Sept. i, i8 94 .j THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
One of the most interesting contributions ever 
made by Mr. A. Brown for the Observer— written 
in 1867 at our request— was contained in a couple of 
chapterson "The Vicissitudes of Coffee Estates," 
all taken from his own experience. No romance 
could imagine stranger ups and down. Here are a 
few specimens, all containing statements of fact : — 
REMINISCENCES OF A PLANTER, ON THE 
VICISSITUDES OF COFFEE ESTATES 
IN CEYLON. 
THUTH ST11ANGER THAN FICTION. 
[From the " Observer" of June 17th, 1867.'] 
I could, as you suggest, by raking up my Remi- 
niscences of the last 20 years, give you some curious 
facts illustrative of the unsettled and changeable value 
of Coffee Properties iu Ceylon. This arises too from 
a variety of causes, frequently of a description over 
which neither buyer nor seller can have any control nor 
with which the character or condition of the Estate 
lias anything to do. A run upon a District or a run 
from it, may raise or depress the value of Properties. 
An incursion of rats, or an invasion of bug, may 
depreciate to an extent hardly credible a very tine 
Plantation. A scarcity of money here or at home or 
a fall in the market, will lessen to an equal extent 
the worth of an Estate, while a panic will sometimes 
depreciate it in much greater proportion, On the other 
hand, a bumper crop, a beautiful looking Estate, a 
convenient locality, or a favorite mark, will, in an 
equal ratio, secure it a fancy price. 
Example No. 1. 
Consisting of about 100 acres old coffee and some 
300 acres jungle and abandoned land, was, when I 
Brst knew it, leased by two gentlemen for £5 a year, 
at which rental they lost money! It was afterwards 
purchased by one of them for £15, was partially 
manured and sold within a year for £700! In a few 
months more it changed hands again at £1,200! Sub- 
sequently it was bought for £1,000 aud by the same 
party sold after a year's working, with a very showy 
crop on the trees, for £0,000! Of this price, £3,000 
was paid in cash and, the buyer failing, the seller took 
it back for the other £3,000, — then leascj it to another 
party for ten years at £000 a year. That party failing 
during his lease, it was sold for something under 
£3,000. 
No. 2. 
In the same district, and on the high road, containing 
about 100 acres good old coffee, considerably neglected; 
10> I more, abandoned; and probably 300 good stan- 
ding forest, — was sold or rather thrown away for 
£100. After a few months it changed hands at £700. 
Again in two years it brought £11,000. It has since 
ruined the last buyers, and were it in the market now, 
might not probably bring £7,000. 
No. 3, 
Containing about 800 acres fine forest, was opened 
iu a new district, upwards of twenty years ago. 
Shortly after, with about 00 acres good coffee, it was 
sold for £800. Neglected again and almost abandoned 
il sold for £"200: the district was then decried and 
deserted. It was re-opened up to about 000 acres, 
bj the purchaser at £2u0, who then sold and retired 
With about £10,000 in his pocket, the result of the 
cultivation of that property. It has since, when move 
enlarged, and improved, changed hands at £28,000 
and the district is now one of the most favoured in 
tin- countrv. 
No. 4, 
Contained 100 acres very fine coffee, and about 000 
excellent forest — but the bug had clung to the Estate 
for several years, and shortened its crops. It was also 
in a district far from a shipping port, and then 
consequently in low repute, although now a favourite 
district. It was sold at Fiscal's sale for £300. Two 
years afterwards it changed hands at £700. It was 
opened up to 200 acres by the new purchaser, who 
after several vears' working and it having cleared 
itself, sold it" for £10,000. 
No. 6. 
Containing 120 acres coffee and 89 forest, was a 
perfect picture of a place — and was like an oasis in 
the desert: the only estate then in its district that 
had not been in whole or in part abandoned. Tho 
district itself being very much blown was much ruu 
down, and almost deserted. 
It has since rallied — many sheltered nooks having 
been found iu it. It is believed in again, and now 
contains some of the finest estates in the country. 
The one hi question, at the date of my first acquaintance 
with it, was bought for £3,000. It was perfectly- 
clean, and in fine order ; but bug unfortunately 
overrau it, aud hugged it closely for several years. 
The proprietor fearing it would never leave him, sold 
the property for £1,700. 80 acres were added to it 
by the new proprietor. The bug left the estate ; but 
it had no roads, no permanent buildings. He however, 
binding the lessee to erect these and manure the whole 
estate, leased it out shortly after for 10 years at 
£1,000 per annum. This lease is still running. 
No. 9. 
was conveniently situated iu what was then thought 
a good district. It contained about 100 acres of coffee 
and 00 good forest. In 1840 £0,000 were offered and 
refused for this property. Yet in 1848 it was knocked 
down at public auction for £200 and everybod}' thought 
the purchaser had made his fortune. But it was not 
so. His first crop sold iu London at 30s per cwt. 
and after working the Estate with great economy for 4 
years and planting up the spare land, he cleared out 
of it with a loss of £400. Those were ticidish times 
and bold was the man who ventured to open new 
laud then. An Estate was valued exactly in proportion 
to its immediate returns — coffee in cultivation only 
being counted ; and no allowance whatever made for 
available land were it ever so good or so extensive. 
No. 11. 
Iu the same district and about the same period an 
Estate all in cultivation but neglected, sold for £200 
— the roof on the Store was worth all the money. 
But such was the prevailing distrust and impeeuniosity 
that few cared to attend such sales ; but those who 
did so, frequently came in for bargains. This was a 
case in point. It was purchased by a native of small 
means then, but who afterwards (dating his rise from 
that purchase) became in his own particular sphere 
a star of the first magnitude — became owner of many 
and varied properties ; but who becoming infected with 
a speculative mania, bought at every sale on chance 
lands of which he knew nothing, till one day ho 
bought too much: and his decadence was then more 
rapid than his ascent. This estate after many years 
of good bearing aud remunerative crops, was sold last 
year for £7,000. 
No. 14. 
Situated in the once despised district before alluded 
to contained about 800 acres of land of which 200 
or thereabouts had been planted with coffee aud on 
which the proprietors, both resident but inexperienced 
had expended of their own money £8, 000, and as much 
more as they could draw from their agents, before 
the crash of 1848 put drawing beyond their reach 
The estates adjoined and were within (i miles of a 
great trunk ro.id. The soil was excellent and tho 
coffee grew remarkably well. Most of the remaining 
Forest was available. Sold by auction at the above 
panic period they realised £220. They have since 
been worked up— have yielded good crops— and are 
now worth probably from £10-to £12,OOo. 
No. 10. 
£200 was tho purchase price in 1802 of 1,000 acres 
of laud, forest aud old chena, of which 200, or there- 
about had been spoiled by having been made into a 
Coffee Estate. It had been badgered, neglected and 
abandoned at a cost to its former Proprietor of £G 000. 
Tho Proprietor spent an equal sum in trying to 
reclaim the oldlaqd and then discovered that "it would. 
