April i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
tonga. The poor long-suffering horses too will 
undergo a change of life. Let us hope for the 
better. In my last I spoke of the tea industry 
of these hills. I will now say something about 
coffee. Coffee planting has been oarried on for 
the last 50 years, I am told, but was commenced 
only on a small soale by Messrs. Lasoelles and 
Oookburn, and the late Mr. James Stanes. During 
the last 30 years, however, it has beoome a most 
important and profitable industry. Outlying districts 
which at one time were inaccessible, have been opened 
up by European enterprise. 
The first estate I visited was the Hill Grove, one 
of the finest in the neighbourhood of Coonoor, 
comprising about 300 acres, and I was most 
cordially received by the veteran proprietor, who 
informed me that he expected this year (1890) 
to pick between 60 and 70 tons, which, at the 
present price of coffee in the London market, viz., 
£K0, ought to give him a good return on what 
be values the estate at, three lacs of rupees, 
representing, at the rate of exchange, in English 
money about £21 000. Mr R. who owns Hill Grove 
was one of the pioneers of planting up here. He 
came to the Nilgiris a poor man, but by his 
industry, perseverance and honesty is now the 
owner of several large estates and houses. I have 
beard him spoken of as always being willing to 
help the poor and needy. Although considerably 
advanced in age, Mr. R. walked about with me 
explaining everything connected with the establish- 
ments as if he were in the full vigour of 
manhood. I hud not time to visit the whole 
property, as there were some steep descents, and 
I was just afraid my pony would not be able 
to climb back, but I came away impressed with 
the idea that Hill Grove was a nice little bank 
where one oould draw cheques for decent sums 
when required. 
My next excursion was with Mr. Thos. Stanes, 
whom I spoke of in my last as the proprietor of 
the Glendale tea estate. He writes me to ride 
out and visit his two outlying estates, some 12 to 
13 miles off. 
We leave Coonoor in the morning and drive to 
Glendale, where we have sent our ponies on, and after 
taking luncheon with the manager we mount our 
nags and ride through a most lovely oountry. The 
first property we visit is the Colaoambay coffee estate, 
and I do not think I have seen any place in the 
world that could come up to it in scenery. Some- 
times we are going through the tracks of rich and 
wooded land held in reserve by Government, and at 
other times through private estates chiefly planted 
out with coffee, tea, and cinohona (the latter 
now a negleoted industry, only fetching a few 
pence per pound in the London market, a few 
years back it brought as many shillings.) We 
ride past fine undulating land, which, if planted 
out with some good Australian grass, would no 
doubt make excellent grazing ground for a breed- 
ing stud. We arrive at the Colaoambay estate 
towards evening, where we are most oordially reoeived 
by Mr. Beaver, the manager, and we are offered 
hospitality for the night by the lady of the house 
— a most roomy and pretty bungalow built on a 
hill some distance from the cooly lines. Below 
the hill the surrounding grounds put one in mind 
of a gentleman's park in England with its enclosed 
fields for grazing cattle, and having a couple of 
well-finished tennis courts. The hill commands 
a fine view of the property, with the Buvania 
river and plains below. To the north-east may 
be seen the fine waterfalls from which the estate 
takes its name. The Shevaroy and Annamulloe 
Hills are also visible on a dear day. There iB a 
good oart road via Kartairy whioh connoots Oola- 
cambay with the Coonoor Ghaut, and there is a 
bridle path across the mountains to the latter 
town. I had no idea a coffee estate could be so 
pioturesque. Colaoambay consists of three or four 
ravines with a good cart road running round at the 
top, the pulping house and store are at the bottom. 
The assistant's" bungalow and cooly lines are erected 
at the head of the estate. I may now mention that 
a Government Post Office and Savings Bank are 
also established on the estate's land, so that the 
neighbouring planters enjoy the comfort of a daily 
paper and one delivery of letters per diem. One 
finds it hard to describe properly such a plaoe, but 
the reader oan imagine well out paths winding through 
luxuriant fields of coffee, the former leading to the 
buildings. Coffee planting a* an e'evation like that 
of Colacambav must be essentially a healthy and plea- 
sant life. There are 200 aores under coffee, and 
the remaining land is kept for grazing ; and in 
connection with this I saw a magnificent oattle 
shed 150 feet long where some 250 heads are 
penned every night. Manure of course is the 
chief item in coffee planting; but I am told it 
is one of the most difficult things to get in 
quan'ities sufficient to manure a third of an 
estate yearly, so that planters have to fall back 
on patent manures, suoh as bone and poonac, 
etc. 
A few words as to how the coffee bean is cured 
may interest. Large gangs are sent out to pick the 
ripe fruit. In the evening the quantity picked is 
measured, after which it is passed through a 
machine called a pulper. This separates the pulp 
and skin from the bean ; the latter passes into 
vats, where it remains till sufficiently fermented. 
It is then thoroughly washed, dried for some days, 
and despatched to the low country, -where it is 
further treated by what is known as garbling, i.e., 
the parchment and skin on the bean is knocked 
off, and the beans are sorted into their different 
classes, put into casks and shipped Home. 
Having passed a most pleasant evening with 
Mr. and Mrs. Beaver, we are each accommodated 
with a nice cozy bedroom warmed by a gum wood 
fire. We go to sleep under a couple of blankets, 
and sleep as only one oan sleep in this lovely climate. 
The next morning we are up with the lark, and, 
taking leave of our kindly host and hostess for a 
time we mount our ponies and shape our course 
for Terromiu, (Mr. Stanes' other estate). This is 
quite as grand in its way as Colaoambay, but not 
quite so extensive. Here Mr. Stanes mingles the two 
industries, tea and coffee, and from what we oould 
see they seemed to blend very nicely. From 
Terromiu we return to Colacambay, and have a late 
breakfast with Mr. Beaver. Mr. Stanes rides part 
of the way back with me, and for a time I lose 
his agreeable company. I now wend my way to Tiger 
Lodge. This is the estate of an old retired Civil 
officer from Bengal, Mr. N., one of the first 
acquaintance I make on my arrival from 
Calcutta. Mr. N. combines the two industries of 
coffee and tea ; he also has a nice little orchard. 
His estates are about five miles from Coonoor, and 
I always receive a warm welcome from him when 
I elect to pay him a visit. On this occasion I am 
a°ked to dine and stay the night, which kindly 
offer I accept. After dinner we light a blazing fire 
and talk about old times as far back as the Indian 
Mutiny. The next morning Mr. N. and I ride 
round, passing in sight of Pellom, another fine 
d ffee estate belonging to Mr. A. We meet Mr. M., 
the managing proprietor of the Droog Coffee estate 
who insists on our coming on to breakiast, and on 
arrival we are kindly reoeived by our charming 
hostess and enjoy the meal with a mountain appe. 
tite. After breakfast we go on to Mr. G at" Non 
