FebrUar? i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
behind the age, Rutherford is to loDger a leader, and 
each man doeth what is right in 1)19 own sight, knowing 
his work as in the old coffee days. The coolies have 
become familiar with the flying rollers, and whirling 
belts, and grimy firing machines, and even the engine, 
room has lost its wonders. The power of steam and 
adoption of machinery has proved a wonderful 
educator of the natives. Field work has become but a 
regular routine, and every coolie boy knows every move 
in the game. Those planters who had former experi- 
ence in coffee and field work generally have found it 
rather to their advantage to have delayed acquiring 
tea experience, as they avoid all the circuitous wander- 
ings and step straight into the middle of matters 
armed with the Planters' pocket-book, and furnished 
with trained coolies and ready found machinery. 
The old coarse plucking has been given up; and up- 
country men study flavour, lowoountry men study "point," 
medium elevation men study the main chanc?, and all are 
as keen as ever to give or tike a "wrinkle" from his 
neighbour. I am glad to see those prize essays and 
lectures given up. Each district, nay each estate, nay 
each field, has its individual characteristics, and it is 
only the manager who is in touch with the market 
through the medium of his own manufacture who can 
really judge At present the market is in favour of low- 
country growths, a strong liquor with pungency and 
"point" being desiderated, and this in the lowoountry 
can be had by no fermentation. Upcountry growths 
are flavoury but weak in liquor. 
To leave tea I would point out that even supposing 
there comes a day of adversity I can see a great field 
for the ever-undaunted Oeylon planter. I see all the 
northern part of the island and round to Batticaloa 
uuder cotton with machinery and bungalows. I see a 
large tobacco enterprize. Depend upon it Ceylon will not 
founder. Who is the " James Taylor " of the coming 
cotton enterprise? The extension of tea in the low- 
country proves, ho v well planters thrive there. Then 
there is the Qemming Boom. MaDy fingers will be burnt 
over that pot — but you will yet see the gem factory 
surrounded by high palisadts, guarded by fierce bull- 
dogs, entered only by naked natives, and fitted with 
machinery not only uuder lock and key, but under 
the stern eye of the well paid and intelligent 
European. Imagine big pipes carried through 
the palisades into large rooms in which are 
rocking and spinning basins (a cross between a sugar 
vacuum pan and a " Rapid " roller), the water 
spla-hing and dashing through the machinery, and 
the precious " eelan " being thrown iu by buckets 
on an endless chain fed from an underground store. 
The sediment then would be shot down into another 
underground floor where no natives should be per- 
mitted to enter. All this is in the future, but don't 
forget the bull-dogs or the palisades. 
Cacao is a small profitable product suitable to a 
limited area 
Cubebs is a mine of wealth if you could get the 
true artiole. 
Coffee might be a profitable product if cultivated in 
suitable localities with full attention to husbandry 
and shade. 
But let the planter persevere with tea till Nature 
holds her hand ; and when blights come, the low- 
country can be over-run with cotton plantations ; and 
it will only want a palm-leaf hat, pyjama salt, 
big collars and a banjo to complete the picture of 
South Carolina. Ceylon planters will never be driven 
iuto the sea. Shall I be spared to give you my views 
in 1900? W. A. T. 
[We hope so ; Lut our correspondent's character as a 
prophet issomewl i't qualified by the collapse of cin- 
chona. — Ed.] 
* 
"COLONIA." 
"Colouia " is the title, of a new venture in col lection 
with the Colonial College, Hollesley Bay, Suffolk, the 
Principal of which is Mr. Robert Johnson. From an 1 
article on the origin ol the College, we learn that a 
proposal to found, au institution to be devoted to the I 
objeot of training youths for oolonial life was made in 
1884-5, and the favourable opinions expressed by 
eminent colonial men as to the necessity for such a 
college led to its opening in 1887 but with only 3 
students. This number has now increased to 65, and 
since its foundation some 32, to judge from the direc- 
tory of old boys, have passed through the collegiate 
course and settled down iu various parts of the world — > 
three of them having come to Ceylon and established 
themselves at Kadugannawa, Dimbula, and Maturata. 
The great advantages of a term of residence at such a 
college are that students will be able to discover 
whether they have any aptitude for colonial life, if so 
in what direction, and whether they will be constitu- 
tionally fitted for one or other of the various climates 
all about which they will get to know; that they will 
have opportunities of going abroad with friends, and 
will have a connecting link through the college with 
other colonists. The old students' column consists of 
contributions from the various colonies where the 
students trained at Hollesley Bay have settled. One 
writes of tea-making in Oeylon, another of the discovery 
of an auriferous quartz reef in South Africa, another 
of farming 3,000 acres at Cape Colony, another of land 
clearing in Canada, and still another, who bas evi- 
dently started on a large scale, of having 30,000 sheep 
and 15,000 head of cattle on his estate in Buenos Aires. 
Dr. Taylor, who is well-known as the editor of Science 
Qossij) contributes some " Australian Notes." He refers 
to the discovery of a five feet seam of coal, in Victoria, 
which he says is perhaps worth more than all its gold- 
mines put together. He considers it a mistake for young 
men to think that they are going out among a rough and 
ignorant lot in the Australian Colonies, and speaks in 
high terms of the refinement and culture in Australian 
houses. The StateSchools, which are distributed all over 
the country, are free j and in tome of the colonies the 
pupils are carried to and from school by the State 
railways at no charge. The Australian colonies, says 
Dr. Taylor, do not require doctors, lawyers, surveyors 
or engineers. "The best outfit a young fellow can 
take with bim is a healthy constitution, willingness 
to work and to go anywhere to work if necessary, 
and sober habits. If he can take a little capital with 
him all the better — particularly if he bas sense enough 
nor to spend it, but to take care of it until the inevi- 
table favourable opportunity turns up. "Orange culture" 
in Orlando, Florida, gives a short sketch of the 
method of cultivation and winds up with a calculation 
showing- that after the trees have been fully esta- 
blished, a profit of 200 dollars an acre is a reasonable 
estimate, " I feel sure," says the writer, " that a 
fellow who is willing to work hard and steadily and 
keeps his eyes open will get on, and it is as jolly a 
life as one can wish for." T. H. Rutherford gives 
a chatty account of a new chum's life in the land 
of the Maori ; J. D. Telford writes on Imperial Federa- 
tion from an Australian student's point of view, which 
is not a favourable one, and agricultural, daisying, 
veterinary, surveying, and college notes fill the rest 
of the number. It may be safely predicted that the new 
venture to judge from the first issue (which by the 
way has seen to a second edition) will be a great 
success, for while it circulates useful information for 
those it is intended for, it will be a happy medium 
for the interchange of ideas and the dixoussioa of 
interesting subjects, a strong link that will bind the 
new colonists to each other and their alma mater: 
while its best work will be the dignifying of labour, the 
developing of energy, and the fostering of ambition. 
A NEW TANNING SUBSTANCE. 
[Some months ago I remember you had a leader 
on some Oeylon trees, the bark of which was said to 
be suitable for tanning purposes. Here is something. 
— Cor.} 
Experiments have been made recently iu Newark 
with a South American bean called the "Augola" 
with the view of substituting it for gambier, but we 
understand that the tests were not satisfactory. This 
