

COFFEE. 



the coftee is principally cultivated, extend over nearly the whole 

 of the hilly region, which is the medium and connecting link be- 

 tween the mountainous zone and the level districts of the coast. 



The mania for coffee planting has recently subsided, in conse- 

 quence of the barely remunerative returns at which that article 

 has been sold, ascribable partly to over-production, and in some 

 measure, perhaps, to the temporary glut of foreign coffee thrown 

 on the British market by the reduction of the duty. As regards 

 the yield, some estates in Ceylon have produced upwards of 15 c\vt. 

 per acre, but it is a good estate that will average seven, and many 

 do not give more than 4 cwt. the acre. 



The shipments from Colombo for five years, are stated below, 

 with the class of coftee : 



1845 

 1846 

 1847 

 1848 

 1849 

 1850 

 1851 



Total. 



cwt. 

 187,891 

 162,231 

 249,655 

 279,886 

 362,682 

 255,689 

 317,562 



"While, in 1839, the total value of the exports from Ceylon was 

 only 330,000, in 1850 the value of the single staple of cotlee 

 was no less than 609,262, and in 1851 had still further in- 

 creased. 



I append a memorandum of the quantities of coffee exported 

 from Cevlon since 1836 : 



1836 

 1837 

 1838 

 1839 

 1840 

 1841 

 1842 

 1843 

 1844 

 1845 

 1846 

 1847 

 1848 

 1849 

 1850 

 1851 



Quantity. 



cwt. 



60,329 



34,164 



49,541 



41,863 



68,206 



80,584 



119,805 



94,847 



133,957 



178,603 



173,892 



293,221 



280,010 



373,593 



278,473 



339,744 



Total in 16 years 2,600,832 

 Average . 162,552 



Value. 

 



196,048 

 269,763 

 192,891 

 267,003 

 363,259 

 328,781 

 456,624 

 387,150 

 545,322 

 609,262 



(Ceylon Almanac for 18,33.) 



The local export duty of two-and-a-half per cent., was abolished 

 from 1st September, 1848. 



