/une i, 1888.] the tropical agriculturist. 
843 
rook. Gems from what little I have read of them 
are of much less specific gravity than gold, and lie in 
layers or v(ins of gravel always above (frequently 
many feet) what diggers call "bottou 1 ." I have 
known many instances of gold-diggers of some ex- 
perience, working their claims out as they thought, 
and leaving all the heary gold in the " bottom," 
from where it was afterwards taken out by others. 
So that if gem-diggers'have found heavy gold (?) I 
would rather say that by accident their mamoties cut 
deeper than was their intention, or than is customary 
or necessary for gem-diggers to dig, and thus they 
dropped on the gold by accident, than oonclude that 
heavy gold could not be left in a shaft or pit worked 
alone for gems. 
It must not be inferred that all coarse gold lies 
deep in the earth, but only that gold lies in or in 
close proximity to the " bottom " or primitive rock. 
Frequently, indeed, heavy gold is found an inch or 
so below the surface, but then you will always find 
the " bottom " lias risen also. One of the most 
necessary experiences for a gold-digger ia to know 
" bottom " when he sees it, and expedience even 
won't teach one in all instances, lor every gold 
field differs in some respects from others, so a 
man has to learn soinoihing on every new field he 
goes to. Now a native gem digger knows nothing 
whatever about " wash dirt " or " bottom," and 
would never desire to sink his shaft below the drift 
in whioh he finds gems. All drift lies above 
" wash dirt," and wash lirtlieson the " bottom," 
and gold is found intermixed with " wash dirt " 
and the " bottom," — so you can well understand 
how a gem-digger might leave gold behind him. 
It is well-known that the country is auriferous, 
but what is wanted is to find gold in paying 
quantities, and this can only bo found by pro- 
spucting or by aocideut as at Akuressa ? 
I myself f< und gold in a outting on a road near 
Nuwara Elija some seven years ago. I gave what 
gold I found to Mr. Geo. Armitage, who, I have 
no doubt, will remember the circumstance, as he 
saw me wash it out of the dirt. 
I believed at the time that gold cou'd be found 
around Nuwara Eliya to pay t But I had neither 
the time nor inclination to prosecute the search, 
besides I doubted very much if the finding of gold 
in paying quantities would be beneficial to tho 
planters, as it would be sure to demoralize our 
labour force.— Yours, &o., OLD DIGGER. 
CHINA TEA EXPORTS IN 1850 AND 
SINCE. 
10th May 1888. 
Dear Km. I find in a book dated 1850 that the 
total export of tea from China at that date, and 
therefore presumably tho total quantity consumed 
in extra-Chinese countries, was only 40 millions of 
lb. Can this have been correot ? 
The present export from China, Japan, India, 
Coylon, and Java is, I think, about 250 millions of 
lb., or more than six times as much as is said to have 
been exported only 88 years ago. — Yours faithfully, 
X. 
I No, there must be some mistake : China exported 
over (10 million lb. in 1850; til million lb. in 1H~>1 ; 
and practically all but a small portion of China's 
exports then went to London. Siill acortnin propor- 
tion of tea was carried overland to Central Asia, Russia 
&o. The development in tho 88 years in respect 
of tea consumption is chiefly in tho United Kingdom 
and its dependencies, and tho result is much more 
startling than "X." supposes, for China gavo 'JJ1 
India 85, and Ceylon 11 millions, or a total of t 
million lb. last year against 00 millions in 1650 
from China alone, Tho rapid dovolopmont of thfl 
Indian tei trade u very wondorful ; only 
millions exported in 1861-62; 13 J millions two 
years later ; 4fi£ millions in 1881-82; and now 
95 millions I But Ceylon will do still moro : 
318,000 lb. in 1881; 14 millions in 1887; and probably 
40 millions in 1890.— Ed.] 
PLANTING TREES ALONGSIDE STREAMS: 
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE QUESTION : 
EVAPORATION BY HOOTS \ND LEAVES VS. 
FROM THE STREAM DIRECT; SWAMPS 
AND THEIR DRAINAGE; QUICK- 
GROWING TREES. 
May 11th, 1888. 
Dkar Sir, — I do not think planting a tuiok 
fringe of quick-growing trees along the course of a 
stream, as suggested by a planter in your issue of 
the 8th instant, would have any effect in increas- 
ing the water supply, but rather the reverse : the 
roots of the trees would take up water which would 
be evaporated from the leaves, and increas r d evapor- 
ation would be the result. The fact of a stream 
sheltered by thick trees nearly drying up is men- 
tioned in " Popular Scientific Recreation, ' pago 
7, and is accounted for by leaf evaporation, and 
an experiment mentioned on the same page seems 
to prove it. It is well-known that tree3 planted in 
marshy places assist in draining the ground, and 
this seems to bear out the above theory, which, if 
it is correct, rather stultifies the Government reserve 
strips along ravines and streams. The thorough 
way in which swampy places ^nd ravines have 
been drained on most estates has no doubt contri- 
buted to the short supply of water in dry weather, 
as these places in former days acted as reservoirs, 
gradually yielding up the water absorbed in rainy 
weather. If all swamps on the upper parts of estates 
were embankod so as to retain as much water as 
possible, it would do more towards keeping the 
ravines full in dry weather than any amount of 
tree planting. Water holing the tea on a large scalo 
would also do a good deal to retain much of tho 
rainfall which now runs to waste owing to 
drainage ; if the whole of, say, Dirabula had 
been waterholed, the 1 mount of water held up 
when the January drought began would have 
been enormous. They would ilso assist in retain- 
ing the thunder-showers which sometimc3 occur 
during the droughty season, and most of which 
run to waste. The most suitable place to plant 
trees for fuel purposes would seem to bo the ex- 
posed ridges on estates : tea Beldom does much 
good in theso places, and the trees when grown 
would form a shelter to the tea to leeward of 
them, and would thus cause increased jield in tho 
sheltered places, compensating for th<- ground taken 
up by the trees, whereas, if trees are plant, d in 
ravines, they occupy the best land to the exclusion 
of tea and are useless, as a rule, for shelter. Of 
course, the trees to be p'anted on ridges should 
be such as can stand wind, and would grow in 
comparatively poor soil. For estates at an elevation 
of 3,500 feet and under kekuna will be found a very 
quick -growing tree. I give below the measurement 
of one 8 years old from seed. The wood is easily 
split, but I am unable to say whether it is a 
good firewood or not ; perhaps some other of your 
correspondents will be able to decido this. The 
kaknna, from Its habit of throwing out large branches 
at a l<>w height makes a good treo for lopping 
firewood. The kekuna is ornamental and seeds 
free'y. oil is made from tho nut or seed, it grows 
readily at stake. — Yours truly, B. J. 
Kekuna treo 8 years from seed, height about 
30 feet, circumference 9 inohes from ground 51 inches. 
Do. at CO inclios do. do. 47 ,, 
At 0 foul from ground a branch lopped off laot 
yeav measured 30 iuches in circuuifercnco, and with 
