Edible Products, 



[July, 1911. 



taste, to simply import seed which is 

 grown in other countries regardless of 

 the difference in conditions. If they go 

 on like tbis it will probably take them a 

 great number of years to find out the 

 kind of tobacco likely to give the best 

 results, if at all. In other words, 



TRIALS SHOULD NOT BE MADE ON A 

 COMMERCIAL SCALE, 



as negative results will cause financial 

 ruin. You can't make a profitable in- 

 vestment of a tobacco plantation, when 

 it is yet unknown in which direction to 

 proceed. For instance, Turkish tobacco 

 seed planted in a heavy clay soil with 

 an abundant rainfall will not produce 

 Turkish tobacco as it is used by 

 cigarette factories. The leaf will be too 

 large, too coarse and too dark, and of no 

 use whatever for cigarette purposes. 

 The same remark might apply to 

 Sumatra seed, which is not liable to pro- 

 duce a wrapper leaf under conditions 

 totally different to the original country 

 of production. You might out of 1,000 

 seedlings be lucky to get one or two 

 plants which show adaptability to their 

 new surroundings. The thing has to be 

 carefully watched. That is why I say 

 you must start from the beginning. 

 That means making several trials in 

 small plots in the most promising dis- 

 tricts, carefully studying their growth, 

 and final product, and thus ascertaining 

 the leaf that is likely to have the best 

 commercial value, which could be done 

 in co-operation with private planters, 

 who are very keen on it, and who appear 

 ready to offer land and buildings. If 

 you get only one kind of tobacco in one 

 particular district then you know ex- 

 actly where you are." 



A Visit to Jaffna. 



" You have been to Jaffna, of course?" 



" Yes, and it seems to me that it is the 

 only place in the island where tobacco is 

 taken up as an industry. The cultiva- 

 tors of the North aim chiefly in producing 

 a chewing tobacco, and as long as they 

 have got a good market for that product 

 I would not advise an alteration in the 

 treatment. An attempt to alter their 

 tobacco might lose for the cultivators 

 the market they have already, and the 

 ruination of the industry would be in- 

 volved. But as there is a tendency to 

 over-production of tobacco in Jaffna 

 with regard to the market demands, it 

 is absolutely necessary to take imme- 

 diate steps to produce a kind of tobacco 

 there which is suitable for the European 

 market. The cultivators being very in- 

 dustrious and used to tobacco work, it is 

 my firm opinion that very good results 

 might be expected of systematic experi- 



ments there on the spot. The tobacco 

 used for making cigars, of which the 

 methods for developing the best quali- 

 ties of the leaf are rather primitive, 

 could very well be used for cigar filler 

 purposes, even for European cigars, if 

 properly developed, sorted, &c. 



A Matter for Government to 

 take UP. 



While naturally not wishing to say 

 anything about the experiments at 

 Maha-iluppalama, as his report has just 

 gone to the Agricultural Society, Mr van 

 Leenhoff is of opinion that proper in- 

 vestigation is a matter that Government 

 should seriously take up. " An expert 

 should be engaged to carry out investi- 

 gations so as to get sound information 

 at a minimum of time and cost. Only 

 by these means can you arrive at a con- 

 clusion as to the best tobacco which can 

 be produced in Ceylon. An expert is 

 necessary, as the question of fertiliz- 

 ation, treatment of seed and curing 

 require the most careful attention ; while 

 the main point in all districts is to choose 

 the right time for planting as regards 

 rainfall, so as to avoid irrigation expen- 

 ses and coarseness of leaf as much as 

 possible." 



"You are of opinion then that Euro- 

 pean markets can be found for tobacco 

 grown in Ceylon?" 



"Yes, decidedly so. The Jaffna to- 

 bacco as it is, if kept iu bales for a cer- 

 tain period, may be used for blending, 

 as it has the original aroma. I have no 

 doubt that you can create a large in- 

 dustry for planters in Ceylon. The field 

 work lasts only three months. The 

 curing (or drying) takes three to six 

 weeks, and the small planter need not 

 bother about the process of fermenting, 

 as this could be done by the dealers in 

 tobacco or the manufacturers them- 

 selves. In any case, the tobacco could 

 simply be baled and kept in a warehouse 

 for a year or so to undergo the ageing 

 process or a slow fermentation." 



The Tobacco Districts. 



" "What are the districts which have 

 struck you as being most suitable for 

 the cultivation of tobacco ?" 



" Dumbara, I consider to be quite suit- 

 able for the cultivation of aromatic to- 

 bacco, more particularly cigar tobacco, 

 which would, of course, obtain better 

 prices. Certain parts of Trincomalie are 

 also suitable for the growing of smoking 

 tobacco. But they should not be too 

 near the sea, and the precaution must be 

 taken to experiment with a plot to test 

 the burning qualities. I am of opinion 

 that there are places in Jaffna where 



