A.UGUST I, 1893.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
81 
PKOBABLE EXTENSION OF TEA CULTI- 
VATION IN BALANGODA, CEYLON. 
We have received intelligence which we fear will 
rather disturb the ca'culations of thoee who have 
besQ making out that there is no likelihood of 
any considerable additious to tea cultivation in 
Ceylon in the higher districts. Allusion has 
more than onca been made to the gieit, nn- 
occupied reserves of land in private hands in the 
Province of Sabaragamuwa. We have also re- 
ferred more recently to the prospect of a giod 
deal being taken up for tea in the Balangoda 
diviaioa. We now learn on good authority that 
negotiations have been opened by practical men 
with one or two Kandyan Chiefs who own a vast 
extent of forest-land in the Bambatabotuwa side, 
well adapted foe tea, and that although tbey will 
not consent to sell an acre outright, for a rental of 
Rli an acre, they are prepared to grant leases for 
Boy period up to 99 years, It is estimated that no less 
than 64,010 acres of good land adapted for tea are 
available for selection, and one well-known Dikoya 
planter (Mr. E. M. Leaf) has already got authority 
from England to take up a very large extent, 
prepare nurseries, build a central factory, and 
altogether to establish one of the biggest Tea 
concerns yet to be found in the Central Province. 
Others are likely to follow, aud the 
prospect therefore is that within the next 
twelve months the BALAXGODi-BAMBAKBoiuwi district 
will have its cleared, if not planted, area with tea 
very largely increased. 

THE COCO NUT PALM IN ZANZIBAR 
AND PEMBA ISLANDS. 
(PKOJI ME. FITZGEBALd's EEPORT.) 
The second great oultivati n of Zanzibar, coco nut 
trees being found all over the fertile portions of the 
island, aaa very extensively cultivated. With the ex- 
ception of solitary laoky trees scattered here and Iheie, 
the coco nut trees generally are robust aud hsiiltby, but 
great ueglect exists ; and I cotioed, more pirticularly 
in the uoithern part of the i^laud, many dead and 
dying trees, which could only be afiributed to this 
cause. The cultivation is very scattered, and no 
regular order appears adopted in pUntinu^, soli- 
tary trees aa well as thicker groves beiog obser- 
vable everywhere intermixed with the large 
handsome mango trees, so slrikiag a feature iuZauzi- 
b^r. As a rule no regular plantations are made, many 
people only owning a comparatively small plot of 
land, on which are generally fouud collected all the 
chief products grown in the island, viz. cloves, co- 
coDut-i, areca palms, mangoes, cassava, sweet potatoes, 
&o. As already remarked, no particular card appears 
to be taken once th^ trees are established, the only 
attempts at cultivation being the clearing of the 
ground beneath and this at irregular timec, for the 
growth of ground pioduce, chiefly casiva though 
bananas are also frequently grown between the trees 
and in this case greater trouble is taken to keep the 
ground clean, but as a general rule it is thickly 
overgrown with grass and bush. Large pltutatians, 
however do exist notably that of " kokotoni," situated 
in the northern district of tliat name, coveriug 
over 1,000 acres aud containing at one period 
80,000 treis. Further reference will be made to thie. 
Coconut trees are usually planted very thickly and 
closely together; in fact, some of the groves appeared 
overcrowded, giving the trees a lanky appearance. In 
other places tba trees were planted 15 feet, 20 feet 
to 30 feet apart. A coconut tree is picked on an 
average four times a year, yieldiog each time, aooord- 
ing to the tree, 30 nuts, 40 nu':s, 50 nuts, &o. In 
good situations, nnd where the tree is kept iu good 
order aud couditioa, it would yield 300 annually. 
But mtiuy trees neglected and uacared tor will only 
give from 80 nuts to 100 nuts a year, aud, with 
better conditioue 1 trees, an annual average of 120 nuts 
rising to 200 nuts. Soliliary 1 inky trees from 5 nuts 
to 50 nuts. ll9ason for poor appearance an i yield beiug 
biid soil and often old age. Coconut trees growing 
amongst cloves a-e as a rale lanky, and yield poorly. 
The bye-products of the coconut tree are c impara- 
tively neglected. Want ot labour and of traa<port 
facilities — ^witb t^e exception cf a few carts in Zanzibar 
wheeled coiivjja ces not existing and pack aninuls, 
viz., donkeys beiug very little ueel — are at present 
the two great obstacles to their development. Coconuts 
in a small degree, arc exported to Bombay iu dhows. 
Copra is also exported, and I understand that 
European firms are now payiog especial attention to 
this. An E iglish lirm has now iinporl'sd machinery 
for the mauuf .c ure of ooir. Previously 10 use 
>vaa made of the liusk^, heaps of the e being met 
with thrown on one siile, or elaa being burnt as fuel, 
the little coir that was made being manufactured iu 
a crude manner by natives from the C jmoro Islands, 
no Sw.ihilis carrying it on, a basket of coconut 
husks selling in Z.vczibar tor o pice, 7 pica aud 
8 pice (tin eo;t of carriage), and the beaten and 
cleaned fibre being thif pjd to Bombay. 
The removal cf the hu^ks is el¥t;cted by e ther sharp- 
ened iron spike, called " turimbo " ('iierally, au irju 
bar), but the niord general practice is to use a sharp- 
ened stick for the purpo e, called kifuo." Toddy is 
simply sold for drinking and for making vinegar 
(" 6U 6ilii"). ToJdy syrup, a speciis of sugar or fyrup, 
is also made by boiling toddy iu a pot (or half au 
hour, and sold at 2 pice a cup. " Asali ya tembo," 
syrup made from toddy. " Asali ya mua," the boiled 
juice of the sug ir cane. 
Peiuba coconuts are easily distinguished from the 
variety, be og smaller in size ond with very yellow 
mid-ribs, and the nuts are also very much smaller 
aud a dark yellow m colour. They appear to be 
valued chii.fly for drinking purposes, the water in the 
immature nut being very sweet,— Z«)i>iiac Gazette. 
♦ 
HOW TO MAKE A CUP OF TEA. 
(Euycne J. Hall in Grocers' Criterion.) 
When Mrs. DeKalb, of West Fortieth street 
Gave her "five o'clock tea,"' 'twas a splendid affair; 
Mrs. Fi zhurgh Whitehorae and Miss Goyken- 
dall Le^ 
The Frizzles, the Fowlers and Thompsons were 
there. 
They talked of the arts of the gay Japanese, 
Of friezes, of dadoes, ot ceilings and tiles. 
Of Greenaway costumes, of fashions in Greece : 
When Pericles ruled o'er the isthmus and isles. 
When suddenly Mrs, De Quackenbush Locke 
Gave a practical tarn to tne drift of the talk : 
'■ Ah, BJrs. DeKalb," she exclaimed in surprise, 
With a etuilo of delight an! a flash of her eyes, 
" Your lea is delioioui, its flavour is fine, 
Its aromi perfect, its color divine, 
I have tried for a month and I cannot obtain 
Such a ' s'eeper ' as this, 'tis as good as cham- 
pagne." 
Ttieu said Mrs. DeKalb, "You easUy can, 
'Tis a mixture of Oolong and new leaf Japan, 
Withapiuchof Pekoe to give it 'bouquet,' 
That epicures always pronounce ' rdcherche.' 
T ike the purest of water, and, when bjiliug hot, 
Pour it oVi.r the tei in a clean, chin* pot, 
Let it eta 'd just a minute, then eerveit just eo, 
And your guests will proaounoa it perteotiou, I 
know.'' 
— Amerian Grocer, 
[The above will show how much our Americio 
tousius havo yet to learn about the virtue! of pur<i 
Ceylon tea 1— Eo. T.A.] 
