322 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Nov. 2, 1885. 



dividing by 700. The fall in this instance is, say 

 1(5 feet, then 



377 X 16 



= 8-6 h. p. nearly 



— Yours uly, 



700 



D. K. M. 



No. II. 

 Colombo, 17th Sept. 1885. 

 Sir, — Keferring to the article in the Ceylon 

 Obseni'r of 14th instant, headed " Water-power 

 on Tea Estates," I beg to enclose extracts from 

 Moore's "Universal Assistant" and Trautwine's "Civil 

 Engineer's Pocket Book," which I believe may 

 prove useful. — I am, yours faithfully, P. 



{Extracts referred to.) 

 In the measm-ement of large open streams, first 

 ascertain the mean velocity in feet per minute, and 

 also the area of the cross section of the stream in 

 square feet, when the product of these two quantities 

 wall give the required quantity of water afforded by 

 the stream. The velocity of such stream can be 

 estimated by throwing floating bodies on the surface 

 of near the specific gravity of the water and rating 

 the time accurately required iu passing a given 

 distance. It is generally best to ascertain the veloc- 

 ity at the centre and from this ascertain the mean 

 velocity, which has been found by accurate and reliable 

 experiments to be 8.3 per cent, or about four-tifths 

 of the velocity of the sm'face of the stream. 

 The cross section may be estimated by measuring 

 the depth of the stream at a number of points at equal 

 distances apart (these points being in a line across the 

 stream) adding the depths togetlier, and multiplying 

 their sum by the distance apart in feet of any two points. 

 'This will give the result required in square feet of 

 cross section, when the product of mean velocity in 

 feet per minute and cross section in square feet, obtains 

 the quantity of water that the stream affords in cubic 

 feet per miimte. — Moore'--< Ihiirer.sal As:^L-ifarit. 



The 'Surface Vrloeitii sJioitd he tiieasnred in jterfectly 

 calm irealher so that the float may not be disturbed 

 by wind ; and, for the same reason the float should 

 not project much above the water. The measurement 

 should be repeated several times to eusure accuracy. 

 In very small streams the banks and bed may be 

 trimmed for a short distance so as to present a uni- 

 form chanuel way. The float should be placed iu the 

 water a little distance above the point for commenc- 

 ing the observation so that it nuiy acquire tlie full 

 velocity of the water, before reaching that point. 

 Remen'iber, if the chaimel is m common earth, 

 especially if sandy, the loss by soakago into the soil, 

 and by evaporation will frequently abstract so muclr 

 water" that the discharge will be less and less, the 

 farther down stream it is measured. — Trautwine. 



TEA IN JOHOfiE: 



LIIlEEI.iN COFFEE — CLIMATE — SOIL — L,VD0UB. 



Sib, — Under the above heading your correspond- 

 ent " W. H. G." endeavours to answer to the ques- 

 tion " Will tea pay in .Johore ?" and the conclusions 

 he appears to arrive at are 



(a) Tliat the rainfall, though sufficient, is not 

 well distributed ; 



(6) That the soil of Johore consists almost en- 

 tirely of clay, and tliat the root of the tea plant 

 cannot penetrate ; 



(r) That the class of labour available, and 

 not so much the cost of it, I gather, is unsatis- 

 factory. 



Hence tea cannot be grown in Johore to pay. 



It is not my intention in this letter to discuss 

 the question of tea cultivation per se, but ra- 

 ther to draw attention to a few facts in con- 

 nection with the climate, soil, and labour of 

 Johore, and thus enable your readers to form a 

 fair estimate of the capabilities of the country. 



In the opening paragi-aph of his letter to his 

 friend, " W. H. G." makes a statement to the fol- 

 lowing effect : " that planters of experience have given 

 the country of Johore a lengthened and determined 

 trial which has proved unsatisfactory and unprofitable 

 without an exception." This remark calls for con- 

 desirable modification, almost tantamount to contra- 

 diction. The words " unsatisfactory and unpro- 

 fitable trial " must be confined to the original at- 

 tempt made to grow Coffea Arabica, and which 

 venture, as is AveU-kno\\'n, proved a failure. 



Though the time has scarcely arrived when we 

 can speak with certainty as to the ultimate re- 

 sult of Liberian coffee cultivation, yet I can state 



I from personal observation and experience that no 

 X'foduct tried here gives fairer prospect of success 

 than this. Leaf-disease, which has proved so de- 



i trimental, not to say fatal, to this jjlant in Ceylon 

 has little or no effect here beyond retarding the 

 growth for a short time, the trees throning off 

 their sick leaves and resuming their normal vigour 

 very speedily. 



Crops are now coming in, one group of estates 

 at least having already shipped produce home 



. which, I learn, has realized very satisfactory 

 prices. Other estates wiU shortly follow suit, and 

 the prospective returns may be looked on as 



I anything but unsatisfactory and unprofitable. 



I Liberian coSee at any rate appears to have found 



1 a congenial home in Johore. 



Climate. — Your correspondent seems to speak 

 more from hearing than from actual observation 

 for any length of time of the climate. The usual 

 sicknesses (fever, ague, &c.) attendant upon the 

 opening-up of new land are no exception in 

 Johore. The town of Johore-Bahru, or the 

 shore of the Straits, is, as might be expected, 

 healthy. In the villages situated otherwise that 

 on the sea coast, on gambier and pepper plant- 

 ations worked by Chinese, fever is not at all un- 

 common ; and though mostly found in a mild form 

 is of frequent recurrence. On the other hand pro- 

 perties which have been under cultivation for some 

 time are quite healthy. 



The rainfall varies in different districts or parts 

 of the country, the further inland tlie greater the 

 amount ; but speaking generally I think I am within 

 the mark when I give the annual average for the 

 last four years at over 100 inches. I speak under 

 correction as I have not the figures by me at this 

 moment. This quantity is pretty evenly distrilmted 

 throughout the year, the driest months (and this 

 year they were the driest on record) being those from 

 January to May. l''or the remainder of the year 

 the rain is well distributed, and tea flushes freely, 

 a ten-day plucking being necessary. The daily 

 temperature in the shade ranges from 7:">'^ Fahr. to 

 92'-' in the lower districts ; on the hills, from 

 70" to 8.3° Fahi-. 



The " hill districts " so-called are Gunong Pulai 

 (700 ft.) and Batu Pahat. Wliere tea is planted in 

 Johore, the land is very little above sea-level and very 

 slightly undulating, though to the eye of an Assam 

 planter this may seem otherwise. 



.S'()(7. — The soil of the country, though not a 

 rich one, is good, the magnificent timber standing in 

 virgin forest being a sufficient proof that the soil 

 is very far from a poor one. Many analyses have 

 been made and will compare very favourably witli 

 those of average Ceylon soils, the only chemical 

 compound of which there appears to be a general 

 deficiency being lime. 



It is fair to the country and to the tea gardet 

 to which allusion is made by your correspondend 

 " W. H. G." to say that the estate was ojienen 

 upon what was once a pepper and gambier plant- 



