May r, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
759 
Ceylon. 
1887 drop.— The; demand tor these growths has kept 
wonele rlully steaJy when they have possessed th(; lull 
aromatic fl ivour for which they appeared to be so much 
approi iateel for self-drinkii.g purposes. The results of 
thin and undesirable iuvoices, manufactured under un- 
favourable conditions, prove that poor quality is not 
saleable, except at a low figure. 
18S(i Crop.— On the whole the quality has been good, 
and lull prices have been realized. The average being 
about 2.Jd. per lb. above that of Iudian growth, proves 
the estimation in which these are held. Thin and un- 
desirable shipments have sold badly, and should dis- 
courage; garden owners from going in for quantity. 
1885 Crop, — Still in favour with consumers, and when- 
ever supplies have fallen oil", there has been a strong 
demand and full rates obtained. These teas have made 
a groat name for themselves which will probably be 
maiutamcel if tho quality is kept up. 
Java. 
1837 Crop. — The supplies have been limited, and 
quality 011 the wholo fair, with perhaps less full teas 
Mian last season. There has, however, beon a steady 
enquiry for home use and export, with indications of 
a turther development in consumption, wheuever they 
have been of a desirable charaoter. 
188GUrop. — Somo really useful teas have come to hand 
and they aro gradually gaining favour with homeaud 
export buyers, especially where attention has been paid 
to manufacture. The quality, however, must be kept 
up and in some cas.-s improved, if they are to take 
further hold e>n consumers. 
1885 Crop. — Since the introduction of seed from 
India, an English machinery for manufacture, there 
has been a marked improvement in quality, many of 
the teas having full rich flavour. 
Geo. White &; Co., Tea brokers, 
♦ 
PLANTING NOTES FROM UVA. 
BAIN— TEA — TOBACCO— COTTON AND THE NEW COMPANY 
— THIEVES, 
Haputale, 3rd April. 
The rainfall during the last mouMi was copious, and 
towards the end of March accompanied by lightning 
and thunder, and for a few days it looked very like au 
early setting-in of the S. W. monsoon; but since the 1st 
of this month it has ag.iiu cleared up and set fine. Since 
1st .I.iuuary the total rainfall at the Haldummulla end 
of the district 1ms been close on 24 inches to date. 
Jauuiry 3 inches, February 0 U7 inches, March 
19'81 inches— total 23'82 inches. Tea, which ii flourish- 
ing wherever planted, must, in future, be the mainstay 
of the Proviuce of Uva, as I am sorry to say many 
»0M8 of coffee lai d on the other side of the Pass are 
looking very " shuck," and succumbing to the 
effects of grevn bug, leaf-disease, and perioelical 
gales of wind, iig.iiust which latter no " wind-belts" 
wore reserved in times past. These if reserved, and a 
more liberal system of cultivation by manuring had 
been adopted at first, the ill-effects ot tho above pests 
might have been modified, or counteracted to a great ex- 
tent. It is to be boped that the planters of the- present 
day, who are now converting their acres of coffee into 
tea, will bear this in mind, and go in for extensive 
belts of timber, not only to protect their tea Hushes 
from wind, but for timber for fuel, which b almost en- 
tirely wanting from one end of the district to the 
other. Now that the Railway Extension is sanc- 
tioned, there is some chance' uf nil the good coffee 
being kept up by manuring which was prohibitory 
bitheftO owing to the enormous oost of transport. 
Besides tea, there aro other products which are 
engaging the attention of somo of our planters at the 
ptOSeut moment, such as TOBACCO ami eoiroN, b 'fh of 
those piodiicU wore years ago grown in Uva, for 
which the climate is excellently adapted. 1 remem- 
ber the Utu Mr. ti A Ciii.vcll Idling mo that on 
his fust arrival in the island of hi-, putting out a 
mi rsory of tobacco some w hero near liomlaudo or 
Wilion's bungalow, nu thuliaioii Dcliu r's account, 
I think he -> i I I 11! . > I'e'iieinbor fleeing a tobacco 
store (as it was called) at the Malig.ikaikla Mills then 
the property of the Baron Delmar, where cigars 
wero manufactured for export ; perhaps Mr. PS K. 
Sabonadicro or Mr. J. P. Green will be able to say 
whether these cigars were manufactured from tobacco 
grown in Uva. Mr. Bertlin of Oodaworra and Kota- 
godde estates, in Badulla, used to grow tobacco 
amongst his coffee, prepare tobacco, and manu- 
facture cigars in the " fifties." Badulla cigars were 
noted for being of excellent quality, and preferred 
by smoke'rs to the best Jaffna cigais. About the year 
1870 I imported from Australia, some parts of the 
Colonies thou growing and manufacturing tohncco 
largely, some seeds of Virginia, Kentucky, and 
Havana tobacco which I planted on the property 
of my late lamented friend, G. Wharton Brown, in tho 
Passara Bulatwatta valley, and without manure grew 
somo excellent tobacco and manufactured cigars, 
which my smoking acquaintances considered very 
good. Tobacco grows like a weed everywhere in, 
Uva, and does not require irrigating as it does in other 
parts of the island, such as Jaffna and Batticaloi. 
Cotton was grown in many parts of Wellassa and 
round the base of the Monoragala range, from where 
it was sent to the hand-looms at Batticaloa to bo 
made into cloth, cambuyas, table cloths, and napkins. 
One variety known as the silk cotton is almost indi- 
genous in the district, and grows everywhere. I have 
some plants in my garden hero which have been 
bearing pods of very good cotton every season for 
the last five yeais, and though I have cut them down 
yearly, they grow up again, and don't seem to get 
exhausted or tired of bearing pods (by tbis post I 
send you a simple of some of the cotton).* That is a 
grand scheme of the promoters of " Tho Ceylon 
Spinning and Weaving Company," prospectus of 
which has just reached me ; it is sure to be a great 
success and inestimable blessing to the poor natives 
of the country. What have those wealthy members 
of the; Agricultural Association been about that they 
did not think of schemes like the above to benefit 
their countrymen, iustead of idling their time away iu 
snarling at Railway Extension to Uva ? These gentle- 
men (except yourself and Mr. Wenracoddy ) mu9t feol 
liko puppy dogs with their tails just cut off, going 
round 111 a circle howling I 
" WHAT THE PLANTING ENTERPRISE HAS 
DO oE FOR CEYLON." 
Volumes might be written on the subject; and 
if we treated of the matter fully we should only 
be going over ground travelled over so often, 
that our readers would be inclined to cry "nold, 
enough." But if there is one department of 
public improv ments and works moro than another 
that has been considered ever s nco its introduc- 
tion to bave been originated, fostered, and paid 
for by the planting enterpriie, it is our Ra 1- 
wnys- Never before has a question been raised 
as to the identity of tho Railway to Sandy, 
to Matale, to Uva, with the planter.'. Why tiie 
accusation cast in the teeth of tho Governnieut 
anel e>f ourselves, again and again has been embo- 
died in the terse d> situation of a piliey ird.- 
catcd by "Planters' Railways." But our contem- 
porary of the *' Examiner" h is suddenly awaken- 
ed to an idea that tho Ceylonese community 
should be credited with a large share of the 
ereelit elue to tho construction anel payment of 
our upcountry Railways, and, as we expected, 
he is not coutent with the exposure of his weak 
case already proscu'ed by us, but endeavour- 10 
make a great show b> tlgu.es apart frenn t ha 
point at issue We exprratij hit out e.f con- 
sideration, the sea-side line, ns not coining into 
iho discussion originally nUed as to the pay. 
• A true cotton, but too shortstnplud to be of much 
use — will havo t» get hotter seed before I v. 1 can turn 
out the proper article. — Kd. 
