Nov. I, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
337 
To the Editor. 
A CEYLON PLANTER IN VICTOIUA. 
Geelong, Victoria, Oct. 7. 
Sir,— In view of my expected return to the " Spicy 
Isle" shortly, I have not been using my pen to 
record my observations so much lately, intending 
rather to defer them till I should find myself back 
again in Ceylon. It is a ^vonderfnlly attractive 
place is that same island, — thjre is no quitting it, 
and whether it be some enormous loadstone of 
world-wide influence, or the spell of its dnshy Syreas, 
that accounts for it, it is quite evident that all 
who once come under its sway find it very hard, 
if not altogether impossible, to sever their connection 
with it. And yet its attractions for the home-sick 
colonists are but few, and equally so are the in- 
dividuals who care to spend niore than a fev/ 
years of their existence, in what they deem to be 
at best an exile. Ask the most successful planter 
or merchant you may meet and you will find 
his prospects all time towards going home. 
Where are the successful "K. C. B's, who for 
love of occupation settle down on their family 
estates and spend their declining years in curbingthe 
scamping propensities of Kamasamy and Nagalingen, 
and filling in their leisure by the study of Coast 
Advances, etc. ? Oh! no. They are off home and 
Mr. Freshman, fresh from the scene where the battle 
of Waterloo was won, according to an eminent 
authority, takes over charge of Teatotum Wattie, 
and 60 it goes on. But this is not the end. After a 
few years when HeuAleia. and HelopcUis have had 
their turn out comes our veteran again — couldn't 
stand the winter at home, estate mattei'd requiring 
attention, etc. : any way ont he corces. So it is with 
the disappointed man who goes off to Canada, 
Australia, Africa or Fiji, all come back like the bad 
shilling. What is it , Mr. Editor ? 
I have long come to the conclusion that Ceylon was 
made for Sportsmen and Missionaries, a queer 
assortment perhaps, but I believe about the best 
solution of the problem. There is a grand field for 
both, and it will result in the survival of the fittest. 
So " Aberdonensis " is back a?;ain I Well, he will 
have some experience to give you, and he has 
got the right notion about Ceylon tea. What 
is going to be done? I see you are discuss- 
ing what is to be done to secure the 
advantage gained by the Chicago Exhibition, and 
it is certain that unless it is followed up, the money 
already spent might as well have been dropped into 
the sea. A nine-days' wonder at the best and Ceylon 
and its Court forgotten altogether. I think it is a 
mercantile matter, but our merchants' horizon is 
confined to Mincing Lane, and they are great be- 
lievers in ordinary trade channels, which is a mis- 
take in this instance. Every encouragement should 
be given to the 
CEYLON MEN ALREADY AT WOKK IN THE STATES, 
and if some of our Colombo houses would start agen- 
cies both in America and in these colonies they 
would soon do an exceedingly profitable business, 
and greatly benefit Ceylon. It must be pushed in 
these new markets by men thoroughly loyal to 
Ceylon; otherwise you will find the name of Ceylon 
getting injured by rubbishy blends being sold. Per- 
sonally I have declined to handle any blended teas, 
although offered commissions to do so; but in stick- 
ing to pure Ceylon, I felt 1 knew what I was doing 
and could safely guarantee quality. 
There is no very stirring news here. Tbe weather 
la getting wanner and wo shall soon be 
glad to get b-ick to Cleylon to nvoiJ the heat ! I 
BBtonich pcopU> hero wbon I tell tli^m we used to 
huve fires every niglit of the ye»r ut Nuwura Eliya. 
The cboDKe" of season here are very obrupt, and 
dlready a few hot days hsve given us a taiteof what 
i3 
summer weatlisr menDs, wliila only a week or so 
Bgo we were experiencing bitterly cold weather. 
Tbe winter has been a severe one accordinR to all 
accouatp, but Ibeabundaut ra'ua are a great boon to 
the country, and tbe crops are likely to turn out 
very well; and provided the market keeps up for 
all country produce, tbe farmere should have little to 
complain of. 
THE WANT OF EMPLOYMENT 
is Still the pressing question of the day, end there ia 
a great deal of distress in all the large towns. lie- 
yond effeoting considerable retrenchment in the public 
expenditure, the Government has done very little to 
better tbe condition of matter?, the several labour 
colonies sfartad being too lilipuiian in their seopa to 
relieve the conjeated condition of the leibour marke-, 
brought about by the protection system aud the 
inflation of the iRnd-boora. 
Ouo rcBult of tbe depression has been the turning 
of attention to tho development of the mioiug 
iaJitstry and tho prospecting of new fielde. There 
h°.a been a revival of miuins; in some of tbe older 
field?, and deeper sinking and improved machinery 
are proving these to b3 far from worked out and 
capable of yielding profitable returns a'thongh it 
may he far below tho rich revenues obiaioed in 
limes gone by. 
The main hope for the country is however, in my 
opinion, the settlement of a large rural population 
find the fostering of 
AGlilCULTURAL ENTEKrEISE, 
and the sooner the people reoognizethe fact; and one 
and all set to work to oairy it out instead of playing 
at it and waiting for each other to begin, the better. 
The report of Mr. Wilson, the expert on dai.Ty 
produce, who has been on a mission to England in 
connection with the trade in frozen meet and dairy 
produce, has been published, and is oa (ha whole 
encouraging. There is evidently room for a large 
developcnent of trade in these articles and publio 
attention is more hkely to be direotel to it now 
that the brick and mortar craze bes come to 
fuch a disastrous termination. I bear of over 
300 houses in one suburb of Melboit-ne being empty 
and of nn instance where a rent-free tenant 
tbreatened to leave unless the landlord aided an- 
other room to the premises, CAPEICOEISr, 
INDIAN AND CEYLON TEA 
COMPANIES. 
Dear Sie, — In youL' interesting article on '' tea 
Planting in India and Ceylon " (sj3 page 317) 
you have quoted a comparative tibia of tha 
profits paid by some Indian and Ceylon Tea 
Oompanies, but unfortunately you have overlooked 
the question of capital account per acre which 
makes yTur etatiatios utterly misleading. 
The capital of the Indian gardens quoted is 
somewhat over £50 per acre, while the capital 
of tha Ceylon gardens quoted is, I fancy, oon- 
eilerably under half this sum (will you ba good 
enough to give the capitil per acre of the Oeyloa 
gardens quoted?*). Tha real test of the tea enter- 
prise is the profit it gives per acre ; audlficcy if 
you compavo those sama Indian gardens against tha 
Ceylon ones on this basis they (the Indian 
gardens) will come out very much mora favour- 
ably than your tables iuiicate ; or it" you write 
up the Oylon Companiei' oapital to lha same 
amount of the Indian Companies you will find 
tho dividends are much more favourabla to India, 
Another thing is that the four Ceylon Com- 
panies you have quoted are about the most suc- 
cessful Companies in the island and .ts ^uoh do 
* Xot got it ; but surely it is all the more to tho 
credit of tne Ceylon gardens if their c.ipital ospeu- 
(iituiej^sQ low? -Ed, T.A, 
