March i, 1886] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



647 



timstion that two men were in before him, nnd the 

 tirst man had got the seed. How many more may 

 liave applied goodnessonly knows, but thesethrce alone 

 were triumph enough. Thus was genius rewarded. 



There have been many imitators of this hold 

 act since then, not exactly following in the same 

 lines but rather animated with the same spirit. 

 Yon know the story of the man sending home 

 to one of the iUustrated papers a sketch of a town 

 in Northern India, and his chagrin to see it appear 

 disfigured and rendered untruthful with clumps 

 of palms. In answer to his artistic contributor's 

 indignant protest that there were no such trees to be 

 seen in that part of Hindustan, the Loudon 

 L-diior calmly replied that that might be so. but tlie 

 British public demanded palms 1 



In these days there is a^ emphatic a demand from 

 the Ceyion planters for tea seed, and they are de- 

 termined to get it and io get it where until now no 

 good }&t has ever before been got. As you value 

 your seed so will excited buyers value it, and the 

 way to turn a bad jat into a good one. is boldly to 

 stick on the price. 



It is only last year that I was with a fiicnd who 

 was after 'tea plants. Visiting a tea garden he 

 was eiHjniriug at the obliging manager if ho knew 

 of any nursery for sale, and was told that there 

 was one there, raised from seed gi-own on the estate. 

 ■ But," said the manager, " to be honest with you, 

 I would not put them out myself." •• Such con- 

 tidence should beget confidence," laughingly replied 

 my friend, ■' and if )/o» would not plant them out, 

 lo be honest with you, no more will I." So vehe- 

 mently, however, are the Ceylon planters demand- 

 ing tea seed, that this despised jat, which less 

 than a year ago had to be apologized for if a man 

 were to keep an honest character, is today actually 

 advertized at K()0 a maund 1 



Is ther" any need for this hurry-skurry and 

 scrambling for seed? The tea seed crop is not 

 always to be short : nay, as far as my knowledge 

 goes', there is at present a fairly good crop on the 

 trees, and while no one would object to give a good 

 price for a good jat. there is unfortunately much 

 rubbish being offered at high prices, which would 

 be dear at nothing. 



Those who have seed-bearing trees of a good 

 jit have since the present rise been doing re- 

 markably well. From all such fortunate individuals 

 there are purring expressions of thorough satisfac- 

 tion, life is worth living, so complete is the reign 

 of contentment within. When they descend to 

 figures they can show many a good thing, and from 

 among a crowd the best which I have heard of wai- the 

 landing of R7,000 in the month of .January from 

 tea seed alone, and this from a place which is 

 turning out large quantities of tea, at splendid prices. 

 Is it to be wondered at that every here and there 

 there is a sanguine man who scouts at anything 

 like a fall in prires either in the near or the 

 distant future, wliu hrldslhat the leaf and the seed 

 will ever rem.iin hip"';, that the tea plant will do 

 more for Ceylon than the coffee free ever did, and 

 that we are within touch of a prosperity whicii will 

 rival the days of the past, if not indeed cause 

 them to be forgotten? 



The rise in the price of ebony, and the increased 

 demand fo" it. are bringing out offers from dealerfl 

 who are prepared to fell, and cut out the valuable 

 timber from trees growing in your jungle if yon 

 are fortunate enough to have any. LIO a ton is 

 oHfered for the wood, the cost of cutting and trans- 

 port to be borne by the buyer. Considering that 

 ebony is worth R**"! a ton in Colombo, those who 

 make contracts at B40 a ton are not likely to 

 lose anything, Pefperc'obn. 



PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION OF CEYLON. 



The following are extracts from the .^'ind annual 

 report for lSl8">-(> of the Ceylon Planters' .\ssociation 

 rend at the annual meeting on 17th Felirnar\. 

 1880 :— 



PLAXTIVG IMtODrCTS. 



Coffte. — This staple claims precedence by reason of 

 the value of its crop being still greater than that ol 

 any other prodnet. but the exports of this old staple 

 still contiuno to f:i!l. In tlie Kandyan Provinces 

 that most destructive of pests black-bug has con- 

 turned its ravages, and ere long coffee will be practic- 

 ally extinct in the Northern Districts. In the young 

 disti'icts, too, the falling-off has been great, due in- 

 anieasm-e to the continued attacks of leaf-disease, but 

 nioro imniodiately to extended tea cultivation entail- 

 ing the dostructioji nf much coffee. V\\ some favored 

 localities — notablv TJdapussellawa and portions of Uva 

 — goodreuuiiierative evops have boon gathered and the 

 cotfee retains its vita-lity. — The exports for 1885 were 

 315 641) cwts., agamst 2iW.:Wj cwt., in 1884. 



Tea. — The hopes which yonr Committee expressed 

 during the last two years about tliis cultivation have 

 so far been more than realized. The area under 

 cultivation has during the past year been greatly 

 incrciised, and in almost every district manufacture has 

 couimenced. The quality of the teas has been main- 

 tained, notwithstanding the large proportion gathered 

 from young bushes, and satisfactory prices have been 

 realized both in the London and Colombo markets. 

 Yonr Committee has noted with satisfaction the 

 establishment of a regular market in (Colombo, and 

 the strides which it has made — over half a nn'Uion 

 pounds haviuj< been exposed for sale there during 

 the last seven mouths of the year. Improvements 

 and economies in the modes of manufacture continue 

 to be introduced. Your Committee trusts that by 

 these means the quality of the teas will advance 

 still further and the cost of production diminish. 

 The exports for 1885 were 4.37'2,71 Ih., against 

 2,H'.I-2.<.172 lb. in 1881. 



Cinchona. — Notwithstanding the growing feeling 

 that in a few years' time this product will again lie- 

 come one of great value, there h.-ns been, practically, 

 no further planting of cincliona. The need for money 

 to plant tea, the slow growth of tea when covered 

 by growing cinchonas, as well as the dying-nff of 

 the trees themselves, are caus*^s which have letl to the 

 enormous expcirt of 13 736,17U Ih. for thi' past year 

 a4?ainst 11,805.280 lb. for 1881. " M'hile a rise in price 

 during the current year would lead to a considerable 

 export, there can be no doubt that the niaximinu pro- 

 duction has been reached, and that ere long thi;re will 

 be a great reduction in the quantity exported. It 

 may be doubted whether the acreage uud*T cin:;hona 

 is now one-fourth of what it notniually was four 

 years ago. 



Cacao. — In drawing attention to this valuable product 

 your Committee is glad to be able to point to the 

 decided improvement observable in its condition dur- 

 ing the year. Though the insect pent (Ilelopeltis), 

 which seemed until recently seriolisly to threaten 

 destruction or incalculable damage to large areas 

 phiutcd with cacao, cannot be said to have taken it,: 

 (lupartiirc, its ravages arc compfliatively mitigated 

 From whatever cai-se, -.vhether a mori- fcivnablo. 

 acison an.l a i.iyi.- evenly '■''i'stribated rainfrtlt oansi.ig 

 mailed vigour and power to tlirow out le;.f, the at- 

 tacke of Helopehi.i h.ave been confined to patchcH 

 now better understood to be nnturally unsuited to the 

 habits of tho trc;, owing to poor and shellow soil, 

 expoted ridges and went of nhMlc an.l Bh?!t«r. It 

 appears certain that the .^uccessfid and prolitahle 

 cufiivntioii of <iii;ao w.W be eonfined to certain local- 

 ities and of 'I'lch to only the best soil and lay oi land. 

 The iuiprovemenl that has already taken placi- lu 

 1 rtliipmrnt is matter for satiofaction whili' consumption 

 steadily increases and prices are maintained bey.ind 

 the expectati jn formed sonic years ago. The exports 

 for 18M5 were 7. lil'2 cwt., against 7,'255 cwt. m 1884. 



Minnr J'loilui la. — The production of cardamoms 

 has increased grcntly and as a consequence the price 



