iy be the right distance op^rt 

 for tea under cert.'''-' conditions, whereas uider 

 others 3x3 or even 2 x 2 would have to be tho 

 di^tance in order to secure a remunera'ive yield of 

 leaf. I know of gardens which were origimlly 

 planted nominady (5x6 and actually 8 x 8 to ullow 

 for the spr. ad which was expected from iho magni- 

 ficent jat scipprsed to have been laid down. This 

 was c irriid out under Inf'ian authority ; and ytars 

 afterwards the same authority agreed flat in'er- 

 plantiug would be advisable. ) have no doul t otheis 

 than my self are acquainted with the fame procffs. 

 —Yours faithfully, C. W. H. 



ixPORT OF CINNAMO.V. 



Colombo, -4ih Aupu.'t ISP.'i 

 Dear Sir, — In your last London crmmeicial httf r 

 reference is made to the rumours circulated thtre to 

 the eft'ect tl at there would be "a U'arked nccline in 

 the exports of tinramon frrm Cevlon during the next 

 few months." Why or how this decline is autic'pati d 

 I cannot guess. But I find that the exports of cin- 

 camon during the present and the past three years 

 were as follows, viz. : — 



Bales lb. 



From 1st Oct. 1881 to 20th Aug. 1882 l,lt'0,.';i9 

 „ 1S82 „ 1883 1.072,L'70 



„ 1883 „ 18S4 l,3.^3.a2C 



„ 1884 „ 1885 1,242,372 



This shows that the exports ot 1883-4 were niu h 

 in excess of those of 1882-3 or U8I-2. Tliere was a 

 slight falling- fi' in the exports for lSSI-5 as com- 

 pared with 1883 4, but they compare very favorably 

 with the exports of the two preceding y- ara. The 

 slight falliug-off isduetoihe lite setting-iu of the 

 southwest moneron, which is the season lor peeling 

 and curing. But this will not materially afhct 1 he 

 trade'. CincaT-.on is not usually afficted to any 

 very considerable extent by the failure of rain or 

 protracted dry weather. To say that cino. men 

 has been short in pirdnct on o«ing to the exten- 

 sion of coconut and tea planting is sin'ply a 

 fallacy. Cinnamon has in no place been upri ot^il or 

 burnt out to make room for other new pn du' ts. 

 But thes'? who ur;;6 this as a reason to account for 

 the decline in tho expirts of cinn.amon forget 

 to take an account of land which is being 

 newly converted into cinnamon plan'a'ions. The 

 slight decline in the exports, besides being due to 

 the lateness of the working season, may also be 

 accounted for by the unprecedentedly low prices 

 which have ruled for some time in the einnairon 

 market-prices which held out little or no induce- 

 ment to proprietors of cinnamoo propeit'es to pre- 

 pare the article for shipment. That the lighter 

 kinds are in greater favour is easily explained. The 

 owners of small patches of nn«mon do not grudge 

 to pay higher wages to the peelers and o'hers enpaged 

 in the curing trade in order to give to their snia 1 

 consignments an appearance very much (he same as 

 if not quite equal to that of the product of 'arce 

 estates. This is easily accomplished by giving tho 

 bark a finer appearance. But after a'l this consists 

 only in appearance, not in quality, Cinnamon if an 

 article which has to be tested by taatc, not by sight. 

 — Yours truly. H. 



THE USE OF CO.AL IN TEA FACTOKIESi 

 EXPERIMENTS ON KINTYRE. 



Kintyre, 27th August 1885. 

 Dear Sir, — Annexed I send you the result of 

 experiments made with coal in my tea factory. 

 I think as far ac the sirocco experiments go, they 

 are sutisf-ictory. The coal cost E45'00 a ton on 

 the estate and was not. I think, of very pood quality 

 being email in lize. Of coarse, iq calcnUtiiag cost 



