242 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
[Oct. 2, 1893. 
The analyeis of the Caltivated Area ie, bow- 
ever, of more praotioal importanoe than the fore- 
going total results. We must ezplaiu the principle 
on nhioh the returns have bern compiled. 
After giving the matter a fair trial, on a 
former oooasion, we found it quite impossible to 
work out a euggestion made to ua of seouring 
returns from each estate of the number of traes 
(in thousands) of each product. In respeot of all 
products, save cinohonas, we had to fall back on 
the old plan of acreage rsturne, asking for the 
figures representing each product whether cultivated 
in fields by itself or interspersed with others. We 
have thus obtained, as far as possible, the acreage 
in tea, coffee, cinchona, cacao, cardamoms, dec, 
planted alone ; of tea or co£fee intermixed, or 
planted with cinchona, or cacao or robber ; also 
of each of the minor products separately ; and of 
tea and cinchona ; cacao and rubber, &o. The 
total results under each head may be seen at a 
glance from the following : — 
(August, 1803.) 
Acres. 
Total extent of Tea ^yianfed tW/ .. 263,200 
Do of Coffee {Arabica) culti- 
vated by itself .. 22,443 
Do of Coffee (Liberies) . . 544 
Do of Cinchona do . . 3,074 
(besides 1,427,000 trees partly alon* 
and intermixed), 
Do of Cacao by itself .. 13,822 
Do of Coffee and Cinchona 
intersi/er.ied . . 3,115 
Do of Coffeeaud Teai/!(e/-s^)<rt<ff 8,789 
Do of Coffee and Cacao do ... 3,006 
Do. of Tea and Cinchona do.. 5,409 
Do of Tea and Cacao do ... 890 
Do of Tea and Liberian 
Coffee do ... 146 
t)o of Cacao and Liberian 
Coffee do . . 566 
Do of Cardamoms alone . . 4,537 
Do of Rubber do ... 265 
Do of Tobacco do .. 42 
Do of Cotton do .. 109 
Do of Other Products and some 
of the above mixed . . 24,071 
[Some Cacao and Liberian Coffee are mixed with 
Anoatto, Coconuts and other produetr.] 
To arrive at a fair estimate of the total extent which 
may be taken to represent each product, we have, in 
the case of cinchona growing among coffee or tea, 
taken from one-third to one-fourth the acreage for 
the cinchona, and credited two-thirds or more to 
the staple, In the case of coffee and tea, or coffee 
and cacao, being planted together, we have divided 
the acreage into two equal parts. Of course, this 
would not be a fair criterion in ever; case : some 
planters who may have theii 100 acres of tea or 
coffee interspersed with 20,000 cinchona trees will 
maintain that the tea should still be reckoned at 
the full 100 acres plus the cinchona. But know- 
ing as we now do by experience that the cinchona, 
where it matures, does not benefit the other pro- 
duct, but the reverse, it is misleading to count 
the full acreage of the staple, in addition to a 
certain extent of new products interspersed. How- 
ever we have left the figures in the Directory 
lilts and in our tables aa returned to us 
from the estates and agents, to speak for them- 
selvesi and it is possible that some may consider 
the tea and ooSee area should be counted in full 
even when mixtd with cinchona, cacao, or rubber. 
We have no doubt, however that the majority will 
%gi6o with ua that, analyzing the above figures 
in the way we have pointed out, and with a 
moderata estimate for tba average number on 
cinoboQB treei per acre, the poaition ol the Ceylon 
Plaoting Enterprise at the end of Au^ruet 1893 
may be represented somewhat at follows : — 
Acres 
784,bOS 
353,235 
278,015 
30,096 
2,438 
16,286 
4,723 
651 
62 
153 
4,270 
4.425 
12,335 
Total trea of 1,949 palnUtions tod plantiog 
properties... 
Do do of 1,439 plaDtatioos io oulti- 
vatioD witb 1.334 Super- 
intcDdeati and Astistauto.. 
Total approximate extent under Tea 
Do do CoFFSE (Arabica). . 
Do do CorFEt.(Liberica)... 
Do do Cikchona[6,»09,000 
tree! over 2 ^ears.] 
Do do Cacio 
Do do OAKr>i.MOMs 
Do do RUBBKB 
Do do Tobacco (by Euro- 
pe»n-)... 
Do do Cotton do . . 
Do do (Cultiftted), 
Do do of Anoitto, Cooa, 
Vacilla, Pepper, Cloves. PJaniains, Cilro- 
nella gras", Divi-Divi, Croton, Castor-oil, 
Aloes, CioDsniou, (od the ooffee, tea, or cacao 
plaiitatioDg)... 
Of Foel, Timlier and Fruit-trees. Span, 
CoooDote, Arecas, Nutmegs, Ka,p^k (on the 
tea coffee or oaoHO plantstioD*) . . 
We have 8,600 fewer acres undr>r CuffdA now than 
in the miildle of 1891, and more then 2^ million 
trees fewer of cinchona. On ih« other hand we 
hiive an increaee of nearly 23.500 acres in the 
st.ple (Tea) which is of chief intfrest. The culti- 
vation of Catao shows an increase of 3,300 acres 
which is very 6>itiEf<iC'.ory ae is also the extent added 
(800 acres) to LiOeriao Coffee, while the extent in 
Cardamoms and minor products has either been 
stationary or shows a docreaEe due to ih<) great 
attention given to tea in the past two years. In 
giving 273,000 acres as the totbl area of tea it must 
be remembered that a certain proportion of clearings 
planted during thj current south-wes': mocEoon, 
are included. Kevertbeless it is clear that '/75,UJ0 
acres of tea will shortly be reached, and exceeded 
were it only through the supercession of both 
coffee and cinchona where these are at present 
intc rmixed with the stapla, in the proportions credited 
this time to the latter products. We may expect 
indeed to see the 8,789 acres at present credited to 
tea tind coffee, altogether tea, and so with cinchona 
and tea, so that we are quite prepared to fi ,d our once 
great staple reduce ! from 272,000 acres (as in 1877) to 
25,000 acres by the time we make up another return ; 
while on the other hand tea will probably be re- 
presented by 280,000 acres in full cultivation before 
the middle of 1894, even if there be no more new 
clearings. 
In the returns of 1S83, the considerable num- 
ber of plantations with " abandoned " cx^posite 
their names, attracted attention: altogether they 
aggregated 53,540 acres ; at the beginning of 1886 
the aggregate was 40,000 ; but in the middle of 1888, 
the total of 298 "abandoned" properties stood at 
69,432 acres ; in July 1891 there were entered about 
293 " abandoned '' propertien containing 73,262 
acres ; while now through more careful reti^na 
the total number is 324 with an area of 74,217 
acres ; but a certain proportion of this extent, 
— probably one-third — must still be considered 
reserve and untouched forest or cbena land, 
and the increase is chiefly due to native- 
owned plantations, as well as to some properties 
lost eight of, being brought on our list. 
Ot good forest reserves mentioned in many of our 
district returns, though not in all, the aggregate is 
about 60,0(X), bot, even if we add 0D6>tbird of tba 
