February r, i8go.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
547 
total imports into China and Japan are about 52,000 
bale in excess of 1888, or about 20 per cent, which may 
be considered satisfactory. * * * A new tariff of higher 
rates of freight mutually agreed upon between the 
P. & O., Rubattino's and Austro-Hungarian Lloyd's 
steamship Companies, has come into force since the 
commencementof the year, and thearrangement is being 
strictly carried out. * * * There are altogether 106 
Mills working in In ia at the different places as below: 
— Mills working in the Island of Bombay 55. — In the 
Bombay Presidency (other than those in the Island of 
Bombay) 21. — In Bengal Presidency 6. — In Madras 
Presidency 8. — In Central India and Provinces 4. — In 
Hydrabad (Nizam's territory) 4. — In Oude and North 
West Province 5. — In Travancore 1. — In Mysore 2. — 
Total working 106. — In Course of Erection : — In the 
Island of Bombay 13. — In Bombay Presidency 1. — In 
Bengal Presidency 1. — In Madras Presidency 1.— -Total 
16. 
ELECTEI0 LIGHTING IN TEA FACTORIES. 
Hatton, Jan. 15th. 
Dear Sir,— With reference to the letters that 
have been appearing in the local papers res- 
pecting the above, we enclose for your informa- 
tion and that of others interested, copies of letters 
respecting the lighting up of Lebanon Factory. 
—We are, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
ROWN, RAE & Co., 
Sole agents for the Brush Electrical Engineering 
Co., Ltd. 
(Copy.) 
Hatton, Jan. lltb. 
T. Dickson, Esq. LebvnoD Estate, Madulkele. 
Dear Sir, — We observe from Bome correspondence 
in the newspapers that it is stated that you have 
dicontinued using your electric light. As sole agents 
for Ceylon for the Brush Electrical Engineering Co. 
Ltd., we would esteem it a favour i you would let 
us know if this is the case, and, if so, your reason for 
discontinuing it.— Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) Brown, Rae & Co. 
Lebanon Group, Madulkele, Jan. 12th. 
Dear Sir, — I have yours of the 11th inst., and hasten 
to answer. 
My electric light is giving the greatest satisfaction, 
and there has not been one single hitch Binoe it was 
started a Nov. 1888. 
A careiul record of its work has been kept, and to 
date it has run for 820 (eight hundred and twenty) 
hours, and given first-class light through it all. 
Beyond half-an hour's attention every day to oil 
and clean, it requires no other expenditure, and 
practically, since erection has cost nothing but the 
oil consumed in lubrication. 
I am writing this in my factory office by its light 
and a steadier or better I could not wish for. 
You have my authority to write at once to the 
locnl papers and contradict the rumour. I have been 
troubled recently by repetitions of the same rumour, 
and wonder who was foolish enough to start it. — Yours 
faithfully, (Signed) T. Dickson. 
CATTLE BREEDING. 
Dear Sir,— From my experience of hackery bulls in 
and around Colombo, and their speed and powers of 
encluniuce, 1 had long ago come to the conclusion 
that they are usually unab'e to go at one stretch 
more than a distsnce of 12 miles in 3J to 4 hours. 
To my surprise only a few days ago I traveled from 
3 p. m. till 11 p.m. a distance of 30 miles in a hackery 
drawn by a crossbred bull. On my complaining to the 
driver of his oruelty to this fine animal he said that 
it whs a very hardy animal frequently travelling 15 
to 80 miles a day to and from Colombo. He men- 
Honed another fine well-shaped cross-bred black bull 
which had smashed its hackery the previous day 
Kgaiust a tree ; having got frightened after trot- 
ting 3 miles at some noise. To ;avoid breaking 
my neck I hastily jumped out of tho hackory. 
This bull was as spirited as a young Australian horse, 
though he had travelled the previous day a distance 
of 50 miles, I am informed. Well I daresay there 
are many more such hardy animals in the Negombo 
district ; but I am afraid such animals are seldom or 
never to be found in and around Colombo where 
there is a great demand for them at present when 
many well-to-do people who drove about in horse- 
carriages are using decent hackeries. It strikes me that 
it would be well for the natives to try to re^r bulls 
of this hardy nature and improve the stock of the 
island cattle.— Yours truly, 
PRO BONO PUBLICO. 
[This reminds us of the wonderful number of 
bullock haokeries whioh now find employment at 
the various railway stations. This was not anti- 
cipated by the bullook handymen who intreated 
the late Mr. De Soysa not to join the Europeans 
in ruining them by promoting a seaside railway, 
Ed.] 
QUALITY OF TIMBER-TREES. 
Jan. 17th. 
Dear Sir, — In your interesting articles headed 
Railway Sleepers," I see you make mention of 
Timbiri" as good for spars and as having been 
given a trial for use as sleepers. This tree is 
very abundant in the Chilaw districts, but is 
looked upon as worthless timber " for even fire- 
wood." The juice of the fruit is, however, very 
commonly used for preserving fishing nets and 
in caulking canoes. I have never seen further use 
made of the tree,* and should be glad to hear that 
the timber is of any value. You also mention 
Pleurostylia wightii called by the Tamils here 
" Peiyaru " (not Pasari); a very valuable wood for 
house building, but, as far as my experience goes, 
an inferior kind for outdoor work. The grand 
"Palu" seems to be the best, all round, for use 
as sleepers, as it is not only hard, even-grained 
and not liable to crack under exposure, but it is 
also one of our commonest timber trees throughout 
the drier parts of the island. Apologizing for 
trespassing on your valuable space,— Yours faithfully, 
GEORGE D. MILLER, 
[All suoh communications are weloome. Of 
course, in writing, we gave the best information 
available, relying specially on the opinions of 
members of the Forest Department. But even they 
are not agreed in every case, and hence the great 
value of the series of trials now instituted. There 
can be no doubt that age at which felled and the 
period and mode of seasoning have much to do 
with the qualities of timber. Specimens even of 
the best timbers, if immature or imperfectly seasoned, 
are sure to be condemned.— Ed.] 
GREEN TEAS MANUFACTURED ON KIN- 
TYRE, MASKELIYA. 
Colombo, 21st January 1890. 
Dear Sir, — Your planting readers will, doubtless, 
be interested in learning that Mr. H. Drummond 
Deane ot Kintyre has been most successful lately 
in the manufacture of green teas made by a 
machine of his own invention which he is patenting. 
I know nothing of the machine itself, nor is 
it within my province, even if I did, to write on 
the subject until Mr. Deane has secured his patent, 
but I can report as to the quality of the teas produced 
by the machine. 
The samples submitted to me are without excep- 
tion the only green teas that have come under 
my notice in Ceylon that are all that green teas 
* The astringent bark is used for 6ores and ulcers" 
—Ed. T. A. 
