Nov. v 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
349 
FRUIT CULTURE IN CEYLON- 
Oct, 13. 
Dear Sir,— It is interesting to read Planter's 
letter (on page 348) wherein he states that two 
mandarin orange trees gave in 1891 25,000 oranges 
That this is within the limit is supported by 
Bentley in his Manual of Botany where he says :— 
"The orange tree is remarkable for the enormous 
number of fruits, it is capable of yielding : thus, one 
tree will sometimes prodace as many aB 20 000 
good oranges." 
In your artiole drawing attention to Planter's 
letter you riglrly reoommend the value of oranges 
and also mention figs. 
I do not know many fruits that are more enjoy- 
able than green figs. But they are hardly ever seen 
in Ceylon ! Why ?— Yours truly, DIMBULA. 
HORSES AND BAD GEASS. 
Deau Sir, — Owners of horses in Ceylon must be 
thankful that there is such a plentiful supply of 
water grass (Panicum mole) to be had at a very small 
oost, so that they have no necessity to ask Govern- 
ment for grass farms, as their brethren in Bengal and 
Bangalore have to do- The majority of the Ceylon 
horses are fed on water grass but there are some who 
prefer to feed their animals on Katu-pillu or jungle 
grass, wbioh is sopplie 1 by Tamil women — but this is 
not unattended by a certain amount of risk, for during 
long periods of d r ought as the present season, the 
jungle grass is quite parched and dry and there is 
not a single bla.'e to be seen — the grass women 
then report to the subterfuge of mixing Btora 
(Panicum repens) with tho dry shoots o: the jungle 
grass. Etora a:th"Ugh suitable pasture for bullo'ks is 
unwholesome for horses and in more oases than sre 
suspected, have horses diei of gripe, due solely to this 
oanse. 
Mauritius or Guinea grass (Panicum maximum) 
suits horses very well, but it is not easily procurable 
in Colombo, as it is seldom grown by natives, and 
land owners do not care to plant it because it im- 
poverishes their soil. 
It it wonderful to observe how well native cattle 
thrive on the dry parched plains of Hambantota where 
there is not a single green blade to be sfen. Whilst 
on a shooting expedition in that distriot I was struck 
with this and it excite * my curiosity so much that I 
made it a point to observe closely, the cattle aotually 
dig for fodder ; within half an inch of the surface of 
the ground there are rich succulent roots of gra*s (cot 
unlike asparagus !) very sweet and nutritious, on this 
these poor animals live and thrive and yield excellent 
milk. C. A. C. 
BIG WATER WHEELS. 
Dear Sir, — The following on the water wheel 
of '' The Clyde Sugar Refining Co - ," Grer-nock, which 
runs the Lixey wheel very close, may interest you. 
I went to see it last year when visiting the Clyde, 
and the Manager very kindly got the enclosed 
particulars copied out for mo. You will observe, 
though the diameter of Laxey wheel is 2' 
greater than tho ono at Greenock, it only represents 
160 H.P. against -'30.— Yours truly, 
PLANTER, 
Description op Water Wheel. 
The wheel was constructed by Mr. Smith of 
Deanston in 1811. The arches and foundations con- 
sist of 5,000 tons of dressed masorry, the stones 
forming it being from I to 10 tons in weight. The 
wheel is 70 feet 2 in. in diameter, or 220ft. 6 in. in 
circumference and 12ft. wide. Tie shrouding is 17 
ins. deep of oast iron in 104 pieces, and is formed 
into 1G0 buckets each containing 100 gallons or 1,000 
lb. of wivtor. The wheel is constructed on the ten- 
sion principlo, having 33 arms 2i in. diameter and 
an equal number of diagonal braces of similar dia- 
meter. The axle is 11 ton-) in weight, fitted with 
2 centres 10 ft. in diameter, each weighing 8£ tons. 
The tooihed segments are 32 in number, containng 
in all 704 teeth. The pinion gearing into same is 
18 ft. 3 in. diame'er, weighs 23 tons. The pitch velo- 
city of this pinion is 600 feet per minute. The 
pinion and main shaft into mill weighs 13 tons. The 
main bearings of wheel are 24 in. long by 18 in. 
diameter. The wheel weighs 117 tons, makes one 
turn a minute and indicated 230 horse power. The 
iron plates forming sole of wheel are fixed by 20,000 
rivets. The water is from the Shaws Water Works 
at Loch Thorn, the supply being 1,200 cubic feet per 
minute for twelve hours per day during 310 days per 
year. 
TAX ON PLANTING EXTENSIONS. 
Dear Sir, — " An Old Coffee Stump " is quite right 
to object to any new tax. I don't suppose that a 
tax on Extensions is possible unless it is included in 
one on tea "area" as distinguished from tea in its 
commercial form. The Indian Assoc'ations pay a 
fix^d sum per acre, as well as per pouud, so that new 
extnnsions are taxed. The amount (*b ut 6 pies per 
acre) is not large, but it falls only on those who 
belong to the Association. In Ceylon you tax alt, and 
so a tax per acre would really be lair all rounl. At 
present you tar your tea for the purpose of miking 
new markets for new extensions, which are exempt 
from taxation for that purpose; and in my letter of 
the 18tb ultimo my words were "the amount should 
lbesuffioient to defray all oampaign expenses." Theore- 
Btioaly the idea is just; those who now joiu in and 
rup he advantage of the work done by their prede- 
cesso should be made to pay for their advantages. 
In f*o up to now tea proprietors may be called the 
Pioneers of tea. and the? have to make room for 
those who wait to profit umii there ii litt.l • risk in 
their venture. I r*t>>er dispute the i^ea. that pu'ting 
a check on Cey'on Extension ; will give a premium 
to other producers, beoause outride extension will be 
lim'ted by no other factors than " outlet " and 
" labour" the first will put a check on profits and 
the second on the possibility of extending. Oat- 
eiders might make more, but Ceylon would make no 
less, if Tea Extension was prohibited, and I take 
the word " premium " to mean advantage gained at 
the expense of Ceylon. As a prohibitive tax is rot 
possible, it is not wor'h discussing, but the plsu of 
taxing extensions to the same extent as vielding tea 
area, and by this means forcing them to join the 
Association might be worth considering, and seems 
equitable. It would no doubt be advantageous to 
India to find means of forcing al' rs'ates to joia the 
Associations for auy purpose particularly that of 
subscribing to new market funds. In Ceylon you 
have done so, only leaving out exteasions. Iu India 
there is a severe tax on exle sious wbioh is levied 
by almost weighing tho timber on the grants, and 
charging full rates for it. There might be many other 
meaus of ohecking extension until new markets have 
been opened out, and then the bonds coul 1 be relaxed by 
the powers that imp ised taem. And it must not ba 
forgotten that extensions work prejudicially in both 
directions, by lessening prioes, aud alio by enl a' cing 
the rates for labour. The big capitalist o«n extend 
even now with equanimitv, because he c<n hffor 1 to 
wait till we are ousted, he oan pay more for the 
already limited labour supply, aud he can oommaud 
the markets with large quantities of tea. 
A. V. S. P. 
Si al Fibre. — It is pointed out by an English 
paper that rather too much has been said on 
behalf of Sir Ambrose Shea, and not sufficient 
oredit given to Sir Henry Blake for the efforts 
made by them in the development of the Sisal 
industry of lha Bahamas. Each of these should 
be credited with a share of the merit attaohing 
0 the good work. — Jamaica Post, Sept. 1; 
