Feb. 1908.] 



168 



Miscellaneous. 



With a proper system of pruning and 

 cultivation Cocoa can he made to yield 

 satisfactory crops. 



The estimate for 1908 is 70,000 cwts. 



The Cocoa Stealing Ordinance is work- 

 ing well in Matale, but in other Kandyan 

 Districts complaints have been received 

 which seem to point to the fact that a 

 more vigorous enforcement of the Ordi- 

 nance is necesary. 



Cardamom. 



The crop for the year has been a fair 

 average and of good quality. London 

 prices for bleached from Is. 3d. to 3s. 10d. 

 and seeds from Is. lOd. to 2s. -Id. per lb. 

 Local prices have ranged from 75 cents 

 to Rs. 1:35, while from 75 cents to Rs. 1*46 

 have been paid for Green-dried. 



The demand from India for the latter 

 has considerably increased during the 

 year, the shipments to India, chiefly 

 green-dried, have now exceeded the 

 total shipments to the United Kingdom 

 by 65,200 pounds, whilst shipments of 

 bleached to Germany have fallen off. 

 Turkey has taken 8,300 lbs. more than 

 last year. 



Total shipments have exceeded the esti- 

 mate by 89,495 lbs. due probably to a 

 larger balance carried forward from 1906 

 than was estimated. 



The Cess of one cent per lb., collected 

 for two years, lapsed on 1st October, and 

 an appropriation of Rs. 10,000 was sanc- 

 tioned by Government from the fund, 

 for the distribution of samples and pam- 

 phlets through the courtesy of the 

 various Consuls and others who kindly 

 forwarded cases containing Cardamoms 

 in j lb. tins to Agents for distribution 

 in the countries they represent. 



The balance at credit of Cardamom Cess 

 fund is Rs. 12,900. 



It is believed that only a very limited 

 area of land is suitable for the profitable 

 cultivation of this product, and many 

 of the Cardamoms planted a few years 

 ago have been rooted out and the laud 

 planted with tea which grows well in 

 old Cardamom land. 



The total area now under Cardamoms 

 as given iu Ferguson's hand-book is 8,451 

 acres corrected to August last. Two 

 years ago 9,000 acres were under this 

 product. 



The Crop for 1908 is not expected to 

 exceed 700,000 lbs., as very little of 1907 

 crop is being carried forward to 1908, 



The cost of curing has been consider- 

 ably reduced by the increased demand 

 for green-dried and by the introduction 

 of the Cardamom clipping machine 

 where it has taken the place of hand 

 clipping. 



Camphor. 



The cultivation of the Camphor tree 

 continues to attract attention, though 

 prices have fallen considerably. 



The old, destructive method of obtain- 

 ing the camphor is now being abandoned 

 as too improvident torepay the expenses 

 of cultivation. There seems to be a 

 general tendency to look towards the 

 leaves and new twigs as to the future 

 source of commercial camphor. It is 

 found that the valuable product is dis- 

 tributed throughout the whole system 

 of the tree, and a method of cultivation, 

 depending upon the production of a 

 large quantity of leaves and twigs, is 

 probably the one which'will be aimed at. 



Rubber. 



The acreage under Rubber in Ceylon 

 is estimated at 155,000, and is probably 

 the largest extent cultivated in any one 

 country. 



The growth of the trees is good and 

 estates generally in satisfactory order, 

 though in some localities scarcity of 

 labour has caused weeding of new deal - 

 ings to be both difficult and expensive. 



Experiments are constantly being 

 made to determine the best methods 

 and intervals for tapping. 



Biscuit, sheet and crepe are the forms 

 of the cured product most in favour at 

 present. 



There is very little disease of any kind, 

 and there is every reason to anticipate 

 that recognized estimates of cost of 

 production and yield per acre will be 

 realised. 



Towards the end of the year a heavy 

 fall in the prices of raw rubber took 

 place, principally owing to the financial 

 panic in the United States, but there is 

 reason to shortly expect a recovery in 

 quotations which will last over the next 

 few years, and even if prices fall con- 

 siderably lower than they now are, 

 Rubber in Ceylon should not cease to 

 be a highly profitable investment. 



The distant future of Rubber lies with 

 the cheap producer, and it is probable 

 that Ceylon can produce more cheaply 

 than any other country. 



The estimated export for 1908 is 360 

 tons. 



RUBBER thefts prevention ordinance. 



The draft of this Ordinance was sub- 

 mitted to your Committee and met with 

 its hearty approval. 



The Ordinance is drafted on the lines 

 of that for the prevention of Cocoa 

 Thefts, and will afford Rubber growers a 

 similar measure of protection where 

 properly enforced. 



