i8o 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept. i, 1893. 
low-lying estates, or those at high elevations, and 
he is also able to condaot sargioal operBtioas. 
Besides having at hand the eervioes of a resident 
Medical Officer, the Oovernment send up here 
every two months a fully qualified doctor to 
inspeot every individual oooly, all oooliea being 
stripped and tborougbly examined in my presence 
and in that of the medical officer. Could we have 
better medical supervision under the oironmstanoes 
and can any estate in Ceylon say it has any 
better? Should one man fail I can easily 
obtain the services of another Medical Officer, 
for an hour's walk from this another Medical 
Officer is stationed. 
As to good and intritive food not being sap- 
plied, this assertion is on a par with each and 
all of the others, there not being a tittle of 
truth in any one of them. Had we been sup- 
plying bad food to our coolies, complaints would 
have been heard booq enough ; but very few 
complaints have ever been made, for the simple 
reason that if I find any bad food amongst the 
torn of it brought up here, I condemn it and 
it is thrown away or destroyed at once. Besides, 
the Governor of the district visits the estate very 
regularly, and any complaint of whatever kind 
the coolies mny have to make, they are at full liberty 
to bring up before the Governor, and I am glad 
to say any little differenoee, mostly through mis- 
understiindings at first about contracts, have always 
been arranged with satisfaction to both parties and 
never has there been a question about the food. 
Ab to food for Earopeena and conductors such 
can be had, and always ie here in sufficient 
quantity. When I firpt came there was some 
little difficulty, but I soon knocked that on the 
head by arranging with a Hindustani 13 miles 
off to send up provisions regularly, and that 
source hasn't dried up yet. Putting beef aside, 
we get mutton, duck, fowls, fruit, such as bananas, 
pinespples and oranges, vegetables (perfectly fresh) 
grown on tbeestate and sold to the coolies, and really 
we get everything mortal man rcquiras. Not only 
can food be got, but liquor also can be obtained 
by the ooodufltora in small quantites. You would 
really be surprised to see the quantity and veriety 
of stores we have, — clothing, food, and groceries 
of all kinds, worth some thousands of rupees, 
brought up here at immense cost and trouble, 
and for the benefit of those resident here. 
In conclusion 1 may state that the two Ceylonese 
sent back in ill-health should have been the last 
of any to complain about medical altendaroe, from 
the fact that they were attended at different times 
by the English Doctors at the Mission, and in future 
I would advise the writers before putting pen to 
paper about other people's busineis, to make up 
their minds to stick to facts and not go in for 
fiction only fit to adorn the pages of their nest 
volume on their hunting experiences In East Africa. 
They might also lay in a good stock of " grit " 
which will enable them to withetard any Jittle 
ailments and rough work that " nice and hfalthy" 
climate may hava ia store for tV.em, and where 
the muob-abused ratine may not only be able to 
" fry an egg to t'r eir liking," but perhaps be able to 
serve up " Crocodile as pie " or " Manyurma oa 
Jutti Frutti Toast " whichever tasty dish may 
takn their fancy at the end of a day's march. 
The subject of Emigration from Ceylon to this 
is still under oonsidetation, and you may rest as- 
sured I would not undertake the responaibility of 
introducing any large body of Istoirais into this 
part of the country if I thought there w£ s danger f 
seeing them die off one by one from malaria; but 
taking the facta as they stand at present, the 
elevation of the estate, no part be ng under 920 
metreB=3,000 feet, anl the diettnee we are 
from the low-lying plams, end the gjid water 
we have here, I see no chance of ftver tttaeking 
the men seriously. If I thought that sucb a 
thing would be likely to cccur. or if I find that 
during the next few monhs fever oompelb me to 
alter my opinion regarding the he»lihine-b of the 
place, then I will be the first to give up the 
idea of introducing Sinhalese labourers or artiz^ns 
until the place became heal liy. 
Bepretting the inordirate Jeugth tHs letur has 
run to, only to be excused o.-i the ground of the 
unwarrantable ohurpes brougl i against the estate 
demanding a full explanation from me, and ibank- 
ing you in Buticipation for the pu 1.1 "ration of thi«,— 
I beg to remain, sir, yours very truly, 
W. H. OoWLEY. 
MOSQUITO BLIGHT IN CEYLON. 
D«AB Sib, — I see in your issue of 22nd inet. 
an inquiry as to whether moiquitD blight haa 
yet viiited Ceylon. The enewer must be a de 
cided j/ei. I have seen fielda in Ceylon covered 
with it, and the young flush completely spoiled. 
The fly does not pierce the leaf right through, 
but lueks the juice (as a mosquito would the 
blood from one's hand) from under the skin of 
the leaf. If closely looked at after the fly shifts 
its ground, it is icen that the part left is of a 
much paler (.r«fn than the rest of the leaf, and 
very soon gets dark brown. On the bud and 
flneet leaves there will be many punctures all 
turning black ; and it is a heart-breaking sight to 
lae whole fields without a single young ehoot 
free of the pe«t. The remedy has yet to be found 
Yours LYNX EYE. 
HIGH-GROWX CEYLON TEAS— " A COEBEC- 
TION " AND INTERESTING INFORMATION 
FROM MR. ARTHUR THOMPSON. 
38 Mincing Line, E.G., London, July U, 1898. 
Sib,— In one of your late issues I see yon 
have credited me with having suggested marking 
your high grown teas " Cejlon-Darjeeling." 
It IS nearly nine years since I had the pleasure of 
visiting your island and when there, the chief part of 
my time was spent in discussing the one engrossing 
topic, tea ; but I must distinctly disclaim being the 
author of such a proposal, which I feel wou d be 
misleading and unfair to both countries. High- 
grown teas and D^rjeelicgs have each a dietmot 
flavour and are as different as hock and claret, while 
at t_he ssme time both are highly appreciated 'by the 
various buyers. 
What I have probably frequently said and etill con- 
sider,— which may have led to this misapprehension, 
—is that the high-grown teas of Ceylon compare witli 
other Ceylon growths as those of Darjeelirg compare 
with the teas from other districts in India, that if, 
they have a fine delicate fldvour peculiar to them- 
selves ; but while claiming this, I fully recognise 
that we do receive good fine teas from other districts 
in Ceylon and India, and shall no doubt continue 
to do so. 
What a te. is rasrke^ is now of little consequence, 
each sample is valued on its mcritp, and if special 
marks at any one time fetch special prices, a close 
examination will nearly always show that there is a 
good reason for it. 
The trade is too keenly watched to buy for a mark 
ot y,ur indeed for .i eouLtrv. snd itis not unnsaal to 
see batches of Ceylon, Indian and China teas tasted 
together so as to test their comparative value for 
blending purposes. 
