December i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST 
and 3j boxes at 7s lid I So that Mr. Stanes' manager 
on Glendale knows how to make Fancy teas. The 
latter at 7s 6d, Mr. Stanes tells us, was a special 
green tea and valued in Calcutta at 10s. So large 
is the local demand throughout India fir (i leiidale 
teas that very little so far has ever been sent to 
London, (llondale is situated at about 0,000 feet 
altitude. Mr. Stanes tells us that a large portion 
of his fuel supply has for years been got from 
his plantation of blue gums which he regularly 
coppices with satisfactory results, Wo trust Mr. 
Stanes will enjoy his visit to our hill country. 
FIFTY MILES NORTH OF COLOMBO: 
THE ftAJAKADALUWA PLANTING DISTRICT. 
I'OCONOTS — PLANTAIN'S — CASSAVA — COTTON — PALM YI1AS. 
THE ENCOUIUORMENT FOIl RAILWAY EXTENSION TO 
CHILAW. 
Through the absolute disposal of all suitable 
land in tho districts south of Chilaw, entorprising 
pioneers — native, burgher andEuropean — interested in 
the extension of coconut planting have been forced to 
look farther afield and in some cases to take up 
Crown land north of Chilaw, and even beyond the 
Deduruoya, iu order to fell tho forest, clear the land 
and plant the popular palm. This process of exten- 
sion began some years ago ; and now at several points 
alongside the road to Puttalam, there are plantations 
or young clearings, of more or less extent, of coconuts. 
To the eye of the visitor or passing traveller, the 
country beyond Chilaw is certainly not preposses- 
sing for planting purposes. It looks, and it certainly 
is, a dry and thirsty land. The sombre forest and 
apparent absence of large timber trees add to this 
effect, as also the sandy appearance of much of the soil. 
But on the other hand it must be confessed that 
I and a fellow-traveller saw the district under 
perhaps the greatest disadvantage, towards the end 
of a very protracted, exceptional and trying drought. 
And yet, notwithstanding such an ordeal, the 
coconut trees we inspected up to three and even five 
or six years, stood up with fu.l health and looked 
wonderfully green and vigorous, so much so as to 
draw forth expressions of astonishment from my 
companion, an experienced coconut planter. 
The Dedunfoya runs to the sea a little north 
of Chilaw. The ferry is about two miles from 
ili" town. There are coconut clearings on both 
sides of the road between tho town and the river. 
Older trees near native huts and villages are not 
wanting, but they scarcely afford a sufficient criterion 
of what plantations may come to. The unbridged 
Deduruoya is n decided obstaclo to traflic and to 
progress in that region. It outs across the main 
road between Chilaw and Puttalam, and it is one 
of thoso unmanageable rivers that nothing but a 
substantial bridge can conquer. Rising amongst the 
West Matale hills, rains in that region speedily 
tell on its How, and in monsoon times — as doubt- 
less at this present moment— ibis river runs bank 
high, iu an exceptionally deep, wide, rushing, raging 
torrent In a time of Mood, the ferry beyond Chilaw 
presents this wide, rushing current, and with debris 
tumbling down no ordinary boat can ply with safety, 
bo that often for a weok at a time, communication 
is out off between tho North and South of the dis- 
trict and between Puttalam and Chilaw. 
Successive Government Agents bavo frequently 
urgi'd tho bridging of this river and n more 
< ■ "iMy ihun Mr. Lushington, and this ren. ih 
Unit now we have travelled over the ground and Boen 
the continuous scono of cultivation and population 
b Won b tli rivers, wo certainly cannot help coining 
■ iml to Hi,, opinion of thn officer in favour of Ball- 
way Extension not only to Nogomt o, but all tin- way 
ko > inlaw if not beyond. Wo do not see at this 
moment any immediate prosed of Government 
carrying on the Railway even as far asNegonibo; 
although we feel that if a certain fixed sum were 
taken from surplus revenue henceforward every 
year for Railway Extension, more good would pro- 
bably be done to the people ami country ihan 
through further irrigation schemes. But uh'ther 
this desirable bit of Railway Extension be taken 
up next year or only several years hence, one 
thing may be urged with a clear conscience and 
that is, that both the Mahaoya at Toppu and 
tho Deduruoya beyond Chilaw should be bridged 
without loss of time, and that the bridges 
should be of iron and of so b g a pattern and so 
strongly constructed as to be suiiable to carry 
both road and railway when the day for laying 
the line arrived. This would undoubtedly prove 
true economy in the end for all concerned. 
It is clearly an immense check on ordinary 
trading when an unbridged river and ferry toll 
intervene as at Toppu, to keep fruit sellers, 
carters etc. away from the natural markets; and 
again when planters and coolies are liable as they 
are beyond the Deduruoya, to be cut off for a 
week at a time from the source of their grain 
supplies, the Chilaw bazaar. When wo crossed 
the latter river, it was probably at its lowest, with 
the current confined at the Northern side to one-third 
or fourth of its whole bed : the rest presenting 
a wide extent of sand through which it was pain- 
ful to see bullocks dragging a loaded cart with the 
greatest possible difficulty. Of the cartroad on 
each side of the river, we have to speak in high 
praise. It was in capital order and so well con- 
structed, so well- barrelled with deep side drains as 
likely to continue good for a long time. 
Coconut clearings begin at once on the North side of 
the Deduruoya, the chief proprietors in this neigh- 
bourhood being members of the family of the late 
well-known Proctor Cooke of Chilaw and they on 
the whole, seem well pleased with their investments. 
We saw some exceptionally good soil on one of 
these properties with correspondingly luxuriant trees. 
Rajakadaluwa, the terminus of our journey, is some 
1 miles north of the river, and here Mr. G. D. 
Miller (formerly of the Ramboda, Dikoya and 
Matale districts) has with great pluck and indus- 
try, pioneered and opened for himself within tho 
last three years, as many as 250 acres with coconuts. 
Mr. Miller is now opening fresh clearings on behalf 
of constituents and altogether quite an impression 
has been made on the " wilderness of jungle " 
at this point. My companion's experienced eye 
was not quite satisfied with the generality of the 
soil: it was of that porous, comparatively light 
description, in which though the coco-palm may 
rejoice for 8, 10 or 12 years, ho thinks will then 
require liberal treatment in fertilising material to 
keep the crops of nuts up to the mark. At tho 
same time, it is a soil which can be conveniently 
dealt with and which will absorb moisture very 
roadily. As it is, water even at this very dry 
season was found at an easy depth, a fact that 
partly explained the. healthy, vigorous appearance 
of the young palm trees. The lay of the laud 
altogether is simply perfect, and though tho 
jungle of the Rajakadaluwa district — does the district 
take the namo from the principal estato or 
vice vernal — cannot be considered heavy, yet there 
is a good deal of marketable timber, more 
particularly ebony, for which a sale con be got. 
The most noticeablo fact cotineated with the 
cultivation as inspected, next to tho tlnui-dnng 
condition of tho young coconuts (tho oldest being 
about three years) wis Mr. Miller's very su e tol 
intermediate culture of pltntains. Tln"» crow very 
readily and flourish exceedingly, yielding i ioh oropa . 
and in the opinion of both planters preoout, tuey 
