32 
of the common grades may dip below the cost 
of production ; in fact this has already happened in 
a number of cases, and we cannot expect any 
material improvement in the position of affairs 
until China retires from the scene. 
In the meantime a great deal can be don^ towards 
improving the quality of our teas without seriously 
reducing the quantity, by insisting on good leaf 
being brought into the factory and good, leaf only. 
By good leaf I do not necessarily mean fine leaf, but 
I state it as a positive fact that in nine factories 
out of ten the intake every day includes a lot of 
bangy and hard leaf, which has no business to be 
brought in at all, and which being rolled off with the 
finer foliage causes general deterioration. 
Buyers of leaf will bear me out in this, and many 
of those who do not buy are far less careful than 
they should be in insisting upon having the " leather" 
picked out, before spreading the leaf on the tats. 
Given an adequate labour force, good leaf can be 
secured from almost every estate, but it will not 
be brought in unless insisted upon. 
Experience will no doubt come to our assistance 
by and bye, but I am very strongly of opinion that 
the system which has lately prevailed in Ceylon, 
of allowing the bushes to run two and two and a 
half years between prunings, is another fruitful 
source of deterioration in quality. The leaves get 
harder and harder as the wood matures, and their 
association with the fine succulent flushes from 
properly-cared-for bushes must in my judgment 
do harm. 
It is customary to sneer at the Brokers when 
they complain of an invoice of tea not 
being up to the quality of previous ones ; 
but has it ever occurred to the Planter that 
the deterioration complained of exists and 
may be due to causes which are quite within 
the limits of control ? If not, let him the next 
time his teas are badly reported on ask himself 
the question whether his bushes are in the order 
they should be, and how much bangy and leather 
has found its way into his factory ? 
Some of your correspondents seem to doubt the 
possibilityof combining quantity with quality. To 
such 1 would reply that it is impossible unless the 
bushes are kept in good order and the pluckers 
properly looked after. 
The statement that fine quality teas are made 
in the field and not in the factory contains the 
essence of much that is true, and in the great 
majority of cases, it will be found that the men 
who succeed in getting good prices, and an 
abundant yield, are those who are constantly 
with their pluckers, and who know when and 
how to prune, — Yours faithfully, 
PRACTICAL PLANTER. 
COTTON AND OTHER PRODUCTS 
IN THE WATTEGAMA DISTRICT. 
Wattegama, 27th May 1889. 
Deae Si it, — I noticed a short paragraph in your 
issue of 25th inst., wherein you state that I am re- 
ported to have said Wattegama district was not suit- 
able for growing cotton on account of insects and rain 
destroying the bushes (no doubt pods were meant), 
and you were surprised that I should give up so easily. 
Doctor Duke informed me in July 1887 that he 
had some Peruvian cotton planted on Middlemarch 
estate. It came on well at first, but as soon as the 
pods began to form, insects attacked it and he could 
get very little cotton from his trees, though what 
little be got was of good quality, so he was going to 
abandon the cultivation, but asked mo to try it at 
Wattegama. il<s Kent mo some Heed in August follow- 
ing, which I first planted in a nursery, then out in 
[July i, 1889. 
the field: trees are from 10 to 15 feet high, and I took 
my second crop in March last, a sample of which I 
send by this post. You will find some damaged cotton 
in the middle of packet. As soon as pods form, the 
red beetle and small black ant will get in, make 
their nest and soon destroy the pods ; if the insects 
are destroyed when they first appear on the bushes, 
before they enter the forming pods, then the damHge 
would not be so much; but, there is an extra cost in 
labour. Our next loss is from showers of rain after 
pods begin to open: then showers are useful to us 
for all our other products except cotton. 
It is simply because other products pay so much 
better than cotton in Wattegama district that I and 
others did not extend the cultivation : see last Kandy 
Agricultural Show. For general estate products : 
Goonambil, gold medal ; Maria, silver medal ; for 
fruit Mnria gold medal. No doubt my friend Mr. 
Boustead was lite before he began collecting his 
products, so perhaps lost the gold medal, thus prov- 
ing what I always Biated : one's eggs need not all be in 
one basket, but we grow all products in Wattegama, 
having the climate and soil : the latter though some- 
what poor on surface is rich, deep and can be worked 
up to grow anything. Where before working it up 
nothing would grow, once in good order handsome 
profits can be made ; but if you do not wish to assist 
young plants (which is contrary to all notions of cheap 
cultivators, though I proved the proper culture by practi- 
cal experience) then keep away. Come and see Maria 
estate cacao, Raxawa tea and cinchona, Wattegama- 
watte cacao, coffee, and in which were old abandoned 
native gardens ouce. Please reprint the article on 
cotton caterpillars from Planting Register of 29th 
August 1887 for the information of present would- 
be cotton planters. Mariawatte, or Mariagalia as you 
wish the estate called, is planting some 25 acres of 
tobacco this year— Yours truly, J. HOLLO WAY. 
TEA SALES IN COLOMBO AND NEW 
MARKETS. 
Deae Sib, — If the Continental markets are to be 
opened, it seems to me it must be by direct shipments 
from Colombo to Continental ports, and therefore 
planters in their own interests would do well to 
let some of their best teas be sold in Colombo at 
auction, instructing the brokers if they buy in to 
offer the teas to Continental buyers at those rates, 
if they will guarantee that the teas shall be shipped, 
and shipped not to London, but to the Continent 
direct. In this way a good Continental demand 
may be gradually worked up ; but if no good tea 
is to be got in Colombo, save at prohibitive prices, 
how is this much-desired state of thin.s to be 
brought about. 
Oolongs. — Again, if planters begin to make these 
for the American market out of coarse leaf they will 
do only harm. Out of their fine leaf let them 
make their Oolongs for Jonathan, and if he has 
any palate, we '11 capture the American market for 
such teas. PROPRIETOR. 
TEA AT THE KANDY EXHIBITION. 
Colombo, 27th May 1889. 
Dear Sie, — The decision of the tea judges 
at the late Kandy Show is, of course, like the laws 
of the Medes and Persians, unalterable ; but may 
one ask the following questions : — 
1st. Did Hoolankanda fulfil the conditions of 
the competition? I presume so, because other- 
wise no prize at all would have been awarded to it. 
2nd. Was Hoolankanda up to its usual standard ? 
3rd. Were New Brunswick and St. John Del 
Rey better than usual ? 
My reason for asking these questions (certainly 
the last two) are obvious. 
If Hoolankanda has fallen olf, and is beaten by 
New Brunswick, and nearly so by St. John Del Rey 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
