January i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
495 
measure, the abortiveness of schemes hitherto initiated 
for his special benefit and the public generally. I 
have discovered that one of thp chief objections to the 
village agriculturist undertaking cultivation is to be 
found in the prohibitive levy of 50 per cent on the 
seed issued to him, which he is liable to make good, 
subject to no conditions and which in the event of 
unforseen casualties has operated as a serious hardship. 
Taking the foregoing into consideration I have devised 
a scheme for affording the agriculturists greater faci- 
lities, and as any suggestion which may have for its 
object the development of local enterprise and the 
cultivation of local produots generally and serve as 
a means by which the agriculturists could be reached 
and persuaded to take a more practical interest in the 
cultivation of local products, especially the staple 
article, I venture to make the following proposals which 
I beg to submit with the earnest hope that should 
thej be found feasible they would receive your sanc- 
tion and approval, as I regard the willing and hearty 
co-operation of the Mudaliyars and their headmen as 
a most important factor to the success of any such 
measure, and their sympathy and assistance will 
entirely depend on the degree of favour bestowed 
on the scheme by the Government Aeent of the pro- 
vince. To sketch the brief outlines of the project. 
1. I propose tbe undertaking to issue seed paddy 
free of interest to 120 poor proprietors in the Gallo dis- 
trict! in the proportion of 20 in each P»ttu, viz. 20 
withn the pravetn, 20 in Talpepattu, 20 in Ganga- 
bodapattu, 20 in Wellabodapattu, 20 Hinidumpattu, 
and 20 in Bentota Walallawitti Korale. 
2. Tbe supply of cotton seed on the same terms 
provided the people chosen for this help possess lands 
of their own with not less than 1-| acres available 
for cultivation. 
8. That the above be subject to the conditions set 
forth in the form hereto annexed. 
4. The form requiring" certain information is sub- 
mitted for approval to subject such alterations as may, 
suggest themselves hereafter if thepch°mebe approved. 
In layine this little effort of mine before you, in 
which I have been influenced wholly by motives of 
benevolence, I venture to hope that it may commend 
itself to you and that it will receive your encourage- 
ment and PTipport, and in the event of your reply 
bping' favorable to the project as a tentative measure, 
I hope to be able to ext-nd the basis of operation 
in a larger scale in tbe future, as I have little doubt 
that r-1 hough t 1 e coiyi in his ignorance and wedded 
to primitive ideas prefer to sow the same description 
of feed always, he can in time through the help of 
the headmen be persuaded to choose a change of seed 
from o'her districts, when it can be supplied to him 
on such advantageous terms as my scheme offers. 
I have seen some excellent samples of paddy exhibited 
at the last Matara show, and there are a vsr>ety_of 
superior kinds in Batt'ealoa and other places which 
m'ght be introduced with considerable advantage into 
the Galle district for sowing-. — I remain, sir, 
(Signed) W. JANSZ. 
The particulars of information indicated by Mr 
Jansz include pattu, division, or district : — 
1 Pattu— 2 Division or distrct— 3 Village- 4 Consecutive 
No. of proprietors— 5 Names— 6 No. in each family — 7 Names 
of fields— 8 Ascertained extent ; Amunams, Pellas Kurnies— 9 
a. r. p — 10 Protabledistance of the field from the nearest 
cart road —Information bv the Proprietors: — U Description 
and quality of seed usually sown — 12 Seison of sowing and 
reaping.— 13 Will yon prefer to have a chanee of seed, which 
is better or the some which you saw ? — 14 Do you promise 
to mnkenoother use, but for sowine only, the seed whi h is 
intended to besent to you ?— 15 Do you promise ' re- 
turn the seed immediately after the harvest?— 16 Have 
your garden land . >"r your fi Ms ? if so ata f e probable ex- 
tent.— 17 Will you 1 Ice' to try eotton on this land if sup- 
plied with seed and instructions how to cultivate ? 
The information required from Headmen is as 
follows : — 
Are the people to whom the seed is intended to be lent 
free of interest, the bona fide proprietors of the laud, and 
are tl'ey the worst off in your division ? 
Can you rely on their promise to return the seed imme- 
diately after toeharvest? 
Will you kindly undertake to make the recovery and hold 
yourself responsible for the same F 
The reasonableness of the preceding question must b e 
apparent to you, and you ought cheerfully to answer it in 
tbe affirmative, for in so answering you will be aiding the 
introduction of a beneficial object to the poor cultivators of 
your village. What do you say ? Yes, or No ? 
The information to be supplied by Mudaliyara : — 
Do you know of any valid objection to the distribution 
of seed, free of interest to cultivators in your Pattu ? 
Are the people chosen by the headmen for distribution 
of seed, and included in this list, the best deserving of 
such aid ? 
How would you recommend the recovery of seed given on 
loan? Is it in kind, or its equivalent in value? What 
would be more acceptable to the cultivators? 
Have you any suggestions to offer or observations to 
make, if so, nlease state, they will be very acceptable and 
much appreciated. 
[Mr. Templer has not had time yet to consider Mr- 
Jansz's suggestions. It oocurs to us, that, in supply- 
ing seed free of interest, thin sowing should be; 
insisted on. — Ed.] 
» 
COFFEE; LTBEEIAN AND ARABIAN ; OOOOA 
CARDAMOM ; VANILLA; CULTIVATION TN 
THE OIVIL PLANTATION, MEBGUI. 
Three years' reports of the Deputy Conservator in 
charge of the South Tenasserim division on this 
plantation have reached us together. In this there 
is a certain advantage, for we are enabled to note 
with ease the course of operations during more thau 
the ordinary term of twelve months The first item 
in the reports deals with Liberian Coffee. In 1886- 
87, we are told, some 1,340 Liberian coffee trees 
seemed vigorous and had a healthy look. As an ex- 
periment, the picking of the coffee cheiry was put 
up to auction, and was brought, we are told, by a 
native of India for R45. It was hoped that if the 
purchaser made a good thing of the business it might 
induce Chinamen and others to go in for the culti- 
vation of coffee. Seedlines had been offered to people 
near Mergui, but all had been refused. It is believed 
that the purchaser obtained 72 baskets of cherry 
from the trees, one basket yielding about two viss 
of clean coffee. This coffee was saleable at the 
Mergui bazaar at Rl-6-0 to Rl-8-0 a viss, but it was 
not known what the man's expenses had been in pick- 
ing and cleaning the coffee. During the year 1,180 
plants were given away, and a good stock of seedlings 
remained on hand at its close. The coffee continued 
in a healthy and vigorous condition during 1887-88, 
the number of trees and seedlings at the close being 
2,617. The crop was collected and cleared in the 
garden, and resulted in a yield of 109 viss of bean 
coffee. The work of picking and cleaning entailed no 
extra expense, and as the Forest Ranger said that 
he could easily sell the coffee in Mergui at R2-4 a 
viss retail, it was decided to try tbe plan. No buyer 
came forward, however, and no coffee was sold before 
the close of the year. Twenty viss were sold at 
Tavoy by the Sub- Assistant Conservator, realising 
R2-4 a viss, but the money was not collected till after 
the close of the year. It was eventually decided to 
sell the balance by auction at Mergui. In tbe follow- 
ing year's report we find it stated that the whole 
crop of 1887-88 (? 1887-88), which is given as 113 
visR, was sold for R196-14. In 1888-89 the crop was 
only 66 viss, and it was sold for R99 at a uniform 
rate of Rl-8. per viss. Great difficulty was experienced 
in introducing the coffee for sale, but this is partly 
attributed to a belief that the lot boueht by " a Burman " 
(he was "a native of India" in the original report ) 
was badly cured, as some people even went the length 
of saying that the plantation coffee was unfit for con- 
sumption. However, the crop of 1887-88 was gradually 
cleared off, " tbe buyers were all pleased with the 
coffee; and when the 1888-89 crop came forward it 
found such a ready sale that the supply was not 
sufficient for the local demand." We are informed 
that the plantation coffee has now made a name for 
itself locally for flavour and general excellence, and 
is much preferred to the coffee sold iu the bazaars! 
No explanation can be given, however, of the falling 
off iu the quantity of crop. 
