October i, 1888.] THF. TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
233 
CACAO (COCOA) PLANTING IN 
CEYLON. 
A Lecture Delivered at Matale on the 80tu 
J one 1888, uy Mb. J. H. Babbek. 
It is not my intention to devote this paper to the 
consideration merely of such cultural details connected 
with cacao planting as may be readily gleaned by 
reference to that most valuable publication, the 
Tropind Agriculturi t, or any manual treating on 
cacao cultivation generally, but to raiso for future 
discussion at our Agricultural Association, as far as 
tho limited scope of this paper will permit me to- 
night, some of the vexed questions connected with 
the cultivation of this product, on which it would be 
desirable to havo the experience of planters — facts that 
should be more generally known and more generally 
discussed: although they may be within tho know- 
lodge and experience of managers of the older and 
leading estates of the Island. Indeed this want 
is one that can bo easily supplied by an institution 
such as tho Matale Agricultural Association, with 
tho experience that its members have already 
gained in cacao cultivation. By meeting here frequent- 
ly, and discussing agricultural matters, not only will 
benefit accrue to us individually and directly ; but m tho 
end it will follow that we shall, by promoting the 
cultural industries of Matale, help materially to the 
prosperity of a part of the Island which holds great 
potentialities, and is waiting only for enterprise and 
capital to developo its resources. With its rich soil and 
forcing climate, there is no tropical plant that can- 
not be cultivated here. Cacao, tea and coffee as 
articles of diet ; pepper, cloves and nutmegs as spices ; 
and evon the 'costly tobacco aud the rare vanilla 
rind a home here, while the gracoful areka 
palm, shading tho humble homestead of the poor 
villnger, flourishes here with a luxuriance that is 
matchless. 
In such a district as toil, at a happy moment the idea 
appears to have suggested itself to the promoters of 
thi Agricultural Association to call it into existence. 
And it !■ HOW left with us to make it really useful, 
and subservient to our best interests, by making the 
fullest use of our opportunities. 
We can also, I think, always rely on the ready 
support of the Government, and of those who will, from 
time to time, be connected with our Koyul Botanic De- 
partment. Tho desire to support the planters in the 
colonies is a foi ling not morely contined to the incum- 
bents of our local garden in the Island, but one 
that emanates from higher quarters; hi fact, from 
the very fountain-head at Kew. 
In a letter addressed to the Colonial Secretary of 
Jamaica by the Director of the Botanical Department 
there dated j^th OetoU-r I lind embodied the 
views of the Director at Kew, as regards the West India 
iMnnds, which havo more than a local bearing, and 
which convey encouragement to all colonists alike; 
showing how keenly nlive ho is to the necessity 
if publishing information and of promoting new 
Industries.* These are his suggestions :— '* In addition 
to distributing plants, there might be organised at the 
Central Institution u regular system of botanical bnllo- 
lins. containing practicnl hints as to tho treatment of 
ecouomic plants, and tho conditions under which 
thrv might I ait he utilised as obiocts of remunerative 
Inouitry, 
""There is no doubt a great want felt in tho West 
Indies for reliable information -n th,. culture of new 
economic plant* ; ami to ensure success it will bo 
necessary not only to supply Bccde aud plants, but 
u/.<n , jr»/u//,, m r ,l f .i „ n .t p f.„., / ,, „,., „.„/ aJ (o 
• Kew Bnlletin for June 1007 ; Botanical Statious 
in the W «it Indies, p, 7, 
30 
the means to he employed for rendering them of tin 
greatest value."* 
These are the views of Mr. Thiselton Dyer, now 
Director. Wo in Ceylon cannot say that this want 
is not felt by us here al o at times: and that the 
Botanical literature of the Colony, although extensive 
and varied, is all-sufficient for our wantB. There are 
occasions, indeed, when we do wish for more in- 
formation and more help. It was only last week 
that I was travelling with a Matale planter who, 
speaking of tobacco culture, told me that he intended 
going all the way to Sumatra, for want of sufficient 
information here. I daresay the Director of the 
Koyal Botanic Gardens, who has given this subject 
his attention already, will feel it his duty to give 
it fuller attention now, and also to afford us hinta 
regarding the curing of the leaf. I will refer to 
another instance. How many planters are there in 
Ceylon who cultivate cubebs (Piper cubeba)? We all 
grow pepper here at Matale, and there is no better 
district for it than this; and cubebs grow where 
pepper grows. 
In 1885 tho prico averaged for cubebs was 77/6 
per cwt. ; then it came down for a while, and in 
1880 it went up again. Since 1880 the price has 
steadily gone up, and good genuine cubebs in 188t> 
realised £'20 to ±"22 per cwt. But who grows it ? 
you ask. In Java small plantations are specially 
devoted to cubebs. They have also been latterly culti- 
vated by European planters on coffee estates, f But I fear 
our getting this variety of pepper is a difficult matter. 
Dr. Trillion was written to by me for this plant 
about a year ago. He had not then the plant to 
give me, and his reply was not by any means 
calculated to encourage mo as regards its cultivation, 
owing to the fluctuations in price. Here it ended, 
although I was prepared to give anything in reason 
for seed or plants, to start it in Matale. 
The next reference to it that I find is in his 
report, which I shall read to you : — 
"'It is by no means easy to obtain the true P. 
cubeba, which is a plant very little known and in- 
deed very imperfectly understood, even by botanists. 
Several other plants approach it very closely, and 
oven at Kew tho cultivated plant hitherto believed 
to be P. cubeba and figured by me under that name 
in 1877 has siuce been determined to bo another 
species." And so it hag. It has been proved to be 
Piper chaba, Hunter, or Chavica officinarxim, Miquel, 
belonging to the long pepper group. J 
The learned Doctor, however, gives us the comfort- 
ing assurance that ho is now endeavouring to obtain 
seed from Java, stating that hitherto the difficulty 
was due to the cultivation being in the hands of 
the natives. I shall give you bis very words: — ''I am 
now attempting to get ripe seed from Java. But it 
appears to be difficult to obtain this from the 
nativos." 
It will be found that much of the information 
contained in this part of the report of Dr. Trillion 
is drawn from the Kew Gurdeus Bulletin for Dec. 
1887, from which I have just read to you, and from 
this you will perceive, if the bulletin bo correct, 
that tho cultivation is not now outirely in native 
hando- Aud we may now ho said to be iu a fair 
way towards getting this much-prized variety of 
pepper, in, say, another eighteen months or so. It is 
matter for great satisfaction and rejoicing to know 
that wo 3hall shortly bo iu the running with our luckier 
neighbours at Java; although the full period ot ten years 
will havo elapsed, when wo begin growing this pepper, 
from tho date at which cubebs began "going up in 
prico steadily '\1880). And one is casually reminded 
of the time consumed in the siege of Troy; in the 
early history of warfare, before the invention of 
gunpowder, and tho knowledge of steam and electricity. 
This merely as a coincidence. 
I have referred to theso facts to show yon how 
necessary it it (or us to devise means, by concerted 
action, to help each other, and the Government ulti- 
mately, in d, velopiug the resources of our Island. 
• Italic* «rb mine 
♦Kew Bulletin, Dec. 1887. Italics are mine. 
; Kew bulletin, D»c. 18S7; 
