268 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [October i, 1888. 
Captain Whitley of S. S. " Lady Gordon " kindly under- 
took to convey to you a parcel containing a few 
of our handbooks. The catalogue attached to this is 
unfortunately very imperfect, and I am sorry that many 
names of exhibitors have been left out. It was im- 
possible for me to compile a handbook myself, and I 
felt that it could not be in better hands than Mr. 
Capper's, but I intended also that the printers should 
be in London. Unfortunately our Exhibition rule made 
it necessary to employ Messrs. Constable of Edinburgh, 
who of course bad a great press of Exhibition work 
on, and the difficulties were much increased by the 
tardy arrival of exhibits. That the little work as a 
means of drawing attention to Ceylon is a success we 
have constant and abundant proof, but I feel that an 
apology is due to those who have come forward to help 
us with exhibits and whose assistance is not publicly 
recognised in the catalogue. While in this connec- 
tion may I again beg that all who have sent us 
exhibits as loans will as soon as possible sent us 
full instructions as to their disposal at the end of 
the Exhibition, as our labour and expense will be 
much lessened thereby. I hope also to hear from 
you that we may dispose of and credit the P. A. 
with the proceeds of the show cases. They are very 
unwieldy, expensive to store or move about. 
On Friday last week we had the honor of a visit from 
the Queen and several members of the royal family. 
Her Majesty looked closely at many things, and fre- 
quently stopped to examine things. Mr. Hayward's 
collection of rough and polished gems, the Dagoba 
with its surroundings of plants and stuffed animals, 
Messrs. Somes & Co.'s case of exhibits from Palle- 
kelle and Hoolankanda, the tea cases, the cacao and 
spice cases, Miss Gordon Cumming's pictures and 
the case containing specimens of gold and silver native 
workmanship all specially attracted the Queen's atten- 
tion. Her Majesty also paid special attention to the 
diagram prepared by Messrs. Gow, Wilson & Stanton, 
Bhowing the growth of the Ceylon tea enterprise. 
We had been fortunate in obtaining the loan "from 
Mr. Bullen, the Director of the Botanic Gardens, of 
several Ceylon plants, palms, cinchona, anatto, cinna- 
mon, castor oil and others which set off the Court very 
much, and made it very interesting. Mr. .Bullen also 
helped us much in arranging our Court for the royal 
visit, and I promised him that as a slight token of our 
gratitude I would procure him a packet of seeds from 
Ceylon, so if you would kindly take this in hand 
and place the matter in Dr. Trimen's hands, I should 
esteem it a personal favor. Glasgow Exhibition con- 
tinues to attract beyond all expectations and our sales 
of tea in cup keep steadily up to about an average of 
6,000 per week. 
I am quite sure the P. A. is on the right track 
in doing something to stimulate the introduction of 
Ceylon tea into America ; my experience and that of 
many others who have tried it is that an initial loss 
has to be faced and that we are unwilliug or unable 
to face, now that Messrs. Ellwood & May have de- 
clined the liberal offer made to them, I have no hesi- 
tation in saying that I can get agents who will gladly 
accept the same terms, they will not however go in for 
wholesale distribution of samples, but if they receive 
gratuitously 1,000 lb. of tea for every 2,000 lb. they 
purchase and are thus enabled to buy 33 per cent 
below market rates they will be able to face the loss 
generally inseparable from making markets. 
Mr. J. McOombie Murray, who is having a very hard 
struggle in Philadelphia, would, I believe, gladly avail 
himself of this assistance, and comply with terms, and 
if we or any others in correspondence with him in Lon- 
don were empowered by the P. A. to hand him 1,000 lb. 
of tea gratuitously for every 2,000 lb. he purchased 
and hhippcd to America up to the amount of tay 
O,00D lb., I believe good business might result. Such tea 
must, however, be purchased and if need be mixed in 
Loudon if the v nturo is to be a success. There is 
much prejudice u, contend against in opening up new 
markets, ami though a second shipment may bo hotter 
than the former one if the character is not similar, 
dissatisfaction ensues. Wohadour Court photographed 
after the Queen's visit, and I hope to send you copies 
soon — Faithfully yours, (Sigued) J, L. Shanu. 
COTTON- GROWING WITH TEA IN 
CEYLON. 
A very interesting experiment has been begun 
by Mr. James Blackett on one, or more, of his 
Dolosbage properties. He has planted or rather 
sown a considerable area of cotton seed amongst 
his tea. The fields chiefly chosen are on "Jak- 
tree Hill" at the back of Vellekande, not far from 
Gampola, on undulating indeed rather side-long 
land. Of this old coffee plantation Mr, Blackett 
has cleared 70 acres, planting it with tea in the 
usual way and then, buying one cwt. of Egyptian 
cotton seed for R8, to try an experiment, he found 
he had enough seed to go over 100 acres ! He 
accordingly had the soil forked up at intervals, in place 
of holing, throughout the 70 acres as well as some 30 
acres on another property and then dibbled the seed in, 
two seeds to a hole, at about the same number of cot- 
ton plants to an acre as there will be tea. The whole 
expense of this cotton experiment so far, does not 
exceed R2 per acre ! Of course " the proof of the 
pudding is in the eating," and there are several 
contingencies to hj tace I whLli m.iy bring about a 
loss rather than profit. But, meantime, Mr. Blackett 
has found the cotton seed coming up and sprouting 
within three days of being put in the soil, and 
he anticipates that the shrub will grow so 
quickly as to save him very soon the ex- 
pense of weeding his tea land, while he thinks 
the shade will do good rather than harm. On 
the other hand, cotton is known to be an exhaust- 
ing crop, but Mr. Blackett intends after harvesting 
to root out and reduce the bushes to ashes, 
returning the same to the soil. As regards the 
crop much will depend ou the weather, and on 
the face of it, we might suppose the Dolosbage 
or Gampola district to be far too wet to be a suc- 
cessful cotton-growing district. But Mr. Blackett 
has chosen his season very judiciously, for by 
the time the harvest arrives in March-April next, 
the dry season will be fully on in his district. 
He will have to provide a gin, or gins, to clean 
the cotton before sending it to Colombo. But we, 
need not anticipate these and other contingencies. 
Mr. Blackett has now secured a small packet of 
Fiji, the best South Sea Islands seed, to try a 
further experiment. It is reported that Sir Arthur 
Gordon has interested himself in arranging that 
about a ton of the best Fiji seed be got for 
Ceylon. We may expect to see the example of 
Mr. Blackett freely followed by planters in several of 
our lowcountry districts. 
TOBACCO IN BORNEO. 
The Prospectus has been issued of the London Borneo 
Tobacco Company (Limited), with a capital of £120,000, 
in 11,999 ordinary £10 shares and ten founder's shares 
of £1. Ot the ordinary shares 4,000 have already been 
applied for and will be allotted in full at par, and 4,000 
are offered for public subscription. The remaining 
3,999 ordinary shares will be allotted to the vendor in 
payment for the property, but will not rank for dividend 
in any year until 10 per cent, dividend has been paid 
on the 8,000 shares allotted to the public, and 10 per 
cent, of the net profits has been set apart to form a re- 
serve fund until the same nmounts to £40,000. The 
vendor's 4,000 shares will then rank Pari passu with the 
8,'K'O shares in each year as regards any surplus net 
profits, and after 100 per cent, has been p.tid in divi- 
dends ou the 8,0"0 shares allotted to ine public, will have 
equal rights in every respect with those shares. The 
ten founder's shares will be allotted to the vender lor 
cash; thoy will be entitled to no benefit un'il £100 per 
cent, has been paid in dividends on the 8,000 ordinary 
shares issued to the public, but thereafter they will be 
entitled to one-fourth of the net profits in each year, 
provided dividends of 10 per cent, are paid on the whole 
of tho ordinary shares and a provision made for reserve 
