May i) 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
efficacy, as any cruder preparation hitherto in use. Dr. 
Bidie approves of the proposal to substitute quinine for 
febrifuge in all oases, as the people generally are 
well acquainted with the efficacy and appearance of the 
sulphate of quinine, and no other preparation hitherto 
in use has been able to win the same degree of popular 
confidence as a febrifuge. The cost of the Eaglish-made 
article has hitherto been the chief obstacle to its gene- 
ral use, and if cheap supplies of the local-made quinine 
were available all over the country. Dr. Bidie thinks 
that the consumption would be very large. As the 
manufacture 011 the Government estates will, in futuro, 
be restricted to the production of quinine and this can 
be supplied at as cheap a rate as febrifuge, he thinks 
it unnecessary to oonsider further the proposal of the 
Government of India with reference to the nse of 
" Cinchona Febrifuge" in hospitals and dispensaries in 
lieu of quinine. The factory at Naduvatam will in 
future be prepared to supply all the quinine required 
for the Medical Store Department, the price being the 
same as that of Howard's Sulphate of Quinine landed 
in Madras. But as regards Native Civil hospitals, the 
rule that cinchona febrifuge should be substituted for 
three-fourths of the quinine issued to them, has not 
beeu adopted in this Presidency because the medi- 
cines for mofussil hospitals and dispensaries have always 
been paid for by the local bodies concerned. In con- 
sideration of this circumstances the Government is of 
opinion that the manufacture of the solid febrifuge 
should be limited so as only to meet the demand. It 
is optional for local bodies to obtain quinine and 
cinchona febrifuge in such proportion as they think 
fit. — Madras Times, Feb. 26th. 
♦ 
PADDY CULTIVATION PAYING WELL. 
Nawalapitiya, March 13th. 
Weather fair and likely to remain so for a while 
now. Tea flushing well, and crops so far very 
much in advance of last year. 
The best information I have been able to get 
regarding paddy cultivation shows that manuring 
and careful work pay, as in a pieoe of paddy land 
divided by the road into two portions of about 
seven acres and two acres respectively, the resultB 
of the first crop are as follows : — 
7 acres, 24 bushels seed paddy, 700 bushels crop, 
cattle manure used, one crop in 12 months. 
2 acres, under 50 bushels crop, no manure, one 
orop in 12 months, other particulars not to be had. 
Another field in Rattota I am told gives a return 
of 100 bushels on 2£ acres, 5 bushels seed paddy 
being required, and this for one crop only. In all 
oases the tax being commuted was very moderate in 
its inoidenoe. 
THE PROPOSED GEMMING ORDINANCE. 
Report of the Committee of the Ceylon Chamber 
op Commerce in connection with the peoposed Gem- 
ming Ordinance pursuant to a resolution passed at 
the general meeting held on 20th Feb. 1890. 
The Crown grants issued in respect of lands alien- 
ated by the Crown purport to Bave and reserve to us 
(the Crown) our heirs and successors all rights and 
titles to the mines, minerals, gold, silver, copper, iron, 
tin, lead and other metals aud the ores thereof in or 
upon tho said lands, together with full power of entry 
for the same respectively. 
The Committee aro not satisfied that the pre- 
existing rights claimed to be reserved by the Crown 
at the time of selling the laud, had any real exist- 
ance under their tenure, but at all events it does 
not appear that at any time these reserved rights 
have been assorted otherwise than in a perfunctory 
aud nominal way. 
The Committee believe that from the time of 
the English occupation and until the framing 
of Ordinance No. 7 of 1882, Gemming has been 
suffered without let or hindrance not only upon lands 
alienated by the Crown but there has also boen no 
effectual attempt made to check the operations of 
Gemmers upon Crown lands. Ordiuacce No. 7 of 
1882 is the only enactment in force at the present 
time and that Ordinance provides as follows : — 
Clause 3. 
" From and after the passing of this Ordinance it 
shall not be lawful for any person to gem upon 
any Crown land or upon any land in which the 
rights of the Crown to gems and precious stones have 
been reserved, for gems or precious stones ; unless 
such person shall have obtained a license therefor in 
the manner hereinafter provided." 
Clause 4. 
" The Government Agent of the Province and any 
Assistant Government Agent within his own district 
may grant to the party applying for tho same a lioense 
to be called a ' gemmer's license' ; buch license shall 
be in the form (A) given in the schedule hereto, and 
shall be stamped with a stamp of Rl to be furnished by 
the license." 
Hitherto gemming has been carried on almost exclu- 
sive by natives, some of the native mines are of 
considerable magnitude. Pits estimated at from 80 to 
100 feet in depth being in existence. These pits are m 
some instances carefully lined and shored, but many of 
them are not lined and are of a dangerous character. 
English Companies having lately been formed or 
projected for the purpose of gemming on approved 
scientific methods by the aid of English and foreign 
capital, tho Government of Ceylon now seeks by fresh 
legislation to impose upon tho new undertaking 
restrictions and imposts of a very onerous character : 
in the opinion of this Committee so onerous, that if 
the proposed ordinance be carried into effect, the 
new industry which it is the avowed object of Govern- 
ment to foster and encourage, will be checked and 
all in probability stifled at its inception. 
The Committeo object to the ordinance now under 
consideration for the reason that it seeks by ex-post- 
facto legislation to alter conditions of tenure that havo 
practically obtained for a long series of years and on 
the faith of which lands alienated by the Crown have 
been bought and sold. 
As regards the character of the imposts 
the Committee regards the Ordinance as one 
that in its incidence will almost certainly tax only 
the gems raised by Companies, the publicationof whose 
accounts is compulsory. They consider that it will be 
possible for individuals whether European or native 
to evade the tax altogether, it being practically im- 
possible to recover the Government share by a loyalty 
at tho pits or on gems obtained by surface gemming, 
a method largely carried on by the natives, and they 
believe it will be equally impossible to levy a duty at 
the Custom House. In the case of plumbago, an export 
duty was substituted for a royalty at the pits, owing 
to the difficulty experienced in recovering the latter, 
but the alternative export duty that was possible in 
the case of a bulky mineral like plumbago, cannot be 
effectually levied upon gems that may be passed through 
the Custom House or Post Office without deteotion. 
The Committee strongly depreoate the investment of 
so much power in the Government Agent of the Pro- 
vince where the land may be situated. Without desiring 
to question the confidence expressed by the Hon. the 
Attorney-General in the judgment and impartiality of 
the Crown Officers, they cannot share to the full, tho 
opinion expressed by him, that it is difficult to conceive 
that any Government Agent would act arbitrarily or 
unfairly and they do not regard the possibility of an 
appeal to the Governor in Executive Counoil within 7 
days as a sufficient protection. 
Notwithstanding tho arguments urged against such 
a settlement by the Hon. the Attorney-General, 
this Committee is strongly of opinion that it* 
Governmont are resolved to alter the existing law 
as regards lands alienated by the Crown, the most prac- 
ticable and at the same time least objectionable me- 
thod* of realising the right, title and interest reserved 
by the Crown is by the absolute sale of those rights 
to the owners of the land. 
They oonsider that supplementary grants conveying 
the rights hitherto reserved by tho Crown should bo 
