Feb. I, 1S86.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURlSf, 



585 



Correspondence. 



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To the Editor of the " Geylon Observer." 

 TEA IN UVA : USEFUL INFORMATION, &c. 

 Badulla, 9th January 1886. 



I suppose it is due to the fact that the cultivation ol 

 tea in Uva is as yot, comparatively speakiny, in its in- 

 fancy that wo arc up to the present time almost 

 entirely exempt from criticism of any kind, bul 

 our turn is coming, and, when it does come, we 

 are in hopes that we shall have so benefited by 

 the experience of those who have preceded us in 

 the cultivation that there will lie very little to 

 reflect upon. Let us lay to heart the lesson now 

 being taught to others, and be not boastful, but 

 await in patience what things the future may have 

 in store for us. 



A friend of mine, a tea planter (albeit he is a 

 capital maker of tea as well), living within a 

 hundred miles of Eookwood, whom I recently re- 

 galed with a short account of the progress 

 we were making with tea in Uva, coupled with an 

 invitation to come and see it, and winding up with 

 a warning that the Kandy side folks had need 

 to look to their laurels, good-naturedly retorted 

 that they would take a deal of beating, that at 

 best therunning would be even ; and that, as for 

 the laurels, there were probably enough in the 

 world to provide wreaths for the sunny brows of 

 Uva for many years to come, without depriving 

 Kandy of her share. So mote it be, for we owe a 

 debt of deep gratitude to our friends on the other 

 side. 



We have not as yet amongst us any great authority 

 on the plucking and manufacture of tea, but this 

 will come in due course. A considerable amount 

 of practical experience has however been gained 

 on one or two important points. We have learned 

 that tea can be planted and grown just as 

 easily and inexpensively as almost anything else. 

 We have learned that there are such things as 

 :1ocd seed and bad seed, and this has proved a 

 most painful experience to some ol us. My own 

 experience in this connection has been very trying, 

 and I tear, judging from the large areas that have 

 been planted with seed, I am not singular in this 

 lespect. We only know from hcarsaij what estates 

 l)roducc a good jat, but we have better experience 

 to guide us as to the source of supply of rotten 

 and light seeds which jeopardize the success of our 

 nurseries and clearings and which will effectually 

 prevent us from troubling the same people again. 

 I haire always been exceptionally successful with 

 iiur=erie8 of all kinds, including tea, up to the 

 present sea.^on. Last year 3S maunds of seed 

 yielded mc plants enough to plant and supply over 

 '200 acres. This season I had over 50 maunds of 

 seed, about half of which quantity was supplied 

 by a Mr. Lomeringsky, while the balance was made 

 up of 15 maunds imported from Calcutta, and 10 

 maunds from a well-known estate in Dolosbage. 



The two last lots of seed delivered in Badulla cost, 

 roughly speaking, Rl.OOO, while the former lot 

 cost about RljlOO. The outturn of plants has been 

 as follows : — 

 From Dolosbage ) 4.50,000 at R3 j exclusive of nurs. 



(t imported seed ( 50 per 1,000 ) ery upkeep &c- 



I'rom Mr. Lome- i 150.000 at R7 j exclusive of nnrs- 



lingsky's seed / per 1,000 j cry upkeep Ac. 



lud the plants at BS'oO per tboueand are woith 



7i 



more than twice as much as those which cost R7. 

 These figures are somewhat startling, and it is hoped 

 they will prove of some service to those of my brother- 

 planters who contemplate making nurseries for the 

 requirements of next year. The moral contained in 

 them is obvious, and is of too important a nature to 

 be lig'..ly set aside. IGH DIEN. 



THE BLACKSTONE ROLLER. 



Tyspany, Kotmale, 25th Jan. 1880. 

 Dear Sir, — Mr. Barber's roller is being much dis 

 uussed on estates and in the papers, and, having 

 ■seen th^ 'lachine at work, I must speak as to the 

 really •• good " work it docs. The question that 

 seems most at issue is : " Will the roller roll any- 

 thing but fine leaf ? " I have heard it said that Mr. 

 Barber only rolls very fine leaf, which is the secret 

 of the good work and that the roller perha))s would 

 not hold its own with other machines were it not 

 for this fine plucking. I have seen the leaf brought 

 in from the field and on the withering tats, and 

 must say that the plucking was only "ordinary" 

 plucking, such as one sees on most estates in 

 Ceylon. I feel sure that Mr. Barber's roller will 

 roll icell any leaf that should be brought into a 

 tea factory.— Yours faithfully, W. C. THOMAS. 



COFFEE AND PEPPER EXPORTS FROM 



WESTERN INDIA. 



Tellicherry, 4th Jan. 188H. 

 Dear S:b, — We have the pleasure to hand you 

 our usual statement of exports of coffee and pepper 

 from this coast for the year ending 30tli June last. 



The figures cannot be taken to represent the exact 

 yield of the districts in proximity to the different 

 ports, for, as we have previously pointed out, some 

 coffee finds its way to Madras, especially from the dis' 

 tricts of Coorg and Mysore ; and, as regards jiepper, 

 native dealers hold over from one season to an- 

 other and no very accurate idea of each year's crop 

 can be obtained. 



Coffee. — The coffee crops in Coorg fell far short 

 of anticipations, while in Mysore estimates woi'e 

 generally realized, the result being that Mangalore 

 exported the largest quantity of coffee, heading 

 I Tellicherry, which, for some years previous, had 

 maintained the first place. Judging from the ex- 

 ports of this produce from Calicut and Beypore, 

 crops from Wynaad, the Neilgherries and the 

 Ouchterlony Valley did not show any improvement. 

 Cochin and Quilon have exceeded their last year's 

 exports. 



Psospects. — In Coorg crops will show an improve- 

 ment on the past season, and, from all we have 

 heard, planters who are now picking are generally 

 B! ti fied that their estimates will be realized and in 

 some cases exceeded, and wo think the ' same can 

 be said of Mysore. As regards the other districts, 

 we have no any reliable information. 



Pepper. — Judging from exports, the yield this past 

 season was a very good one, Tellicherry, as usual, 

 exporting considerably more than all the rest of 

 the ports put together, natives now cultiv- 

 ating to a very large extent in North Malabar. 

 From what wc can gather the coming crop, although 

 not 80 good, will be as large as last year, a greater 

 area of land having come into bearing. — We are, dear 

 sir, vours faithfully, 



7.. ?.ro. ALSTON, LO'W ,V Co.. 

 liiLPii Tatu.ui. 



