426 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, i88«. 
by every lawful means at the people in the suit- 
able regions, giving them encouragement and aid 
and watching over the initiatory steps of new 
industries as closely and carefully as they now do 
dver the restoration of a tank, dagoba or an ela. 
To secure the necessary aid arid to provide bounties 
for the first appreciable crops of cotton, say,— 
surely it is not too much to ask that a "vote for 
promoting new products " to the extent of R50,000 
may be included in the next supply Bill. This will 
be only one-fourth the lump sum given without 
question to " Irrigation " If in addition an ap- 
preciable sum were placed at the disposal of Dr. 
Trimen we feel sure the Colony and its people 
would benefit ten times over. A nourishing 
Government Experimental Garden at every Kach- 
cheri would do wonders for the people. 
It will be seen from C. S's letter in next column, 
that Eangwelletenne estate cannot yet count its nut- 
meg trees by thousands, though that term, we learn, 
may be applied to the numerous and nourishing 
clove trees. There is thus little or no difference 
so far as our argument is concerned, for the clove 
tree yielding an abundant crop may prove quite as 
valuable as the nutmeg ; and Mr. Shand's experience 
shews that with a little care both these spices may 
be freely grown at a medium elevation, while the 
nutmeg trees in the Ratnapura resthouse grounds 
not 100 feet above sea-level, indicate how readily 
native villagers might be led to grow a few of 
these very productive trees in their gardens. It is 
too much, perhaps, to expect a change of policy 
during the remainder of the present rSgime ; but 
we trust our brethren of the press and public 
opinion generally, will agree with us that a strong 
effort must be made to get our next Governor to 
start a new and different policy in reference to 
the promotion of agricultural improvement among 
the natives. We think the Government should 
be urged to inaugurate three or four Experimental 
Gardens on a really commensurate scale, under 
trained assistants from Kew after the pattern 
of Messrs. Nock and Clark though, of course, with- 
out their experience to begin with. Subordinate 
to these Gardens, District Kachcheries could have 
smaller ones or at least nurseries under trained 
native gardeners supplied by Dr. Trimen and there 
should be every inducement given to the revenue 
officers to interest themselves in experiments with new 
produots, but more especially in the industries suited 
to their districts and people. With each annual 
Administration Report a return should be furnished 
of the extent to which fresh produots had been 
introduced into the villages, the headmen recor- 
ding the number of new palm, fruit, or spice trees, 
pepper vines, cacao plants, or acres of cotton or 
tobacco added to their villages during the year and 
the revenue officer giving the totals for his district. 
This should be done much more easily and accurately 
than the Blue Book returns now given of existing culti- 
vation. The mere calling for such a return year by year, 
and the remarks made on it at headquarters would 
give a new interest to other cultivation than paddy 
growing. If, in addition, Dr. Trimen and his 
increased staff were expected to co-operate with the 
revenue officers and give them their opinion on the 
villagers' oultureof new products, while " bounties " 
for first crops and prizes at Shows were regularly 
kept up, certain we are that a new era of lasting 
prosperity would dawn on the people of the 
island. In this way, the people, in many districts, 
would get money for their produce to buy far more 
rice than thoy usually consume, and more 
cheaply than thoy ever could grow it for 
themselves. Under our next Governor then, we 
must urge that the Extension of New Products 
rather than of Paddy-growing should be the chief 
aim of his Government, while the mainte- 
nance of existing industries and irrigation workB 
could of course be provided for. It would not 
be sc much the opening up of so many acres 
of paddy-fields which would stand to the credit 
of Sir Arthur Gordon's successor at the end of 
his six years ; but that His Excellency (whoever 
he may be) had encouraged the planting of so many 
millions of palmyra palms in the country north 
of Chilaw and Trincomalee, and so many millions 
of pepper vines, cacao plants, nutmeg, clove, 
bread and other fruit trees in the southern half 
of the island, A Governor who could so report 
after his term of office would have done more, 
probably, for the welfare of both Sinhalese and Tamils 
and the trade of the Colony as a whole, than any 
ruler we have had since the time of Sir Henry Ward. 
NEW PRODUCTS FOR THE NATIVES. 
To the Editor, "Ceylon Observer." 
Colombo, Nov. 19th, 1888. 
Dear Sir,— Referring to your editorial on the 
subject of "Revenue Officers, and the Promotion 
of Native Industries," I wish to correct the state- 
ment as to the number of nutmeg trees on Rang- 
welletenne estate. Alas, there are not a dozen. There 
are, however, a large number of clove trees, some of 
which are beginning to bear, though as yet sparingly. 
They grow most luxuriantly, and I think the clove 
tree is one of the most ornamental in nature. 
Though the cost of planting spices in a small 
way is insignificant, the trouble is considerable, 
and this, I fancy, is the reason why so little is done 
in this direction. I quite agree with you that 
more attention should be given by Government to 
encourage amongst the natives the cultivation in a 
small way of such tropical products as Nutmegs, 
Cloves, Pepper, and Cacao. If the Assistant Govern- 
ment Agents were given the means of raising and 
distributing plants amongst villagers, the result 
would soon show itself in considerable exports. In 
the Western and most parts of the Southern Pro- 
vinces, the products I have named will all grow, 
and if only one plant of each was planted in every 
native garden through the influence of the headmen, 
the result could not fail to be beneficial, and I am sure 
the natives would adopt the idea because carrying it 
out would not involve any cost nor ultimate work. 
In the Western Province I know the Assistant 
Agents are most anxious to foster the cultivation 
amongst natives of any produot likely to be profitable. 
But the head of our paternal Governmet keeps a firm 
grasp on the purse-strings, for everything but magni- 
ficent undertakings, The revival of ancient indus- 
tries appears to be the ruling idea of our Jupiter 
and his satellites. Modern industries result in 
perishable gain, the other in undying fame. — C. S. 
» 
Products for Cevlon Planters. — The Che- 
mist and Druggist sums up an able review of 
"Ceylon's Staple Exports" with some words of 
counsel which the majority of our planters should 
very carefully consider : — 
We should think that the Ceylon planters may find 
that in future they are more likely to reap profits from 
the cultivation of a number of comparatively small 
articles than from a few staples, and among the cul- 
tures to which they will probably turn their attention 
in the first place are cubebs, black pepper, nutmegs, 
cloves, annatto, vanilla, and other drugs and spices. 
As the climate of Ceylon is exceptionally suited for 
the acclimatisation of new products, and only a frac- 
tion (it is said less than one-ninth) of the island is 
at present under cultivation, the future of the. anci- 
ent Taprobane is altogether beyond calculation. 
