16 



allows for cost of survey, clearing of land, pit- 

 ting, making of roads, value of roots, cost of 

 transplanting, and sundries (including wear and tear 

 of tools), one acre will only yield 22^- tons of green 

 stems, or 5-J- of dried stems, at a cost of 2 7s. 8d. 

 It seems to me, therefore, that adding the charges 

 which I have not included in my calculation, the 

 aggregate cost would be so great as to forbid a con- 

 tinuance of the undertaking. 



17. I may of course be wrong and Mr. Routledge 

 Wh i i s c cor?ectT te right ; but our respective estimates vary 

 to such a striking extent that a searching investiga- 

 tion seems desirable with a view to arriving at a just 

 conclusion as to their comparative merits. Having 

 the interest of India at heart, I shall be agreeably 

 surprised if, after careful inquiry, Mr. Routledge's 

 proposition proves to be practicable ; indeed I shall 

 hail with delight the advent of bamboo into the 

 European market, for the vastness of the paper-trade 

 affords ample room for the introduction of bamboo, 

 as well as of the different fibres to which I give pre- 

 ference, not only for the manufacture of paper, but 

 likewise for textile fabrics, ropes, sail-cloths, &c. 



18. An indispensable factor in framing estimates 

 cost of labour an im- of agricultural operations is unques- 



portant item in such 



estimates. tionably the cost of labour, and the 



popular opinion that this is remarkably cheap in. 

 tropical countries often leads to false and untrust- 

 worthy calculations. I fear Mr. Routledge has fallen 

 into this error when reducing his scheme to figures. 

 Although many parts of India, and especially the 



