68o THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April i, 1890, 
COCONUTS AND TEA SEED. 
There seerns to be a great future for our coconuts » 
and what with the many uses to which they are put 
locally and the demand for them from outside for 
vaiious purposes, the supply will never exceed the 
demand. At one time, coconut oil was in general use 
for lighting, but kerosine proved a dangerous rival. 
Ic commended itself only through its cheapness, ana 
now it is generally used in every village. With the 
extension of the manufacture of coconut butter in 
Germany, and ' dessicated coconut, copra, oil, nuts, &c. 
exported from here, the use of the oil in calming 
troubled waters, and of the fibre in caulking the sides 
of men-of-war, the product is destined to perform 
wonders. And it is well that it should prosper, for 
there is hardly any other product in the Island which 
is so great a boon to the poor. Uoconut butter is 
said to possess more nutritious constituents than gen- 
uine butter, and is in some respects better than that 
article ; but here in its native place the value of 
coconut butter is not yet recognised, though the nut 
is largely used in food. I have heard it credibly stated, 
that sifted coir dust is exported from Ceylon by some 
mere hants, since late. They, no doubt, have some 
good use for it, and will make fair profits out of it. 
Why is coir dust not valued here so much ? For there 
is no reason why it should not be used for vaiious 
purposes ; for improving lands, as bedding for cattle, 
a nu, not the least, it might be advantageously used 
more largely by the Municipality in latrines. Dry coir 
dust is very light, and its absorptive power very great. 
If dry coir oust is used for strewing in stables, cattle 
sheds and latrines, it will afterwards prove of high 
manurial value. 
We hear of a new use for tea seed. It is said 
that Estate coolies extract an oil out of it and use 
it of or burning. With the dry tea twigs for his fuel, 
and tea seed for his oil, Ramasamy will have a good 
time of it. But Appuhamy, instead of using his oil 
from coconut, domba, and kekuna, is resorting to 
kerosine, and in some instances is said to be cutting 
down his kekuna trees to be sold for fuel ! W. A, D. S, 
— Local "Examiner." 
The Java Agricultural Company will be estab- 
lished in Amsterdam with a oapital of f. 2, 500, 000, of 
which f. 1,500,000 will be offered here in shares of 
f.l,0U0 at par on the 7th instant, f.1,000,000 being 
already taken up. The object of the company is the 
working of the existing sugar-manufactories Ban- 
djardawa, Bagoe, Djabong, Pesantren, and Perning, 
and of the coffeelands Kroewoek and Rataredgo. 
These possessions were the property of Mr. G. von 
Bultzingsowen, who died recently, and which were, 
since 1885, under the management of the Nether- 
lands India Agricultural Company, which will 
represent in future the Java Agricultural Company 
in Java, and to which the shipment and Bale of 
produce continues to be charged, The company 
may also issue a bonded loan of f. 2, 600, 000, bearing- 
interest at the rate of 5 per cent, and redeemable 
within thirty years. The transfer of all the manu- 
factories and coffee undertakings takes place at a 
value of f. 4, 000,000, including all assets and liabili- 
ties, while of the bonded loan f.1,000,000 is reserved 
as working oapital for the undertakings. According 
to the prospectus the total profit of all the under- 
takings is estimated at about i. 500, 000. The charges 
in India and Holland will be 1.20,000 ; for interest 
and redemption of the bonded loan 1.162,000 will be 
required ; b per cent dividend, or f. 150,000, will be 
paid to the shareholders, while of the remaining 50 
per cent will be reserved, being thus 1.84,000, and 
the other f. 84, 000 will be divided, of which share- 
holders will receive the half, vjz , f. 42, 000 — thus 
in all 7£ per cent of the paid-up capital. The 
director will be Mr. N. P. van den iSerg, — Cor,, L, 
& C. Express, Feb, 7th. 
Db. J, A. Voelcker, Consulting Chemist to the 
Royal Agricultural Society of England, who is 
now on special duty in India, returned this morning 
to Madras after a visit to the Madura, Coimbatore, 
Salem and Nilgiri Districts. — M. Mail. 
Gemming Operations in Rakwana.— Last week 
Messrs. Barrington Brown and Harding were at Rak- 
wana, inspecting all the trial pits. They also inspected 
the pits worked by the natives and the gems found 
therein. Mr. Bio wn wishes the work of the trial pits 
to be pushed on with as little delay as possible, and he 
wants the pits to be worked both day and night, as is 
done in the deep pits that are being worked by the na- 
tives. The work of the pit on Depedene estate that 
was suspended for some time has been resumed. Both 
Messrs. Brown and Harding are testing the bottom 
"illan," and with this view they have given instructions 
to spare neither money nor labor, but to push on with 
the works as expeditiously as possible. At the other 
end of the district, Messrs. Fahey and Armitage are 
busily engaged in sinking a trial pit on Lauderdale es- 
tate, where the work is being pushed on vigorously, but 
they have not yet touched the " illan." Messrs. Brown 
and Harding after inspecting the works of the several 
gem pits that are worked on Golden Grove, Botiyatenne, 
Fernlee, Depedene, &c, and making necessary arrange- 
ments lor further operations, left Rakwana on* the after- 
noon of the 13th inst., for Ratuapura. Mr. Barrington 
Brown has taken notes of the depth of the pits at 
which the " illan" is found, the thickness of the "illan" 
and the different kinds of clay and gravel that are 
met with in each pit. During his 6tay at Rakwana, 
Mr. Harding purchased a few gems, nut none of great 
value. While Mr. Brown was in Rakwana, the native 
gemmers admired the way in which he tested the 
trial gem pits, and they entertain a high opinion of his 
skill as an expert. Tne first visit ot Mr. Brown to 
Rakwana having been in the company of the Govern- 
ment Agent, W.P. — the Hon. Mr. F. R Saunders— and 
his brother, he fortunately secured the services of an 
excellent overseer in the person of Mr. Simon Mendis, 
who is an experienced gemmer, besides possessing 
considerable local knowledge and influence, while he 
can, at any time, command any number of skilled 
labourers. On the other hand, the work performed by 
another European Syndicate has not been satisfactory ; 
they use a new kind of washing tray and these do not 
at ail answer the purpose for which they are intended. 
The trays have such a large mesh that gems of the 
weight of about 6 carats ana less are washea away with 
the sand. The other day, when the trays were being 
tried in one of the pits sunk by the Syndicate, all the 
gems were washed away with the exception of a few 
large tourmalines. On the same day, there having been 
a heavy shower of rain, a few of the natives who were 
curious to see the result of the washing proceeded 
to the spot, where the washing had taken place, and 
were lucky enough to come across one or two good 
gems. Mr. Brown is now in Ratnapura inspecting pro- 
perties, buyiDg gems and curious stones, and, I hear 
engaged in making notes tor his report. Mr. Harding, 
lett Ratnapura last week by pada-boat on his way to 
Oolombo. Mr. Gow, after inspecting some gemming 
lands and tea estates, left RakwaDa on the 14ih for 
Colombo. Mr. Baddeley is now at Rakwana, having 
arrived here on the 14th instant. He has opened pits 
both at Balangoda and Ratnapura. Mr. Fahey has 
opened one plumbago pit and two gem-pits in the 
vicinity of Lauderdale estate. The workmen have not 
yet touchad the " illan " of any of these pits. A friend 
of mine tells me that when he was in the Haputale 
district he heard of coolies finding small bits ot gems 
in the ravine close to the store on Kelburne estate, 
as also on the 18-acre clearing of Oakfield estate. 
Should any enterprizing person sink gem-pits on those 
lands, my informant has no doubt that they would 
be amply rewarded. It is said that there is a plum- 
bago vein close to Nahavilla estate store ; the sides 
of the river running through Gampola village also 
show signs of land containing plumbago and gems. 
A public sale of gems is to take place at Rakwana 
on the 26th instant, when I hear that several gems" 
of great value will be put up for sale.— Local "Times," 
