504 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January i, i8go. 
whose report and valuation is appended. The shipping 
ports are Tuticorin and Quilon, the former distent 60 
milt a by road and 40 miles by rail, th6 latter distant 
46 miles by road. 
Travancore Tea is becoming well known in the Lon- 
don market, and is much appreciated for its combined 
strength and flavour, and the prices realised compare 
favourably with those obtained for Indian and Oeylon 
growths. With the fine soil, evenly distributed rainfall 
and forcing climate, a minimum average yield of 500 lb 
per acre may be safely expected. The yield last year 
was over 600 lb. per acre from the 50 acres of tea 
in full bearing. The plentiful supply of labour and 
cheap transport afford great facilities for placing 
the Tea on the London market at a very low cost. 
Taking the yield at 500 )b. per acre, and the cost at 7d. 
per lb. laid down in London, which is high for Teas 
from this district, there will he a large sum available 
for dividend on an average selling price of 10 J. per lb. 
It is proposed to bring gradually under cultivation 
1,200 acres of the 1,380 acres of Forest land, the 
balance being reterved for fuel and other estate 
purposes. 
No promotion money has been, or will be paid to any 
person, 
BEPOET ON NAGAMALLT AND COLD0OKTY ESTATES. 
Visited in the middle of January, 1889. 
Situated in Central Travancore, and held under 
Government title for a long term of years. 
Area. — 1,500 acres, of which 120 are under tea 
cultivation, the balance, 1,380 being heavy forest. The 
lay of land througbout this area is gently undulating, 
the greatest variation not exceeding 600 feet. 
Communications. — A good cart road of about 3 miles 
in length connects the property with the Govt. Road 
to Quilon, on the west coast, distant 40 miles, and 
with Tinuevelly on the South Indian Railway, 60 miles 
distant. Transport either way being cheap. 
Rainfall, E evation, &c. — The latter is a mean average 
of 1,000 to 1,100 feet above sea level. Climate is most 
suitable for tea, the rainfall being about 120 inches 
annually, well distributed through the ten months — 
March-December. January and February are generally 
dry, in my opinion 3. great advantage as affording an 
annual period cf rest to the tea bushes. 
Soil from appearance is good, consisting of light loam, 
with an outcrop ot ironstone throughout. 
Cultivated area consists of— 
50 acres tea, 7 years old, previously planted with coffee. 
46 ,, do 2 do. 
15 „ do 1 do. 
10 , new clearing, supported with adequate nurseries. 
The tea is of fairjat in the old field ; the latter plant- 
ings being of superior kind, and the two-year-old tea 
is, for age, the finest grown and developed tea I 
have ever seen ; the clearings have been well plauted 
and the older ones supplied, there being at present 
very few vacancies. All the clearings have been roaded 
and drained, but a few more drains could be put in 
the older tea with advantage. 
The old tea has given the handsome yield of over 
600 lb. per acre last season, without showing any 
signs of exhaustion ; the two-year-old tea will give 
about 300 lb. per acre thi3 coming season, and in an- 
other year will be equal to the old tea, with the ad- 
vantage of fresher soil, and the fields opened this 
and last year are relatively equally good. 
There is a small bungalow on the estate near the 
factory, and a larger one of permanent character 
lately built, above the young tea, at an elevation of 
1,600 feet, affording a cool, healthy climate. The 
factory is a moderate sized building, all of wood, with 
an upper floor large enough for current requirements 
but will soon require enlarging ; the machinery con- 
sists of a ' rapid" roller, a Davidson's ''Sirocco," and 
an 8-h.p. engine to drive the machinory. Another 
roller is, I understand, being sent to the estate, to 
provide for possible accidents occurring to the pre- 
sent roller. 
There are ample "Lines" for the labour force. 
Forest.— This consists of magnificent jungle, having 
soil, so far as I can judge, equal to the laud alroady 
ppened, 
Labour. — Coolies are obtainable in abundance, and 
their rate of pay is much lower thau iu Ceylon. 
Valuation. — I consider the property worth at pre- 
sent as follows: — 
50 acres Old Tea R550 = R27,500 
46 „ 2 yeara up. 400 = 18,400"] 
15 „ 1 „ 250 = 3,750 | 
10 „ New clearing & nur- }■* 
series 125 = 1,250 | 
1,380 „ Forest 35 = 48,300 J 
R99,200 
inclusive of buildings and machinery, as necessary 
and component parts of the estate. 
Taking the yield already given by the old tea and 
the grand growth of the two-year-old tea, I have no 
hesitation in saying that an average yield of 500 lb. 
as a minimum can be relied upon ; with the low cost 
of work this yield should permit of the tea being put 
on board ship in Quiloa at 30 cents per lb. assuming 
its market value t.o.b. to be as low as 46 cents (of a 
rupee) per lb. there is a profit of 16 cents per lb. this 
on a seven years' purchase fully bears out my valua- 
tion as given above, and judging from my Oeylon 
experience I believe the tea could be put on board 
ship in Quilon at probably 27 or 28 cents per lb. 
F. M. MackwOod. 
Colombo, April 18tb, 1889. 
SISAL OR ALUE HEMP. 
WHO IS TO BEGIN THE NEW INDUSTRY IN 
CEYLON ? 
When bales of sisal (aloe) fibre from the Baha- 
mas realize from £45 to £50 a ton in London, 
according to whether the fibre is machine, or 
hand cleaned, it is time Ceylon colonists tried 
shipments. The advice given by experts to Bahama 
planters is as follows : — 
" Be very careful to see that the fibre is cleaned 
and fairly packed — no stained or damaged material 
being mixed with the good. It would be better if 
the bales were of uniform weight, say either 4 or 
5 cwt each. Exact weight bales of this size can 
be made up by weighing the fibre before packing, 
and sales are more readily effected when the bales are 
of exact weight." 
Of what the trade is doing for Yucatan on the 
Central American coast we have the following 
account : — 
" To give an idea of the importance of henequen 
(sisal hemp), over 100,000 bales will be exported for 
the first six months of this year, representing a value 
of over 5,000,000 dols. Last year's export reaohed 
214,069 bales, weighing over 76,000,000 lb., and of a 
value of over 10,000,000 dols. gold. You can 
therefore easily realise how an article grown from 
the soil, with little or no cost attached to it, sell- 
ing now at the rate of £50 to £55 per ton must 
enrich Yucatan, which, all told, has not a population 
of more than 300,000 inhabitants. Yucatan, in fact is 
now so prosperous that money is a drug ; people do 
not know what to do with it, and they are willing to buy 
all kinds of goods, even the most costly. As I said 
before, here is a most favourable field for English 
commerce." 
Quinine in India. — The Madras Government hav 
ing directed the sale of Naduvatam quinine be 
village officers in small quantities of a quarter and 
half an ounce, Collectors have been asked by the 
Board of Revenue to see that the medicine is 
brought prominently to the notice of villagers 
especially those residing in feverish tracts. The 
bottles which contain the drug, are to have labels 
affixed giving the price and the quantity to be taken 
both in English and the vernacular of the district. — 
Madras Mail. 
* In another year these three clearings, with the 
wonderful growth in Travancore will be worth R150 
per aore more. 
