THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1882- 
*amples overland shortly. The arrival of these will be anx- 
'ousiy looked for, as of 166,697 lb. Ceylon tea imported 
here last year no less than 82,130 lb. were the produce 
of the Company's estates. Why, it is asked, is the Com- 
pany's tea inferior to such brands as Loolcondera and 
Windsor Forest : there is no known difference in soil to 
account for it and Messrs. Kucker attribute it to its 
being kept too long on the estate, to under-fermentation 
and over-burning. Ceylon tea in the good kinds are 
much liked by the trade in possessing the valued " malty- 
burnt" flavour, but much that is received is coarse burnt 
causing a flavour most objectionable to experts. These 
latter gentlemen say that the difference in quality of 
Ceylon teas is distinctly referable to errors in fermenting 
and they do not believe in differences of soil or altitude. 
It requires but little more advance for Loolcondera, Wind- 
sor Forest and some other brands to rank equal to Dar- 
jeeling and the samples from Kookwood sold this week 
approximated very much to that valued kind in flavour. 
In fact Darjeeling is looked on as the standard up to 
which your teas must be brought before they can 
compete successfully at level prices with Indian teas 
in tliis market. The attention of the trade is now 
strongly directed to Ceylon teas and a little more care in 
the preparation will ensure all you can send us going otf 
at prices which will favourably compare with those rea- 
lized for Indian tea. 
LOW COUNTRY PEODUCTS IN THE UDUGAMA 
DISTRICT. 
Our readers will peruse with interest the glowing 
details of the success and progress of the lowcoun- 
try district in the south of the island, where, under 
the experienced - and intelligent supervision of Mr. 
Dobree, bo many tropical products, from Liberian 
coffee and cocoa to nutmegs, cardamoms and black 
pepper, are being cultivated. It seems evident that, 
as regard luxuriance and rapidity of growth, the 
conditions are all that could be desired, and we trust 
there may be equnl permanency in crop-yielding 
Already a steam highway, in addition to existing 
road and river communication, is contemplated, and 
we need not say that every project of the kind will 
meet our hearty support, except will-o-the-wisp op- 
position schemes to others which have been well-con- 
sidered and finally decided on as the best for the 
whole country as well as for particular districts. 
May Udugama so nourish as soon to need a railway 
for the transport of its produce. 
NEW PRODUCTS IN THE OODUGAMA 
DISTRICT, NEAR GALLE. 
(Fi'om a Correspondent.) 
Udugama, 6th April, 1882. 
I venture to send you a report on this district as of 
possible interest to some of your readers. 
Since its first commencement, in the planting of 50 
acres, with New Products, principally Liberian 
coffee, on the Udugama estate, great strides, in the 
teeth of hard times, have been made in its develop- 
ment. Hot only has the above estate its pulper in 
full working order to meet as good a crop as from a 
pioneer, and consequently very irregular clearing, could 
be expected, most of the trees (for I must except a 
tew or certaiu types) in full bearing having been, and 
they again are tor next year, laden with berries; but 
there are now patches of Liberian coffee, and other 
products also, coming into yield on two other properties. 
These will supply a foretaste, but certainly not a 
criterion of the returns to be anticipated from the L. 
(.;. P. Go. with its' 400 acres planted and ready to plant ; 
the several other estates of 100 to 200 acres in cultiv- 
ation, and / hope and doubt net a goodly number of 
others as extensive before long, when capitalists have 
satisfied themselves that they can here find a safe 
inve-tment for their money with every prospect of 
large profits. 
Proprietors upcountry are bemoaning short crops, 
as the result mainly of unfavorable seasons, and this 
year at any rate with good cause, from all accounts. 
But it only goes further to prove what a pull Liberian 
coffee has over its lesser brethren; for who yet in 
Ceylon has known it, in suitable localities, fail either 
to blossom freely, or set and ripen its crop almost to 
a flower and berry? Drought may destroy both, 
but in the part of the country where this is known to 
occur, or at high elevations, I doubt the enterprize 
proving an entire success, if even a remunerative 
investment. Rain; steam; heat ; an everlasting stew 
in fact, with perhaps a short bur;-t of fine dry wea- 
there now and agnin, are, as far as I can judge, the 
climatic conditions that it and a majority of other 
products — to wit, tea, cocoa, cardamoms, pepper, 
nutmegs, arecas, sapan, andl fancy vanilla, revel in ; and 
under which they prove most grateful not only as re- 
gards growth but yield — forany attention.be it but small 
bestowed on them. If I am right, they find a perfect 
home here : the climate is neither an unhealthy one 
nor unpleasant to live in ; for heavy though the rain- 
fall is (about 150 inches annually) the unceasingly wet 
and dreary days of the S. W. monsoon, experienced 
elsewhere, are here unknown. On not one day dur- 
ing the last year had the coolies to be knocked off 
work ; and though ten days (aud that on one occa- 
sion only) is the longest spell known without any rain, 
this invariably comes in the form of oft-recurring 
showers (in the N.E. monsoon very heavy plumps occa- 
sionally) with very cheerful intervals of sunshine. 
As regards the soil, it ia generally in appearance 
similar to a great deal to be met with upcountry on 
which coffee has done well ; and it is particularly 
fortunate in the subsoil — this being, I may say 
throughout the district, thoroughly free and friable 
to a depth of several feet. The roots of many of 
the larger forest trees penetrate to a great depth. 
The merits of such a subsoil over a cold clay or hard 
one, so often prevalent, are superlative ; and conjointly 
with a perfect climate, including complete freedom 
from wind, form an unanswerable recommendation 
anywhere. The forest growth itself is very fine, many 
trees being of unusual dimensions, and including among 
them a variety of valuable woods saleable in Galle at 
a profit at least worth considering. On one place 
over R1,000 nett profit has already been realized. 
From where I now write a calamander tree has lately 
fallen and is to be sawn : and I fancy a good sprink- 
ling of this, — above all, handsome, valuable furniture 
wood, are nice to have on a property, if but for private 
use — will be found everywhere nearly. 
I have mentioned that an excellent crop for next 
year has already set on all the trees old enough. 
Suffice it, as regards Liberian coffee, to add that all 
last clearings, particularly the earlier planted ones, 
though very small plants were put in, are coming out 
splendidly, and with but little loss or trouble, from 
crickets or any other pest, animate or inanimate. Of 
the other products all are coming on equally well. 
Some very drinkable tea has been marie at Oodagama. 
Three-year old cocoa — what few trees there are of this 
age — have ripened about 60 pods each ; all are the 
Creole variety. The average number of seeds p r pod ex- 
ceeded 30, and the trees themselves are large and healthy. 
Many thousand nutmegs have been put out in baskets 
with scarce a failure. I may here mention that I 
tried grafting on to wild nutmegs, about a year ago, 
and, though without success, this was no doubt due to 
a wrong system, or faulty work ; and I intend renew- 
