792 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June i, 1895. 
DOUBLE, OR MANY-HEADED COCONUT 
PALMS IN CEYLON. 
We have referred from time to time to two 
double-headed palms— one at Dehiwela and one 
near the Mount Lavinia Hotel — hearing fruit 
usually on each of their heads. We have also 
described the four-headed or candelabra palm 
along the coach road to Chilaw near Marawila, 
which we inspected in June last. There used 
to be a famous (? five-headed) one in or near 
Negombo town and another in the Racquet 
Court, Colombo ; hut we fear both have dis- 
appeared. From a well-informed Sinhalese gentle- 
man we have obtained the following list, and 
we shall be glad to receive any well-authenticated 
additions to the same : — 
Double, or Many-Headed Coconut Trees in Ceylon. 
1. At Minuwangoda, Alutkuru Korale, Negombo 
District, in the garden called Ambegahawatte, with 3 
branches. 
2. Alongside the Madampitiya road near Green 
Lodge, close to the junction of the Madampitiya 
road with Skinner's road, 5 heads. 
3. Near the house lately occupied by Mr. Law, 
close to the Dehiwela station, 2 branches. 
4. Close to the Kotahena Cathedral with 2 heads. 
5. Close to the Moratuwa railway station at 
Koralewella (I have not seen the tree.) 
6. Near Akbar's mill, Negombo, 2 branches. 
7. Between the high road and Mount Lavinia 
Hotel at Galkissa, 2 heads. 
[Further inquiries are being made and informa- 
tion will be forwarded when received. — Cor.] 
PLANTING IN SUMATRA. III. 
A TEA KITCHEN FOR ESTATE COOLIES. 
Let me commend to the notice of the Kelany 
Valley and Kalutara Planters, yea, and even to 
those of Galle and Matara also, 
THE TEA KITCHEN 
mentioned in my last letter. Here the coat is as follows 
for 200 coolies : seven packets per day at five cents 
per packet, equal to 35 cents. Add one cooly's wages 
for the month $6, and the only other expense you 
have is to buy an old second-hand asphalt cauldron. 
The tea supplied here is a low-class China red-leaf 
which has already been infused oiice at lea.it. Your 
Geylon red-leaf, Congou or Fannings, would cost 
only the wages of a cooly to boil and distribute 
the drinks. Mark this also. Where tea is freely 
given to the coolies in the field twice a day, 
there is practically no fever I The coolies of course 
do not know what a boon it is from a health point 
ef view, but they will swarm to an estate where they 
get free drinks. 
It is interesting to note the difference of treat- 
merit of 
SICK COOLIES 
in different countries. For my part, I can 
conceive of nothing more calculated to promote 
the entente cordiale between master and man than 
the old patriarchal system as it existed in 
Ceylon, until it was ruined by the Medical 
Aid Ordinance. It is certainly not fair to 
blame Sir William Gregory for this measure. 
It was, as fas as I can see, a crusade on the 
part of the Hysterical Brigade at Home against 
the Brutal Planter. The Hysterical Brigade brought 
pressure to bear on the Indian Government. The 
pressure was passed on to Ceylon, and pig had to 
get over the stile or they would not have got home 
that night ! * 
* Our correspondent is wrong here : not a whisper 
came from home— the Ordinance was forced on by 
" Logie Elpbinstone " and other good-hearted old 
planters who were shocked at the disregard of coolies' 
health shown by many of the youngsters who came 
outf and rushed into Dimbula, Dikoya and Maskeliya 
iu the " Seventies. "-3Jp. T,A, 
In the Malay Peninsula, Tamil labour is indentured 
and in addition to the Doctor, the struggling planter 
has to deal with the Protector of Immigrants or 
Immigration Agent. I believe at one time the planters 
contemplated asking the Bishop to be allowed to 
add a verse to the Litany : — 
" From the Immigration Agent 
Good Lord deliver us." 
On an official visit, not only the t>ick coolies are 
called; but every indentured cooly must appear be- 
fore the officials : and it is a fact that there are 
officials who will tout among the coolies for com- 
plaints against their master ! Thin in the interet>tti 
of what Mr. Midshipman Easy would call Zeal ' 
In Java I only came across men working with 
free labour : daily payment ; and the man could go 
home every evening after receiving his pay ; 
and on the morrow work on the next estate 
if he liked. (This only refers to a small 
portion of Java that I know personally.) Under 
such circumstances, should a sick man come up for 
medicine, no enquiry is made as to what is bis ail- 
ment: but " Garam Imyjris " is the order: and the 
poor wTetch is sent away after having been forced 
to swallow sufficient Epsom Salts to blow both trunk 
and tail off an elephant, the planter remarking " I 
don't think that son of a stuffed monkey will trouble 
me again lor medicine," or words to that effect. 
In Sumatra the Javanese labour is all indentured 
under advances. Hence you have a well equipped 
dispensary, a sick-roll twice a day inspected and 
physicked by the P.D. and a pocket doctor who 
visits once a fortnight : but mercifully for the planter, 
he is not possessed of official authority as in Ceylon 
and the Straits ! More to follow. 
THE INDIAN TEA CROP FOR 1895-96. 
It will be seen from the following extract from 
the circular of 17th April of Messrs. Wm. 
Moran & Co., that the total Indian Tea Crop for 
the current year is estimated at 140,390,520 lb. 
Against realized in 1894-5 ... 127,127,215,, 
Estiniatedlncrea.se ... ... 13,263,305,, 
The exports to the United Kingdom are estim- 
ated at 126$ million lb., against 116,105,868 lb. 
in 1894-5, or over 10 million lb. increase. This 
is not out of the way. We quote as follows : — 
Since our last, reports from the districts have, 
on the whole, been far from favorable. Although 
fair rain has fallen in parts of Assam and Cachar, 
from Sylhet, Darjeeling, the Dooars and the Terai 
the news that continues to arrive is anything but 
satisfactory. The following is the estimate of tbe 
crop of the coming season as given by the General 
Committee of the Indian Tea Association, from 
which it will be seen that an export of 126J 
millions to Great Britain is anticipated ; being an 
increase of 10 millions as compared with that of the 
season just closed. 
Original Estimate of Crop of 1895. 
lb. 
Assam . . * i 
57,531,490 
Cachar . . . . 
19,405,880 
Sylhet 
22.272,9uu 
Darjeeling .. 
8,069,210 
Terai 
3,176.000 
Dooars 
19,854,240 
Chittagong 
842.000 
Chota-Nagpore 
238,800 
Kangra 
3,000,000 
Dehra Dun and Kumaon 
2,000,000 
Private and native Gardens . 
4,000,000 
140,390,520 
being 13,263,305 lb. over the actual outturn of the 
crop of 1894. Estimating shipments to the Colonies 
and other Ports with local consumption at 14 millions, 
there will remain about 126J million lb. for export 
to Great Britain. 
