March i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
599 
COCOA STEALING AND THE PLANTEES OF 
THE NORTHKRN DISTRICTS. 
The planters of the Northern districtg are 
determined to leave the Governm ;nt without 
excuse for not granting them relief as theLicense 
and Registration Scheme appended will show. 
It was passed at the General Meeting of the 
District Association on 3i-d Febnmy last. It is 
not a lawyer's document we need S3arcely say, 
and is perhaps in a somewhat crude state ; but 
it embodies the views of practical men, and is 
believed by them to be worthy of the consider- 
ation of Government. They do not think the 
scheme woald be hard on anyone. There 
may be some objection raised to including 
"Colombo"' in the first paragraph, but that will 
be for the planters to consider at the annual 
meeting in Kandy on the 17th February, and we 
hope all members interested in cocoa will at- 
tend that meeting and show by their presence 
there, that the subject is deemed by them to 
be an important one. 
KEQI3TRATI0N SCHEME FOR THE PBE- 
VENTION OF OCCOA STEALING. 
1. That all traders in cocoa be compelled to 
take out a yearly license from Government. 
2. That such licensed traders have their abode and 
place of business registered at the nearest Kachcheri, 
3. That they be compelled to keep a record of 
all the cacao they buy and sell, giving name and 
nationality of seller, name of his garden and village 
and number of cocoa pods or quantity in lb. of cocoa 
purchased from each vendor. 
4. That the Government Agent, his Assistant 
or some authorized person inspect these records 
as occasion may require and make notes therefrom. 
5. That licensed traders in cacao found with 
false records and knovfing the same to be false 
should have their license withdrawn and be liable 
to be prosecuted for receiving stolen produce. 
6. That owners of gardens in which cacao is 
grown be compelled to register the same at the 
nearest Kachcheri, either in person or through the 
Arachchi of the district, giving name of the owner, 
name of the garden, and village, and when the 
extent of the garden is under 5 acres of cacao, the 
number of trees in bearing should be registered, 
vphere the extent is over 5 acres the acreage in 
bearing should be stated. 
7. That cistriot list.s of licensed traders aad regis- 
tered cacao growers, be aunaally published in the 
Govertiiiient Qazeite, and that a copy of the list be 
supplied to each Hceuse 1 trader aud copfea be pro- 
curable for payment at the respective Kachcheries, 
flcd tliat a copy of the list be put and kept the 
Police stations open to inspection by everybody. 
8. For the purpose of defraying the coat of this 
Registration sohem", a fee of (10) ten cent per acre 
should bo auiiually charged f^r Registering all 
cacao cardena over 5 acres whether the property of 
European or Native and that such registration be 
compulsory, 
9. That any one who is not a license<i trader or 
registered grower, found with cacao in bis possession 
and who cannot satisKctorily account for same should 
be held guilty of theft of the Siid produce. 
10. Th it oitcio growers who are not licensed traders 
may pijrcbiise cacao pods from other registered cac«o 
growers for the purpose of exteuding their pultivatiou, 
but ea-jh transaction should be »coompani>d by letter 
from vendor stating number of pods 8old aod name 
»ud adflreea of purchaser and slid letter to be pro- 
duced for iDspeotion if asked. 
11. That it ia the opinion of this Ansociation that 
if the scheme he properly carried out it will afford 
a certain amount of check on the miraoulous production 
of tree' belonging to di<lioneit (frower", and praotioally 
cloie the market for stolen produce.— James Wemtland 
Ohtirman, Northern Uiatriots PUntero' Aseociatioo. 
70 
INSECT I'ESTS AND ENTOMOLOGIST. 
We cordially approve of the suggestion of our 
morning oontemporary that the offer of the post 
of " Entomologist " to the Government should, in 
the titst ins ance, be made to Mr. E. E. Green. 
No better appointment could be made we feel 
sure and it might be possible for Mr. Green to 
do a great deal of work, under a system of fees (?), 
without giving up bU present duties tltogether. 
On the other hand Dr. Trimen recommends that 
the Entomologist be attached to the Colombo 
Museum rather than to Peradeniya. As to the 
Beard of Referenca our idea was to bring gome 
special authority to bear on planters who neglected 
their duty, in reference to the destraotion of 
Helopeltk for instance. Mr. Talbot c£fer«d a 
warning of this kind last year. 
We would certainly further press that the aid 
of the Analytical Chemist in respect of Tea 
Culture and Preparation be no longer delayed. 
Mr. Cochran and his assistant Mr. Burnett, we 
feel sure, are ready to do good and most useful 
work for our planters, if so commissioned. 
COMPARATIVE CEYLON TEA PRICES- 
AVERAGES. 
{Prom a Tea Planter.) 
■'1889. 1890. 1891. 1892, 1893. 
London 11 lOJ lo 9d 
Colombo (in 
cents) 46 43^ 41 n 4.^ 
Colombo (in 
6i 
l/3i 
lid 
6i 
m 
•2 J 
pence)* 8 SJ 7 J 
Exchange 1/5 1/6| ] 'Sj 
In favor of 
London IJd Id |d 
Freight 35s to 30s to 30s to i5s to los to 
553 40a 45s 35s 30» 
Thia httle table will probably prove to be an eye- 
opener, and afford a lesson to those planters who, 
by keeping the local market supplied, do more harm' 
that good. Look at the support and encouraae- 
ment the local buyers give to the Colombo market, 
and yet have the asauranee, every now and thenj 
to ask for more, and of our better kinds too.' 
While the London "average" is 8d the looal 
"average" ought to be at least 6d, or (reduced 
to cents at Is 3d exchange) 40 cents, not 34 1 
What IS the mystery ? Can the planters endure 
this muoh longer ? 
One or Them." 
_ We must explain that the Colombo equivalents 
in pence for the 1889-92 ar, worked from Tha 
average rate of exchange for the year in oar 
?flao°*°5j:~^ "ther rough aad ready method. For 
1893 the average for the sales for the fort- 
nightly market reports, at the exchange of 
the day was added together, and so the average 
result obtamed. We cannot, however, attribute <o 
much importance to a comparison between London 
*nd Colombo as our correspondent does ; b=c,^use 
It 18 well-known that, taking tho sales as a whole 
the teas ottered at Colombo are decidedly inferior 
to thosa presented in th e London market. It i, 
• The figures for 1889-92 are worked ont by 
the annual average exchange rates ffiven i« oar 
Directory. 
