6 1 o 
trIE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. ^March i, i8 g5 . 
The Committee have sent a copy of your letter 
and of this communication to Mr. Blechynden with 
instructions to him to co-operate with Mr. Mackenzie, 
and my committee hope the two gentlemen will 
meet for that purpose. — I am, dear sir, yours faith- 
fully, (Signed) Ernest Tve, Secy. 
COFFEE : THE PAST SEASON AND 
FUTURE PROSPECTS. 
Upcountry, Jan. 30. 
Dear Sib, — In reporting a good coffee blossom 
last season I mentioned that I would let you know 
what the result would be, and although my field tor 
observation is a very small one. I now do so. 
King coffee has nearly completed his work for the 
season and has borne a good crop, (10 oz clean coffee 
per tree). He looked a good deal exhausted with the 
effort but is now recovering fast, although troubled 
with a fresh attack of both leaf disease and bug. 
The bushes allowed to grow at their own will have 
borne the best crop and have also stood the crop best. 
Those topped and those with suckers near the ground 
have suffered most, both from leaf disease and bug. 
The cause of this must be a question for experts, 
but may it not be that the roots of untopped trees 
have gone deeper or that the foliage is further off 
the ground — the bushes had no cultivation beyond weed- 
ing.— Yours truly, AN OLD COFFEE STUMP. 
MANURING. 
Upcountry, Feb. 18. 
Dear Sin, — Referring to your paragraph re 
manuring. I should be very grateful to any cor- 
respondent who could explain specifically the evils 
of manuring, beyond the obvious bugbear of in- 
creasing other people's production. — Yours faithfully, 
YOUNG PLANTER, 
WELL DONE KELANI VALLEY TEAS ! 
Degalesfa, Yatiyantota, Ceylon, Feb. 18. 
Sir, — Perhaps you did not notice that in Messrs. 
Gow, Wilson & Stanton's Tea Report of 25 Jan. 
received by last mail, this estate takes 4th place 
for price obtained for highest grade i.e. Is 3£d, 
not so bad for low-country out of a total offering 
at auction that day of 66,039 pckgs. — Yours &c. 
WM. MITCHELL, Manager, K. V. T. Asso. Ltd. 
COCONUT PLANTING. 
Feb. 21. 
Dear Sir, — How should coconuts be laid in nursery ; 
on side or end ? and kindly give the reason. — Yours 
faithfully, L. D. 
[We should prefer such authorities as Messrs. 
Jardine, Wright or Nicholas to answer this question, 
although as the young shoots come forth at one end, 
it seems to us obviously better to have that end up- 
permost— Ed. T.A.l 
RAINFALL IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 
AND THE MOON. 
Dear Sir, — Your article in Tuesday's Observer re- 
producing "Mr. G.J. Symons' F.R. S., Rainfall in 
the United Kingdom for 1894" is instructive, and 
should astonish the moon-weather mongers — if they 
would only study its significant story ; but perhaps 
different moons shine at Borrowdale in Cumberland 
with its 145 inches, and at Boston in Lincolnshire, 
with its 21 inches, to say nothing of the want of 
uniformity in the other fifty places named and re- 
corded. Y°t would the unsophisticated, untravelled 
peasantry of each and all these localities swear 
each by his own particular moon. Ignorance and 
superstition die hard ; but wide experience and 
Jong life should go far to kill them, if only 
intelligent observation went hand in hand with ex- 
perience, which we know in bo many instances it 
does not. "I don't know about the influence of 
the moon on the flushing of tea," said an old 
planter, the other day, " but I know the moon 
ripened the coffee, in old days." The fact is, he 
did not know anything about it. only llwut/lit he 
knew. Said another old planter: " the timber of trees cut 
in the moonshine won't keep : that's a fact well known," 
It is not known at all, only he thinks so ; because 
somebody else has said so, but nobody yet proved. 
And so the ball of error and credulity goes 
rolling along, the worst effect of which is that it 
shuts the minds of otherwise capable men np from 
the reception of truth. " Who does not know from 
his own experience how much faster both our nails 
and hair grow when we cut them during an increase 
of the moons phase, than when the moon is wan- 
ing?" Toaldo of Padua got his head filled with 
such rubbish as this, and though he worked hard 
and honestly at the subject, this preoccupation rob- 
bed his labor of all value. " Such minds," says 
Edward Clodd, " must be built in water-tight com- 
partments." 
Those of your readers who take an interest in the 
elucidation of such natural phenomen will regret to 
see that "Jaffna College" is leaving na, ana that 
his valuable contributions to our knowledge are 
likely to cease. I regret it for one, and beg to wish 
him God speed : I, too, retire now into my pris- 
tine obscurity and for the last time sign 
ONE INTERESTED. 
VARIOUS PLANTING NOTES. 
The Season is Madras — Yesterday the Board of 
Revenue telegraphed to the Government of India for 
the week ending the 16th inst., as follows : — "Slight 
showers in Ganjam and Vizagapatara. Water-supply 
is insufficient except in the Circars. Agricultural 
operations continue. Standing crops are fair, but 
suffering in many Districts from drought. Harvest 
continues with fair outturn. Pasture and fodder are 
growing scarce in parts. Prices have risen in Tri- 
chiuopoly and Tinnevelly, but nearly steady or falling 
elsewhere." 
Prosperous Tea Companies. — Anoth er pa^e 
contains the Reports of no less than four Plan- 
tation Companies for which Messrs. Whittall & 
Co. are Secretaries and Agents, and in regard 
to which meetings were held today and dividends 
declared. These latter are most satisfactory as 
may be seen from this summary : — 
Glasgow Company (earned 31 per cent, last half year) 
Declares for the year 18J p. c. dividend. 
Agra-Uva Company Do. 16 Do. 
We-oya „ Do. 20 „ 
Yatiantota „ Do. 25 „ 
Nor are the prospects at all less satisfactory as 
may be judged from the following estimates: — 
1895— Estimated 
Tea Crop Coffee Expenditure. 
Glasgow Company lb. 205,000 bushels 500 RG0,500 
Agra-Uva „ ,. 160,000 „ 1000 R60.901 
We-oya „ „ 170,000 R38.252 
Yatiantota „ „ 275,000 R57,OO0 
The wonderfully low scale of expenditure in pro- 
portion to crops for the latter two low-country 
Companies will be noted ; but on the other hand 
the teas of the first two (Dinibula) Companies 
must realize a higher average price, and there is 
also expenditure on coffee. We heartily congra- 
tulate Directors, Managers and Share] lolders in 
these four Companies on the splendid results 
achieved — standing as they do in such special con- 
trast to those for the unfortunate Tea Company 
whose affairs were discussed only yesterday ; 
but for which we trust there is a better time 
in prospect, 
