February i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
for the year, falling on 206 days out of the 8(15, 
so that the average of rainloss days is 159. The 
figure for annual rainfall which closely accords with 
that obtained at Balmoral on the Agrapatanas, differs 
by no less than 18 inches deficiency from the 
estimate of 110 inches, which we formed before wo 
had obtained the result of local observations. The 
deduction from 10 years' careful records by tho late 
Mr. JBdwnrd Heelis, on Laugdale, down the valley of 
the Manuoya and 4,600 feet above sea-level, having 
shown an average of 106 inches rainfall per annum, 
average, wo formed the idea (erroneous as wo now 
know), that our rainfall at more than 1,100 feet 
higher up must be greater, and so we calculated 
ou 110 inches. We now know, from the results of 
observations in (Jeylon as well as in India, that hills 
of medium hoight are the tiisc to meet monsoon 
raiu-olouds and compel them to yield their tribute 
of cooled and condensed moisture ; the rainfall be- 
coming less instead of more (where exceptional cir- 
cumstances do not alt'oct this law) as the masses 
of vapour ascend the mountain sides. The rainiest 
spot ou the globe, Oherrapuuji, at the base of the 
Himalayas iu fSylhot, is only about 1,300 feet above 
sea-level, and, while over 500 inches of rain per 
annum fall there, the deposit becomes less and less 
in the higher portions of the rauges, until at 11,000 
feet there is almost an entire cessation of rain. 
With us in Ceylon tho heaviest rainfall, in Maskeliya 
aud Ambagamuwa, occurs in localities averaging 3,000 
to 1,500 feet elevation. Nuvvara Eliya, which is 6,240 
feet above sea level, and is exposed to both monsoons, 
gets less than 100 inches average rainfall, against 
200 for places lower by 2,000 ami even 3,0U0 feet on 
the western side of the tableland, with 150 inches 
average at a similar elevation ou the eastern side. 
Ten years will, of course, give a more reliable aver- 
age than six, and it is only right to say that the 
figures for the terribly exceptional stormy year 1882 
are not included in those we quote below. The re- 
OOtdl are imperfect, but if the estimate of 130 
mi In s is near tho mark, then the average for seven 
years would be 96 inches, or close on the figure 
lor Nuwara Eliya. The average for the lower por- 
tion of the estate, from 5,200 down to a little over 
■I,6ii0 in tho valley of the Dimbuldanda, is probably, 
pretty certainly, indeed, a few inches higher than 
that for the upper portion. It will be observed that 
in the records of the nix years the round 100 inches 
was attained in the first and Intuit years of the 
Mries, the minimum being 81-41 in 1884. But curi- 
ously enough this year o» least absolute rainfall had 
next to the largest number of rainy days,— tbo smaller 
quantity being diiitiilmUd over 223 days. Iu 1887 
theraiuy days were uo fewer thin 23(1 days for 9j-22 
tuclies, while in 1888 the 100 inches of rain fell on 
oak 191 days. The lowest number of rainy days was 190 
in ISM. June of last year was H month of excessive 
rainfall, and in its course occurred the heaviest rain- 
storm which has visited the estate in the six recorded 
y r<, over 16} inches falling in 72 hours. It will bo 
soon that the dry season, or rather the season of 
light rainfall, extends from January to April,— Decem- 
Int at one end and May .t tho o'ther being medium 
months, with averages of s I and 826 respectively. 
The favourable season for residents am! vi-itors may bo 
said to extend geuerally from the middle of December to 
the middle of May,— while September, October, and Nov- 
ember an- months of moderate rainfall. The 
- U of heaviest rainfall extends over the mouths 
of June to August, the averages being 
June 
July 
Aug. ... , , (r ijor^ r 
ToUl :; months 37.;,;. inoueg> or oon . 
mdnrably more than one-third of the whole annual de- 
posit jn t|,,.. period. The highest monthly fall on record, 
it will lieubMirvi d, was in June of last vear when 3188 
inches, not Inr short of 32. fell en 2l»d«y». The next 
areatwrt monthly fall was 2«-54 inches, i„ 28 days also 
in the mouth of Juue, tho year being lt&o. Tho bulk 
of the ram, it w ill be observed, fallo iu the south-west 
1> 94 iuches 
U'86 
monsoon months. Let us contrast with the throe 
wettest months in this monsoon season, the three 
driest iu the north -cast: — 
Jan. 2-27 inches 
Feb 2-39 „ 
March 325 
Total for 3 months ... 7 91 inches, or not 
quite 8 inches for the three months. No absolutely 
rainless month is recorded, but there was a narrow 
escape iu February last year when only 012 inch fell. 
The lowest average of rainy days, 6, is against February 
(there were only 3 in Feb. 1S84) while the lowest 
average rainfall, 2 27, is attached to January. The highest 
average monthly rainfall, IS '04, and the greatest num- 
ber of rainy days, average 27, are under June, in 
which month of 1887 a total fall of only 10 16 was 
actually spread over the whole 30 days. The climate, 
with a mean tomperature of from 65° at the lowest 
portion of the estate (4,600 feet) and 61° at the 
highest (6,100 feet), with extremes of 50° to 80", 
has proved very favourable to the growth and flush- 
ing of tea, the soil being as a rule of exceptional 
goodness, as the soil in Upper Dimbula generally is. 
The climate is specially salubrious. We give these 
details regarding a property of high altitude, as 
they may be interesting and useful for comparison 
with similar records ou others, — a few still higher, 
and the many of medium and lower eleva- 
tions, down to near the level of the sea. The 
range of tea in the south-west and central portion 
of Ceylon is from sea-level to 7,000 feet. 
The yield of the mature tea on this estate was last 
year from 400 to, in some cases over 600 lb. per acre, 
the average being about 5001b. of made tea per acre 
in full bearing, as nearly as we can judge The es- 
timated total for the whole estate, the larger propor- 
tion of the tea not being yet of a boariug age, was 
for last year, 140,000 lb ; the realization was 148,448 lb 
This was the equivalent of 603,350 lb. of green leaf, 
gathered at an average rate per cooly of 12 71 lb.' 
Tbo labour employed in the plucking, manufacture 
and transport (only 136,1331b. in.1,562 chests, in this 
latter case), of the crop, was 
No of pluckera . . . . 47,483 '. 
,, engaged in manufacture .. 8,7:-!3~ 
>i » it transport* .. 2,636 
Total . . 58,S52i 
Of course this is oxclusive of the much larger amount 
of labour employed (apart from tho contract weeders 
and road and railway makers), in pruning, plantin" 
Wking. clearing drains and paths, masonry, Ac! 
W hat with road and railway contracts, added to ordi- 
nary operations, tho population of this estate of 510 
acres is now fully, probably more than 1,000 men, 
women, and children. 
Tho rainfall figures referred to are as follows. : — 
R&XNMX& ON AnUOTSFOHD ESTATE FOR Six YliARS. 
00 
oO 
>> 
U3 
=? 
a 
t-> 
00 
>, 
Year 
p.. 
h 
a 
3 
a 
•3 
■o 
I-. 
.5 
'3 
M 
u 
a 
a 
K 
ja 
o 
h 
rs 
>» 
a 
'3 
M 
sd 
o 
ft* 
03 
«-H 
<\ 
at 
•O 
►> 
a 
'3 
« 
< 
«s 
« 
1883 
.4-17 
13 
8-44 
9 
378 
11 
6-29 
16 
. -01 
7 
•72 
3 
631 
8 
1-12 
5 
157 
5 
211 
5 
200 
6 
272 
10 
86..., 
6-07 
13 
•92 
5 
227 
9 
2-80 
IS 
87 
I'M 
10 
205 
9 
1-97 
7 
1074 
20 
88 
Average for 
■18 
n 
•12 
3 
313 
11 
007 
17 
6 years. ..2'27 
4 -90 
1 1 
* A csrt road from tho factory to tho railway 
station early in 1889, it is hopod, will reliovo tho coolie's 
Irom tho hard aud nnplonaaut work of carrying i> u 
boxes over 2 miles, the estate Dementing in propor- 
tion by tho labour thus set frco for othor purpose*. 
