Ai>RiL 2, 1888] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
687 
Messrs. John Walker <fe Co.'s little publication which 
I happened to have by me. IIo writes as follows: — 
" There is little or no eoi'feo grown in Trinidad ; 
what appears to be grown is of a long full size, 
and quality very good; but how do you think they 
oure it ? Well the berry is gathered, and 
after the practice with cocoa they ferment the 
berry in the cherry, then wash off the pulp, 
dry, and pound in a mortar. I have not seen, nor 
can I hoar of any such thing as a pulper, or a 
barbacue in the whole island. Now I want to give 
the people some little instruction upon the point, 
but as I was never in love with the antiquated 
and cumbrous Jamaica machinery, and knowing 
your experience with more modern appliances, I 
venture to ask you to give me your idea as to 
the best kind of a machine and apparatus for cur- 
ing on a small scale." Further on in his letter Mr, 
Hart mentions : — " I have often thought since I have 
been hero, what a pity Mr. Sabonadiere did not 
come to see Trinidad ; without a doubt it is, and 
will continue the most prosperous of the West 
Indian colonies. Wo have thousands of acres of 
virgin forest, good level cultivable land. The 
mountains aro not numerous, 3,200 feet being the 
highest cultivation. The north coast is very like 
Jamaica, but delieient of the snug harbours to bo 
found there. The eastern sido of the island con- 
sists of fat savannah lands, covcrod with sugar 
ostatcs, scarcely a tree as far as the eye can 
reach." 
In my noxt letter I hope to describe a " Jamaica 
Manchester Hills " coilee plantation, as compared 
with the Blue Mountain properties. Meanwhile, 
wishing all who havo to do with the Observer a 
happy and prosperous New Year, I remain, yours 
faithfully, W. B. 
♦ 
TEA AT PERADEN1VA : A SECOND MARIA- 
WATTE. 
An experienced planter, in no way interested in the 
place, writes: — 
I went to Kandy yesterday and called at Now 
I'cr.'douiya. Tins estate will prove to bo a secon 1 
Mariawatto ; and doubtless tho new proprietory were as 
glad to secure that old sugar estate as the former 
proprietor was to part with it. W'heu tho latter had sold 
it ho wished them joy of their bargain "of a piece of 
land that had never done anybody any good and never 
would." Ho should see it now, of rather two years 
heuuo ! The long drought shows more thete on the 
larger trees than I have seen it elsewhere ; but fo it 
did at Mariawatte just before giving its memorable 
1,000 II). an acre. 
We leuru that .Mr. W. H. Wright, who had long 
experience of the l'ei'adouiya sugar estate and is a 
shrewd agricultural, pronounces tho soil 111 tho " sec md 
Mariawatto " to be tliu richest in depth aud substauco 
that ever ho came across in Uoyloti. Tbe great thing 
will lio to cultivate thoroughly, not simply forking, 
bat probably ' ploughing' after the fashion adoptoi on 
the Assam Hats ,n . rd.T t ■ turn up th ■ soil. 
♦ 
POItOUriNKS! AND THKIK QUILL.S. 
A correspondent writes:— "I am glad to hoar that 
you havo sent tho porcupiuo quills to a naturalist 
at home, for .Mr. 11 dy rather went oil' at a tangent 
ami settled nothing. I don't think your informant 
was right in saying anything about solf-actiug 
valves, lor I Hi d that a tube, hermetically sealed at 
tho upper end, will p'Uin Wat. r by capillary attrac- 
tion, and therefore wo need [nut wait Tor develop- 
ment A:o. There uro now so many sportsmoi in tho 
lowoountry on tea estates where porcupines ab, mid, 
that there should ho DO difficulty In oapt'irin : an old 
one mid watching for the ' ) quilli, while tho 
animal is buiug attacked by dogs. Give t'lein the 
hur. aud the* will out to work. 
FLIGHT OF BUTTERFLIES. 
Haputalk East.— From Diary, Feb. 29th.- 11 o'clock 
a.m. A considerable flight of white buttoi lies going about 
W.S.W., light wind N. B,— March 3rd— Large flight of 
'flies, white, a yellow or dark one rarely, going W.H.W. 
At noon they gradually veered round till at 2 p. m. 
the stream went due north : this is singular, i 1 was the 
largest flight seen for years.— March 4th. -Flight col- 
tinued at 9 a.m., increasing gradually till noon, then 
slackened off gradually till 4 p.m., when they ceased. 
At noon it was the densest flight I have seen far 
many years, all white and going north.— 5th.— 'Flies set 
oil' at 8-H0 a.m. at 10. flight fairly set in at 11, 
numerous, white, rarely any other color; at 11-10 
on looking out, swarms were passing, sight very 
interesting, going due N., wind variable, mostly from 
8.E. to S.W., but often calm. 12-30 p.m. took compass 
out; found 'flies goin „' west, still in strong flight, wind 
W.'S.W. to "\V r ., a few yellow and dark (tailed J species, 
2 p.m. still in full flight, though sun is clouded over. 
At 3 o'clock flight visibly decreasing, many individuals 
zigzagging about as if tired and would like to seek 
shelter. At 4 o'clock, tho curious spectacle of some going 
back and seeking shelter, others onwards ; found that 
large numbers had taken shelter in the bushes and I n es 
by bungalow.— (ith March.— Flies flitting about playing 
and sipping honey from 7 to 9 a.m., when a slight onward 
movement set in due N. 10 o'clock flies on the flight 
but not many, cloudy. 12 o'clock flight over.— 7th - ■ 
Shower in the night. 8 a.m. sun somewhat clouded, 
not a butterfly to be seen. 

COCONUT CULTIVATION BY IRRIGATION: 
MAHAOYA VALLEY— KATUKENDA COCONUT ESTATE IRRI- 
GATED BY Sin. AKBAR, M.M.C.— GATHERING OF PARTIES 
INTERESTED IN COCONUT CULTIVATION TO CELEBRATE 
TUE OCCASION. 
10th March 1888. 
When recording the important events for 4is88 
there is no question that what took placo in tho 
Mahaoya Valley on the 10th March will rank as one 
of the principal events of the year. It was bruited 
about for tho past 12 months that heavy machinery 
was being removed to a coconut estate in tho vallov 
belonging to a native gentleman, but for what causo 
or purpose was not quite apparent. The month of 
March, however, saw the completion of the fii-st 
machinery for irrigation purposes on a coconut estate 
belonging to Mr. Akbar, m.ji.c, and his brothers, at 
Katukonda adjoining the famous Badalgama property 
of Dr. Elliott and in tho vicinity of other properties, 
I believe tho most extensive in Ceylon. An engine 
of 30 horso-powor working a pair of double motion 
pumps throwing 32,000 gallons per hour, fixed on the 
banks of tho Mahaoya. The eugine-room, so 
beautiful antl clean with a gorgeously painted 
ceiling tit for the finest drawing-rojin in Colombo. 
Eighty tous of cast iron pipes laid with a main pipe 
of 5 io. branching in different directions of 5 in., 
-1 in., and 8 in , wi'h calvanized piping of 7 in! 
carrying water to the different sections. The pump 
working at nights carrying water to at least about 
30 reservoirs cut on every rising ground and from there 
distributed over 210 acres, giving each tree at least 
in gallons of wator. 
\\ hen it is considered that Mr. Akbaiya pore ua tire, 
has, for years, planned this scheme and carried it ou', 
by sheer pluck and energy unaided by F. iropeau 
skilled labour, sufficient praise cannot be awar de 1 to 
him. I was always sceptical about the vi I I of LOO 
nuts per annum por tree that your veteran authority 
of tho valley used to preach, and having pretty 
well moved about in my time of life from Tlugalla 
in tho Southern Frovineu to tho confines of Chilaw I 
never saw any coconut estate of any gre it extent in one 
block that in my opinion gave over oO nuts per tree 
per annum. But here was to be seen : a block of 
about 240 acres of as line a land with til) trees to the 
aere, tho yield being '.'7 nuts per tree per annum I 
need hardly say that with the grin I improvement 
just ulfoelU'l of preventing any lengthened drought, 
this being the great drawback of the district, 1 ex- 
