July i, 1889.] THP TROPICAL 
be a high figure to pay for bushels of 
such inane counsel. Those who feel that they 
have a call to speak should consider first of all if 
they have anything worth saying, and if not, better 
not. 
The system which was very common in the 
palmy days of coffee, of the Tamils leasing land 
from Sinhalese for the cultivation of that product, 
is being revived again in the Central Province. 
Only the product is changed, and instead of coffee, 
coconuts and cacao are the trees planted. This is 
principally done within the reach of towns or the 
railway, and the lessee cultivates plantains and 
vegetables, and from that hopes to make his profit. 
The owner of the land has to provide the seed 
for the coconuts and cacao, and at the end of eight 
years he takes back his property, paying to hia 
tenant cents for every cacao tree and 25 cents 
for each coconut. The growing of the vegetables, 
I am told, is rather a paying thing, and the traders 
who supply the markets take delivery of the 
produce at the garden, and in wholesale quantities. 
The blocks of land taken up are from 10 to 20 
acres, and have all to be planted. Both Tamils and 
Sinhalese are taking to this. 
Coffee in this district — -what there is of it — alas ! 
that this should have to be added — is very luxuriant, 
but there is some bug about. That pest, those 
who have tackled it, and suffered, from it, 
feel that it is one of those things that 
should be left to Providence. For " vain is the 
help of man." So if you do anything to your 
coffee with that enemy about, it should be done 
in a reverent spirit, and with becoming humility. 
The prospects of Cacao are very fair, grand 
blossoms out, and the trees looking exceedingly 
healthy. It 's a comfort when there is something 
doing well. 
The weather continues all that can be desired, 
and the tea goes on flushing as if there were no 
dull markets or lagging sales. All that you hear 
from Colombo is of a depressing nature, and the 
condition of the local market could hardly be more 
unsatisfactory than it is at present. We are told 
that London orders have to a large extent been 
cancelled, but we go on manufacturing. We aim 
to supply the world with the best tea, and in due 
time will do it. Peppercorn. 
4 . 
OOLONGS AND GBEEN TEAS VS. CEYLON 
BLACK TEAS FOB AMERICA. 
We have come across a statement from the 
American Grocer, copied into the Tropical Agri- 
culturist of April 1884, which, being we believe 
fairly accurate in fact, might be used with good 
effect by the Ceylon-American Tea Company in 
their approaching crusade. If oolongs and green 
teas are really more trying to the nerves than our 
ordinary fermented teas, the sooner excitable New 
Yorkers and New Englanders generally give them 
up in favour of superior Ceylon "breakfast" 
toas, the hotter I We quote as follows: — 
We divide China tea into three general classes, viz : 
1 — Green, or unfermented tea. 
Black, or fermented tea, sub-divided into Oolongs 
and Congou, the former subjected to slight and the 
latter to great fermentation. 
Scented, also fermented. 
Fenneutation turns the leaf black, and in a measure 
destroys that quality in the tea which produces wake- 
fulness aud affects the nervous system. Uence it is 
that unfermented or green tea is a greater excitant 
of the nerves than fermented or black tea. Therefore 
Congou tea is preferable to Oolong, and that ia turn 
to greeu. 
AGRICULTURIST. 39 
Upon the island of Formosa is grown the Oolong 
variety bearing the island's name. It is extremely 
popular in this section of the United States. 
Scented teas are known as Foochows or Cantons, 
the former divided into scented orange pekoe, scented 
capers, the latter the same. 
PLANTING IN THE LOWCOTJNTRY OF 
THE WESTERN PROVINCE : 
RAINFALL — COCONUTS AND THE LEAF DISEASE — SALT 
AND COCONUT ENEMIES — PEPPER GROWING — BIG 
MONSOON. 
Hapitigam Korale, 13th May 1889. 
Our dry season closed with the end of February, since 
which date our rainfall has been ample. 12 days in 
March gave 9'32 inches, April in 19 days 14 - 02, and 
May up to date in 8 days in May 7 - 28. Total since 
28th February 31'22 inches. Our heaviest storms gave 
3'13 inches on 3rd March, 3'76 inches on 19th April, 
and 4'7'2 in. on 7th May. The abnormal drought that 
took place last year between the middle of Juue aud 
the middle of October has been seriously injurious 
to young coconut fields, most of the plants having 
lost more leaves during the year than they opened, 
and there is no doubt the disease that appeared at 
its close is due to its long continuance as the im- 
mediate probably not the ultimate cause. 
Every instance of the leaf disease that has come 
under my notice is associated with a compact im- 
permeable subsoil, not easily penetrated by the roots, 
and affording little moisture and less aliment. I 
am convinced that the disease is in the roots, and 
that the appearance on the leaves is only an effect. 
If the injury be confined to the outlying roots the 
trees will recover ; if the crown, from which the main 
roots spread, bo affected, the tree will probably die 
a lingering death. Some of the affected trees have 
developed clean and healthy leaves since the rains 
came, but the latest opened leaves of others are 
thickly studded with dark spots characteristic of 
the disease. The first tree on which I observed it 
about two years ago was more advanced than those 
lately attacked ; it seemed in the fair way of getting 
over it, but the relapse looks very much as if it would 
finish it : the last developed leaf is much smaller than its 
immediate predecessor and closely covered with spots. 
Though the young plants suffered severely on the dry 
gravel soils I have not there observed a single speck of 
this disease. As the disease did not prominently 
manifest itself during the drought, but forced itself 
on the attention of planters after the copious rains 
that succeeded, stagnant water about the previously 
dried up roots may have had something to do with 
the attack. In my own case neglected cultivation 
was not in fault, for the only field in which it has 
appeared on my property was dug over to the 
depth of nine or ten inches within the year. 
Perhaps " W. A. D. S." will tell us at hisleisure what 
insects injurious to the coconut tree are killed or ban- 
ished, by diluted smoke, aud whether phytological 
science teaches, that ammonia, nitric acid and watery 
vapour are absorbed by the leaves of plants. We would 
likewise be glad to learn what weight of copra yields 
12,204 grains of ashes. 
My plan of growing Pepper on low bushes is not 
progressing so satisfactorily as I hoped. I put down 
1,000 cuttings six months ago, and have tended them 
very carefully since, but not above 50 plants will 
be availablo for the field. I still believe the plan to 
be practicable, though I am rather put out of heart 
by the indifferent success in my first experiment, 
but I hope for better luck next time. 
May 15th, 1889. — The big monsoon took form yester- 
day in a series of short showers : unusually early, isn't it ? 
♦ 
The Australians arc about to undertake min- 
ing operations on a large scale in New Guinea. 
The Raub Mining estate near Punjorein the Paharjg 
' State has been eolrl to an Australian Syndioate for 
| £230,000.— Pioneer, 
