478 



MANUAL OF THE NILAGIRI DISTRICT. 



Market 

 prices. 



CH. XXVII. fruit-growers in England ; lience in an equally difficult climate we 

 Agriculture ^^J presume it will require tlie same amount of time and experi- 



ence. The Hills produce a few fruits naturally, the hill guava, 



Brazil cherry, gualtheria, jamburs, wild strawberry, white and red 

 raspberry and blackberry. 



The vegetable market may be considered to be fairly well sup- 

 plied; but the Natives, who are the principal market-gardeners, 

 hardly aim at excellence, for which there are two reasons, first, 

 that people's butlers, as they are called, do the marketing ; this 

 lets in the vicious system of '' dustoorie,'' or what the Yankees 

 call " stealings.'' The fellow yclept butler buys field peas and 

 charges the price of marrow-fats to his mistress. The unfortunate 

 grower of marrow-fats has the field pea price quoted, and is 

 offered the same ; the spirit of excelling is utterly cowed within 

 him ; there is no one to appreciate his efforts, and shortly he gives 

 up marrow-fat growing and subsides into field peas. Thus it is 

 with everything. Some few years ago an Agri-Horticulturist 

 Society was established ; shows were organized, prizes were given 

 to Natives for the production of superior vegetables, good seeds 

 were distributed, and for a time some impression was made ; the 

 market-gardener improved in his productions, and things looked 

 promising; but unfortunately death stepped in — the able Commis- 

 sioner, Mr. Breeks, who took the greatest interest in these matters, 

 was carried off; members left, and once more the ever-present 

 butler had it all his own way, and surprise is felt that such a 

 climate and soil should be incapable of yielding vegetables equal 

 to those grown in England. 



The live stock of these Hills may be considered to be of an 

 inferior description, due to the following causes : first, the want of 

 nourishment in the natural grasses ; second, the excessive drought 

 from January to April, occasioned by a hot sun during the day 

 and frosts at night. During the three months of January, Feb- 

 ruary, and March, the cattle, unless fed in sheds, are starved, and no 

 breed in the world could thrive under such conditions. Indeed, 

 even in England, a century ago, so impossible was it to carry 

 the cattle through the winter, that a large percentage was 

 annually slaughtered and salted for winter consumption. By 

 the gTowth of turnips and improved cultivation this system 

 has been altered ; and it may be said of these Hills that until 

 the system of agriculture is entirely cTianged and cattle stall 

 fed through the dry months, an improved breed of cattle cannot 

 be expected. The same may even with greater force be said of 

 sheep, for they must be fed through the dry weather or die. 

 Various breeds have been introduced with but little success, as 

 stall-feedinj? has been neglected. With oat-hay, fermented green 



Live-stock. 



— cattle. 



