JANVAny J, iSSe,) THE TROPICAL AGRICULTl/RlSr, 



P9 



♦ 



To the Edilor of the " Ceijlon Oltserrer." 

 FISH-CUKING IN OEYLON. 

 Burma Koad 247, Peuang, 7th Dec. 1SS5. 



Dhak SlE, — I saw in your advertiser editiou some 

 over " fish-curiuK yards " but caunot find it back I 

 It is possible you can be so kind to give me some 

 informations over tl>is trade ? It is not so loug ago. 

 I read it perhaps Juli. 



Very much is it for my interest what I saw iu the 

 TiOjiicni Ay,-k!ilt>'ri-:t over wood from Japan for thr 

 boxes imported now, prices etc., having plenty useful 

 wood in Sumatra, " no smell," it should be very agree- 

 able to be in conection with a wood merchant of your 

 country. 



I be a Dutchman residing in Sumatra for short time 

 here, to be informed and hope you have not to much 

 trubJes for it. I can only offer you my best thanks, 



GUST. DIEJIANT. 



[All about the fish-caring experiment will be found in 

 the Tropical Ai/riculturist, which is filed in Penang.— 

 Ed/1 



THE ANNUAL MIGBATION OF BOTTEK- 

 iXIES. 



Dear Sit., — You have for many years drawn publis 

 attention to the singular migration of butterflies, so 

 striking a spectacle each year, that all must feel 

 some interest in it. 



Despite your repeated record, nothing has yet 

 been done "towards compiling and editing a scienti- 

 fic and comprehensive record of annual observ- 

 ations, recorded and unrecorded, especially those 

 which are exceptional. 



Thus you recently noticed broicn butterflies as 

 joining in the migration, and many years ago, at 

 Gampola, I witnessed a singular migration of one 

 of our largest and most gorgeous butterflies, the 

 great emerald gieen Papilio Grino. 



I propose to all interested in such matters, that 

 volunteers come fonvard to watch for migration of 

 butterflies, and send a postcard bulletin to an 

 editor of such records, noticing date, direction of 

 flight, direction of wind, weather, and specie. 

 All amateui' observers to send a specimen foldd 

 flat in paper, of one fly of each species noticed 

 to ensure scientific accuracy. 



A most competent natmalist has offered to re- 

 vise, assort and edit aU such notices, once or 

 twice a year. and. if your columns are open, I 

 have no doubt will gladly send you a short peri- 

 odical bulletin of progress, should the matter prove 

 popular enough, to occupy yom' spare corner now 



Will ladies and gentlemen Avilling to join this 

 "butterfly league" send me their names'? No 

 scientific knowledge is needed, and no apparatus 

 beyond a net. a few pieces of paper, and a pen 



The naturalist who offers to edit these notes 

 has kindly consented to publish his annual sum- 

 mary in my journal, and hence I propose to co- 

 operate by arranging preliminaries. — Tours faith- 

 fully, H. NEVHiL. Editor of Taprobaniaiu 



TEA KOLLING MACHINEKY : GBEAT SUC 

 CESS OF BABBEBS NEW BOLLEE. 

 Strathellie, Nawalapitiya. SOlh Dec. 1885. 



I'k.iu SiK. — I notice in yesterday's Obxeivcr re- 

 ference made by Mr. Barber to the trial of his 

 roller at Blackstone at which Messrs. G. A. Talbot, 

 W. S. Thoma.'*. A. Scovell. J. H. Barber and my- 

 self were present. As the matter of selection of 

 tea machinery is one which is exercising the minds of 

 so many, I venture to give further details of the trial. 



As ^^r. Harber .-^tale.-, 2 of the rolls were |inl -htil 

 iu lU minutes each of actual rolling. The roller 

 was not stopped until the Itli roll was finished, 



and, including the time taken in filling and deliver- 

 ing, the following is a record of the exact figures 

 of the consecutive rolls referred to : — 



Started at Finished. 

 1st roll 801b. not sufficiently 



withered 

 2nd „ 85 ,, 

 3rd „ 85 „ 

 4th „ 90 „ 



Bevolutions of the roller disc3=30 per minute. 

 Motor used, 12 ft. water-wheel with 3 ft. buckets. 



The above results show 3.50 lb. of withered, 

 or about ."JUO lb. of green, leaf rolled in the hour. 

 The quality of the roU, too, left nothing to be 

 desired, as was evidenced from the finished teas 

 which .1 subsequently had the advantage of 

 inspecting and tasting. Mr. Barber introduces 

 an entirely novel device into the art of tea- 

 rolling by macliinery, in his movable oblate 

 spheroid, or fluted globe, which in combination 

 with his " Barber " battens alternating with 

 other, raised and newly designed, battens on 

 discs travelling in opposite directions (at about 

 30 revolutions per minute) gives to the leaf a true 

 and complete centrifugal motion. 



I am of opinion that the sooner and more 

 generally this machine can be brought before 

 the public the better ; for the above results lead 

 me to the conclusion that the roller is likely to 

 command attention from many of those now 

 introducing maehinei'y into their factories, more 

 especially those with deficient or expensive motive 

 power.— Yours faithfully, AETHUB SCOVELL. 



Syluet. — Tea production inSylhetis rapidly increasing 

 and the district will soon be one of the most prominent. 

 The number of gardens is 111 against 46 in 1876, cert- 

 ainly a very rapid extension. The order of the Chief 

 Commissioner prohibiting low lauds being given to 

 planters in the Pratabgarh tahsil is a little astonish- 

 ing. The resolution says : — " This order naturally caused 

 some dis.satisfaction at the time, but already a large 

 portion of the land thus protected has been occupied 

 by ryots, who would otherwise have been excluded." 

 By the lease granted to tea-planters for tea for a 

 term of years one of the conditions is, that the same 

 be sold by public auction in the Deputy Commissioners' 

 office, after being duly notified in the A^sam Gazette^ 

 and notices posted locally on the ground. It is difficult 

 to see why Government should step in, .nnd stop pri- 

 vate enterprize. If the ryots want the land, let them 

 attend the auction and bid for the lease. In addition to 

 this, why did those ryots not take up this land before ? 

 Simply, eithtr because they did not know of it, or else 

 were quietly waiting by, till the tea-planter had drained 

 the atijoinmg lands for tea, and thus rendered the 

 portions lying; higher, before unfit for rice caltiv- 

 ation, now suflicieutly dry to permit of their being 

 cropped. M'ho discovered that these low " hhed " lands 

 were the finest of soils ? No one but the tea-planter, 

 and hid reward is a prohibition by Government to go 

 any further in his searches, as be munt give way to 

 his Aryan brttbren '. How comes it that Sylhet has 

 been in existence for bo many years without its being 

 discovered tbat these lands were valuable? Was it be- 

 fore, or after the heavy influx of Europans and capital 

 that has poured into the diotrict the last few years ? 

 Europeans discovered it. and are entitled to it, and this 

 embargo placed upon taking up land, is simply a part 

 and parcel of the wretched, siiortBigi. ted policy, which 

 always has been the order of the diy^'th the present 

 Govtrnmeut. Not content with hampering the open- 

 ing out of new gardens, with vexatious cooly regul- 

 vtioDS, the next step is taken, when foiled in this direc- 

 ction, in prohihitiug the free acquisition ot land, not- 

 withstanding that planters may claim to have discovered 

 its value. — /nJian Ptanters' Gazette. [Here we have a 

 repetition of what was once a great grievance in Ocylon. 

 Holilers of piitches ot land near coffee estiites gathered 

 abnormal crops. But tea leaf is not so easily stolen 

 and .utilized as was the case with coffee berries, — Eo. 



