^ULY I, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 2^ 
plants. Be carefnl in such holes not to allow 
any grass or weeds to be put in when filling 
them np. 
I may mention that there are about 30 different 
kinds of coconuts and I do not as a rule prefer 
to get nuts for the nursery from any one district. 
I have seen very good nuts got from Veyangoda, 
from Negombo, Mirigama and Colombo. I get them 
from selected trees, not younger than 20 years' old, 
let the nuts be large and heavy, as I said before, 
with a full kernel. 
In reply to the question as to the average yield 
of a coconut tree I may mention that during my 
experience I have seen trees which have borne 100 
to 150 nuts each per annum; the yield of course 
depends on the nature of the soil, the locality and 
the manner of cultivation. I have recently visited 
an estate of about 150 acres in the Chilaw district 
which I valued at Rl.OOO per acre, and I was told 
by the owner, who has refused an offer of Rl,200 
per acre, that he gets over 100 nuts per annum on 
an average from each tree. 
Land cleared and planted by me in May 1887 is 
now in partial bearing, 200 trees have borne a crop, 
from which copra was made and sold. 
Kandangomnwa Mirigama. "W. H. W. 
A PLANTING REPORT FROM AN EARLY 
" PIONEER" :— 
ALL ABOUT '"TEA" IN THE KELANI VALLEY, BY ONE WHO 
GBEW COFFEE IK THE " FORTIES." 
EuANWELLA, 22nd May 1893. 
Regular monsoon weather alternating short sharp 
shower, slow drizzle, short blinks of sunshine, with an 
average daily rainfall of J of an inch. Everything 
outside dark and dripping, everything inside damp 
and mouldy. Flush falling oS, but leaf accumulating 
in the withering houses. There was only a light 
flush in January and February; but in March, April, 
and the first half of May it was too rapid for the 
labour force to keep well in hand on most of the 
estates in this section of the valley. The teas made 
during this weather will mostly be defective in 
quality, and some compassion is due to the managers 
on the score of the " stinkers," due when they reach 
the market. 
This section of the valley is perhaps not the moat 
fertile portion as a whole, but it has within it some 
Very productive fields, and even the oldest show no 
signs of falling-off. As the roots run to a great depth, 
they take in a wide foraging ground, and will continue 
to thrive for long years after the surface soil has 
been carried off, and the higher lateral roots are 
exposed above ground. Whatever the cause however, 
it seems certain that some of the oldest fields are 
still the best; but it is equally certain, different estates 
yield very different rates, and even different fields 
on the same estate, only separated by a ravine, 
give crops of from 50 to 100 per cent more on one 
ridge than on the other adjoining, and keep the 
same proportion year after year. Thus in low- 
country estates there appears to be no uniform 
saitabuity of soil, and to be situate in a generally 
fertile district, is no guarantee of value. 
There can be no question about the general 
stability of the Ceylon Tea Industry ; at least during 
the life of the present generation. It is true that 
the margin of profit, draws very near the vanishing 
point to many struggling properties, and any fur- 
fher fall in price will put the closure on the 
MHl^akest ; but the aggregate annual produce will not 
'dininish, bo long, as one penny per pound of pro- 
.fit.cBdZ be realized. There is not the least chance of 
•a gonoxti rise in the price of Ceylon tea; the conquest 
of new.n}(>irketa, is a slower process, than the measure 
•of ptoductiOR, and even, if victory should be achieved 
M adong the Uao there is never likely to be a 
tim« ot deficient sapply. Both India and Ceylon, 
could in a few years Rouble their yield even at 
present rates, and wopl^ dp f-t if encouraged by an 
increasing demand. There are few plants that 
f<)vXi flouiigtt vYox ft wide: .ronge oi .|)b« eartb'g 
surface than tea ; but only the lands, that can 
command cheap and abundant labour can com- 
mand the markets of the world. It is impossible 
to decide, what places China and Japan would 
take, in a free and fair competition ; but for the 
present, all the advantages are on the side of India 
and Ceylon. If the United States should succeed in 
producing tea at a cost of half a dollar per lb. they 
would no doubt shut us out by a | dollar duty, but 
that time is not yet. W. B.L. 
[Well done "W. B. L." who is now, like Her Moat 
Gracious Majesty, in his 75th year ; may his 
shadow never grow less,— Ep. T.A.] 
NOTES ON PRODUCE AND FINANCE. 
The Flavour of Ceylon Tea.— Messrs. Hawes and 
Co., in one of their market reports, recently called 
attention to the absence of choice flavoured Pekoe 
teas of Ceylon growth, whereupon Mr. Arthur C. 
Isham, writing from Clipstone, Northamptonshire, 
to the Morning Post, makes the following comments : 
— '• In today's Mornwg Post, under the heading ' Pro- 
duce Markets ' — Tea — your correspondents, Messrs. 
Hawes and Co., report ; — ' It seems that Ceylon can 
no longer produce the choice Pekoe-flavoured teas 
that the island became famous for a few years ago.' 
As a tea estate proprietor, I want to know what 
this means. Ceylon has only produced tea in 
large quantities for a very few years, and jet the 
public are induced to believe that soil, climate, and 
the skill and energy of the planters are waning. 1 
think Messrs. Hawes and Co. should at once qualify 
this remark, otherwise they will injure the Ceylon 
tea trade, which, to say the least, is worthy, from 
its extraordinary and rapid development, of every 
assistance on the side of truth that any trade reporters 
can give." Messrs. Hawes and Co. reply in the fol- 
lowing letter: — "In reply to Mr. Isham's letter in 
your issue of today, we regard with regret the fact 
that, as a Ceylon tea proprietor, he has not followed 
the course and general reports of a market he is 
apparently so interested in as closely as he might 
have done, or ne would not want to have the mean- 
ing of our views explained to him. It is the very 
truth of our report that probably he takes exception 
to ; but, nevertheless, all dealers in Ceylon teas here 
vnll endorse the opinion expressed by us, ' that the 
geneial quality ot Ceylon teas hsa steadily declined 
the last few years,' If Mr. Isham will osU at our 
office we will fully convince him on this point, but 
cannot occupy your space by giving him a public 
education, 'fhe truth written on any article may in- 
fluence its position in the market, and rightly «o. We 
should be the last to write without good reason any- 
thing against Ceylon tea, we being personally largely 
interested in its euccees, and thia falling off in the 
quality is a matter of (erious ooncera to ua ai 
brokers and to all dealers in the article. Many Oejion 
planters eay that as much fine tea aa formerly can 
be produced now, but it appears to pay the planter 
better to make a greater quantity at a lesser 
price rather than a emsller quantity at a higher 
price, B3 common teas are relatively very dear. 
We maintain, however, that this policy, although 
temporarily being more profitable to the growers, is 
entirely mortgaging the future of Ceylon teas." 
Tea Bulking in Bond. — A Cork tea meiobant, Mr. 
J. N. Koott, has aent to the newspapers some corres- 
pondence which he has had with the Oastoms 
authorities with reference to blending or bulking tea 
in bond. Mr. Enott, having discovered a diecrepaney 
between several chests of tea received from London 
and the samples from which he bought, discovered 
that the difference between the obest tea and the 
eamplea was due to the " bulking " of variooB 
qualities after the samples had been ab- 
stracted and tent out to the merobaats. A 
personal investigation in the London warehouse where 
his tea was stored and oommunioations from the 
Customs authorities confirmed thia view. Two docu- 
ments were received from the Board of Oaitoms bj 
Mr.KnoU. "Generl Ordej 64, 1892," illowi iopor. 
