Sept. i, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
177 
for the purpose ot represenliog Indian tea at the 
Chicago Eihibition. In all these matters ■we have 
acted in ooDcern with the majority of the otber tea 
compinies. Some jears ago wlien it appeared that 
there was a possibility of the rupee going to Is lOJ 
or higher, it having sctuslly touched Is 9d, we 
purohiued two laoka ami 31,000 Indian rupee psper. 
The public funds of the country in which one's 
operations are carried ont form the most suitable means 
for investing a reserve, and it wai a "node of in- 
suring against any extreme rise in the value of silver, 
Tbe action just taken by the Government of India 
in the adaption of tneasnres to steady the valoe of the 
rupee haaciusei a coosidf rable rise in valnein this stock 
and at the price we gave (or it yields about 3j per cent, 
lu conclusion, the Ohairmau said he entirely dis- 
agreed with the opinion expressed by the Standard §that 
morning to the effect that tbe action of the ledian 
Goveroment with regard to the rupee would ad- 
versely afiect tea plautsrs and other producers in 
the country, He regarded this as a very states- 
manlike move on the part of the Government. They 
were hound to do what thej had done or they would 
soon have been landed in bankruptcy — at any rate there 
must certaiuly have been a tax imposed upon some 
of the industries to make up the existing defjoif, if 
this course had not been adopted. (Hear, hear.) He 
moved the reception and adoption of the report 
(Applause.) 
The reiolntion was seconded by Surgeon-General 
A. C. C. De Renzy, c.b., acd carried after a brief 
discussion, and a final dividend of 5 per cent, was then 
declared, making 10 per cent for the year. 
PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION IN 
CEYLON IN 1892. 
THE CENTRAL PROVINCE. 
in respect of extended cultivation we find the 
following remarks : — 
It is satisfactory to note that there has been 
considerable extension — estimated for the Kandy dis- 
trict by the Ratemahatmayas at 687 acres— in the 
opening of land for tea by natives. I cannot say 
what may be the quality of the leaf — which is gener- 
ally sold to some neighbouring European planter — 
but the gardens which I have seen appear to be care- 
fully and well cultivated. 
The Ratemahatmayas also report 700 acres of new 
land — mostly in Lower Dumbara, Harispattu, and 
Lower Hewaheta — opened iu cacao. As regards these 
latter figures I do not pretend to guarantee them as 
correct. The plantations are individually eo small 
and so scattered that it must be very difficult to 
compute their acreage In Lower Hewaheta I saw 
some very fine cacao planted by Chetties and Tamils 
on extensive portions of old abandoned coffee estates ; 
but elsewhere all that I have seen are small patches, 
which I fear only serve as pretext for the possession 
of stolen produce. 
And this information can be supplemented 
from Mr. Saxton's Report as follows : — 
Cultivation. — The product which is making the 
most notable strides in this district is cacao. The 
Matale climate and soil have been shown to be most 
suitable for its cultivation, and clearings are being 
made in many places. At Marukona, Nugapitiya, 
Batwatta, Warakamure, Tenna, Kaduwela, in Asgiri 
korale, close to Matale, and in other places land 
is being bought freely for cacao by European planters. 
Nutives are induced to sell their gardens and chenas, 
and frequently their paddy fields for the hard 
cash offered to them. They are planting it them- 
selves in all available places, and it would seem 
likely that the Matale and Asgiri valleys will in a 
few years be almost a sheet of cacao. Seed is 
distributed amongst them occasionally from the Bota- 
nical Gardens, Peradeniya. The output last year 
was perhaps less than was estimated, as the autumn 
crop was a very late one. 
The cultivation of tea is also extending, chiefly at 
Ratwatta, Miiiandeuiya, NagoU© and Alnvihare, 
an 
I have already noticed the applications for tanks 
in the Kandapalla korale for paddy. Palu Rota- 
wewa, Pahalawewa, and Kuda Dissawagewewa having 
new clearings under them, and the gradual improve- 
ment of the tanks leading to small patches of new 
asweddumas, for instance, at Henayale Puakpitiya, 
and under Bambaragaswewa. 
CEYLON TEA IN AUSTRALIA: 
REVIEW OF THE PAST SEASON'S TRADE. 
The Melbourne Argus has a veiy interesting 
Review of the past eeaaon's Trade in Tea and 
one which ought to be deemed extremely eatitf iOtory 
to Ceylon, though there are warniuga givfn and 
lesaona to be learned which ought not to be loet 
on our plantsra. First of all it ia pointed out 
how great is the need for "federation" among 
the Colonies — at any rate for a fiscal and Customs 
Union— from the point of view of the Tea Trade. 
New South Walea abolished its duty on tea, juat 
as Victoria re-impoeed the duty, while Queensland 
put an extra duty on packet teas — all these move- 
ments disturbing the trade almost as much as 
the finanoial panic. It says well, however, for 
the soundness ot business on the whole that only 
one failure in the tea trade has been reported. 
Sydney, it is stated, is in a fair way to supersede 
Melbourne as the most important tea import 
and re-export market in the Southern Colonies 
and the New South Walea dealers are doing a largely 
increased business since the tea duty was abolished. 
The sources ot supply are next considered and the 
great ohange which has taken place within a few 
years, since the time when Melbourne blenders 
began using ^th of Indian or Ceylon tea to ^ths 
of China kinds. Now 2-5tbs ot the requirements 
are supplied by India and Ceylon and the Argus 
reviewer anticipates that during the ensuing tweive 
months the supply may be drawn in equal pro- 
portions from China and from India and Ceylon. 
Now then is the time in our opinion, for the 
Ceylon Tea Fund Committee to make a stfong bid 
for an even larger share of the Australian tea trade. 
It is distinctly stated that tbe drinkers of "India 
and Ceylon " teas can never go back to China's. 
What an argument this afiords to so distribute 
samples and multiply agencies of Ceylon teas as to 
gather in, practically, tbe whole custom of the 
Austral Colonies for our teas. Many people think 
that RIO.OOO spent in such work in Australia 
would produce better and speedier results than 
R100,000 spent at Chicago. Be that as it may, 
while there can be no drawing back from the 
latter, it behoves planters to consider the immense 
advantage of annexing the Australian taa trade. 
At present the capitals have practically adopted 
our teas ; it ia in the " inland trade " that 
China's have the pull. But then there come the 
words ot warning in the Review under notice, and 
what is said about Ceylon tea is of so much im> 
portance that we quote it in full; — 
"Ceylonshave come forward by leaps and bonods 
until, as regards quantity, they exceed Indians, but 
as against this advantage there has been a fur too 
large percentage of poor rubbishy sorts, which have 
been a great drawiiaok to their popularity. Nat only 
does the make of leaf of i-ome of these remind Obe 
of the earlier dajs of ' post and rail"," but ihe 
faults in curing, evi n in the hi^iher grades of the 
others, hag done much harm. The m tin cjuse ot 
this drawback is tlie primitive character of the 
market in Oolombo owii g to the policy ot most of 
the gardens in sending tlieir faulty breiiks to the 
local market, *nd their good ones direct to Loudon. 
Time will correct this fault, and then we mny look 
for a steady and increasing demand for the excellcut 
