NovEMJiEU t, 1888.J THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
CEYLON UrCOUNTHY PLANTING REPORT- 
MATALE SHOW — CACAO — TOBACCO — COFFEE A LADY ON 
TEA FACTORIES— THE GLASGOW EXHIBITION. 
2nd October 1888. 
The Snow at Matale was not by any means so 
good as the 0110 held last year. 1 here was the 
sanio defect in the buildings, the roofs too low, 
and, as a result, the place was dark, and the ex- 
hibits sullered in consequence. The native work- 
men, who were to show their skill to all-comers, 
were a screaming farce. They would do nothing 
without being " tipped," and early in the day were 
hopelessly demoralized, or hopelessly lazy. The 
present of a quarter of a rupee— half what was 
paid to see the whole Show— only resulted in a 
stirring of their lethargy: there was really no 
work done. Ono fellow who did weaving carried 
off the palm for listlessuess. He would, when i'ee'd, 
condescend to exhibit his skill for a minute or 
two, and immediately after leave his loom for his 
mat. He was too enervated to get upon his 
feet when he sought repose after his hard 
toil ; he sliddered along with a crab-like motion, 
his bottom never more than two inches from the 
ground at any time. I understood he came from 
the wilds of Laggala, but no civilized trades- 
unionist that ever I saw, or heard of, could have 
matched him in his advanced notions of what 
was a fair day's work, or the remuneration due 
thereto. 
There was another genius among the band of art 
workers who certainly deserves a place here. It 
was the artist who painted the pottery. He had 
before him a series of small pots tilled with 
paint and had an unfinished chatty in his hand. 
When you stopped to see his methods, he would 
dip his brush into the paint, make as if he were 
going to begin, and look at you beseechingly. I 
offered nothing in response to that silent appeal, 
and slowiy the chatty was laid down and the 
brush too. I waited for a little, hoping to see 
something of Sinhalese free-hand drawing, but no : 
ho too evidently had his price, and I had to come 
away without seeing what I wanted. 
There was about the whole band of art workers 
a weary indolent air, and if the Show Committee 
had intended to exhibit specimens of Sinhalese 
apathy, they could not have done it better than 
they did with any amount of trying. 
Then the Refreshment arrangements were deplora- 
ble. You could got nothing almost you wanted, and 
when it did come you had got so tired waiting, 
and everything was in such a hopeless muddle, 
that there was no pleasure whatever. Every ten 
or lifteon minutes a man was seen Hying across 
the grounds with a teapot in ono hand and a 
jug in the other. I don't know if he wero the 
head boss or not, but ho did his best all but single- 
handed to satisfy the demands of a tired and 
thirsty public. Ho was a handy fellow, not easily 
put out, and had many resources. A dozen 
cups or so is.I think, an excessive estimate of the 
crockery that was provided by the purveyor, and you 
had to wait till somebody was done, before you were 
supplied with china. As there was no water about 
to wash the cups in, tho handyman above-men- 
tioned picked up your teapot, poured a littlo tea 
into the cup, swirled it about, threw tho swirl- 
ings away, and you woro free to begin. Had wo 
been a band of shipwrecked passengers, tho arrango- 
monls might have been tolerated ■ but after such 
a flourish of trumpota about tho refreshments 
to bo provided, and such a powerful Com- 
nuttoo on the Show Exooutive, there was wretched 
uiieiuauagomunt somowhoro to havo allowud tho 
refreshment department to drift ad it did. 
On the whole I think there was disappointment 
with the Show, and although the Matale folk 
showed great pluck in attempting a yearly Exhibi- 
tion, yet it was somewhat manifest that the 
strength of the place was overtaxed. When the 
competition for the best dressed Tamil was being 
spoken of, it was regretted that no prize had been 
thought of for tho worst old hat a planter could 
produce. It was believed that such a prize would 
havo brought many into the lield, which modesty 
would otherwise keep out. With his working beaver 
tho modest one would feel as if bis foot were 
on his native heath, and he only too proud to 
compete. 
Cacao inDumbarahas.Ihear, suffered very severely 
from the drought, and the estimates aro woefully 
short of what at one time were thought of. Other parts 
which had more rain are doing better, but with all 
I question much if the crop will over the planting 
districts bo up to middling. The trees, however, 
still go on blossoming: the wenlth of flower thrown 
out this year has simply been amazing. 
Said the young Tobacco planter to the older one, 
who prides himself on his knowledge, but would 
die rather than impart it, " What 's the proper 
colour of tobacco when it's cured ?" " The proper 
colour of cured tobacco's" reiterates the knowing 
one, there are thirty different colours !" And the 
inquirer has to go elsewhere, or be satislied with that. 
A lady from the lowcountry was on a visit to 
the hills. Seeing a tea factory in the course of 
erection with two rows of high pillars standing, 
she said she was surprised that they should want 
so many chimneys 1 
Coffee is beginning to ripen, and in spite of tho 
drought we have had, it does not seem yet as 
if there would be so much blackening at the points 
of the branches as usual. The beans, too, although 
perhaps smaller than ordinary, are quite full, the 
light being a very small item indeed. The bug 
too is very little about, and the leaf disease which 
was raging so badly a month ago has passed, leav- 
ing many bare trees, but still a hope of the crop 
ripening spite of the leafless condition of the 
branches. 
The Weather is bright again, and all signs of the 
N.-E. monsoon have disappeared. Wind strong at 
times from the old quarter. 
What will the harvest be ? 
The dimensions of the expectod surplus at the 
close of the big Glasgow Show have beeu much can- 
vassed of late. Judging by mere numbers, 
one should expect a substantial balance on the richt 
side. But these numbers, apart from their financial 
equivalent, are apt to tell a too Mattering and decep- 
tive tale. It is ratber anomalous that Glasgow should 
be so far in front of Manchester in admission numbers, 
and at the same time should be so far behind in ad- 
mission money. At the end of lour mouths our draw- 
ings aro not one-half of the total Manchester " gate " 
of £l-l:i,O00. Our four months' receipts at the turn- 
stiles have only reached £70,000 as against Manches- 
ter's £1)6,000. Manchester had the grand income 
from all sources of £208,000, and a surplus of £13,000i 
Those who think that Glasgow can approach or ex- 
ceed that surplus, arc, I'm afraid, imagining a vain 
thing. The extraordinary devoteduess of the season 
ticket holders in hasteniug so repeatedly to Kelvin- 
grove may prove an upsetting factor iu surplus cal- 
culations.— The Hail it. PBFFBBCOBJtf. 
Mai>a<.asoak Tea.— Mr. J. Andrianise, of Anta- 
nanarivo, Madagascar, has successfully prepared for 
consumption a parcel of the first tea grown in the 
island. Tho aroma and flavour of tho product are 
said to bo so excellent as to encourage every atten- 
tion being paid to the propsgation of the shrub. — 
Clumist ami Drwjgist, Sept. 8th. 
