794 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [Mat i, 1890. 
villagers is a pure and abundant supply of water, and 
for short Paddy crops irrigation and improved methods 
of cultivation. While saying this much, and ready to 
do all in our power to give a more practical direction 
to eduoation, we do not indulge in the hope that the 
millenium will dawn when a few Technical Schools have 
been established. Overcrowding is as much a complaint 
in the arts and manufactures as in the professions ; and 
even in England, with its immense industrial and 
manufacturing resources, the rush for place both Govern- 
ment and private, chiefly Clerkships, is perhaps keener 
than ever. That it with altogether subside here is 
chimerical. 
Nor must it be supposed that there are no Ceylonese 
who have not risen to their opportunities, and even 
gone in advance of them. Moratuwa men have become 
synonymous with skill in handicraft and enterprise in 
trade ; and far off, neglected Jaffna still maintains its 
pre-eminence for devotion to agricultural pursuits in the 
face of overwhelming obstacles. The wealthy De 
Soysas. Pierises, Rajapakses, Silvas and Fernandos 
of the Western Province are but types of their less opu- 
lent countrymen who, as Traders, Merchants, Arrack 
Renters, Mine-owners, Building Contractors, Coconut 
Planters, Coffee Planters, Tea Planters, and Cinnamon 
Planters, have availed themselves of opportunities as they 
presented themselves, outside the professions and the 
Government cervices. Many public writers lose eight 
of the fact that prominent uocess in the professions and 
in office, such as has been attained by Ceylonese in the 
face of keen and continued competition, demands 
qualities at least as high, though of a different char- 
acter, as those which secure success in the walks 
of agriculture and commerce. Another point that is 
forgotten is that the majority of those who have wealth 
or earn a competence, do invest in land and improve 
them. If tbey are the drones that they are represen- 
ted to be, who are the Proprietors of the broad acres 
which annuallv add to the cultivated area of the 
Northern and North-Western Provinces ? It will be 
found on enquiry that they are professional men, bro- 
kers, Government servants and others who are equally 
contemptuously spoken of. We advert to these facts 
to show that the Ceylonese are not quite as backward 
in industrial pursuits and in enterprise, as they are 
sometimes represented to be ; that they have advanced 
with the times, and that there is in them the making 
of what their too hasty critics lament they do not 
intuitively become. 
As we have said — and we have gone very far afield 
after we said it — the Ceylonese have not yet shown the 
skill and enterprise necessary for puttiog their raw 
products to all possible uses, and for pushing the sale 
of them in the best possible markets ; but the advance 
they have made in the taste for agriculture and the 
arts is hopeful. Ceylon yet imports prepared Choco- 
late and Coconut oonfectionery. and has perhaps not 
yet even tasted Coconut Butter. It is time she be- 
stirred herself, and added to her industries. In the 
Coconut palm the Island possesses an inexhaustible 
mine of wealth ; and with the acquisition of scientific 
knowledge, Ceylonese might find new uses for its 
products whioh would increase its value The extended 
cultivation of Coconuts — there is a larger acreage 
under this product here than under Tea, Coffee, Cin- 
chona Cocoa, Cardamons and Cinnamon combined, 
while it is not like Cinnamon a stranger to Southern 
and Western climes — has naturally lowered prices, 
especially for the great export of Oil. The mischief 
has been aggravated by the discovery of cheaper 
substitutes, both as lubricants and illuminantf — as wit- 
ness our own growing consumption of Kerosine Oil. 
Our hr-pe shruld lie in putting the Nuts to new uses. 
Alr»adv the demand created by the manufacture of 
ooi'f"-tionerv in at least two Mills has helped prices; 
and from recent information the business is likely to 
'■xoKid. It in rumouied that the establishment at 
Vev»Tigod» is ftt once tn be doubled in s'ze; and if 
♦ hp popularity for this manufacture grows, other 
competitors might cuter the field. Then, if the efficacy 
of the, substitute for animal butter is once pstablished, 
the demand for it will be practically illimitable. The 
chemical and engineering knowledge for entering the 
lists as competitors in such manufactures may yet be 
wanting to us ; but why should not experiments be 
made to improve old familiar products ? Copperah Oil 
turns rancid because of its careless manufacture ; efforts 
might well be directed towards ensuring greater purity 
and more lasting qualities for the hand-made Oil, 
which is so widely used in cooking food. In sweets, 
too, much might be done, and the demand for them 
elsewhere be stimulated by making them known and 
appreciated here. The greater is the need for stimul- 
ating the demand, in view of the continued extension 
of Coconut cultivation. — Local "Examiner," 
Tea. Notes. — Dehba Dun, April 9th. — This time 
last year we had made thousands of pounds of tea : 
whereas this year we have hardly made a pound, it 
is the worst year is has ever been my misfortune to 
see. Some gardens are burnt already, and look worse 
than they generally do just before the rains. 
Darjeeltng, April 11th.— Rain at last ! Gaueed 
•85" yesterday. First good shower for seven montha 
will do a lot of good all round. Small amount of 
leaf coming in throughout the district. Tea being 
manufactured fairly flavoury, but no tip. — Indian Plan- 
ters' Gazette. 
OEYLON EXPORTS AND DISTRIBUTION 1890 
Plum- 
bago. 
1890 
cwt. 
51516 
"8191 
9258 
2275 
"l616 
" 180 
G1128 
1 ^Wr-Hl 
CD © © CO 
H< CO CO -H 
OS CD © 
| CO -* t- CO 
Coconut Oil. 
i rH Cl 
49151 
3400 
1607 
1885 
1157 
517 
5365 
43702 
47495 
106787 
134902 
6S909 
1 8^ 
! 8S 
( rfo 
CO © — * © OS CO OS 
Gs © © ■— i rr 
: :o ito : : : ;cs©©© • 
• • ■ *H . ... ■ I>io H H z 
Ciunamoa. 
n. 
•3:2 
o 
89763 
11424 
11200 
2372 
5600 
11200 
1 — 03 IC SO 
x m co co 
££2°, 
CO © lO os 
1 rH « CO 
Bales 
lb. 
294593 
33400 
34725 
4000 
1400 
118800 
5000 
2506 
10000 
5000 
700 
33328 
20000 
563452 
994856 
390149 
32 064 
Carda- 
moms. 
lb. 
90134 
... 
54112 
40 
617 
144903 
121606 
120494 
145835 
Oocoa. 
cwt. 
| -cH © CD ,fl CO H N 
t- co t~ la os co 
co : : : :<o : : : : cm ; 
cd <cd m 
OS O, IT CO 
n -H O© 
CO t- t- rH 
rH 
Tea. 
1890 
13638297 
25 
500 
409 
1030 
15 
15178 
115 
8476 
16925 ! 
9627 
25859 
547799 
71190, 
14335445 
10282462 
5966342 
3107549 
Cinchona. j 
1890 
Branch & 
Trunk lb. 
© © CO OJ CO hH co 
CO o oo to © CO 
,0 in © OJ CO CO lO 
t— OJ CO OS — ' CS 
co i-t :eo : : io : : oj : : : ; 
IN 
2806953 
35109 2 
3959090 
4340835 
Coffee cwt. 
Total. 
comcMCO'CS cdOJCD©COCO©OJthiI>. 
rH OJ rH © OJ OSHHO r, QO OO H W 
lO rH COCO "CM rH H* rH © « 
rH t— . HIH . 
co ■ 
45934 
30807 
71159 
102287 
CO 
h 
© CC- O rH 
© CO o co OS 
rH : :<si : : : : ;h ; ; ; t- : : 
1285 
2695 
1795 
3753 
5.9 
Ph* 
CO lO rHlO CO OJ CD CO CD "M ~< OJ r- 
rHCSJ t-OJ Ol rH CO C3 C^ CO 
rM rH C OO ? OJ * Tf CO © ■ 
rH : t*. . : co -h : 
CO 
03 N V •* 
— tC CO 
th co en oo 
CO ITHIEIES', 
To United Kingdom 
„ Marseilles 
„ Genoa 
„ Venice ._ 
„ Trieste 
,, Odessa 
,, Hamburg ,.. 
,, Antwerp ... 
„ Bremen 
,, Havre 
„ Rotterdam & Amsterdam 
,, Africa ... 
„ Mauritius and Eastward 
„ India 
„ Australia 
,, America 
„ Barcelona 
Total Exports from 1st Jan. 
to 1st May 1890 
Do 1889 
Do 1888 
Do 1887 
