•}Ea 



fm I'^oMCAt AGmcuLfvmsf, 



[May 3, J sue. 



Seed of Khea Grass.— The Horticultural 

 Society of India state in their recent iiroceedings 

 that a communication had been received from 

 Messrs. Sutton and Son, Beading, England, stating 

 that " as Bliea Seed is likely to bo in considerable 

 demand in India, they are jirepared to supply 

 finest quality seed of Urtica nivea and Urtica 

 candicans." As yet there is little or no demand 

 for this seed, but as it is seldom saved in India 

 should any of the different processes now known 

 for extracting the fibre prove commercially success- 

 ful, the demand is likely to prove great. The 

 Indian seed has long been thought unfertile, 

 but the Society has recently raised a considerable 

 quantity of plants from seed gathered from plants 

 in its own garden. 



Feuit GiiowiNG.— Some short time ago Suav boast- 

 ed of its strawberries. Thereupon Eewa at once 

 claimed credit for its apples ; and now Levuka, 

 not to be behindhand, can speak with pride uf 

 its grapes. Many attempts have been made to 

 acclimatise the vine here, and not without partial 

 success. The p'ant grows luxurantly and forms a 

 most graceful ornament for training on the 

 verandah trellis or elsewhere ; but a;s a fruit 

 bearer it has not been a marked triumph. The 

 difficulty has been to give it a winter, so as to 

 check the continual flow of sap and prepare it 

 for a fresh fruit-bearing start. Both Mr. Dufty 

 and Jlr. Haiman have managed this by digging 

 the vine up and exposing the roots for a while, 

 but though bunches of grapes have been so ob 

 tained, they have been rarities, neither full-grown 

 or well-flavored. More recently Mr. W. I. Thomas 

 have adopted a ditt'erent plan, and with a marked 

 improvement in result. He has at his house a 

 vine which is about five years old, but which still 

 lately only bore occasional acidulated curiosities. 

 But on the advice of a friend, who recommended 

 the practice as one he had seen adopted with 

 success in other, tropical countries, he last year 

 . laid the roots thoroughly bare, and afterwards 

 filled in with sea sand and manure ; and he is 

 now rewarded with a very fair crop of full-grown 

 and very tine-flavored fruit. Already he has cut 

 about 15 pounds weight of grapes from his vine, 

 and as he has distributed them widely very many 

 can testify that they are of excellent quality and 

 most luscious ajipearance. — Fiji Anjuf. — [With 

 some such treatment of the roots and severe pruning 

 of the branches, fairly good grapes could, we should 

 think, be grown in Colombo. — En.] 



Matale Kast, Rattota.— (A Model Blantiiig Report 

 from an enthusiastic Ceylonese).— This district is 

 coming to the fore in the developiiieut of the tea 

 mduatry. if I may judge of the large area of land 

 now under cultivation with this product, though at 

 first some were sceptical as to the sufficiency of rain- 

 fall for a remnuerative fiush. Though it cannot be 

 categorised as a beau ideal for tea cultivation iii.so- 

 much as climate is conceruBd, yet it possesses many 

 desirable advantages in respect "to altitude and suit- 

 ability of Boil. Some few of the estates that in- 

 itiated this staple here in the early days of its iutro- 

 duction have by their produce and its quotations 

 proved conclusively that it is not behind hand on the 

 score of remuneration. As its cultivation a.haiices 

 1 hope the district will compete with the far-famed 

 districts of Ambagamuwa, Kelany Valley, Deltota, 

 Arc, as it so siiucebsfully did in the good days of yoro 



in regard to King Cotfco. Uappeuiug to pass Oo' 



and Ni estates— at one time the eiichautiug scene 



of luxuriant coffee fields— on my way up to JIadul- 

 kele, I observed a large acreage under and in pro- 

 cess of cultivation with the selfsame product that 

 characterizes " a cup that refreshes but not inebri- 

 ates." I hope you arc aware that these properties 

 changed hands recently to the Colombo Commercial 

 Company, tiwittid, and cousideriug the short time 



that has elapsed since the purchase, it is a matter 

 of congratulation to witness the works so far pro- 

 gressed. With the advancement of the enterprixe it 

 IS devoutly to be wished that the time will not be 

 lar distant when this once world-famed district would 

 recuperate its long lost prosperity. In conclusion I 

 must not omit to mention the ''f/i/ creditable manner 

 tliat the estates have been so far worked in all their 

 divergent works by the present superintendent who 

 no doubt deserves his meed of praise.— April 2nd.— 

 I regret you have not yet given insertion in your 

 inestimable journal to my letter sent from Eattota 

 on the 2Sth nit. in rr the tea industry there. I be" 

 you will give same publicity in one of your early 

 issues, so that it may have the beneficial effect of 

 drawing more capital thither, since there is a pretty 

 good acreage of private lands that can be cultivated 

 with this staple. I read yor editorial on tea cultiv- 

 ation by natives with pleasure. 



Oeiextai. Bank Estates Company. Limited.— 

 The liwcKtor'K Guanlum of IHth March has the 

 following notice of the new Company for which 

 everybody has been waiting so long. Although 

 however the Company has at length been registered, 

 there has been no transfer as yet to it of the 

 estates vested in the 0. B. C. ; but there can be 

 little donbt in which direction the decision of .the 

 Court will go. The floating of the Company is 

 evidence of increased confidence, in Ceylon estates 

 especially :— This company was registered on the r,i\i 

 inst., with a capital of £.5(;r,,700, divided into 00,000 

 preferred shares of £.5 each, and 2(iG,70O shares 

 of £1 each, to acquire any of the tea, sugar, coffee, 

 or other estates of the Oriental Bank Corporation 

 (in liquidation), situate in Ceylon and Mauritius, 

 and any of its lands, buildings and other real 

 property in India, Ceylon, China, Japan, and 

 elsewhere, and to carry on business as tea, sugar, 

 cocoa, cinchona, and coffee planters, wine and brandy 

 merchants, fruit growers and preservers, brewers 

 and manufacturers of all kinds of vegetable 

 products. Although but little over a year had elapsed 

 since the New Oriental Bank Corporation was formed 

 to take over.the banking business of the original Cor- 

 poration, it is now regarded as one of the most 

 successful of recent financial enterprises, a result 

 due to the assiduous attention given to the affairs 

 of the bank by the members of the executive. 

 As several of these gentlemen are interested in the 

 pre.^ent Company, and will, no doubt, assist in its 

 management, a successful future may be reasonably 

 anticipated. The holders of the prcfcieiice shares 

 will be entitled to be paid out of the proHts, and 

 as a first charge thereon, a fixed cumulative pre- 

 ferential dividend at the rate of seven per cent, 

 annum. The subscribers arc :~ 



rrefcrrid 

 Shriret*. 

 Edward F. Harri--oii, South Noi wood Hill, 



Indian Civil Service (retiredl ... 1 



A. J. Mackdouald, 40, Threadueedle Street, 

 banker ... ... ___ j 



K. M. MacLcaii, Elliot Hill, Hlackheutb, 

 banker ... ... ... i 



W. W. Cai-(;ill, Lancaster Lodge, O.inip- 

 denhill, barrister.. .„ ... i 



John S. Scrymgeour, 10, Altenburg-gar. 



deus, Olnphani Common, bankjUianager 1 



G. \y. Tlu)m.s(iii, New.stead, Forest-hill, 



banker ... ... ... | 



Robert Turner Kohde, -tO, ThreadiiPedle- 



.Htreet, Sicrclaiy to a Cnipany ... 1 



The number of directors is not to be loss than 

 four, nor more tlian eight; qualilication, shnros or 

 slock of the nominal value of L.">00. The sub- 

 scribers are to apiioint the Mrst directors, and may 

 act ad inlerim ; remuneration £1,000 per annum. 



i 



