3§ 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[July 2, 1888. 
makeB what notes he likes, and then leaves the 
room. During his absence the oups are all re- 
arranged, then he is re-admitted, and has to taste 
again and place them in their original order. 
I would offer as a suggestion to the spirited com- 
mittee of the Matale Agri-Horticultural Society, 
that at their next meet they ought to get up a 
. contest of this kind, and invite our professionals 
to a display of skill. Even the merest tyro in 
tea-tasting could appreciate a test of this kind, 
and the laity generally would be as ready to ap- 
plaud and take as hearty an interest in a tasting 
tournament as the professionals themselves. 
As to the planters, the work of whose hand 
has been condemned or otherwise by brokers' re- 
ports, they would be all alive, and there. It might 
be necessary if the tea augurs proved themselves 
inefficient to have a " sandwioh man" ready to 
parade the show, intimating that no swearing was 
allowed. The best men in the competition might 
be, for the day, judges of the teas. 
But it is not the broker and 1 professional taster 
who alone is possessed of a hidden knowledge in 
regard to our new product, for it was only the 
other day I heard of a fine distinction being drawn 
between green leaf and green leaf, which had no 
connection whatever with the style of plucking. 
Jat was to rule the price. A seed-grower, who 
prides himself not unjustly on the high-class seed 
he has for sale, was getting exuberant over this, 
and would like to have the idea taken up to the 
total extinction of all who are daring enough to 
offer seed under E40 a maund at the very least. 
He admits with some sorrow that the man has 
more to do with the quality of the tea manufactured 
than the jat or the land on which it grows, and 
that some of the estates which have had the 
highest prices have not much in the way of jat 
to boast of. He has also known very fine jat get 
very poor prices. Spite of this there may be some- 
thing in it. If the next Matale Show were to 
have samples of leaf pluoked from various jats, 
it would not be a bad feature to invite the know- 
ing ones to come in and distinguish them, which 
would be the first step toward our education in 
these high matters. 
An estate manager went down to Colombo for 
an outing, and was hospitably entertained by the 
proprietor there. All the delicacies of the capital 
were at his command, but he cared for none 
of them as he did for ice-pudding. That 
he would have had morning, noon, and night 
if the household arrangements would have allowed 
of it ; and when he got back again to the hills 
his mind would revert to the toothsome morsel, 
and his regrets were deep at the loss of it. Since 
the proprietor has found out the weakness of his 
manager, he is endeavouring to arrange that all 
future advanees of salary are to be paid in the 
shape of extra ice puddings when the superinten- 
dent visits Colombo. This, it is hoped, will satisfy 
all parties. 
A. V. \., whose hair was getting thin, and who 
had been applying kerosene to the bare patches, 
was on a visit to a cacao property. The manager 
was eloquent on the borer, and how it could be 
got out of the tree by squirting kerosene into the 
hole the troublesome and destructive insect had 
made for itself. The V. A. was much interested, 
would like to see the boys at work, and the 
manager said that that would be easily shown, as 
the boys must be in the neighbourhood. After 
looking about and walking a little, no trace of the 
workers could be seen, which non-plussed the 
manager ; for, as he said, they must be in the 
vicinity, " for I smell the kerosene." The search 
was continued with renewed vigour, but was still i 
barren. Meanwhile the V. A. was convulsed with 
laughter, especially when the planter appealed to 
him if he did n't smell the oil. By and bye the 
V. A. uncovered, and told how he, too, had been 
using it for strengthening his hair, and that prob- 
ably the odour that had been with them during 
their walk, and which had proved such a snare 
and delusion, was explained in that way. 
Peppercorn. 
PLANTING NOTE FBOM LABUGAMA. 
LOWCOUNTRY, DISTRICT, CEYLON, 
11th June. — The heavy rain upcountry, and that 
which we have had here, has caused the floods so 
frequent at this time of the year. The coaches and 
all wheeled traffic was stopped for some days be- 
tween Colombo aud Awisawella. Those who were 
obliged to get down to Colombo, and were not in a 
hurry to come back, went down by river, and I learn 
that the current was so strong, that some friends 
who went down iu this way were unable in conse- 
quence to put in at Kaduwela, where they had ar- 
ranged for breakfast, and being not overburdened 
with food and liquid, arrived in Colombo with hunts- 
men- like appetites for d inner. The Kelani Valley 
Hunt is about to be broken up, and the dogs either 
sold or raffled. The dogs have afforded sp >rt to some 
and mostly so to thos - m the immediate neighbour- 
hood of Awisawella; there are some members who have 
been so unfortunate as not even once to have fol- 
lowed the pack, but the Master of the Hunt had bo 
provided, that should any member require the dogs 
on giving due notice he could have them any day, of 
course holding himself responsible for the pack. 
There appears to be a wonderful demand for " hal" 
timber for tea boxes. Timber dealers kindly offer 1,000 
square feet 20 odd miles from Colombo at 38 rupees, 
thus with cart hire added this would come to some- 
thing like 43-44 rupees per 1,000, and may be some 
will give this sum. I learn that R2014 per tree was 
the figure accepted by Government for the 400 " hal " 
trees in the Indikadamukalana reserved forest in 
Hewagam Korale, two miles from Welikanna on the 
Labugama road ; however, I am given to understand 
that on the trees being marked and passed by the 
person whose tender was accepted there were not 
found the precious 400, but only something over half 
that number. 
The Forester, W. P., when last in these parts, went 
to visit the Labugama reservoir, and was charmed 
with the picturesque beauty of the place ; he is very 
strong on planting up forest and other trees all 
round the tank. At present the waterfall in the 
distance with its brilliant spray adds greatly to 
the beauty of this spot. Our loneliness has been 
pleasantly broken into of late, and amongst our various 
visitors was Mr. A. M. Gepp, en route to Awisawella, 
where he held classes towards the end of last week in 
tea tasting. I enclose rainfall for May 1887 and up to 
June 10th, 1887, also for same dates of present year. 
1887. 
May 1st 00 ; 2nd 00 ; 3rd 00 ; 4th -05 ; 5oh 00 
6th -13 ; 7th -01 ; 8th -01 ; 9th -02 ; 10th '02 ; 11th -22 
12th -60 ; 13th "01 ; 14th '06 ; 15th 00 ; 16th '36 ; 17th 
•50 ; 18th 271 ; 19th 1'30 ; 20th '12 ; 21st l - 8o ; 22nd 1-54; 
23rd 617; 24th '94; 25th 1'32 ; 26th "24; 27th 2-95; 28th 
■11; 29th -28; 30th 1-22; 31st 2 52. Total 25-26. 
June 1st 3'05; 2nd 1-66; 3rd -56 ; 4th -60; 5th 
•16; 6th -35; 7th -47; 8th -19; 9ch -16; 10th 1'24; 
total 8-44. 
January 1-59; February 4'54 ; March 4'70 ; April 24-26 
May 25-26. Total 60-35. 
1888. 
May 1st 00 ; 2nd 00 ; 3rd -02 ; 4th 00 ; 5th -03 ; 
6th -82; 7th -25; 8th -05; 9th -15; 10th 5"75 ; 11th 1-03; 
12th -79 ; 13th -04 ; 14th -02 ; 15th -65 ; 16th -49 ; 17th 
•75; 18th 1-84; 19th 3'40; 20th -02; 21st 00; 22nd -02; 
23rd -02 ; 24fch -26 ; 25th -61 ; 26th 6-04 ; 27th 2-43 ; 28th 
1-58 ; 29th -42 ; 30th -15 ; 31st -70. Total 28-33. 
June 1st 2-54; 2nd 2-78; 3rd -15; 4th -65; 5th 
■57; 6th -31; 7th 1-86; 6th -59; 9th 3-13; 10th -35. 
Total 13-03. 
January 6-63 ; February 0-16 ; March 8-99 ; April 13-57; 
May 28 J 3». Total 57'68. 
