May i, 1 895. J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
745 
get, " Civis Britannicus " gets, a good deal of abuse 
into that compass, but not much information. As an 
instance of the unwisdom of these cheap attempts 
to tell the story of a great Colony in the brief 
space between ''dear sir" and "yours truly," 
I will take what he says about that party 
whose advent amongst us and whose battle cry 
"political purity" he cites in proof of our "shame- 
less corruption." Their battle cry, as he himself 
styles it, should have given him pause, and have 
caused him to do what he clearly has not done, en- 
quire into the history of the party. Battle cries, he 
might have reflected, are expx-essions of rage, not of 
reason, and are never to be taken, least of all in 
the political arena, as measuring the worth of the 
combatants. 
The only point of general interest raised by " Civis 
Britannicus" is the Rt. Hon. C. J. Rhodes — his 
character, aims and methods. "Well, sir, the man is 
big enough to be seen, his deeds are far-reaching 
enough to be felt even at this distance. Judge them 
for yourselves. And if you must have another 
man's opinion to lean on take neither mine nor 
C.B.'s, but rather Shakespeare's, — 
" Best 
Men are moulded out of faults, and become 
Much more the better for beim; a little bad." 
—I am, &c, j: DAVIS-ALLEN. 
THE YIELD OF TEA AND MANURING. 
Upcountry, April 11th. 
Dear Sir, — In one of your recent issues you ex- 
press surprise at the yield of tea not increasing more 
than it has done during the past season, notwith- 
standing the larger quantity of manure applied and 
the larger acreage coining into bearing. Judging from 
my own experience and my own neighbourhood, the 
cause is not far to seek. Those manuring heavily 
being content with the same or a slightly increased 
yield, so long as they can keep the price about level 
by finer plucking, the number of days between rounds 
being reduced from 10 to 12 to 8 to 10 and even less in 
good flushing weather. Two days of extra growth 
would make a vast difference in weight of leaf during 
the season. — Yours truly, 
AN OLD COFFEE STUMP. 
he bolts and gets readily taken on in another district, 
where, his new kangani will shield him" from pursuit 
xmd wheie he can run up a new bill for curry 
stuffs at the Bazaar, a new debt with his kangani, and 
take unto himself a new wife if he so desa-e it.' So 
the world goes merrily on for cooly and kangani and 
the planter is rapidly losing his hair with anxiety 
about that 12 day flush (" don't you know"?), and the 
proprietor gazes at his advance account growing 
yearly bigger, and the Inspector of Immigrants 
quietly draws his salary and remarks that two coolies 
are leaving the island this year to every one coming 
in, and the Chetty and Bazaar Toolican, and Afghan 
pedlar simply rake in the rupees, and every one has 
a good old time of it except the man who makes up 
the check roll, and that gets to wear a funnier "look 
every year with blank spaces on one side and rice 
debts on the other. 
Now this is all very intolerable. Let us have 
that Syndicate at once with every proprietor ' in 
the Island as shareholder. Let it engage as trust 
worthy agents as are to be got to ' canvas 
the labour districts. Let large Depots consist- 
ing of sheds surrounded with strong walls 
be made at Kandy, Colombo. Tuticorin, Madura and 
Puthu Cotta, and coolies recruited, money advanced 
agreements signed etc., and when once within the- 
Depot walls, the cooly would be under European super- 
vision and be forwarded at once to Ceylon. Arrived 
there he would be eared for in the Depot till his 
Dore arrived to take him to his destined estate, and 
so planters would get value for their money. ' 
I have found that sending money for coolies to 
the coast in these demoralized days is a fraud 
The Kangani takes his master's money and has a 
rare good spree at home, or he invests his money in 
a piece of land and returns with a cock and bull storv 
of cholera or the scarcity of coolies or crimping hav- 
ing deprived him of his men and what can you 'do 
to him ? Take him to Court and the magistrate 
laughs at you for having trusted a "cooly"! 
Planters 'pull together when they have to get a 
concession from Government, but in this case I doubt 
f anything will be done until matters reach even 
a worse pass than they are at present.— Your faith 
fully, NORTH OF KANDY 
THE SCARCITY OF LABOUR IN THE 
PLANTING DISTRICTS. 
Dear Sir, — I saw a correspondent in your paper 
the other day suggesting a Syndicate or Coy. being 
organized to import labour into the Colony. The 
idea is not a new one. It has been the subject of 
conversation at many a planter's bungalow for some 
time back. I firmly believe that such an organisa- 
tion must ere long be resorted to, or our labour 
force will become utterly demoralized. Look at the 
exodus of coolies to the coast this year exceeding 
by thousands the arrivals, and yet every planter 
is at his wit's end for labour and would not willingly 
let one cooly off the estate. Where are advances 
to end? I know for a fact that R2,500 has just 
been paid for 15 coolies to go from this district to 
D'koya, and I have no doubt there are Managers 
who could cap even this instance. Where does the 
money go? Into the hands of Chetties and traders 
of course who are simply coining money out of the 
planters and making hay while the sun shines. None 
of the above 45 coolies has any intention of paying 
oil" his debt, nor even curtailing his or her ex- 
penditure one cent in order to meet their liabilities. 
They will most of tliem go to Dikoya and turn 
out to a man for the first day, in order to 
get J bushel rice advance, then, one by one, 
they will drop off to ordinary routine of, wo- 
men to mostly work 5 days in the J bushel week 
and stay in the lines in the !; bushel week, 
ami men to work only when hunger forces 
them. If their kangani or Doro uses force to turn them 
out to work, or in any way interferes between the 
wind and their dignity it is " Hoity Toity I 1 want 
ray ' tundu.' " and if that bo not given, the kangani 
goes to Court and gives notice, or if it be a cooly 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
San Francisco, California, U.S.A., 5th March 1895 
My Dear Sir, — I enclose for nublieitim,/' 
copy of a letter I have addressed to the Delegates 
Mr BieS " °" at New Yo ^ '>-V 
We have been anxiously awaiting their advpni- 
and hope matters will move briskly once th. v f I 
operations, as there is much to be doae' and t 
j slips by incredibly fast. ' a " d tu,le 
As supporting my contention that the mover 
method to pursue m making our Teas known ° to 
interest the consumer first, the enclosed cuiti,,',, t 
the American Ororcr (the leading Tr7de ou™,[l S 
this country) is valuable. It shows that h \VI n. 
saler or Jobber will not keep what the St 3 
not ask for, neither will thi R e t£j? W^.&S 
what the consumer does not ask for. 
1 now To INTRODUCE GOODS 
*B(tfRS8g , '~ er - S « c °«eSvii Dealer. 
I And do it about the same time Tn rln in, 
but the other leaves out a link % the c i, "'u' ; 
less to attract, the consumer unless V ., ■' . "*''" 
depots are provided where the " ",Tl. ■ 'n Uo'^^ 
These are usually retail dealers • ,,, '"'J <''>t.m.ed. 
tail dealers direel, wholesale totrilmfcl? , 'r l®^^, 
of, and the current muhinerv of (1 stri nitfoT *niW, e ^ 
be found cheaper more .-Kveninu'- ; ^", l, > 
bay new and exclusive method A i..V, .. e,u,c , , . u '''Jin 
for a hundred manufacturer* to tU^^J$W m i 
less proportionate expense «!...,, i, i nl 1 
I fcUMM could reach them individu. lv " i , ,,,: ""''««". 
I retailers in, turn reach millions f ' ," ,„< , J . « '•" ft''"'* ••« 
tanjiot Win at the top. The coiisuiiw ■ , , ; ",' >"" 
So, in advertising address a , . e 
> mediums « hich th .-y read. Qlasses thrdtlgft 
