Nov, 1, 1S93.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
323 
The crop this year will therefore so far from 
ebowiog an iocrease on the last year more likely 
approximate the returns of the previous year. The 
oompeneating advautages of a rise in the market, ia 
all the coasolaticu that is left now, with, of course 
the prospect of a butup r crop to come, which let ua 
hope we shall all realize next year. 
CROPS IN CEYLON; 
Abstbact of Official Season Repobts fob 
Sept. 1893. 
In the Western Provinoe good yala harvest 
has been reaped, particularly in the Rayigam 
korale, Kalutara District, where it is said to have 
exaeeded any harvest during the past ten years. 
Mahtt Buffered from drought. In the Kandy 
Distriot of the Central Provinoe far crops are 
reported and it is said that rain is much wanted 
in every division. In the Matale distriot there 
is severe drought everywhere in the distriot. 
Batemahatmaya reports scarcity of food in Kanda- 
palla and Wagapanaha Pallesiya pattu. Coming 
now to the Northern Provinoe the report from the 
Ja3na Distriot is that there was no rain during 
the month except slight showers on the 29th and 
30th in some parts. Paddy sowing for kalapokam 
of 1893 oommenoed. Payaru reaped orop reported 
fair. Palmiia fruit gathered ; orop indifierent. 
In the Mannar Distriot there is no land under 
orop. People are still clearing jungle and preparing 
lands for dry grain cultivation. No rain. Great 
distress. In Galle District the report is— yala over ; 
good. In Matara the orop prospects are 
good all over the distriot. In Hambantota 
Distriot the yala returns were generally excellent. 
Owing to irrigation works the district was not 
much affected by the long drought. In Battioaloa 
the threshing of later pinmari on 5,500 acres was 
nearly over ; yield good. Eltota harvest on 400 
acres is ripe ; 1,500 acres sown a second time ; 
orop now in ear on 1,400 acres is very good. 
Ploughing for munmari harvest of 1894 is retar- 
ded for want of rain. In Trinoomalee the 
Pinmari harvest throughout the district reaped 
and stacked ; threshing not over, weather being 
unsettled. More rain wanted to moisten munmari 
lands for ploughing and sowing; on this account 
progress in cultivation slow. In Kurunegala the 
country has suffered seriously from want of water 
during September ; cultivation was consequently 
retarded. Oattle everywhere suffer from want of 
grass and water ; beyond the Deduruoya drought 
most pronounoed ; tanks empty. Oultivation for 
maha wet and dry very restrioted, and food 
supply at low ebb. Relief works in Wanni 
draw increasing numbers — five hundred persons 
now at work ; drinking water very short, especi- 
ally beyond Dtduru-oya. In the North-Central 
Provinoe paddy crops, where irrigation available, 
matured well, and are harvested. A few tanks 
contain water, but most are still dry. Scarcity 
of food reported in some villages. The prices of all 
grain are high, though not prohibitory. Sore 
eyes, measles, and fever reported prevalent. In 
provinoe of Uva the report is —harvesting of late 
maha sowing ; crop damaged by flies ; yield conse- 
quently below the average. Yala ouliiviition in 
progress. From Ratnapura it is reported that in 
all the korales a good yala orop has been harves- 
ted, weather having been splendid for hatvesiiug 
operations. Prospeots of maha cultivation through- 
out the district both in dry and mud lands are 
unfavourable, owing to the tontinued drought. 
In Nawadun koral" »"iue of the maha plants in 
the fields have suffered from the growth of n w«ed 
known Bb" madamettft" or " kirihevan." — Gazette. 
INDIAN TEA NOTES AND NEWS. 
A South Wynaad correspondent writes : — " I am 
very glad indeed to learn that the Perindotty Factory 
was fully insaret'. The energetic manager has done 
wonders and has run up sheds with the expedition of a 
buret-oat American citizen, and hand rolling is in 
full swiog until machinery is available. There are 
eplendid flushes on the tea bushes now, which it 
would have been a thousand pities to lose." 
There is a decline, snys an American paper, for the 
demand of Formosa green tea, which is such a 
favouiite with Americaug, The Japanese seem to be 
makiDg the running for green tea, thoagb, as an 
English traveller siy.s, there is no accoonting for 
its popularity except that it is due to the big com- 
mercial intercourse between Japsn and the States. 
The .Tapanese green tea may he preferable to that 
f I om Formosa ; but it is not free from adulteration. 
The colouring or painting is still effected by means of 
a spoonful of indigo and powdered soapstone put into 
eaob basin, and thus disseminated through its contents. 
But in Japan tea is not grown for export only, but 
is the chief article of home consumption , and these 
domestic teas as procured in the ooaatry are probably 
the only samples of unadulterated green tea which 
Europeans »re likely to meet with. They produce a 
beverage which is refreshing, quite harmless, and 
which, notwithstanding the way in which it is pre- 
pared, can, after only a short residence in the country, 
be rea^lily distinguished from hot water. 
" W." writes :— It is not generally known that 
years ago the Government issued a circular on the 
subject of the preparatiuu of brick tea, and attempts 
to make it were started in Dehra-Dun : but ansucoess- 
fnlly. The planters had not the trick of supplyini:; 
the abominations which the Chinese n«e in fabricating 
this ttn{£, and I think they were too honest. 
China brick tea, at its best, is but a oonfeotion pre- 
pared out of the refuse of tea and the decayed Isaves 
and twigs, which is pressed into moulds, and with a 
little sheep or ox blood added to stiffen the mass 
and perhaps make it paUtable, Bullocks' urine is 
used to give certain sorts of it a flavour acceptable 
to the Thibetan, and there are other vile mixtures 
which I would rather not mention. 
Up to the half-year ending 3l8t August, the Dehra 
Dun Tea Company manufactured 500,0001b of tea, 
being about 10,0001b ia excess of the corresponding 
period of last year. The estimates have been already 
exceeded and reports are most favourable, 
A letter from Jorebaut (Upper Assam) states that 
the leaf is fairly plentiful, but is getting short in 
the shoot. It appears that on the 14th September the 
fats at Gusein Qoun went down to the month of the 
Sutee, owing to a fall of the Brahmapootra, and thia 
occasioned some inoonvenience, as the Godown at 
Gusein Goun had been washed away and there were 
no boats to take the tea chests. — Indian Planters' 
Oazette. 
LONDON EEPORTS ON TRAVANOORE 
CEYLON PRODUCE. 
TRAVANOORE TEA. 
(From Patry & Pasteur, Limited, Report of the 
Colonial Markets for the Week ending 
September 27th, 1893.) 
The undermentioned teas have been sold thit week, 
prices for which show no alteration, 
Aneimudl 9id 
TPC 8id 
EG 
7id 
6id 
P4 
5|d 
d 
61d 48 J-ohs. 7id 
6d 94 oha, A^d 
6Jd, 13 do iid 
4Jd 
Total 155 packagos, Aven^ng ^i per lb. 
