THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March t, 1889 
his going home. Returning upcountry in December 
however, he regained better health, adding to his 
weight, and now goes to seek a thorough cure at 
a continental watering place. — Mr. J. R. Hughes 
(son-in-law of Mr. Nicol) from Galbodde takes 
charge of Glassaugh, and ,we are glad to learn 
that a further bond with the island is likely to 
be established for the old and enterprising Colonist 
who is the subject of our reminiscences, in the 
marriage of another daughter erelong, to a well- 
known Dimbula planter. 
1 * 1 — 
NOTES FROM UVA. 
Haputale, 11th February. 
Many estates down the Pass are suffering from a 
virulent attack of green bug and the coffee bushes 
look woefully bare, the nakedness being increased 
by a new style of pruning tea which I had not seen 
before, that of cutting down the bushes to within a 
few inches of the ground and stripping the stumps of 
every leaf remaining on the decapitated tea bushes. 
Referring to green bug, I noticed that mainly those 
lowlying estates that were hacked and cut to pieces 
by "patent pruners"afew years ago into such shapes 
as cart-wheels and parrot-sticks were the first estates 
to give in or knock under to the disastrous effects 
of leaf-disease and green bug ; weakened no doubt 
by cropping in every sense of the word. I still main- 
tain that notwitstanding all these calamities of leaf- 
disease, green bug, and " patent pruners," that coffee 
is not on its last legs, and that above the Pass and 
on the Namunakula range there are estates such as 
Kabragalla, Old Hapootella in this district, and Old 
Nahavilla and Gowerakelle on the Badulla side, which 
are living evidence of what I assert. They are 
amoDg the oldest estates in Uva, planted early in the 
"Forties " before Major Rogers, the then proprietor of 
Kahagalla and Hapootella, met with his lamentable 
end of being struck by lightning at the Pass in 
1845 ; so part of these two estates are over 44 years 
old, and this old coffee is still to the fore bearing 
very good and remunerative crops and seem to have 
very good life in them yet, which, if nourished and 
well-looked after, will still pay better than tea. 
TOBACCO AND TEA IN CEYLON. 
Mr. Hugh Leward, who so recently wrote from 
Rome in a fashion so depreciatory of Ceylon, has 
again appeared in print with reference to the tobacco 
and tea industries of your colony. The following 
letter from him was published by Colonies and India 
during the week : — 
Tobacco and Tea in Ceylon. 
To the Editor of The Colonies and India. 
Sir, — In reference to the operations and ill-success 
of the German Tobacco Company in Ceylon, and the 
further trial about to be made in the southern district 
it appears to me they would have had success in either 
the extreme north ot the island (whence I shipped on 
one occasion 70,000r. worth) or in Dumbara, in the 
Central Province. But tbe two best localities for the 
growth of tobacco are in Sumatra (and North Borneo) 
and South Fiorina. Still, I would recommend the 
company not to abandon the matter in Ceylon until 
they have tried the two districts I have named— Jaffna 
Peninsula and Dumbara- since they are there. While 
on the subji-ct of Ceylon, I would give a word of warn- 
ing to te* planters to sell the rubbish to the natives 
and export only the decent tea, else the charm Ceylon 
tea hus will be loHt irretrievably, and the industry 
shattered. " Quality " must he kept up or e< quantity" 
will bea dolusion ami snare. — I am, &c, 
Rome, Jan. 18. Hugh Ledward. 
We should say that Mr. Ledward's recommenda- 
tions to your German colonists to try the dislriots 
he has named fur the growth of tobacco might 
well be given weight to ; but it is well-known that 
the red soil of the Jaffua peninsula only produces 
a rery coarse tobacco, The late Mr. Dyke himself 
(old mis that he had tried the needs of the finest 
varieties he could procure, but that the resultant 
growth was always of a coarse character, the finer 
attributes of the tobaccos being wholly sacrificed. 
Mr. Ledward's reference to " rubbish " in the 
shape of tea being exported from Ceylon is in no 
degree supported by experts here, for Mr. Roberts 
has assnred me that any disparaging term applied 
to Ceylon tea could only be relative, as, to his 
judgment, all Ceylon tea was good. Surely Mr. 
Ledward's experience with Ceylon tea for trading 
purposes must have been exceptionally unfortunate ! 
CEYLON PLANTING PRODUCTS : 
THEIR POSITION AND PBOSPECTS. 
We have often thought that it would be a good 
thing for the Government — and for the Colony at 
large, — if a report were officially called for once a year 
from the Inspectors of t states— known generally 
as Visiting Agents — on the position and prospecte 
of the several products and branches of agriculture 
which are the subjects of their attention. Of 
course these gentlemen could not be expected to 
draw up such annual Reports for the public benefit, 
without remuneration ; but the fee in each case 
would, we are convinced, be revenue well invested : 
and probably few more valuable or suggestive 
papers would be found in the official volume — if 
they were included therein — than those which the 
gentlemen referred to, could send in if so inclined 
and invited. So far as it is possible for him and 
his staff, the Director of the Royal Botanic 
Gardens tries to supply a felt requirement, in the 
very valuable and interesting portion cf his 
Administration Report, dealing with " Economic 
Products." But it is impossible for Dr. Tritnen 
to gather the same amount of experience of planting 
products as the gentlemen who are constantly on 
the move from one end of the country to the other, 
inspecting, comparing, reporting, estimating, advising, 
and, as far as is possible, locking into the future 
of our plantations and their industries. 
The subject introduced by "Mercator" and 
continued today by a couple of Planting Correspon- 
dents in our columns, is one we should like to 
see handled by Inspectors of h states. They have 
the means of bringing the greatest variety of 
experience to bear upon such topics. The rates 
at which, for instance, tea in the different districts 
can be produced, or rather delivered in Colombo ; the 
prospects of growth in the old and new districts ; and 
means of inducing a coalition of forces between 
three or four neighbouring proprietors so as to 
make one factory serve all, and the most econ- 
omic fittings for a well -equipped factory, are all 
subjects on which from a multitude of experienced 
counselors we ought to gather safety. 
One such counsellor recently favoured us with the 
opinion — a disinterested one— that there was perhaps 
no finer sheet of tea on an old coffee property in the 
island than was to be seen over Rothschild, once the 
farfamed coffee garden of Pussellawa. He con- 
sidered that such tea Was bound to yield well and 
give satisfactory returns. For cheap working on 
an old estate he considered a Maskeliya property — of 
between 200 and 300 acres — which last year sent its 
tea (200 lb. an aero) to Colombo at 35 cents per lb., 
covering all expenditure including salaries, as a fairly 
good model, with the prospect of further •'economies " 
in working and larger crops, inducing an even 
lower rate One of the most, difficult tasks of 
Visiting Agents at present is to bring intending 
purchasers and would-be sellers of estates to the 
same mind: we have heard of an Inspector indeed 
who has valued as many as ten plantations for 
a capitalist without a sale resulting in any one 
case. Not only has the proprietor of 200 to 300 
1 acres of tea, too exalted views of his property 
