830 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June i, 1888. 
Dambulla country as well as its equable climate point 
to tbe great cotton growing count :y in Ceylon. Uva 
has grown, and I suppose is growing, some flue speci- 
mens of Long Sea Island cotton ; but the crops can- 
not be relied on, simply because tbe weather can't be 
relied on. One would think it was a cultivation to 
suit the villagers if they could only be induced to 
make a start, but knowing them as I do, I don't 
think the natives of Uva will take to it, The Sin- 
halese villager is body and soul in the hands of the 
Moorman bontique-keeper and tl e low country loafer, 
and they will never do anything for themselves or 
anybody else as long as they get enough to eat, and 
even that they extract with difficulty from their 
owners. The action of the Governmant of late years 
in wringing the taxes from these unlucky people has 
been the last straw to break their spirit as well 
as their back3, and it will require son~e ve^'y radical 
measures of reform and relief before they produce tea, 
tobacco, cotton, or anything else except murderersand 
cattle-stealers. 
♦ 
A NEW INDUSTEY : PAP AW MILK. 
Have you heard that papaw milk, after undergoing 
a certain process of drying, is being shipped to Eng- 
land by some firm in the Port ? I have had some 
natives coming round my place this morning, offering 
to pay me 15 cts. per tree to allow them to extract 
the milk, Four men came over and they tell me they 
are employed by the day for this special work at 50 
cts. per diem. — Cor. [Well done ; for a digestive 
mixture doubtless, like pepsine. — Ed.] 
CINCHONA IN JAVA. 
We owe an apology to Mr. Anton Kessler for 
throwing doubt on the statement he made in 
reference to the ability of the Governmenj Cin- 
chona Gardens in Java to place 2 million lb. of 
bark per annum on the market. We went by Mr. 
van Romunde's official reports, which h: /e never 
estimated or hinted at more than one million for any 
one of his future annual exports. But, undoubtedly, 
the double quantity was given out at a public meeting 
as likely to be harvested in the way Mr. Kessler 
stated. Here is the translation of what Mr. Kessler 
sends us :— 
Yikovai Estate, 12th April 1888. 
Dear Messrs. Ferguson, — At last I am able to send 
you a copy of the articles of the assembly o" superin- 
tendents ot estates iu Bandoeng, be'doj the 9th of 
July 1887. You may find in it what I told you about 
the 2,000,000 half kilogrammes of bark ; the Dutch Go- 
vernment estat-.s cuvtring about 1,000 bahoes would 
be easily able to throw on the market every year. — I 
remain, dear sirs, yours faithfully, Anton Kesslek. 
Report of the proceedings at the meeting of the 
directors and managers of agricultural undertakings, 
held ou the 9th July 1887 at Bandoeng. 
Present — The Honorary member, J. Heijting, the 
President, vice-President, Secretary, and 20 others [all 
men of well-known names and good standing. — Note 
UY TltANSLATOIl] . 
Tbe report of the Secretary, and the remarks thereon 
made by the members of the meeting show clearly 
tlio portion at Lhe lime of the Government cinchona 
plantations, mentioning the fall in prices, cost of 
cultivation, and all that cnuld interest the cinchona 
p anters in general, boiling out no hope of any rise 
iu price for many years to come. 
Tne following is a translation of what is said re- 
garding the uiUviit and production of the Government 
cinchona plantations: — These cover an extent of about 
1,000 bouws, of which extent a great part is not yet 
in full bearing. 
The harvest of 1885 camo to 432,000 J-kilogrammes. 
Tba1 of 18HG came to 52^.000 .^-kilogrammes. 
VVbilut Uiaiul l«87wili be auout 700,000 ^-kilogrammes. 
It is shown by the above figures which give the 
produce of the original Ledgeriana plantations of 
Tjinjiroean, that we have hardly arrived at the first 
beginning of the regular full harvests, and that when 
the whole extent shall have reached maturity. The 
produce may, without any extraordinary effort, be 
brought up to 2 millions of ^-kilogrammes a year. The 
report is signed by the Secretary, A. H. Berkhout. 
[Translated for Ceylon Observer by J. D. Y., Kotagala, 
4th May 1888.] 
♦ 
LONDON NOTES ON PEODUCE. 
The recent improvement in the coffee market 
appears to have had a very favourable influence on 
the market for Java securities. There has latterly 
been considerable animation on the Amsterdam 
Bourse, attention being specially given to the shares 
and bonds of Netherlands Indian plantation, financial 
and trading companies. 
Digestive Tea. — It would be interesting to learn 
a little more about " digestive tea." Bread of that 
description we know, and pills with a similar title are 
to be met with, but " digestive tea " is a novelty. A 
company entitled the Universal Digestive Tea Com- 
pany, Limited, has recently been registered, with a 
capital £20,000 in £10 shares. Its object is to carry 
into execution an agreement intended to be made be- 
tween the company and Harrison Jackson for the ex- 
clusive sale by the company of tea prepared by the said 
Harrison Jackson in accordance with the letters 
patent obtained, or about to be obtained, by him 
for the preparation of tea ; to purchase tea to be 
prepared by the said Harrison Jackson, and generally 
to carry on the business of wholesale and retail dealers 
in tea so prepared as aforesaid, or not prepared at 
all, or any business of a character similar or analogous 
thereto. The first subscribers are : — 
Shares. 
J. J. Sparkes, 24, William Street, Rochdale ... 80 
T. K„ Walton, Shallcross Hall, Whaley Bridge... 20 
W. Pollard, Oak Cottage, Eccles ... 60 
W. Jackson, Shrewsbury Street, Old Trafford, 
Manchester ... ... ... ... 20 
C. Watts, Horner Terrace, Old Trafford ... 20 
H. Jackson, Sitch House, Tascal, Whaley 
Bridge ... ... ... ... ... 20 
A. S. Booth, 53, Brockley Road, London, S. E.... 50 
The first directors of the company shall be A'fred 
Scrivener Booth, Harrison Jackson, William Jackson, 
and Joseph John Sparkes, aad Harrison Jackson 
shall be first managing director. — H. $ C. Mail, 
April 13th. 
» 
. EXPORTS OF JAVA AND MADUEA. 
According to a statement published in the States 
Gazette, the export trade of Java and Madura con- 
s : derably increased during the preceding year. The 
following details are mertioned of some of the principal 
articles : — 
1886. 
1 87. 
Liters. 
Liters. 
Arrack 
2,267,399 ... 
4,218,596 
Kilos. 
Kilos, 
Gum Damar 
1,034,947 ... 
1,030,218 
17,834 
Gutta Percha 
10,586 ... 
Hides 
2,624,646 ... 
3,750,293 
Indigo 
1,026,705 ... 
1,217,100 
Kapok 
796,327 ... 
1,216,814 
1,103,704 
Cinchona Bark . 
832,438 ... 
Coffee 
. 24,527,131 ... 
18,387,^63 
Cloves 
37,307 ... 
4,404 
Nutmegs 
41,917 ... 
117,726 
Pepper 
2,617,325 ... 
1,444,622 
Rice . 
. 61,593,657 ... 
75,675,900 
Rattans 
1,332, 804 ... 
1,439,066 
Sugar 
. 334 978,398 ... 
386,870,531 
Tobacco 
. 10,101,488 ... 
10,998,224 
Tea 
3,357,580 ... 
3,194,997 
Tin 
4,100,031 ... 
4,933,458 
Guilders. 
Guilders. 
Sundry 
... 2,057,800 ... 
4,496,763 
