THE SUPPLEMENT TO THE 



Tropical Agriculturist and Magazine of the G. A. 8. 



No. 6.] JUNE, 1908. [Von. II. 



MR, C. E. WELLDON'S RECENT VISIT 

 TO JAVA. 



Mr E Wolldon, the well-known Dimbula 

 plauter, recently returned from a brief visit 

 to Java and the Malay States. Mr VVelldon, 

 we learn, was vastly impressed with all he saw 

 in Java and is prepared to yield the palm 

 unreservedly to the Dutch Colony over both 

 the F.M.S. and Ceylon as "an investment." 

 A Java plantation, he calculates, would give a 

 yield of 7 percent, over an F.M.S. one that just 

 paid its way, on the difference in cost of labour 

 alone. Java, he states, has distinct advantages 

 over the Malay States— both in regard to labour 

 and soil ; and in both these respects it is gener- 

 ally conceded the F.M.S. have the advantage 

 of Ceylon.. Mr Welldon estimates that R250 per 

 acre will cover the cost of bringing rubber into 

 bearing in Java. The growth of young rubber 

 trees at 4 years old in the Dutch Colony is fully 

 equal to that seen in the F.M.S.— while Malaya 

 is a year, if not 1^ year, in advance of Ceylon. 



Looking at the difference in the cost of labour 

 in the Malay States and Ceylon, and difficulties 

 connected with Superintendence, which will 

 no doubt in time be overcome, Mr. Welldon 

 would as soon own rubber lajid in Ceylon as in 

 the Straits, — say, in a district like Kegalle. 



As regards tea cultivation Mr Welldon is 

 equally impressed. He had heard of the 

 famous Malabar estate regarding which a letter 

 from a Java correspondent appeared in the T. A. 

 last month and there are other estates giving 

 nearly as good results. Java is, at present, 

 largely extending its acreage under tea. Ceylon 

 will have to look to her laurels in the future. 



Mr. Welldon was astonished at the enter- 

 prise displayed by the Government of the Dutch 

 Colony and represented by the splendidly 

 equipped laboratories and the full staff of 

 Agricultural Scientists at work in Java. 

 In fact, he regards tropical agriculture as 

 being generally carried on by Dutch planters on 



more scientific methods than in Ceylon. Before 

 commencing actual planting work in Java now, 

 young planters often undergo a year's training at 

 an Agricultural College in Holland as an essential 

 part of their equipment for the work. The 

 publications issued principally for planters 

 would hardly be understood by the ordinary 

 planter, Mr. Welldon assures us — a fact which 

 we consider not at all strange as they are 

 printed in Dutch !— but our informant meant 

 on account of their severely technical and 

 scientific character. 



tPLANT-BREEDING IN CEYLON : AND 

 ITS FUTURE. 



The appointment of Mr. R. H. Lock to be 

 Assistant Director of the Peradeniya Depart- 

 ment was at an early stage regarded in Ceylon 

 with some misgiving, doubt being expressed 

 as to whether the new-comer were not too 

 " scientific " a man for the post. Those, how- 

 ever, who knew Mr. Lock's work best — at 

 Cambridge University, for instance— congratu. 

 lated Ceylon on its good fortune in securing 

 him and for the very reason that he is 

 " scientific " : it being pointed out that in bio- 

 logical, as much as in other branches, it is 

 nearly always the truly scientific men who pro- 

 duce the most practical and widely useful re- 

 sults. If more proof be wanted at this date 

 as to Mr. Lock's fitness for the responsible 

 post he now holds, it would be found in the 

 specially informing, yet most concise paper, he 

 read at the May meeting of the Ceylon Board of 

 Agriculture and which appeared in our last 

 number. He there reveals himself (though 

 as modestly as possible) to be not merely 

 a capable Assistant to the Head of our 

 Botanic Department but the kind of ex- 

 pert—an expert in plant-breeding — in the pos- 

 session of which Ceylon had been behind India 

 and Egypt until he came here. When he was 

 only "Scientific Assistant'' under Dr. Willis 



