55* THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February i, 1890. 
members for Penang and Province Wellesley and their 
planter friend a are making the mistake which is com- 
mon to planters in all parts of the world, and which 
frequently leads to numerous losses and from 
time to time to the anuihilation of plant- 
ing industry. That is to say they decline to 
take any measures against a pest until that 
pest has become so considerable that it cannot be 
readily overcome. The red beetle may be rare, but it 
has destructive proclivities far in excess of those of the 
other, and it should be remembered that we are so 
litile conversant with the habits of insect life that we 
have no means of providing against a possible large 
increase in numbers. The experience of all those in- 
sect pests is that suddenly, and for no apparent 
reason, tli^y are liable to laigely increase in numbers; 
and this being, so to ignore their existence would be 
fooiish, at a time when the matter is engaging our 
attention. It is true that Province Wellesley is cuitfly 
interested in this question, but there are hundreds of 
small plantations scattered around this neighbourhood, 
the owners of which by the Penang proposal are to be 
compelled to take precautions only against an enemy 
that is common to all, while they are, as far as laws go, 
to be utterly indifferent, if they choose, in the case of a 
more deadly, though it may be less frequent, danger. 
AN AGID-PKOOF PAINT. 
A successful experiment is reported to have been 
made recently at the laboratory of the Joseph 
Dixon Crucible Company, in Jersey City, N. J. A 
piece of iron ten inches long, two inches wide, 
and one-sixteenth of an inch thick was used, and 
one-half of its surface painted with silica-graphite 
paint, while the other half was left unpainted. It 
■was suspended for several days in a bath of 
diluted sulphuric acid. The bath was much 
stronger than any sulphur water met with in 
mining. On taking the iron from the bath the 
unpainted part was found eaten off to about one- 
halt its original bulk. The painted part did not 
sustain even the slightest blemish, thus apparently 
proving the ability of this paint to withstand 
sulphuric acid, and demonstrating its usefulness 
where iron piping is laid in acid water, such as 
is sometimes met with in mines containing pyrite 
or other sulphides which, under certain conditions 
produce acid water in the form of sulpahte solu- 
tions, resulting from the decomposition of the 
sulphide minerals. — Engineering and Mining Journal. 
[As there can be no doubt that the graphite 
in the paint came from Ceylon, we submit that 
the paint, which is we believe fire-proof, ought 
to be tried on our tea factories. — Ed.] 
THE GEM MINgTsYNDICATE S AT WOBK 
IN SABABAGAMUWA. 
[From Oue Gemming Ookrespondent.] 
Jan. 22nd. 
The Gemming Syndicates are hard at work exploring 
and prospecting throughout this district, principally 
on private lauds, as the Government does not seem to 
give any encouragement to do anything on Crown 
Lands. For what reason no one seems to know. All 
licenses have been refused for some time back to natives 
to gem on Grown Lands. The conditions laid down by 
Government for gemming on Crown Lands are so objec- 
tionable, I hear, that no Oompauy cares to have any- 
thing to do with tbem. Some of these conditions I 
may just mention for the edification of the general 
public: — 1st. All timber that is damaged or made use of 
has to be paid for at a price fixed according to quality. 
2nd. All mines or pits have to be filled in before abandon- 
ment. 3rd. No streams or watercourses are to be turned, 
&c. &c. And last but not least — fabulous prices 
are expected for the lease or purchase of Grown Lands. 
Ho I suppose tbe Grown will have to keep them and 
allow tho natives to carry on (as hitherto) illicit 
gemming, which has become much more prevalent 
siuce lioenses have been refused. When the British 
public are ottering capital to any extent tor tbe pur- 
pose of developing our Gem Mining Industry and are 
now prepared to unearth ohe hidden treasures of our 
would-b* backward colony, why should the Govern- 
ment discourage and frustrate the attempts made to 
iutroduce tbe much needed British capitals' Look at 
the liberty aud encouragement extended to prospectors 
to look for precious metals &c. on Grown Landin any other 
colony. Why off they go prospecting all over Crown 
property and when they find gold or other metals they 
peg off their claim, and when worked, should it prove a 
success then and not till then does the Government 
step in and demand its royalty. I believe this is the 
way in moBt of our new Colonies, and in that liberal 
policy success is warranted. Now, here we are schem- 
ing all sorts of ways and means to make revenue 
out of a concern before it is started by imposing a tax 
to be recovered fr"m all landowners who seek for gems. 
Perhaps it may be said ihat we are not at the pios- 
pecting stag.', but I maintain that we are and should 
get every encouragement from Government to develop 
the hidden treasures of our Island. I could say much 
more on the subject, but I am too disgusted with it 
for the present. Look for instance at the encourage- 
ment the late Mr. Home got when he wanted to search 
for gold, re your book on Gold and Gems in Ceylon. 
The Nilambe District was in its early days 
one of the richest coffee producing divisions in the 
country ; it included over 2,500 acres of coffee 
giving 16,000 to 20,000 cwt. each year. For the 
current season, all the coffee remaining is expected 
to yield 70 cwt. of crop ! ; but then the old district 
is to give 700.000 lb. of tea ; 100,000 lb. cinchona 
bark ; 15.000 lb. cardamoms and 50 cwt. of cocoa — 
all this going far to make up for the deficiency in 
coffee, especially in view of the greater economy now 
exercised in management of plantations. 
Tambbachekby Estates. — The eighth annual 
general meeting of the Tambracherry Estates Com- 
pany, Limited, was held on Monday at the Cannon 
Street Hotel, E.C., under the presidency of Mr. 
James Labouchere. The chairman, in moving the 
adoption of the reports and accounts, said the 
company bad done fairly well; they had paid then- 
expenses, and had something to the good, but, as 
in the two previous seasons, that which they had 
to the good was not good enough to enable them 
to pay a dividend. On the other hand, they were 
left as they were as regarded the value of the 
estates, and for success in the future they must 
look to what prices, crops, and seasons would do 
for them. The coffee crop, which was estimated 
to realise certainly over one hundred tons, had 
only realised eighty-six tons; on the other hand, 
prices had been excellent, and what they had sold 
bad realisel £7,771. The report was adopted. — H. 
and C. Mail. 
The Ceylon Tobacco Company Amalgamates with 
the German Company.— We are glad tosay that ar- 
rangements have been made whereby the Ceylon 
Tobacco Company, Ltd., takeB over all the land pur- 
chased by what has been called the German Syndicate 
for the cultivation of tobocco, the latter taking pay- 
ment solely in full paid up shares of the Company. 
Messrs. T. N Christie, O. S. Armstrong, and Hugh 
Fraser have ^ust concluded a careful inspection and 
valuation of the land pnrehased by Mr. Frelz Meye, 
and have concluded the arrangements for taking over 
the land with his Mr. Schappe, who holds his power of 
attorney. This practically means the amalgamation 
of the two Companies, leaving the capital of the Ceylon 
Tobacco Company free to work the land. Mr. J. K. 
Ingleton having an agreement with the German S yndi 
cate. the Tobacco Company takes it over, and Mr- 
Ingleton will now reside on the Matale property with 
full charge over all the land of the amalgamated Com- 
pany. Mr. P. W. Keir will reside on the Kurunegala 
land, working under Mr. Ingleton and, after one or 
two crops of tobaoco have been taken off the land, tea 
will be planted in Matale and coconuts in Kurunegala. 
We wish the Company all suocess.— Local " Times,' 
