6o8 
THE. TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March i, 1889. 
rally approved of, and the paper was commended to 
the earnest consideration of all horticultural socie- 
ties. A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Ogston. 
Afterwards Mr. James Grant, Orimonmogate, who 
has within the last few years made himself a name 
as a successful grower of chrysanthemums, and has 
taken some of the leading prizes at the Dundee show 
read a paper on the cultivation of that valuable flower. 
Mr. Grant was cordially thanked for the information 
he imparted, and it was agreed to print both papers 
in the Society's "Transactions." — Aberdeen Free Press, 
Jan. 13th, 1889. 
4, 
COTTON IN CEYLON. 
Having received a parcel of some Tinnevelly 
seed from the Hon. Mr. Mitchell, I dibbled it in 
rows towards the end of June 1888 in a piece 
of good average chena that had lately been cleared. 
The seeds were sown about a foot apart and the 
rows were about nine feet distant. There were a 
few light showers after planting and then a three 
months' drought set in, during which the cotton 
was roughly weeded twice. The plants came up 
well and began to show signs of blossom in about two 
months. During the wet north-east monsoon they 
went on fruiting freely, but because of the wet, 
and the smallness of the bolls and having other 
work to do, I only gathered a little and neglected 
the rest. It turned out very fair cotton but had 
a heavy percentage of seed. The plants attained a 
height of about three feet and under, and unless 
supporting one another by growing very close 
together, they had a tendency to fall over. When 
growing very close the bushes did not seem to 
suffer, but were very troublesome to pick ; in that 
way, however, they kept down weeds. Field rats 
were much addicted to eating the seed. In December 
I cut down the bushes close to the ground. Since 
then they have grown suckers freely, and which 
now about the middle of February are beginning 
to blossom. A few seeds got washed down on the 
hard dry road, but they grew nearly as freely as 
the others. A few seeds were also thrown out 
with other rubbish on to a corner of the barbacue, 
and though nothing has ever been done to them 
they now form a fine clump, about four feet high, 
and have and are still fruiting freely. 
There is no doubt this is a very, hardy, quick, 
heavybearing kind, needing little rain or cultivation, 
and should be closely planted, but it is troublesome 
to pick and to clean. 
From Messrs. Law & Co. I received a .little 
Sea Island cotton seed, which, in November, I 
planted out about ten feet by ten feet at stake in 
an average chena clearing. The succeeding two 
months were very showery. The plants are growing 
more slowly and are evidently more delicate, and 
have suffered a little by being eaten off by grubs. 
This kind would need more careful weeding 
for at least the first half-year. Now in the 
middle of February on a few of the well- 
grown plantB I have seen the beginnings of a blossom. 
From experience I can give no further informa- 
tion regarding this kind of cotton. 
The cotton found growing locally about Matale, 
Colombo, and elsewhere, seems to be a variety 
of the, Sea Island. When full-grown it appears 
a very large bush, hardy and bearing well 
while the cotton is easily picked and cleaned, and 
ol good quality. It bears during the greater part 
of thn year. 
As a li'ild for tho encouragement of native cotton 
cultivation probably no more suitable locality could 
be found than tho vast tract of land stretching 
northwards from Matale to Jaffna and Mannar. 
In this region thero is an immense extent of waste 
land with a suitable climate and a soil if anything 
rather above the average of the lowcountry. The 
railway has its present terminus at Matale, but a 
cheap extension northward must come some day. 
Meanwhile there is the great north road having 
its connections with Trincomalee, Jaffna, Mannar 
and Puttalam, and many district roads if not quite fit 
for tavalams could easily and cheaply be made so. 
I believe Government is willing to do all it can 
for the encouragement of the cultivation in this 
part of the country and its nearness to India 
makes it very suitable for a vast Indian immigra- 
tion. Coolies could go and settle down there to 
their cotton fields in thousands, and from thence 
surplus labour could be obtained for our tea estates 
whenever required. The local rice demands of the 
population that would thus spring up would 
stimulate rice extension and find a use for our 
large irrigation works. For the present I would 
recommend : — 
1st. — That Government should address the 
Madras authorities on the subject. 
2nd. — That chena lands should be leased out at a 
nominal rental. 
3rd. — That principal district roads should be 
converted into gravel cart road and minor ones be 
made suitable for tavalams. 
4th. — That new products be carried at third class 
railway rates. 
A. G. E. Borron. 
♦ 
Salt Factory at Coconada. — Government has 
sanctioned the application of Messrs Hall Wilson 
& Co., for the opening of a Salt Factory at Coco- 
nada, for the manufacture and export of salt to 
Calcutta, to compete with Liverpool salt. The 
lease of the waste land required for the works is 
to run for twenty years, renewable on the termination 
of the lease. — M. Mail, Feb. 1st. 
Canada. — A teiagram from Winnipeg states that 
600,000 acres of land were conveyed to 4,000 actual 
settlers in Manitoba last year, the population being 
thus inoreased by 17,000 souls. There are pros- 
pects of a larger growth of the population this year. 
The Evangelical Alliance of Canada have for- 
warded to Ottawa a long petition addressed to the 
Governor-General in Council, praying his Excellency 
to disallow the Jesuit Estates Act, passed by the 
Quebec Legislature last season. — O. Mail, Jan. 18th. 
Indian Tea Notes. — The weather has been colli in 
Oachar. Durrung has experienced fine weather. 
Charali, 21st January. — Weather dry, cold and 
windy. Rain much wanted for nurseries. Ranchi 
24th January. — We had a sort of summer 
shower today — hardly enough to lay the dust. Dehra, 
Dun, 22nd Jan. — Rain is wanted badly. The days 
are much warmer than they were last week. Season- 
able weather is the news from Sylhet, Goalpara, Kam- 
roop, Nowgong,Sibsaugor and Luckimpore. Darjesling, 
25th Jan.— First rainfall for the year on the 24th, 0'27. 
Temperature much lower. Up till now having been 
above normal. Pruning well advanced throughout the 
district. — Planters' Gazette. 
Cotton Pulp. — According to the Scientific Ame- 
rican several samples of pulp made from the hulls 
and stalks on the cotton plant have lately been 
on view at Atlanta, Georgia. The pulp is a 
white as snow, and it is said it can be converted 
into the finest writing paper. The ligneous sub- 
stances of the hulls and stalks are removed by a 
new process. Fifty per cent of the fibres are ex- 
tracted from the hull, which has hitherto been 
used either for fuel in the mills or for fertilising 
purposes, and 38 per cent is obtained from the 
stalks.which are generally allowed to rot in the fields. 
If the process proves successful, the value of these 
comparatively useless products will be increased ten- 
fold. — Fiji Times, Dec. 5bli. 
