6o6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March i, 1888 
the Kandy agent and manager, that Mr. Ingleton is 
retiring from the management of Rajawella. Already 
land suited to tobacco has been prospected for in 
Dumbara, Matale, and Kurunegala districts. Some 
purchases have, we believe, been made, and culti- 
vation on a considerable scale will shortly be com- 
menced. Our planting correspondent alludes to 
the prospect of a large block of some thousands 
of acres being taken up, and, that from small experi- 
ments already made, a profit equal to RGOO per acre 
nett had been realized ! This beats Mariawatte ; 
but unfortunately ts get further good crops of 
tobacco from the same land is a matter of very 
high cultivation indeed. We trust our visiters 
and their manager will give attention to the chance 
of improving native cultivation of tobacco in the 
Uva. and Jaffna districts. The question of resum- 
ing operations on Kantalay tobacco lands has been 
discussed ; but is said to be decided in the nega- 
tive because of the detrimental influence which 
the north-east monsoon exercises on the quality of 
leaf in tobacco fields in Ceylon. There is how- 
ever much to be learned of an industry which 
is quite in its infancy here ; but meantime we may 
congratulate the colony on the advent of Con- 
tinental capitalists to aid in developing the new 
product and the gentlemen concerned on securing so 
competent an Agent as Mr. Ingleton of Dumbara. 
CEYLON UPCOUNTRY PLANTING REPORT. 
TOBACCO — ANOTHER TEA-KOLLEB — TEA — GOLD — PRECIOUS 
STONES. 
6th Feb., 1888. 
Among the many different products to which Ceylon 
planters look for profits, is tobacco to be trump ? 
It 's a fat thing anyhow, so they say, and just 
at present there is " a boom " in regard to land 
that is suitable to grow it. You hear of new 
clearings in Dumbara ; land being bought near Ubu- 
wala for the same purpose; and the big German 
Tobacco Company that proposes to go in for a block 
of from 5,000 to 10,000 acres — there is a nice indefi- 
niteness about these figures — with a local man as 
manager. The gentleman named is no mean judge 
of tobacco, and has experience enough in the raw and 
manufactured article to have made his name known 
outside of our little island. 
As to the profits from successful tobacco grow- 
ing, if but half be true that we are told there are 
ifortunes ahead, and in the near future too. Over 
B600 an acre nett ! is the lowest quotation I like 
•to mention ; if I were to give the highest I have 
heard, it would read too like a joke. Of course 
in Ceylon things do grow marvellously, but the 
growth of a story, especially a story of a good 
thing, is not to be matched by even the most 
rapidly developing vegetable product. Anyhow what- 
ever returns may bo reasonably expected from the 
cultivation of tobacco, it would seem as if we were 
about to have the culture fairly tested in several 
districts, and on a pretty extensive scale. Let us 
hope that the venturers may have a fair measure 
of success. 
Yet another Tea Holler in the field, of a new 
style, and brought out from home by Mr. John 
Brown. At present its work and capabilities are 
being tested, and by-and-bye we will hear more of 
what it can do. 
I have to thank you for the copy of Mr. C. S, 
Armstrong's special paper on "Tea Cultivation," 
which was written at the request of the Dimbula 
Planters' Association, and now printed in pamphlet 
form. The two illustrations " plucking at above 
full leaves" and "plucking at shoulder" are valu- 
able as enabling you to see at a glance the 
styles of plucking Mr. Armstrong recom- 
mends ; as aids in rendering clear a some- 
what obscure text, they are also very useful. I 
think it rather a pity that the author did not 
overhaul his paper before it was reprinted in the 
pamphlet form. A little alteration would have 
improved it a great deal. Such a sentence as the 
following from page 6 is somewhat trying to read, 
although, of course, it can be seen what meaning 
is intended to be conveyed : — " This is not an over- 
drawn picture, gentlemen, and much as fupervieion 
is necessary in the factory, it is equally as necessary 
with the pluckers, and walking over the tea fields 
to judge how to continue your round and when 
to ' lift ' your pluckers — owing to various causes 
which it is unnecessary here to enter upon, it is 
sometimes necessary to ' lift ' your pluckers over 
a field and give it a few days' longer law — again 
you may find you are getting too rapidly over the 
ground," &c. Ac. The sentence runs on three 
and a half lines further. But after all the readers 
of Mr. Armstrong's paper will not be taking it up in 
search of "style," but rather for a more practical 
purpose. Perusing it with that view, passages which 
before were rather stumblingblocks, and, indeed, 
partook a good deal of the nature of a planter's 
puzzle, are by means of the illustrations rendered 
tolerably clear. The reader steps at once into 
possession of Mr. Armstrong's matured experience, 
and has his latest ideas on the best ways of 
cultivating the tea bush. 
I notice that there has been of late an interest 
taken by the Observer in Gold in Ceylon. There 
is an estate which I know well, and which had 
for some time a reputation for possessing gold. 
The belief in this mineral wealth took years to 
grow. Its genesis was the expressed opinion of 
an Australian visitor, who was struck by the re- 
semblance of the quartz scattered about with the 
gold-yielding reefs of Ballarat. A period of time 
elapsed, and another visitor was on the ground. 
He, too, had a good deal of experience in gold-mining, 
and, like the former man, was much impressed with 
the auriferous appearance of the stone. Had he been 
outward-bound instead of homeward, he would have 
asked to have taken a few hundredweights to Mel- 
bourne to have had it tested. In those days coffee 
was truly King, and it was easier to grow gold than 
mine it, so nothing was done. Another period of time 
elapsed and a real Australian digger was on the 
ground. He heard of the reputed wealth of the 
land around, and, with the feverish earnestness 
of his class, set about to wash for it. He 
was not easily disappointed ; worked on with 
praiseworthy perseverance, washed every stream 
in the estate, and came back without even 
"a show." His spoil was a few very smallj stones 
which he called "ruby sparks," but as for gold his 
verdict was " There is n't a trace." Another period of 
time elapsed, and our island had a visit for a few 
days from a great mining expert. Like the present 
there was then also about a rumor of gold. The 
expert was a man of great energy, capable of 
seizing every opportunity that would lead to 
his advancement and profit, and it became 
known that for a short time only his services 
were at the disposal of the public. A proposal was 
made to the manager of the estate of which I 
write that the great expert was willing to visit the 
property and settle once for all the question of 
its value as a possible gold field. The fee asked 
was £50 sterling if the work could be done in a 
day, and £25 for every other day after ! But the 
manager did n't see it. After he had got over the 
shock of the fee demanded, he declined the offer, 
feeling assured that although the great expert 
would certainly find gold if he came, it would 
only be in the form of minted coin, and drawn 
