June i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
8S3 
To the Editor. 
THE CLIMATE OF COLOMBO AND THE 
NEW COTTON MILLS. 
The Mill, Colombo, May 3rd, 1889. 
Sib, — Beferring to the remarks of your correspond- 
ent in his interesting account of his voyage in the 
" Parramaita," as to the suitability of this climate 
for spinning and weavii g, will you permit me to 
correct the impression which my friend Mr. Hard- 
man's opinion may create. We cannot hope to 
have perfection in this world, but the climate of 
Colombo, for our work, is a very near approach 
to it. For the spinning we could well dispense 
with the heavy monsoon rains, which we have to 
overcome by having a thoroughly waterproof build- 
ing and a system of drying and heating for ex- 
treme occasions. For weaving we can scarcely 
have it too wet. It is well-known that in Eng- 
land steam jets are very generally used in weav- 
ing mills during dry weather, and in India the 
floors are kept continually watered. A very dry at- 
mosphere does not suit for spinning either. During 
the dry hot winds in Indian upcountry mills, the 
atmosphere has to be artificially moistened. One 
of the most favourable conditions for the spinning 
and weaving industry here is the entire absence 
of such dry winds, and altogethe r, so far as I 
have yet seen, the climate of Colombo is all that 
could be desired. 
As to cotton, our expectations have been exceeded. 
We did not dream of such beautiful cotton as 
Mr. Blackett has shown us. Our machinery 
is adaptable to any quality of cotton, and we shall 
produce such yarn and cloth as the cotton pro- 
duced in the island may be suitable for, and we 
can use five or six different qualities at the same 
time. We hope to be at work in September, and 
are now quite ready to buy cotton of any quality, 
in any quantities. Yours faithfully, 
W. ATHEBTON. 
A WARNING TO CINCHONA PLANTERS 
NOT TO HARVEST BARK. 
Colombo, 7th May 1889. 
Dear Sir, — Your notice in yesterday's issue of 
the probable turn for the better in the cinchona 
market will, it is feared, have the effect of in- 
ducing some planters to harvest and ship bark ; 
and should this be the case, the anticipations of 
the London merchants, to which you allude, will 
not be realized. 
There is, at present, a large quantity of bark, 
some of which has been held by some proprietors 
for 3 years (I know one who has held all harvested 
on his estates since November 1885) awaiting a rise 
in the market and until these large stocks are 
disposed of in London and the market has shown 
a decided improvement, it would be very unwise 
to harvest and ship bark, except that which must 
be harvested from dead and dying trees. 
The remedy for the present exceedingly low and 
unprofitable prices is in the hands of Ceylon plan- 
ters and merchants. All they have to do is to hold 
until present stoeks go off, and then only to ship 
modei ate quantities, when they will receive their 
reward in enhanced prices. — Yours faithfully, 
A PROPRIETOR. 
JAPAN (MOMI) TEA BOXES. 
Dear Sir, — As the largest and, I believe, the 
only importer of Momi Japan boxes, allow me to 
state that they are now used all over the island and 
107 
by several of the largest tea shippers in Colombo. One 
firm has just booked an order for5,0U0for this month. 
It is thus quite certain that they are excellent 
tea packages, and none of the firms have made 
any complaint as to their cracking. Mr. Deane 
says the cracking occurs when they are ex- 
posed to heat, but does not say what de- 
gree of heat. I fancy any tea box would 
crack when exposed to undue heat ? I have 
a number of sample boxes in my office verandah, 
which have been there all through the present 
hot season and the sun shining on them, part of 
the day, but they show no sign of cracks. Any- 
how as Mr. Deane says it is a fact that momi 
woods have no smell, and there is therefore no 
risk of taint from them. 
As you truly remark in your editorial, if it 
were not for the importation of Japan boxes the 
price of locally-made boxes would rise considera- 
bly, and, again were there only one importer of 
Japan boxes, the prices would also rise consi- 
derably. 
Mr. Deane goes out of his way and endeavours 
to decry momi boxes by mistaking recent occur- 
rences. He says : " It is more likely the damaged 
'packages may have been of momi wood." The 
truth is Messrs. Bucker & Bencraft do not write 
about damaged packages at all, but of piney or 
cedary odour imparted to the tea, and, as Mr. 
Deane states that momi has no smell, it is not 
possible that the tea referred to by Messrs. Rucker & 
Bencraft can have been tainted by momi boxes. 
No honor is due to Mr. Deane for trying to mislead? 
—Yours faithfully, E. B. CREASY. 
TEA ROLLING AND THE WORKING OUT 
OF KADIENLENA TEA CROP. 
Colombo, May 8th, 1889. 
Dear Sir, — Some time ago Mr. D. Fairweather 
wrote to a local paper saying that he estimated 
the second size Barber roller as being " quite 
capable of meeting the requirements of an estate 
turning out 100,000 lb. tea per annum." We have 
now the pleasure to annex copy of a letter from 
Mr. James Gray, of Kadienlena Factory giving the 
outturn of his machine for six months, and the 
prices realized for hi-s teas during that period — 
information that will no doubt be interesting to 
your planting readers. It will be noted that the 
prices realized were very satisfactory seeing there 
was no fine plucking. — Yours faithfully, 
W. H. DAVIES & Co. 
Kadienlena Estate, 6th May 1889. 
Messrs. W. H. Davies &Co. — Dear Sirs, — I received 
yours of 30th ultimo in due time, aud in answer I 
send you the true " canonack " done by " Barber's 
25 " Blackstoue Roller during the course of six months 
on this estate. 
Viz. B Pekoe. Pekoe. P Souchg. Con. Total 
July 1888.. .2,464 2,399 2,059 ... 6.922...67C 57c 51c 
August ...4,250 3,743 3,805 100 11 ,898... 78c 59j 68c 
3,172 
Sept. ...3,314 3,130 
Oct. ...5,045 5,018 4,872 
Nov. ...3,678 3,577 3,313 
Dec. ...3,200 2,884 2,343 
100 9,716.. .75c 65c 56c 
33c 
100 15,035.. .Is Id Is O^d 
10|d 38c 
100 10,668.. .72c 55c 50c 
37c 
8,427.. .18 10Jd 
9d 34c 
21,951 20,751 19,564 400 62,666 
Also the price; at the end iu order. This included 
every thing. You will see that two of the invoices 
were sold at home ; of course it was not sent away 
in ''breaks" same as the monthly outlurn ; it was 
sometimes more or less. I had lots of night work ; 
and could not have managed the dry six months, viz. 
from January 1889 on. — Yours faithfully, 
(Signed) Jambs Gray. 
P.S.— No fine plucking.— J- G, 
