Avavvt i, 1887,1 TOE TROPICAL AmiCVL'VXJRlHV. h 
the virgin sub-soil is evidently the man to give 
comfort to those who are induced to regard the 
future of old properties with distrust. That there 
will be disappointments are what are to be ex- 
pected, and that the thing is being talked of now 
in a quiet way is indicative of some anxiety pre- 
sent, by those who are watching the results. But 
that tea grown on old places should in the majority 
of cases be unremunerative and disappointing has 
yet to be proved. No doubt we hear of the suc- 
cesses much more readily than of the failures, 
but for all that the other way of it will force 
itself into public notice, although perhaps not with 
such celerity. 
The bug still goes on. I heard of an estimated 
crop of coffee — 10 cwt. an acre — which has already 
been reduced by half. The rest has disappeared. 
Even if the 5 cwt be got it would be good in these 
degenerate days, but if the promise of ten has al- 
ready been reduced to five and the bug still there 
" what will the harvest be" ? 
Brave souls still go on battling the plague. 
I have been told of kerosine and water being 
tried successfully ; but when you begin to enquire 
as to the extent of area experimented on, or how 
any considerable number of trees can be practically 
subjected to the cure, the thing breaks down, In 
fact these abortive efforts are simply expressions 
of that energy possessed by our race. To see a 
fine field of coffee attacked with bug and do no- 
thing for it, is too much to expect. " Something 
must be done, you can't stand by and do nothing 
to try and save it " i3 how they put it, and so 
every now and again a rush is made, and a bold 
effort to stop the enemy's advance — with the usual 
unsatisfactory results. I supposed there is a kind 
of satisfaction in having spent some money and 
made some effort, but it must be after all a satis- 
faction of a melancholy kind, like following the 
remains of a friend to their last resting place. 
Since the rains have come cinchona seems to be 
going in for dying out. Canker is the plague, 
and when one would rather not harvest, 
to have to do it, is somewhat trying. And 
then the price you get for the stuff! To continue 
such a subject is surely too much to expect. 
Peppekcorn. 
_ > 
SUN FLOWER; BARLEY CULTURE 
IN CEYLON. 
C. J. E. LcMcsurier, Esq., Assistant Government 
Affcnt, Nuwara Eliya, Central Province. 
New Aheas of Cultivation Opened. — There has, of 
course, been a great exteusion of the area uuder tea dur- 
ing the year in every part of the district. I notice that 
the sun-llower plant is being cultivated to some extent on 
De Soyza's places at Hanguranketa, and by natives 
in the vicinity. I have not been able to discover that 
it has any particular commercial value, though I wrote 
home for information on the subject to some London 
brokers. The oil appears to be used for mixing pur- 
poses, ond the oil-cake as a cattle food ; but there 
is little demand for it in the London markets, audit 
woul I not appear so far to be a remunerative product 
It would grow very well, I believe, throughout Wala- 
pane ami Uda Hewaheta, and as its cultivation is 
very simple and it gives a quick return, it is emin- 
ently suitable for natives ; and if a local me and 
market could be found for it, its cultivation would soon 
be largely extended. 
INTHODUOTTON ot' Bari.ev.— There was a fairly suc- 
cessful attempt made by the Katemahatmaya of Uda 
llowabeta to caltivate barley during the year. Mr. 
Howard, tl.o manager of the Nuwara Eliya brewery, 
provide! the geed ; the Ratemahatroaya grew it <u 
some land at Ilaugurauketa, ard obtained a crop of 
100 bushels, the seed yielding about twelve fold. 
There is a largo deniaud by the Murreo Brewery Com- 
pany here for the product, and the manager has agreed 
to supply seed free of cost and to take > ny quantity 
at R2 a bushel up to 10,000 bushels per annum. . There 
is thus the making of a considerable industry in this 
if villagers can only be persuaded to take it up. 
Flies in Paddy. — Some experiments were tried in 
various parts of the district with kerosine oil mixed 
with ashes as a remedy for flies, and where these ex- 
periments were carefully conducted the insects dis- 
appeared. 
> 
PLANTING IN NETHERLANDS INDIA. 
(Translated from the Straits Times, June 22nd.) 
Iu Java, too, bright points begin to appear on the 
horizon so sombre and lowering of late. The price of 
coffee has been rising so amazingly high, that its con- 
tinuance, of which there is every prospect, bids fair to 
make good the losses in sugar. So encouraging has the 
outlook become, that, in different parts of Java, wa9te 
land never hitherto turned to account from dread of 
loss has been largely put under cultivation. This re- 
vival of plantation enterprise will not benefit one whit 
the twelve sugar estates there, which have suspended 
operations, or the one hundred and seventy one whose 
outturn, estimated at six millions of piculs, can only 
find customers at ruinously low rates. The depression 
of trade has limited the circulation of money among the 
native cultivating class, and diminished their purchasing 
power. It will be long yet before import merchants can 
profit by the improvement in the financial position of 
the natives brought about by the high quotations ruling 
for coffee. The Javanese of late have not invested 
heavily in imported articles. The tax gatherers of late 
have bled them too freely. 
Java tea is steadily coming into favour in the London 
market. The quotations for the article stood higher 
than those for Indian kinds last season, with but slight 
fluctuations. Owing to manifest improvement in quality, 
Java tea may be expected to stand high in the estim- 
ation of dealers iu that city. They generally do not 
anticipate that prices will go on rising for an indefin- 
ite period. The public has got so accustomed to 
tea of ordinary kinds, that the only way to raise 
quotations must be sought in betteing the 
quality. In sorting, it has been found desirable to 
limit as much as possible the number of sorts. Tea 
planters in Java evidently have every reason for con- 
templating the future with greater confidence than ever. 
The planters in the district of Sukabumie have 
found to their cost that insect eating birds need pro- 
tection. To gain this end, they have petitioned the 
Government to tax the possessors of fire arms to for- 
bid the use of sumpitaus or blowing tubes, and to 
prohibit birds nesting. The Government declined, in 
reply, to legislate in that direction, on the plea of 
the Heedlessness of the protection sought. In Europe, 
legislation of the kind suggested by these planters 
has been enforced with decidedly beneficial results. 
Kapok or silk cotton is at present attracting at- 
tention in Java as a source of wealth likely to be of 
highly profitable account in the near future. In Europe, 
it is steadily coming into prominence for manufacturing 
purposes. The kapok has iu its favour the advantage 
of rapid aud ready growth. It is not particular as to 
soil, and thrives luxuriantly on hill sides at altitudes up 
to even :">,000 feet above sea level. It begins to bear 
iu the third year of growth. A full grown tree yields 
from 1,000 to 1,500 fruir. Evidently the kapok has a 
promising future before it. 
The Batavia Nieuwiblad points out that coal tar 
seems to yield no end ol useful articles. Already it 
has produced several serviceable dyes, a very good dis- 
infectant, a couple of glorious perfumes, and prusno 
acid. Saccharine too has becu extracted from it. This 
ia not all. A Dr. Fischer has also succeeded iu adding 
to the number of these useful products from coal tar, 
a substance which possesses all the qualities of the best 
quinine. Should this discovery prove payiug, the Java 
cinchona growers will tind their difficulties thickening 
around them- 
The Batavia Xieuwsblad, on the authority of a 
correspondent on the spot, states that n yentleinfl 
