52 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [July i, 1889. 
friend desires us to ask why, in the name of common- 
sense, with the many alternative methods which 
seem open to local use, a stern conservatism should 
still compel us to the incurrence of so much worry 1 
The old. half-round tile — it is pointed out — is about 
as crude a material for roofing purposes as can well 
be imagined. Even presuming that it is of good 
quality as to the clay used in its preparation, and 
sufficiently burned — two presumptions which can, 
unhappily, rarely be made with confidence — its use 
is attended with risks which may at any 
moment nullify reliance upon it. The gambolling 
of our over-friendly crows, the falling of a giant 
leaf from any of the palms which overshadow 
our dwellings, and a variety of other possibilities, 
may at any moment undo the anticipated result 
to excellence of . quality and careful placing in 
position. To this risk must be added other 
considerations which appear to render some 
innovation on established practice desirable. The 
exceptional weight of these half-round tiles, when 
laid with the lavishness as to number which 
can alone insure a tolerably watertight roof over 
our heads, is regarded as one of the prime factors 
of the high cost of domestic building among 
us. As the result of this great weight the 
framing of the roofs, even of those as low as 12 
or 15 feet in span, has to be of a rather ex- 
pensive kind. Few of the local woods in use 
as rafters can bear that weight unless by the 
provision of framed trusses. Palmyra is, per- 
haps, the only timber that might be trusted to 
do 30, and that scarcely for spans in excess 
of 15 feet, which is assigning a narrow limit of 
width for most of our domestic living rooms. As with 
the roofs so with the walls. These latter are almost 
invariably sheltered from the sun by verandahs ; 
and were it not for the great and unnecessary 
weight they have to carry, it is supposed that 
fourteen or even nine inch walling might be used 
where it is now customary to build eighteen inch 
or even two foot walls. Then the slope to be 
given to the roofs to secure free flow of water 
is said to be in excess of what would be required 
for some more scientific method of covering, ren- 
dering necessary a greater length of rafter than 
would otherwise be required. Altogether, if the 
whole of theee several points are taken into con- 
sideration, it would appear that some considerable 
cost is involved by the use of these halfround 
tiles beyond what would have to be incurred under 
other conditions. Local house rent may conse- 
quently be said to be in excess of what it need be, 
were the oldfashioned tiles superseded by some more 
suitable form of covering. 
Shingles such as are largely used upcountry are 
scarcely fitted for general adoption, and thatching 
of any kind, results in annoyances peculiar to itself, 
while nine or iron Hheeting must be prohibitory 
owing to the heat of our tropical sun. Therefore 
although all of these materials are possessed of 
the one desirable clement of lightness, we can 
scarcely recommend that any of them should 
supersede our present system. Slates, it seems, 
would be too costly, as regards first outlay to be 
taken into general use ; though we should like to 
see this matter examined a little more closely in 
the light of the figures we quoted for Monghyr slates 
the other day. It is not unlikely it would be 
found tlnat with slates tin reduction in weight 
would enable houses so covered to be built with 
a saving of other material which would probably 
fully counterbalance the excess of first outlay. 
But it is to improvement in dealing with 
Material locally obliinible that our friend 
conceives we should look to relievo us from 
liio pains and penalties at present incurred. 
In European practice there is quite an in- 
finite variety in the form of tiles made, not one of 
which has been, we believe, adopted in Ceylon, and 
there is scarcely a single type which has come 
under notice which does not seem possessed 
of advantages over the local half-round tile. 
But all of these, we are told by an expert, demand 
more care in manufacture than our local tile. Well, 
why should not that extra care be given ? The 
tiles in common use in Italy, which have a con- 
siderable flat surface with a roll for the jointing, 
form a perfectly efficient roof, look well, and are 
so hung by pins to the laths— or reepers as they 
are locally called — that they cannot shift ; while 
they can be used so sparingly that the weight 
of a covering of them can be scarcely half that 
of our usual method. On the whol . therefore, 
we are inclined to recommend that machinery 
be used for their production, as high quality 
of manufacture would be thereby attained ; and 
it is believed that the enterprising individual 
who would import such machinery and set to 
work to make the Italian tiles on a sufficiently 
large scale would soon find his outlay well 
repaid by their large use. Whether this sug- 
gestion for a remedy to the present state of things 
is the best that can be offered we do not pretend 
to say ; but it does seem that there is room for 
improved methods of covering our houses. 
BALLADE OF THE TEA SEASON. 
SUNG BY A WEABY CHAABZEE. 
The willow blossom, white as snow 
Drifts gently on the summer breeze. 
Along the Bund swift brokers go 
Glad with expectancy of fees ; 
1 he we;try coolie rests and sees 
The sunlight on the river chased, 
Soft comes Che hum of laden bees — 
Ah ! I have many teas to taste ! 
Oh, merry May! 't were sweet, I trow, 
To lie beneath the spre iding trees 
Where daffodils and daisies grow, 
To rest and dream in perfect ease. 
Alas, for me are none of these, 
Arouud rne is the noise and haste 
Of brokers' haggle, weighers' squeeze — 
Ah ! I have many teas to taste ) 
Here in my tearoom damp and low 
I dream of sunny verdant leas, 
And sadly wander to and fro 
Between long tables strewn with teas ; 
Soon riverborne towards the seas 
The fleetest steamers will have raced, 
And things will slacken, by degrees, 
But — I have many teas to taste ! 
Envoy. 
Madame ! when first the season's teas 
Your dainty table shall have graced, 
Think of the miserable Chaaszees 
Who still have many teas to taste ! 
Hankow, 6th May. . 
—N.-C. Herald. 
♦ 
SOMETHING LIKE A WINDSTOBM. 
The Indian Planters' Gazette to hand today has 
the following report of a storm such as is very rarely 
indeed parallelled in Ceylon : — 
" North Luokimpore, 11th May. — A tremendous 
storm of wind and rain passed over Harmatti tea gar- 
den on the afternoon of the 1st instant extending in 
width about two miles, levelliu? and breaking a 
large number of forest trees- Throughout the yar- 
den only two trees weathered the storm, the othi-rs 
were all uprooted doing great damage to the tea, the 
corrugated iron was blown off half the tea houses 
and half the leaf withering houses, the iron twisted 
and in some instances carried away about 100 yards, 
the walls of the godown blown down and some 13 
coolie houses levelled to the ground, while most of 
the coolie houses were more or less damaged ; the 
rain was blown right through the Bungalow. The 
