Aug. i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
THE PALL A GAM A EXPERIMENTAL PLAN- 
TATION, IN NORTH-EAST CEYLON. 
We ere wrong perhaps in calling it an " experi. 
mental" plantation; for the managing proprietor, 
Cap*. Gordon Beeves, and his oolleagues are as 
much asgured of success as if they were investing 
their capital in any of the old, well-established 
districts instead of pioneering many miles beyond 
the recognised limits of our planting zone. Never- 
theless, when we learn that in the Pallagama 
region,- well developed coconut palms begin to 
bear fruit in five years, that fine ooffee and 
cacao shrubs of 2§ to 3 years of age are found 
in the native gardens, while jaks, tamarinds and 
arpoas are seen to flourish, it must be oonfessed 
that Capt. Eeeves did not go into "Pallagama" 
without sufficient experience to warrant his con- 
fidenoe in its future. In the first place there 
can be no question as to the soil — that is of a 
quality only rarely to be equalled in Ceylon. 
• But what about wind?" has been a question 
often put by men who have heard of, or experi- 
enced, what that enemy of planters can do in 
the Liggala region. It is reassuring therefore to 
learu on good authority that the wind which 
sometimes tears everything before it in the height 
of the monsoon on the upper Laggala slopes, 
and is so strong on the patanas, that coolies 
cannot travel with loads (this is not the Pallagama 
outlet !) dwindles to a light, pleasant breeze long 
before the altitude of 600 feet above sea-level is 
reached, while lower down it is most heartily wel - 
oomed as a relief to a high temperature. As to 
wind at Pallagama, the character of the forest at onoe 
showed the professional planter there was no 
risk. But then there was the inevitable difficulty 
about " labour '' foretold ; but so far, we are 
assured, there has been an abundance of village 
labour available and that a good deal of work is 
being done, may be judged from the expectation that 
300 aores will be planted with Coconuts, Liberian 
Ooffee and Caoao, before the close of the year. 
All the nurseries are doing exceedingly well, 
although there is some trouble with elephantB 
which rather superabound in the neighbourhood. 
The only drawback we can think of is the risk 
of drought ; but that risk is not greater on 
Pallagama than it is in Dumbara which is a rich 
and prosperous planting valley. Then as to opening 
an outlet, the official promise is being kept and 
bridges are being put in sufficient to carry a 
heavy timber traffic Mr. Boss- Wright, who reoently 
took oharge of Pallagama, is recognised by his 
Directors as the right man in the right plaoe, 
his familiarity with Sinhalese as well as Tamil 
labour gained at Labugama. giving him a speoial 
advantage. 
There oan be little doubt, therefore, that Pallagama, 
as an established plantation and as the nucleus of a 
Planting Distriot, will shortly have to be added to 
the long roll of divisions rescued from unprofitable 
jungle in Ceylon through the enterprise of European 
ColoniBts. The fate of pioneers has beoome 
almost proverbifil ; but the proverb is far more 
applicable to the opening of a new oountry alto- 
gether than of a new distriot in an established 
Colonv. The pioneers in Dimbula Fe'ix, in the 
new Valley of Dikiya, or in the Maskeliya Wilder 
ness, or even in distant Uva. by no mpans made 
a loss : some of them continue to own the valuable 
properties they pioneered twonty-five to thirty years 
ago. And in the case of Pallagama we sinoeroly 
hopj that Cnpt. Gordon Bppvbs may be richly 
re vnrded for his pntorprisp, while his supporters 
pharo in that prosperity recording to tho lisk thry 
have run by investing their oapital. 
10 
PLANTING IN NYASSALAND : 
B. C. AFRICA. 
Mr. Eimund Woodhouse is certainly very en- 
terprising — he is ready to go anywhere on any 
mission, within reason, t© any region within 
the tropios 1 He advertises his willingness tq 
explore and report on land suitable for ooffee- 
planting purposes in the Shire Highlands. Mr. 
Woodhouse is a very experienced ooffee-planter 
and if our correspondent "£5,000" and two or 
three friends ohose to form a Syndicate to employ 
Mr. Woodhouse, we feel sure they would get the 
worth of their money in reliable and valuable 
information, indispensable to any intending 
investors. 
♦ 
FREE GRANTS OF LAND IN NORTH 
BORNEO. 
The British North Borneo Company advertise 
through their Agents in Ceylon the offer of 
free grants of land to young men with a capital 
of £2,(100 and upwards, for the cultivation of 
ooffee, cinchona, cooonuts in their territory. The 
land offered is available up to an altitude of 
10,000 feet, and 500 aores is mentioned as the 
extent to b3 given to eaoh applioant. This ought 
to be a oapital ohanoe for enterprising youngmen 
with the means at their disposal. 
♦ 
THE INTRODUCTION OF GAS ENGINES 
TO CEYLON. 
We notice an advertisement in the Ceylon 
Observer giving some of the advantages of using 
pa? engines in place of steam. These advantages 
are clearly stated in the advertisement, and they are 
snch as commend gas as a motive power, some- 
what more preferable than ateam, especially for 
engines of moderate power. In places where a 
supply of gas may be had we have noticed these 
engines are fast supplanting steam as both more 
economical and bandy. Colombo has been till re- 
oently behind band in this refpeot, because 
we btlieve the opinion was prevalent that with 
gas at the price it is, both steam and ccoly 
labour were much cheaper, and the experience 
and knowledge of steam power prevented ex~ 
perimenting with a motive power about whioh con- 
flicting statements were made regarding the re- 
liability of the engine designed to apply it. It 
was better to bear with what was known than 
to perhaps get involved in the worse unknown, 
whioh is better expressed in the common saying, 
that it might be a case of "jumping from the frying- 
pan into the fire." Tbis can now no longer be said 
of Colombo for the gas engine has been imported 
and tested and has been foand to fulfil all that is 
olaimed for it. This teat has proved that iustead of 
constant care and oonoem attaching to the correot 
handling of steam engines by native attendants, the 
gas engine may safely be left in charge of any 
person with a quarter-of-ac-hcur's instruction. No 
speoial attendant i« necessary. We have put this to 
the test. As our readers already know our machinery 
in tho Tropical Agriculturist and Observer office 
bas been driven by a gas engine for some 
time, and we have had our machinemen acting in 
the cupacity of engine-drivers ever since its intro- 
duot : on. This they have done with no hindrance to 
the ; r work or any trouble as to handling the engine, 
Uu considering the advisability of introducing a 
meilve power into cur ofiiue other than cooly 
la our, wo ei.teied into the cost as compared 
with hand power. We have always considered steam 
to ho objeel ioiiHble m <ur offioe, and for many yeara 
looked forward to the d y when wafer power cr gi s 
cou d bo utilised. Uufoiiuuatoly, the Water Supply 
