and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



575 



the seed is consigned in bags. If the seed is con- 

 signed in chests, it would have to be unpacked 

 4 for treatment ; and this would entail a large 

 amount of labour, and additional apparatus for 

 handling the seel. It is, of course, understood 

 that the operation would be carried out at 

 owner's risk. I would suggest that the impor- 

 tation of Indian Tea seed be allowed: 



(a) if accompanied by a certificate. 



(b) if imported in bags, so as to readily admit 

 of treatment." 



If the recommendations are approved, steps 

 ought to be taken immediately; otherwise the 

 precautions may come too late to prevent the 

 importation of the disease.— (Sgd.) R H Lock., 

 Acting Director, RBG. 



JUGRA ISLAND : A YEAR'S PROGRESS. 



Jugra Island came into prominence some 

 three years ago when a company with the title 

 of Jugra Land and Rubber Estates, Ltd., was 

 successfully floated at Home. Work was 

 speedily commenced under the management of 

 Mr F A Callaway, and since then remarkably 

 rapid progress has been made in bringing under 

 cultivation what pessimists in their ignorance of 

 local conditions described as the impossible. 



About a year ago we showed how this island, 

 formerly given over to a tribe of Sea Sakeis ami 

 rotan-cutters, had been opened up to a very con- 

 siderable extent in the interests of the com- 

 pany mentioned above, explaining how, through 

 the adoption of an intelligent system of drain- 

 age, land that had been regarded as swamp had 

 been made to carry rubber, and how it was pro- 

 posed to deal with and extend the property in 

 the future. The results may be best summarised 

 by giving the figures, though it is only fair to 

 add that the soil and climate alike have proved 

 themselves so favourable to the growth of vege- 

 tation that development has been considerably 

 retarded by the necessity for keeping down un- 

 desirable growth in the shape of weeds. But 

 this is now so well in hand that no serious 

 trouble in the future should be anticipated. 



On Oct. 31st, 1908, the position was as follows : 

 Land drained, 3,630 acres ; felled, 2,737a acres ; 

 burnt off, 300 acres ; cleared, 185 acres ; planted 

 with Para rubber, 1,721. acres ; planted with 

 coconuts, 70 acres ; coconuts and bananas, 2 

 acres ; fruit trees, 10 acres. 



On Oct. 31st of this year the situation was : — 

 Drained, 4,150 acres ; felled, 4,030 acres; burnt 

 oft', 525 acres ; cleared up, 365 acres ; planted 

 with Para, 2,233 acres ; with coconuts, 332 acres; 

 coconuts and bananas, 15 acres ; fruit trees, 10 

 acres ; bananas, 10 acres. 



The position is that the company is 



PLEDGED TO PLANT OUT 4,150 ACRES IN FIVE YEAR 



from the pate of the grant, May, 1906, and in 

 spite of adverse conditions in the ehape of ex- 

 ceptional rainfall and the consequent rapid 

 growth of weeds, there -ctoes not appear to be 

 any doubt that the required acreage will be 

 achieved within the time-limit. 



Apart from the figures given above showing 

 the acreage development, the improvement in 

 the company's property during the past year 



has been considerable. To begin with, a broad 

 main road, three miles in length and perfectly 

 straight, has been constructed through the heart 

 of the property ; the drains have been deepened 

 and flood-gates erected ; four bungalows have 

 been built for the manager and his assistants, 

 besides two new sets of coolie-lines, with 

 another in course of construction, and the hos- 

 pital has been completed. The result is that, 

 at the present moment, there is one vast clear- 

 ing from the landing-place from Port Swetten- 

 ham right across the island to the shore oppo- 

 site Jugra, measuring some three miles in the 

 other direction ; and nearly the whole of this 

 large area has been already planted up. 



There is at present a force of nearly 2,000 

 coolies on the island, mostly Tamils, with the 

 remainder Javanese and Banjerese, and it is 

 striking testimony to the healthiness of the 

 locality that last month there were no cases of 

 serious sickness, apart from two deaths, one 

 due to old age, and the other to shall-fish poi- 

 soning. Even in the hottest portion of the day 

 there is a refreshing breeze, and the coolies, 

 speaking generally, are as healthy a looking lot 

 as one would find anywhere in the peninsula. 

 And, moreover— a significant fact— they have all 

 the appearance of being well satisfied with their 

 position. 



Of old, of course, the island was not devoid of 

 its romantic side, and a trace of this may be 

 found today in the herd of elephants— it ele- 

 phants can by any stretch of the imagination be 

 made to weave their way into romance — which 

 still inhabits it. As the island has been cut in 

 two by the vast clearing mentioned above, this 

 herd has been confined to the southern portion, 

 though not without a struggle. Signs of this 

 may still be seen upon the southernmost drain 

 of the cleared portion, where comparatively re- 

 cently they attempted a crossing. Foiled at 

 first, owing to the fact that the drain in ques- 

 tion was deep and of sufficient width to prevent 

 their stepping across, they endeavoured to send 

 the youngsters over, but without appreciable 

 success. They then attempted to build a bridge 

 across by placing timber over the drain, but 

 either their patience gave out or they were inter- 

 rupted. At all events they were foiled, and since 

 then they have not attempted to recapture 

 their former territory. The result is interesting, 

 for it proves that a drain constructed of exactly 

 the right size — a barrier that would offer no 

 obstacle to the meaner animals of creation — 

 is sufficient to hold in check these mammoths 

 of the jungle. It is a simple solution of the 

 problem, and one, moreover, that cannot but 

 excite wonder when it is seen what havoc 

 they have wrought in the jungle on their own 

 side of the drain in question, for it is 



SO THINNED OUT AS ALMOST TO RESEMBLE A 

 CLEARING, 



Steps have been taken to link the island up 

 with the mainland by the introduction of the 

 telephone, and after a rentis had been cut 

 through to the north opposite Pendamaran, the 

 line was laid, and a fortnight ago the bungalows 

 on various parts of the large cleared area were 

 linked up, the local exchange being in the 

 manager's house. Satisfactory communi- 

 cation was established at the first attempt. At 



