524 
THF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 1890. 
between the young cacao ; in one case it was planted 
between tobacco pUnts before the latter were cut 
down and now that the tobacco crop is reaped a very fine 
field ot cotton reigneth in its stead. 
The Spinning and Weaving Company should do all 
they can to encourage the growth of cotton by getting 
out a number of cheap hand gins for planters, whereby 
they (the S. & W. Co.) would receive the cotton 
ready ginned and save the planters immensely in trans- 
port. Cotton seed obtained with the cotton is in thw 
proportion of at least 3 to 1, i. e. if cotton is Bent to 
Colombo ginned, instead of paying transport on 4 tons it 
■would only be on one ton ; on unginned cotton of the 
seed is required on the estate again for planting or 
eattle feeding there is the return transport to be 
paid, so that there can be no doubt the S. & W. 
Co. can very materially encourage cotton growing by 
the above plan which will also bring the grist to their 
mills. By oalling for tenders at home this Company 
would possibly be provided with suitable hand gins 
for a few£'s each, wheieas now, the local prices given 
are E850 to K450 I 
We hear of some Ceylon-grown Sea Island Cotton 
selling in England at Is 4d per lb. the highest price 
quoted by the Spinning and Weaving Company for 
Sea Island cotton is 40 cents per lb. ; it is scarcely 
necessary to tell such business like men as the direc- 
tors of the Spinning and Weaving Oo. a that if they 
Wish to secure Ceylon-grown cotton they will have 
to advance their rates to an equivalent to h'tne prices. 
We shall a little later give the aotual figures for cost 
of planting, supplying, keeping cotton free of insects 
(which are legion), picking, ginning, dehpatching to 
Colombo, &c, &c, with value received for the pro- 
duce of a ootton clearing so that planters may judge 
for themselves what may be gained by growing 
this produot, 
+ 
TRADE IN CEYLON IN 1889. 
(By a Meechant.) 
During the twelve months there has been a gradual 
improvement in trade generally and this must be 
Uaced mainly to the expansion of the Tea enter- 
prise, large areas coming into bearing, more labourers 
being employed, more money circulating, and, as 
a consequence, an increased demand for imports 
and articles of consumption. 
But other things besides tea have contributed 
to the welfare of the native community more 
especially in the steady demand there has been 
for the products of the Coconut tree, and for Cin- 
namon, Plumbago, &c. The total value of the trade 
of the island cannot yet be ascertained, but that 
it exceeds that of recent years there is no doubt. 
The number of bushels of Bice imported at Co- 
lombo was 5,516,391. 
In Cotton Goods the offtake has been on a 
larger scale, the heavier makes of shirtings having 
been most sought after, and business in gray 
dhooties has also been on the increase, whilst 
colored and printed goods have shared in the 
improvement. Imports of MancheBter-made goods 
from India, and of Indian-made goods, have been 
on a considerable soale. 
In Metals and Hardware there has been a marked 
increase to meet requirements created by the 
erection and extension of tea factories and estate 
buildings more especially, and there has been more 
general activity in the bazaars than for some years 
past. 
In Export business has been on a full scale 
and in most cases at prioes that have been fairly 
remunerative, as for the moBt part transactions 
luw-a-iays are on a 'cost and freight' basis 
and the old merchants' risk of consigning to 
markets, for realization on their acoount is pretty 
much a thing of the past. 
Plumbago has been very largely exported, and 
during the pist few months extremely high prioes 
have prevailed. The advance was brought about 
through several vessels with oargoes for Amerioa 
having broken down on the way, thus causing a 
iearcity, which had to be satisfied. Since then 
arrivals have been more than sufficient, and prioes are 
falling. The good prioes that dealers have been get- 
ting have stimulated mining, and machinery for 
pumping is now being introduced at many of the pit?. 
Cinnamon has been depressed owing partly to 
accumulation of stocks but largely on account of 
the excessive exports of chips, This, however, will 
be rectified by the united action recently taken by 
growers, and there is a prospect of a good trade 
at the present level of prices. 
Cinnamon oil and citronella oil have been in 
limited request until towards the latter part of the 
year, but great difficulty is experienced in proouring 
pure Fssential Oils owing to the adulteration which 
has been so largely practised. 
Coconut oil has fluctuated a good deal in price, 
but the export has been on an average scale. 
Latterly the prices of copra have advanced owing 
to the unfavourable season and limited yield of 
nuts, and the volume of transactions both in oil 
and the raw material has become curtailed. 
Cotton has scarcely attained an important posi- 
tion yet. as regards quantity produced, but some 
very excellent descriptions are being grown, and 
the cultivation is certain to spread gradually. 
It is not likely however at an early date to be- 
come an article of export (much as Manchester 
would like to have Ceylon-grown cotton), as there 
is a market at the new Cotton Mills at Wellewatta 
for all that can be raised. But if the island were 
opened up by railways, there is no reason why 
Ceylon should not become a large cotton-producing 
country like Tinnevelly, the crop from which 
exported from Tuticorin during the la=t season has 
amounted to 120,000 candies of 500 lb. each and with 
the total value of R16.200.000. 
Kapok (the fine but short-stapled fibre produced by 
ootton trees) meets with a ready sale, and the wonder 
is that it is not more largely cultivated, seeing 
that it commands from 20 to 25 cents a lb. oleaned. 
Fibres. — The trade in Aloe fibre such as has been 
developed in Mauritius and Bahamas, has yet to 
be started in Ceylon ; but 1890 ought to see a good 
beginning made. 
1890 opens with prospects favourable to the island 
trade as a whole, but as rates of Exchange are 
tending upwards, the rupee values of produoe can 
hardly fail to be weakened, whilst importers of 
goods would be benefited by any improvement in 
the value of the depreciated silver coin. 
[We had hoped to get the value of the trade 
in 1889, but the Principal Collector of Customs 
cannot give it for some weeks yet.] 
♦ 
THE IMPORTANCE OF LIMING. 
With Pbactical Illusteations. 
By John Hughes, f.c.s., p. i. c, Consulting Chemist 
to the Ceylon Planters' Association. 
The value of lime as an occasional dressing for the 
soil has been recognised from a very remote period. 
In this country, liming— that is to say, the practioe 
of applying burned limestone — was usually associated 
with a summer fallow in preparation for wheat; but 
with the disappearance of this expensive mode of 
preparing a good seed-bed for the above-named 
cereal, the old custom of liming has also gone ont of 
fashion. This is to be regretted for many reasorjs 
which may conveniently be arranged under the fol- 
lowing headings: — 
