July 2, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
39 
NOTES FROM THE PLANTING DISTBIOTS 
NORTH OF KANDY. 
REVIVAL OF COFFEE — COTTON CHOPS — TEA AND INCREAS- 
ING TRAFFIC — NATIVE COFFEE FLOURISHING — A 
WORTHY MEDICO. 
June 11th. 
You may perhaps find room for a few notes of 
what is going on north of Kandy. A very marked 
ohange for the better is coming over what cotf'ee 
there is left in the district. The Lewella road, which 
I passed over yesterday, really reminds one of old 
times. The coffee along the roadside is covered 
with berries : in some places the overhanging 
branches and suckers being weighed down with 
crop. The foliage also shows a luxuriant growth 
which has not been seen for years past. The dead 
naked sticks, we have so long been accustomed to, 
have all disappeared, and strong redbarked suckers 
with rich dark leaves 6 or 8 inches in length are 
growing from almost every tree. I spoke to a good 
many of the Sinhalese and Moor traders, and was 
glad to learn that in all the villages the same im- 
provement is observable. — A brisk trade was being car- 
ried on all along the road in cotton, of which there 
seems to have been a very good crop, and altogether 
there was an air of cheerfulness and brightness 
about the people which I have not noticed for 
many years past. — On the estates in this neighbour- 
hood there is very little coffee left ; but wherever 
black bug was not very bad last year, the trees are 
bearing well, and there is the same change in the 
character of the foliage which I have referred to 
above. Figures will perhaps convey the best idea 
of the improvement which has taken place ; so I 
will add that I expect next season 1,000 to 1,200 
bushels of parchment here, as against about 300 for 
the last two seasons and 500 bushels in 1885-6. 
I wish we oould feel sure that this change points 
to coffee again becoming productive which would 
mean an almost immediate return of prosperity 
to the villagers who have not pulled out their 
coffee trees as we have done. The coffee at 
Aratenna and the other villages along the Hulu- 
ganga is bearing equally well. 
Our road is in fairly good order, but more 
liberal expenditure will be necessary if it is to be 
kept so. The well-known Sirooco chimney, or a 
long end of 8" shafting protruding from the 
upward-bound cart, is a sure indication of increas- 
ing trallic erelong. Tea here, as elsewhere, has 
been Hushing very heavily lately, and most estates 
will secure the crops estimated. 
I was glad to see the remarks in the Observer 
respecting our District Medical Officer, Dr. Candyah, 
who well deserves the praise bestowed on him. He 
has not only been successful in his private practice 
amongst Europeans, but he has done much, follow- 
ing in the steps of Dr. Aldons, to overcome the 
repugnance the coolies have to going to hospital, 
and has shown them, by his generally successful 
treatment and unvaried kindness and attention to his 
patients, how much they gain in accepting the help 
offered to them. 
AN ASSAM TEA PLANTER ON CEYLON. 
An Uva planter writes : — " I enclose an extract 
from a letter 1 received a mail ago, from a retired 
Assum tea planter, though I believe he has still 
some interests out there. Perhaps you will find some 
interost in its perusal. The writer is an old ex- 
erienccd planter, and his namo is well-known iu 
e Lane " ; — 
(Extract.) 
" From Thompson & Oo.'s fortnightly circulars 
issued to all interested iu ,toa, I am always glad to 
lcaru that C'oylou ooaiea to thu forefront with u 
most creditable and sightly article which fully holds 
its own, both as to demand and price at Mincing 
Lane. In Ceylon, I fancy, yon have considerable ad- 
vantages over tea planters in North-Bastern Bengal, 
both as to labour and greater production per acre. 
The question of labour has always been in Assam 
the great drawback as well as a source of much 
trouble and annoyance to planters. The Government, 
instead of facilitating the transport of coolies from 
the North-West to the North-East of India, has 
placed so many restrictions and annoyances as almost 
to amount to the entire prohibition of labour from 
other sources. Whereas you have abundance of 
labour at your very doors and at a cheaper rate 
than can be had in India. From the little informa- 
tion I have had regarding tea growing in Ceylon, 
your outturn of tea is much larger than in Assam. 
We thought six mauuds or 480 lb. per acre a very 
heavy yield, and when obtained was looked on as at 
least 1J maund above the average production." 
TEA PRICES IN LONDON. 
The seriou3 depression in the London market 
for our teas induces us to inquire whether it is 
warranted ; and whether it will be further intensified 
before " the bottom" is touched. Taking a retrospec- 
tive view of the subject, we find that not only last 
year did a similar depression take place, but 
also during the previous year (1886) at precisely 
the same period. It will be seen by the sub- 
joined extracts from Messrs. Wilson, Smithett & 
Co.'s market reports, that during June and July 
of 1886 the London market was as depressed as 
it now is, and a similar experience was noticed 
in June 1887. The important fact to Ceylon 
planters is, that in both instances the fall in 
prices was followed by a recovery which commenced 
in August. The causes which contributed to these 
depressions were said to be a periodical falling-off 
in quality, but chiefly to the dread of coming 
excessive supplies, and these are put forth as the 
reasons for the present state of the London market. 
The question which is of most interest to us 
just now is, what prospect is there, that prices 
will begin to recover in August this year, as they 
did in 1886 and in 1887 ? 
If the Estimate of Supplies for the next 12 months, 
— as prepared by Messrs. Stenning, Inskipp & Co. — 
which we published in our issue of the 1st inst., 
is approximately correct, there is, we think, every 
prospect of a recovery, immediately a safe opinion 
can be formed as to the Supply to be expected 
from China. The Estimate was as follows : — 
" Probable Supply, Season 1888-89— 1st June to 
31st May — may be estimated as follows : — 
lb. 
Indian ... ... ... 93,000,000 
Ceylon ... 25,000,000 
Java ... ... ... 3,000,000 
China ... ... ... 100,000,000 
221,000,000 
" At the present large and increasing rate of cou- 
sumption of Indian and Ceylon kinds, this quantity 
should be readily dealt with." 
If the China supply is found likely to be less than 
that^ of last season, — when 123 milllion pounds 
were exported to England, — prices will respond 
assuredly, and it will be seen that the authority 
who made the estimate given above put the figure 
for China exports at 100 millions only. 
The quantity to be expected from China up to tho 
31st May 188'J is, indeed the only doubtful ele- 
ment in this estimate. Messrs. Stenning, Inskipp & 
Co. mako out a total supply of 221 millions of 
pounds : and if they prove to be correct in their 
estimate of the export from China, there ia 
little doubt, we think, that the prcsont depression 
will bo aa temporary as during tho preceding two 
