February i 1889.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
5*5 
London and St. Katharine Docks Company, Dock 
House, 109 Leadeuhall Street, London, 9th Nov. 1888. 
Dear Sir, — In reply to your letter of the 6th instant, 
I am desired to say that there is no such practice 
as that to which you allude in the warehouses of this 
Company. Samples are drawn only by order of mer- 
chants or their brokers, or, in a few cases, of Associ- 
ations authorized to take samples, aud are delivered 
to those for whom they are drawn. — Yours faithfully, 
F. H. Habben, 
Assistant General Manager. 
W. Martin Leake, Esq. 
Ceylon Association in Loudon, 2Gth Nov. 1888. 
Tho General Manager, London aud St. Katharine 
Dochs Company. 
Dear Sir, — In thanking you for yonr letter of 9th 
instant, I am to mention that one cause of the inquiry 
that I addressed to you on f>th instiint, as to the taking 
of samples at your warehouses, was that one of the wit- 
nesses in the New Crane Wharf case, George Morris, 
the Colonial sampler of that wharf, is reported to have 
stated that up to seven years ago ho was in the employ- 
ment of your Company, anil his evidence seemed to im- 
ply that during his 22 years' experience he had known 
such practices as those complained of at the New Crane 
Wharf to prevail generally elsewhere. — I am, dear sir, 
yours faithfully, (Signed) Wm. Maetin Leake, 
Secretary. 
London and St. Katharine Docks Co., Dock House, 
109 Leadeuhall Street, London, 27th Nov. 1888. 
Dear Sir, — I am desired to acknowledge your letter 
of yesterday, and to say that whatever Mr. Morris's 
evidence, as reported, may seem to imply, the facts, so 
far as this Company is concerned, are as stated in my 
letter of the 9th instant. —Yours faithfully, F. H. 
Haubf.n, Assistant General Manager. 
Wm. Martin Leake, Esq., Secretary, Ceylon Associa- 
tion in London. 
East and AVest Iudia Docks Company, Dock House, 
Billiter Street, London, 16th Not. 1888. 
Dear Sir, — In reply to your letter of the 5th instant, 
I havn to stata," for the information of the Oeylon As- 
•ouintion in London, that there is no such practice iu 
the warehouses of this Company as tbat which you in- 
timate in your letter. If i« not oustoroary to draw any 
sample from produce committi d to the Company's 
. 'mr; " o'l er th in that drawn by order of the merchant 
or his broker. There is one exception though trifling 
in its exteut. I fiod that it is the practice to retain an 
ounce or two of the first sample from each pileorqua- 
bty of coffee and coooa forted by this Company. This 
small quantity is retained ns a reserve in case of dis- 
pute between buyer and seller, ami has often, been found 
useful in the settlomi nt of dispatt s, but the quantity 
retained is so small that « hat it realizes is inappreci- 
able and the withdrawal from the pile is also of little 
comparative consequence. — Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) J. L. du 1'i.at Tatloh. 
The Secretary, Ceylon Association iu Loudon. 
Ceylon Association in London, 23rd Nov. 1888. 
Ernest J. Humphrey, Esq.. 39 Eu>tcheap. 
Dear Sir,— I have to tuauk yon for your letter of the 
0th instant. I am sorry I was out when you called 
on tbat dny. 
I now enclose for your information copies of letters 
received from the L. k St. K. Docks Co. and the E. 
and W. India Docks Co. in reply to inquiries addressed 
to then as to their practice in sampling the goods in 
their charge. 
K omi these letters yon will see that the practice with 
whioh yon think lny Committee should have been ac- 
qnnin'cd is not recognized, except to a very limited 
extent, by the gr-at l>i.ok Comp mil s. We ure making 
further inquiry on the subject. — I am, dear sir, yours 
faithfully, (Signed) Wm. M \irrtN Lpakp, Secy. 
39 Kastcheap, tondon, (Heed.) 24th Nov. 1888. 
Dear Sir, — I beg to thank you for yonr letter en- 
closing copies ol replies f mm the IV»rk Cos. That 
of the E. and W. I. Dock Ho. is identical with the 
practice followed by us at New Hibernia Wharf, which 
was hased on the custom followed at the London and 
St. Katherine Docks Co., when our Wharf was first 
i pened. I can only suppose that Mr. Habben misun- 
derstood your question as he can hardly be unaware 
of this custom. Let any merchant having coffee at 
any Wharf or Dock, lately delivered send down and 
ask to see a reference sample, of tho pile or lot actu- 
ally delivered, and I will undertake to say, that if 
the person so sent knows his business, he will not 
fail to obtsin an inspection of the sample so kept for 
reforenoe. — Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) Ernest J. Humpheev. 
» 
GHEEN BUG ABATING IN HAPUTALE. 
From an Estate "Down the Pass," Jan.4th. — You will 
be glad to hear that the field that has had the most 
and worst attacks of green bug, viz., No. 1 , is showing 
signs of returning vigour, as it has a nice sprinkling 
of blossom on it now, and a capital one in small 
spike whioh ought to open next month. I have 
now hopes of a paying crop next autumn! 
KURAKKAN AS A FOOD. 
It seems a curious coincidence, that, simultaneously 
with the appearance of Mr. Borron's plea for 
kurakkan versus rioe, we should find in the Indian 
Agriculturist the statement which we quote below 
respecting the intention of a benevolent Hindu 
gentleman to send a quantity of this millet, known 
in Southern India as ragi and in Bengal aa murwa, 
as a gift to feed the English poor. If Dr. Kynsey 
and those who agree with him, — including apparently 
the Government Agent of the Western Provinoe, 
judging by the extract from one of his administra- 
tion reports quoted by Sir Arthur Gordon, — are 
right in regarding the use of kurakkan for food 
as a direct cause of the wasting and loathsome 
disease known as parangi, the boon would be regarded 
as a very questionable one. With all respeot, 
however, for tho opinion of the Principal Civil 
Medical Officer of Ceylon and those who coincide 
with him, we cannot help doubting the responsibility 
of kurakkan for a disease which is specially one of 
innutrition. II the wretched victims of the anoma- 
lous disease, which has committed such sad ravages 
in many parts of Ceylon, could get a sufficiency 
even of kurakkan, we suspeot the disease would 
become less prevalent and ultimately disappear. 
To show how doctors differ, we have but to recall 
tho fact that the late Dr. Dickman, an accom- 
plished medioal man and a shrewd observer 
recommended that the diet of prisoners in our 
jails should be kurakkan, because, from ita 
ascertained elements, it must be more sustaining 
than tho semi-aquatic grain, rice. Then our readera 
will see that the peasant farmers of Mysore, whose 
staple food is kurakkan, are described as speoially 
robust. On the other hand rice is an excellent 
absorbent of fatty and nitrogenous matter, cooked 
with facility and easily digested. It is generally 
regarded, in full quantity, as tho standard of 
corufortablo living in lorge portions of India. 
Curiously enough, too, natives of portions of 
India, where much richer food, in tho shape of 
legumes and wheat, is used. — euoh natives, when 
broiifiht to work on the Ceylon railway in Mr. 
Faviell'8 time, though provided with rations of 
wheat and dal, after a time took by preference 
to rice. The statement referred to is an follows: — 
A contemporary informs n« that while Mr. T. N. 
Mtikharji was in Mn'rss tho other dav he sent a 
liir^-e consignment of Mysore ragi {Eieusi e <oro 
to r^mdoii During his Inst visit to KiikUuiu . 
lid opportunities of m nine; Kiitfluh life in all lit 
