554 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [February t) 1889. 
this that search must be made; if there is none, it 
must be created. For this pvurpose a number of bunches 
of coral distributed here and there are taken up ; they 
are transported, not being allowed to be out of the 
water for more than an hour, and with them is paved 
the place that has been chosen, and which ought not to be 
more than a meter in depth at low-water. The pieces of 
coral are good ; they take root in the bottom like cuttings 
of plants. The site chosen must be enclosed witb a 
wall of dry stone, which will remain under water; aud 
in it must be formed divisions in order to place therein 
the oysters according to age and facilitate their ex- 
aminations the walls of the divisions serve for distri- 
bution round the various bottoms of pieces of coral im- 
passable for the feet, or for boots. The bottom 
having been prepared, oysters of the size of a small 
saucer and under must be looked for (many are to 
be found in places not very deep). The oysters 
must be removed without tearing the byssus by 
which they are attached. If the piece of stone can 
be taken as well, it must be done ; otherwise the byssus 
must be cut with a knife. The oysters are then placed 
with the broad end downwards, the mouth upwards, the 
byssus on the side of the current ; they are placed 
thus edge to edge, without being crowded, like the 
books in a library. Twelve months afterwards, the 
oyster of the size of a saucer will be as large as a plate. 
From this time it scarcely increases in size, it rather 
thickens ; three years should suffice for obtaining good 
mother-of-pearl. However, the growth of the oysters 
varies with the islands: thus, in those that have one 
or two passages communicating with the sea, the 
growth is more rapid than in those where the lake 
is closed. When the oyster discharges its spat and 
abandons it to the current, this spat is retained by 
the dry stones of the wall mentioned above, from 
which later on new specimens can be taken for laying 
down. The live corals, on the contrary, which are so 
favourable for the development of the oyster already 
formed, not only allow the spat to escape, but also 
destroy it. It is therefore of the greatest importance 
to have receptories established in the most favourable 
conditions. 
If the information in the above translated article 
can be depended on, an eoonomic problem has 
been solved in the case of the large mother-of- 
pearl shells, which, in that of the true pearl 
oyster, has not as yet passed beyond the stage of 
discouraging experiment. In attempts at the re- 
production artificially of the valuable " oyster " of 
the Gulf of Mannar, the main difficulty seems to 
have arisen from the fact that this species of 
bivalve requires a depth of water for its healthy 
existence, which involves conditions unfavourable 
to careful culture and watching against the effects of 
currents, predatory, shells and fishes and other adverse 
influences. In the case of the mother-of-pearl shells 
of the Pacific, they would seem to flourish in com- 
paratively shallow water, coming rapidly to maturity. 
If we can quite depend on the statements made, 
it is interesting and may turn out to be important, 
to be told that the coral zoophytes can bear to 
have " cuttings " taken from them, which will bear 
transplanting, preserving their vitality and flourish- 
ing in the new locality to which they are removed. 
The account given of the artificial culture of the 
mother-of-pearl shells is so interesting and may 
have such an important bearing on further ex- 
periments towards the artificial reproduction of 
the true pearl oyster in Ceylon, that we think our 
Government ought to ask the authorities in Tahiti 
for full details. Meantime we would attraot the 
attention of the editor of the Planters' Monthly 
published at Honolulu to the subject, with a view 
to his collecting and publishing any information 
which may possibly be within his reach in regard 
to the reproduction of the large nacreous shells 
for which the demand in the arts of decoration 
continues so large, while the main deposits have 
been fished until the yield is often too poor to pay. 
THE PARIS EXHIBITION AND CEYLON 
TEA. 
Planters' Association of Ceylon, 
Kandy, 23rd Jan. 1889. 
The Editor, Ceylon Observer. 
Sir, — With reference to the minutes of the pro- 
ceedings of the meeting of the Standing Committee 
of the " Tea Fund " held on the 19th instant, I 
beg to enclose copy of correspondence regarding the 
Paris Exhibition. — Yours faithfully, 
A. PHILIP, Secretary. 
Planters' Association of CeyloD, 
Kandy, 21st Jan. 1889. 
We. Martin Leake, Esq., Secretary, Ceylon Asso- 
ciation in London, 65, Fenchurch Street, London, E.C. 
Dear Sir, — I am directed by the Standing Committee 
of the " Tea Fund " to acknowledge receipt of your 
letter of the 21st ultimo on the subiect of the Paris 
Exhibition, and to confirm my telegram despatched to 
you on the 12th instant which read " Paris confirming 
letters Shand." 
I now enclose copy of my letters to Mr. J. L. Shand 
of the 20th December and 1st instant referred to, 
which appear to leave at present little to add until 
receipt of further communications from your Com- 
mittee. As regards funds the drafts upon the " Tea 
Fund " up to 31st December last have been so heavy 
that a little time will be required to collect further 
considerable subscriptions, but no time will be lost in 
calling in as much money as possible due on leaf 
plucked up to the close of the past year. The Stand- 
ing Committee of the " Tea Fund " did not anticipate 
that funds for Paris would be required quite so soon 
in the new year, but no difficulty is anticipated in 
meeting the views of your Committee by an early date. 
From Mr. Shand's semi-official letter to the Chairman 
the position seemed to be somewhat ambiguous, es- 
pecially as the views expressed were afterwards 
officially confirmed and a difficulty at once arose in ap- 
proaching Government for a vote towards what might 
be challenged as a purely private speculation. 
Your letter under reply if correctly understood 
would however indicate a fair and reasonable proposal 
to which the Standing Committee of the "Tea Fund" 
cordially agrees. With regard to increasing the grant 
from R6,000 to R8,500 steps will at' once be taken to 
ascertain if a grant from Government may be looked 
for, and, if this is obtained, it would be quite the 
wish of the Committee to add it to the grant of 
R6,000 already promised; but under any circumstances 
it is very necessary that the Association should un- 
derstand in what way it is proposed to ultimately 
return profits to the "Tea Fund" for the further pro- 
secution elsewhere of its particular work of making 
known Ceylon tea throughout the world. The para- 
mount importance of taking up and pushing Ceylon 
tea on the great American Continent cannot possibly 
be overestimated nor will the subscribers to the 
"Tea Fund" here consent to this work being longer 
delayed or taken up in a halfhearted or poor manner. 
On these grounds alone your Committee will at once 
see how very responsible the duties of the "Tea Fund" 
Committee are and how extremely advisable it is 
that such mutual arrangements be entered into as 
regards Paris Exhibition as will in no respect jeopar- 
dise the usefulness of the "Fund" nor unduly res- 
trict or defer operations in new fields. — I am, &c, 
(Signed) A. Philip, Secretary. 
Telegram. 
London ... ... Kandy 
Leake ... ... Philip 
Paris confirming letters Shand. 
(Signed) A. Philip, Jan. 12th, 1889. 
Planters' Association of Oevlon, 
Kandy, 20th Deo. 1888. 
J. L. Shand, Esq., 24 Rood Lane, London. 
Dear Sir,— Your letters of the 28th Sept. and 23rd 
Nov. with previous correspondence having been con- 
sidered at a recent meeting of the Standing Committee 
