November i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
339 
CEYLON UPCOUNTRY PLANTING REPORT. 
PtTSHTNO CEYJ.ON TEA : A DISCOURAGING TRIAL— DEMAND 
FOR TEA SEED — THE CINCHONA PROBLEM : DRASTIC 
TREATMENT — THE CBOTON CATERPILLAR — ECO IN CVA 
— THE NORTH-EAST JIONSOON AND ITS EFFECTS — 
COOLY LAROR. 
24th Oct. 1887. 
Tlie efforts that arc being mado on all hands to 
push Ceylon teas into the notice of the world is 
very characteristic of the energy and enterprize of 
Ceylon men. The reward let us hope will come 
in the form of a steady demand and at full rates. 
It would seem, however, that this kind of thing has 
to bo done in a big way to be done cheaply. Just 
the other day an order for a sample of Ceylon 
lea camo from the antipodes, it was to bo forwarded 
by steamer and its destination was Tasmania. 
What it might have led to, is difficult to say. 
The order was certainly like the grain of mustard 
seed in size, but whether it would have increased 
in the same proportion was the unknown, and 
depended upon the quality of the tea and its 
cheapness. A 201b. box was its modest dimension if 
I am to descend to figures. When enquiries were 
made as to what it would cost for freight, to deliver 
the package at the port of Ilobart, RIO was the highest 
asked, and RIO the lowest ! If that kind of thing 
does not choke off small orders, it ought to. It 
will pay very much better to subsoribe to the 
Exhibition fund. 
The demand for tea seed of local growth has 
BOmewhat fallen off even where the jut is first- 
class. As to the coming crop of seed some places 
have suffered much by the late drought, and 
orders in hand have had to he delayed in con- 
sequence. Others again, I understand, have much 
more than was first thought of, and have con- 
siderable difficulty in placing the increased outturn. 
Seed is likely to be cheaper than dearer, although 
those who have bearers of an approved kind are 
not yet over anxious to quote at lower rates. 
Although extensions of tea are still going on all 
over the country, yet it will not be difficult to 
supply what is needed for them. It looks as if 
tho seed " boom." was drawing to a close, for, 
although supplying will have to be kept up and 
every place have a yearly nursery, many estates 
will grow their own seed in preference to buying. 
The cinchona problem does not seem as if it 
were to be solved this year yet, judging by the 
increased deliveries of bark by rail. As to hope 
in the future, I know of one who applied for 
guidance to friends at home, who in their turn 
sought advice from those who ought to know — the 
London brokers— and the result of tho whole \va3 
a statement which would have matched in gloomi- 
ness the prophet's roll, that was written within 
and without with lamentation and woe. To harvest 
now was but to make matters worse, while to 
delay harvesting meant being swamped with Java 
in tho future. There was clearly not much to 
ohoose from. But tho future is an unknown quantity 
and if anything if had it. 
A man who has cinchona growing among his 
tM has lately hit upon a novel plan of keeping 
his cinchona, without retarding tho growth of the 
Other more paying product. And ho has done this 
by lopping off all the branches and knocking tho 
heads off the cinchona trees, till tho placo looks 
as if it wero stuck over with bnro polos. That 
pi"t*y drastic treatment, and if the cinchona 
in e stands it.it will be about tho meanest spirited 
tiling in creation, and deserving to fall ink the 
contempt which it has done with its unit at 2d 
and not even Htoady at that. 
The OrotOD caterpillar is about again. Ono 
place I heard of had an aero eaten hare in three 
days, which is pretty good. A change in t ho 
weather checked this rapid consumption, which 
was a comfort. 
The reports from Uva regarding the progress of that 
pest of pests, the bug, are getting worse and worse. 
You hear of estates black from end to end, and 
what that means, is known best to those whose pro- 
perties have come through it. It is a dcplcrablo 
calamity, and wants a stout heart and a lull purse 
to see any kind of light in such surrounding . 
The N.-E. monsoon is on in fine style now, and 
the rain is very welcome. Everything is coming 
away under its genial influence, and there is a 
rush of growth which is doing its best to make 
up for the enforced rest of the dry weather. Tea 
is flushing vigorously ; coffee is striving to ripen 
even where the crop is heavy and the trees leaf- 
less ; cacao is in the beauty of fresh foliage — with 
lots of blossom for the future ; cardamoms are 
pushing out their racemes that were shrivelled and 
brown with lack of moisture and excess of heat. 
Even the weeds show up, and the mould on your 
boots demonstrates how all nature rejoices in the 
muggy heat and does its best to respond. 
Coolies don't seem just now to be very evenly dis- 
tributed, some estates having far too many, while 
others have a difficulty in getting up the needed staff. 
The hard -up go on advancing more money, and 
very soon the idea the Tamil man gets of his 
modest worth is very exaggerated, and the reward 
to the European planter for being so free with his 
rupees is lots of worry, and often a loss of money 
besides. There are impecunious gangs going about 
recruited from the bazaars whose working capa- 
bilities are enough to drive even an easy-going 
man frantic, and whose indebtedness grows as 
they roll. They come into an estate floating on a 
tide of big advances, aro an unsatisfactory connec- 
tion when they are there, and after a time float 
out again on bigger tide, created by someone 
whom they have managed to talk over and whoso 
needs are great, it is a happy kind of life they lead, 
as long as it lasts. Peppercorn. 
* 
"HEAVY QUININE." 
The bubble of "heavy quinine " has at length been 
pricked by its propagator, and it must henceforth 
rank with the mountain in labor. Fjom a report of 
the meeting of the JSociete <le Pharmacies on the 8th 
of July in the Petit Afonitetir tie In I'liurmtuir. It 
appears that Dr. de Vrij revoked the statements lie had 
made on the 5th of May, IPSO, that pure .sulphate 
of quinine could only bo obtained iu heavy crystals, 
and that the ordinary filaniei.tous condition in which 
this salt is generally known was a certain indication 
of its impurity and of the presence of eiiichoiiidine 
sulphate. Last year Dr. de Vrij was travelling with 
a sample of tho "heavy quinine'' manufactured by 
a French firm, and pharmacists as well as medical 
men were led to believe that to bo the only pure 
salt. Now this is declared to be a total mistake ami 
the situation is entirely reversed. Dr. de Vrij baa 
been obliged to admit that pure quinine sulphate can 
be obtained in the light tilanientous condition that 
is familiar to everyone, and ho is now travelling with 
a sample Of Ciermau make to show that this is tho 
case. We think ho might easily have obtained c \ i- 
dence of this fact and of his own error in respect 
to it without travelling either to Prance or Germany 
lor that purpose. But it is at least satisfm t< ry to 
find he is converted, and aNo that there is really no 
occasion for pharmacists to lie in fear that the light 
quinine sulphate they have beeu accustomed to in to 
be distrusted on account of it h levity. It i>. howeveTj 
unfortunate to find that a criterion of purity held 
out k-i positively and with such appa/ent authority 
an to have induced Professor .limglleiscli to re- 
commend that no other than -huivy quinine ' should 
ever be accepted by pharmacist-, turns out alter 
