and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— August, 1910. 177 



RUBBER LAND IN COCHIN. 



The Cochin Government have just published an 

 order regardingthe leaseof forest land for rubber 

 cultivation inthe Sholayar Valley, along one end 

 of which runs the Forest tramway. Several 

 applications for land in this neighbourhood have 

 already been received by Mr. A R Banerji, the 

 Dewan. It will be seen from the particulars 

 which we publish in another column that the 

 Durbar will be prepared to receive further ap- 

 plications up to the 15th October and dispose 

 of them finally on the 1st November, giving 

 preference to applications for large blocks from 

 bona fide planters. The terms offered are dis- 

 tinctly favourable, for the land is to be de- 

 marcated into blocks of 500 acres, and any 

 person may apply for several contiguous 

 blocks. The upset price will be R25 per acre, 

 or R12,500 per block, and will include value 

 of the forest growth, subject to conditions. The 

 fact that planters are to be allowed the free use 

 of the Forest tramway for a period of five years 

 is a great concession. It is evident from the 

 information given that the fact that Para rub- 

 ber trees grow exceedingly well at the foot of 

 the hills in the State has now been thoroughly 

 established. Indeed, Mr. NicolFs estate in the 

 Palapilly forests, and the Pudukad property 

 which adjoins it, are said to form as fine a block 

 of rubber trees as is to be seen anywhere in 

 Southern India. Tapping over 630 acres of this 

 area is about to be commenced. This success 

 testifies to the acumen of Mr. J A Hunter, the 

 well-known Ceylon planter, who in 1902, when 

 applying for a block of 500 acres of land in 

 the valley of the Chalakudi River, expressed his 

 belief that " in the valleys of the principal 

 rivers of the Malabar Coast the soil and cli- 

 matic conditions closely resemble those of the 

 Amazon Valley and ought to grow Para rubber 

 .well if gone aboat in an intelligent and enter- 

 prising manner." Unfortunately for Mr Hunter, 

 and indeed for the Cochin State, the Durbar re- 

 fused this application, and it was not till three 

 years later that the felling of forest for growing 

 rubber, even experimentally, was permitted. 

 The present Administration's decision to en- 

 courage enterprise, with a view to making large 

 areas of what has hitherto been dense and up- 

 profitable jungle contribute to the revenues of 

 that State, is extremely wise. 



LARGE AREA TO BE LEASED. 



We extract the following from the Order dated 

 the 23rd inst. issued by Mr. A R Baner ji, I.C.S., 

 Dewan of Cochin, regarding th9 lease of forest 

 land in the Sholayar Valley:'— 



Having in view the results of the experimental 

 grants already made for rubber cultivation and 

 with a view to encourage rubber industry in the 

 State, the Durbar announced in the Dewan's 

 proceedings read as first paper above their in- 

 tention of opening up more forest areas which 

 could, withoutinterfering with the capital value 

 of the State forests, be safely received for the 

 cultivation of rubber. In pursuance of the 

 policy of the Durbar notified in the proceedings, 

 several applications wer« received for lands, and 



23 



a provisional grant of 3,000 acres in the Elicode 

 and Moopley valleys to Mr. K E Nicoll, 30U 

 acres to Mr. E G Windle for the extension of 

 the Pudukad estate, 1,000 acres to Mr. Lake, a 

 Mysore planter, and 150 acres for the extension 

 of the old Palapilly estate, were made. The 

 survejing and mapping of the lands leased to 

 Messrs. Nicoll anrl Windle are reported to have 

 been completed, and they are now found to 

 contain in actual area of 3,512 and 334 acres 

 respectively. The surveying and mapping of 

 the 1,000 acres of land sold to the Mysore 

 planter are in progress. The extension of 150 

 acres of land granted to the old Palapilly estate 

 is found on survey to contain an actual area of 

 204 acres. These together with the lands ori- 

 ginally leased to the existing Palapilly, Pudu- 

 kad and Vellanikara estates make up a total of 

 7, 181 "75 acres of land now opened up for rubber 

 cultivation in the State. 



The rubber estates of the Palapilly District 

 near the Pudukad Railway Station as well as 

 Vellanikara near Trichur have up to date showji 

 remarkable progress in the growth of the trees 

 planted and they prove in the shape of outturn 

 highly promising. Particulars of these estates 

 are given in a statement as appendix to these 

 proceedings. There is still considerable demand 

 for more rubber land, and now the Durbar are 

 pleased to notify their intention of finally dis- 

 posing of the lands in the Sholayar Valley, 

 which have been reported upon by Mr. Cecil 

 Hall and which was included in para. 9 of the 

 notification for sale dated the 1st March, 1909. 

 The Valley consist of virgin forest lands of about 

 15,000 acres more or less, with dense growth of 

 shola, jungle, whence the extraction of timber 

 is, from a forest point of view, not profitable. 

 The Dewan will be prepared to receive offers for 

 these lands which are exceptionally favourably 

 situated for the growth of rubber, together with 

 the surrounding hills, on which tea or coffee 

 could be grown as recommended by Mr. Cecil 

 Hall who has gone over the whole ground. The 

 conditions of sale are the same as notified in 

 para. 9 of the Proceedings read above in extenso, 

 with the modification that there will be no auc- 

 tion. Concession will be granted to planters for 

 the free use of the State Tramway up to a 

 period of five years. The Durbar will receive 

 applications till the 15th October, 1910, and 

 dispose of them finally on the 1st November, 

 1910, giving preference to applications for large 

 blocks from bona fide planters. 



Appendix. 



Palapilly District— Total Area— 6,isr58 Acres. 

 (1) Area planted up ta date, with dates. 

 Year 



Planted. Palapilly. Pudukad. Mooply. Cheraony, Total. 



1905 45-60 — — _ 45 . 60 



329-60 - _ 585-30 



323-65 - - 530-15 



1906 255-70 



1907 206-50 

 1908 



1909 102-80 



1910 130-34 



168'60 



124-80 

 983-08 



65-00 



227-60 

 1,347-02 



740-94 821-85 1,107-88 65-00 2,73£-67 



(2) Nature of growth.— Very good with exceptional foliage. 



(3) No of trees per acre.— 150 trees. 



(4) Area tapped and date of tapping.— 45-60 acres since 



August 1st, 1909, 301^30 acres since May 1st, 1910. 



