December i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
401 
frequent allusions to Oeylon tea in Table Talk,* of which 
we send you specimen copy. 
It will be well, however, to realize that success can 
ie achieved only by whole-souled effort. A half-hearted 
iuterest by yourself or the planters will not eventuate 
in a permanent business in America. If anything 
is done it should be done at once, and done thoroughly. 
Wishing you success we are, very truly yours, 
Eikley Ackke & Oo. 
APPLICATION UP A GRAIN DRIER TO THE 
ROASTING OF TEA ? 
Deesido, Maskeliya, 16th Oct. 1887. 
Would not the grain-drying machine invented by 
Mr. James Black, Dumfries, of which the following 
is a description, be a cheap and suitabletect drier? 
" The machine, although a small one, will dry 
at the rate of 40 bushels an hour. 
" It consists of an iron case, in the interior of whioh 
are four wire cylinders extending its whole length, 
about 14 feet. Tho heated air from a furnace below 
rises through this case, and gradually dries the grain, 
whioh is suppliod at the top and is carried from 
cylinder to cylinder in turn, and eventually dis- 
charged perfectly dry. An exhaust of air expels 
the steam as it rises from the grain. 
" It is said that the drying is more equal than 
when effeoted in a kiln, and that the heating can 
be done at a less cost. The machine has another 
advantage in being portable, for it can be shifted 
from plaoo to place." — Yours, &c. 
Wm. MITCHELL. 
[The machine costs £200. It resembles in prin- 
ciple the Gibbs & Barry toa drier. — Ed. 
EFFECT OF THE LATE DROUGHT ON 
CINCHONAS. 
22nd October 1887. 
Dear Sih, — In a recent issue of your paper you 
oommentod on the largo amount of cinchona which 
had been carried by rail, as contrasted with a 
previous period. 
I£ tho experience of other cinchona planters be 
like mine, the recent excess harvested is easily 
acooun'ed for. The work has not been voluntary but 
compulsory, tho trees having been so seriously 
affeotod by the recent drought as to compel their re- 
moval, otherwise they would have died, and the bark, 
if not taken oS at once, would have been lost to the 
proprietor. 
In my oaso I have had to harvest over 20,000 lb. of 
dry bark, against my will, and I havo no doubt others 
have had to do likewise. This will show most think- 
ing men that tho quantity of cinchona bark recently 
carried by rail is not likely to be repeated, except 
with disastrous results to the proprietors. — Yours 
faithfully, X. 
PADDY CULTIVATION. 
31st October 1887. 
Dear Srn, — I was lately told authoritatively that 
in tho Southern Province three crops of paddy 
oro often raised in one year by sowing tho fields 
with paddy of a few months' growth. I am very 
sceptical of this, for I know from experience that 
it takes about two months to properly prepare 
a field for sowing. I shall bo much obliged if Mr. 
Elliott will support or refuto this statemeni and 
give us the result of his observation. As far as I 
know thrco crops in two years aro about a ; much 
as one can reasonably expect, for if a field be 
flown for tho mnlia season which lasts from Juno 
to August, tho crop is harvested between tho end 
of November aud January according to tho kind 
* Au iutoceetiug ruuga/.iuo of general literature and 
iu.oiui i.ioj tor i Liu household. — bo. 
51 
of paddy sown. This will permit of the land being 
preparod for the yala, the sowing months of which 
season are April-May. The crop will be harvested 
in September-October, when there will be no time 
to prepare the held for the maha season which will 
already be passed, and (he fields will be fallow till 
the next yala. Under the circumstances I fail to 
see how it can be possible to get three crops in one 
year even if paddy of a few months' growth be 
sown. — Truly yours, B. 
PATCHOULI OR POGOSTEMON 
HEYNEANUS. 
Minuwangoda, 13th Nov. 1887. 
Dear Sin, — Can you or any of your readers let me 
know whether the Patchouli leaves sold in London 
aro those of the plant Pogostemon Heyneanus, 
or commonly called Kollankola ! I have seen it grow- 
ing in several villages in largo quantities. If it is 
the genuine commercial kind, I would like to know 
how the leaves are prepared for market and from 
whence is the present supply derived. — Yours truly, 
W. A. D. S. 
[Tho Patchouli of commerce is derived from the 
leaves of Poyostemon Patchouly, which is supposed to 
be a cultivated variety of the /'. Heyneanus. The 
scent is distilled from tho leaves and young tops. — 
Ed.] 
IMPROVEMENTS IN AGRICULTURE. 
Kalutara, Nov. 9th, 1887. 
Sir, — A short time ago, 1 had occasion to drive 
from Piliandera to Kalutara via Bandaragaran, and 
as I passed the ninth mile-post at Gammanpila, my 
attention was attracted by a field, on the culture of 
which much care aud skill had evidently been bestowed. 
I was led to make inquiries in tlie ncighljourhoi-d, and 
found that it bore the name of " Wewedeniye," a piece 
of Government land, and was cultivated by Mr. Rodrigo, 
the Government Agriculturist of the district. After 
se ing this field I was not at all surprized that he 
should court competition iu point whereon he was so 
very likely to bear away the palm. This field has not 
been in his possession more than Six months I heard, 
yet in spite of its original poverty he lias made it very 
productive by a judicious course of the application of 
manure and the use of ot her means. Indeed, it is very 
attractive, for he has planted the: paddy in regular lines, 
which I have not seen done anywhere else in that 
quarter. This year Mr. Rodrigo's paddy will surpass 
in excellence and the crop, I am sure, will be most abund- 
ant. Mr. Rodrigo as a cultivator of the soil is worthy 
ofbeitig taken as an examplebv his brother cultivators 
of the district. Hoping, sir, that the heads Of depart- 
ments will pay more attention than they have hitherto 
done for the improvements of ngriculturo and th« re- 
toration of tauksand canals, and above all thanking 
you for the attention which you as an editor of a valu- 
able agricultural journal pa}' to the true interests of 
agriculture, I am, sir, your obedieut servant, 
AGRICOLA. 
A work on " The Cultivated Ornnges and Lemons, 
itc, of India and Ceylon." by Brigade-Surgeon E 
Bonavia, >t. D., of the Indian Medical Department 
is about to be issued. Tho writer's object is mainly 
practical and economical, but ho deals also with 
some questions of purely scientific interest. Etia 
researches have brought him into contact with 
every variety of Citrus in India and Ceylon, nnd 
he claims that he has been able to dispose of. 
or at any rato to throw new light on, certain di 
putcd points, both botanical and historical, in 
connection with this genua. The book will be 
accompanied by an alius in foolscap size, consisting 
of plates of outlino drawingsof all tho vartii : 
Citrun to be found in India and Ceylon.— JfaMrt. 
