2l8 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept,  i,  1892. 
ion,  who,  referring  specially  to  tea,  gave  an  ac- 
count of  what  had  been  done  to  win  over  the 
Americans  to  the  Ceylon  product  and  of  the  pro- 
epeots  of  the  Exhibition.  Mr.  D.  Mokbis  followed 
in  a very  practical  interesting  address  : be  criticised 
and  took  exception  to  some  of  the  statements  in 
reference  to  West  Indian,  as  compared  with  Ceylon 
cocoa;  he  thought  more  might  have  been  said 
about  the  coconut  as  a promising  product  for 
planters,  and  also  in  reference  to  Ceylon  that 
Europeans  might  go  in  for  rice  cultivation ; but 
Ceylon  planters  really  required  to  pass  a 
self-denying  ordinance  to  prevent  their  going 
too  far  with  any  one  product  in  the  future 
as  in  the  past.  Mr.  Morris  referred  in  an  ap- 
preciative and  interesting  way  to  his  own  experience 
of  the  planters  in  Ceylon,  as  also  to  his  stay  in 
the  West  Indies  ; and  he  specially  returned  thanks 
for  the  references  to  the  good  work  of  “ Kew  ” 
and  said  how  ready  they  were  always  to  aid  the 
tropical  planter.  By  the  way  he  mentioned 
“ arnotto  ” as  a minor  product  of  which  a certain 
supply  had  always  come  from  the  West  Indies, 
but  now  the  market  for  this  was  destroyed, 
through  Ceylon  operations  (chiefly  I fancy  through 
the  work  and  invention  in  better  ouring  of  poor 
Borron).  Mr.  Morris  paid  a high  compliment  to 
our  Tropical  Agriculturist , Planting  Manuals  and 
other  works  as  helping  to  develop  enterprise  not 
only  in  Ceylon,  but  all  round  the  world.  Sir  Arthur 
Gordon  oame  next  with  a vote  of  thanks  to  ihe 
leoturer  expressed  in  gratifying  terms  : he  fur- 
ther pleaded  that  the  planters  of  Ceylon  should 
carefully  consider  the  danger  once  more  of  haying 
“ all  their  eggs  in  one  basket  ” and  the  advantage 
rather  of  at  least  “ two  strings  to  their  bow  ” — 
that  cultivation  should  be  diversified  even  on  tea 
plantations,  and  he  also  advocated  further  atten- 
tion in  the  lowcountry  to  coconut  cultivation. — 
Mr.  Epps  came  next  with  information  about  the 
different  kinds  “Cacao”  and  “Coca”  which  was 
of  muoh  interest  : he  referred  to  my  quotation 
from  Berlhelink’s  book  wbioh  he  had  before  him 
and  did  not  think  his  couleur  de  rose  statements  as 
to  the  great  age  to  whion  cacao  trees  would  live 
aud  bear  profitably,  could  be  depended  on.  He 
said  that  Trinidad  and  Ceylon  coooa  were  each 
good  in  their  way  and  were  used  for  different 
purposes  and  he  deprecated  the  oriticism  of  the 
mode  of  preparing  the  former.  Mr.  Barber  came 
next  with  reasons,  from  his  own  experience,  why 
planters  were  not  likely  to  do  much  in  extending 
rioe  or  palm  culture.  (Mr.  Barber  tells  me  that 
Mr.  Seneviratne  was  ready  to  speak  in  support  of 
his  views  had  time  permitted.)* 
Our  meeting  beginning  at  2 p.m,  was  to  be  followed 
by  one  in  the  Ceylon  Association  Boom  at  3-30  to  have 
* Mr.  Barber  writes  to  me: — “I  ventured  28  years 
ago  at  Kegalla  with  200  acres.  But  the  enemies, — 
poroupines,  white  ants,  and  beetles,  gave  me  eucta  a 
lively  time,  that  I never  went  into  coconuts  again 
after  J got  rid  of  that  property.  Besides  ooconuts, 
to  pay,  should  be  cultivated  in  the  approved  native 
style,  that  is  al'otments  of  small  acreage  should  be 
given  out  to  small  cultivators  to  plant  what  they 
like  while  looking  after  the  place  for  yon  gratis  for 
a number  of  years,  at  the  end  of  which  time  you 
pay  them  a rupee  per  tree,  or  even  lees.  After  such 
an  exhaustive  lecture  as  yours,  I was  surprised  any- 
thing could  be  said  over  and  above  offering  jouthe 
meed  of  praise  in  terms  of  unqualified  thankfulness. 
For  if  it  came  to  rice  and  coconuts  or  even  the 
commodities  commonly  vended  bv  the  poor  inhabitants 
of  Kotta,  who  hawked  them  from  door  to  door, 
I am  sure  you  could  treble  the  subject  with 
truthfulness  and  interest.  Mr.  Seneviratne  fold  my 
nephew  be  was  glad  I corrected  Morris.  If  he  bad 
an  opportunity  ho  would  have  said  as  much.” 
Mr.  Grinlinton’s  report ; so  the  time  being  up,  several 
had  to  leave.  A vote  of  thanks  to  Sir  A N.  Birch 
was  moved  by  a member  of  Council  whose  name 
I did  not  catch,  and  duly  seconded. 
It  was  a very  pleasant  meeting  and  talking  with 
old  friends  after  the  meeting,  amoDgthe  rest  Mr. 
Morris,  and  Mr.  E.  S.  Dull,  who  looks  wonderfully 
fresh  and  hearty,  notwithstanding  his  white  whiskers. 
He  hopes  to  visit  Ceylon  this  winter  and  he  en- 
joyed my  remark  that  I must  get  the  “ senior 
editor  ” to  visit  once  more  England  and  America, 
and  travel  with  him. 
I omitted  in  the  proper  place  to  say  that  in 
acknowledging  the  vote  of  thanks  and  the  bind 
things  said,  I referred  to  Mr.  Morris’s  remarks 
about  “ rice,"  and  pointed  out  that  my  paper  was 
confined  to  products  exported  to  Minoing  Lane,  or 
I could  have  noticed  other  palms  (such  as  areoa, 
kitul,  palmyra,  &c.)  and  minor  products  ; that 
for  this  reason  of  a home  market  even  the  coconut 
produce  was  Dot  in  high  request,  and  that  in 
respect  of  his  own  and  Mr.  Epps’  criticism  I could 
only  quote  what  Dr.  Trimen  said  in  his  last  report 
in  reference  to  the  frequent  inquiries  he  had  from 
the  West  Indies  about  the  superiorit)  of  Ceylon 
“ coooa,”  that  he  oould  only  put  it  down  to  the 
better  and  more  careful  preparation.  By  the  way 
had  there  been  time,  Mr.  A.  Ross  would  have  also 
offered  a correction  from  his  own  knowledge,  of 
some  remarks  offered  about  the  West  Indian  mode 
of  preparation. 
CONSTITUENTS  OF  TEA  AND  CACAO. 
P.  S. — The  accompanying  letter  from  Mr.  Hughes 
will  be  read  with  interest  and  no  doubt  will  be 
oerefully  considered  by  you  : — 
Analytical  Laboratory,  79,  Mark  Lane, 
London,  E.C.,  July  26th. 
I send  you  the  following  figures  which  will  prove 
that  cacao  as  a crop  is  not  so  exhausting  as  tea. 
1,000  lb.  weight  of  Trinidad  cacao  seed,  as  removed 
from  the  pods,  contains  as  follows  : — 
Nitrogen  23§  lb. 
Potash  10j  ,, 
Phosphoric  acid  8§  „ 
Lime  2§  „ 
whereas  1,000  lb.  of  made  tea  contains 
Nitrogen  45  lb. 
Potash  22  ,, 
Phosphoric  acid  8 ,, 
Lime  2J  ,, 
From  the  above  results  it  will  be  seen  that  cacao  as 
a crop  cannot  be  considered  as  exhausting  as  tea. 
The  principal  mineral  constituent  in  both  cacao 
aud  tea  is  potash,  hence  the  importance  of  the  soils 
selected  being  as  rich  as  possible  in  this  particular 
mineral  constituent  is  very  obvious.  I should  imagine 
that  cacao  soils  should  be  generally  a rich  loam 
capable,  under  favourable  climatic  conditions,  of  pro- 
ducing crops  of  good  quality  for  a great  number  of 
years  with  but  little  manure. 
I believe  it  will  be  found  that  tea  will  require 
manuring,  if  estates  are  to  keep  up  their  yield  of 
made  tea  of  good  quality  ; but  that  cacao  if  planted 
in  naturally  good  and  suitable  soil  will  continue  in 
a flourishing  condition  and  yield  well  for  many  years 
without  any  manure  whatever. 
I should  like  to  have  made  the  above  remarks  at 
yesterday's  meeting  when  your  interesting  paper  was 
read  at  the  Chamber  of  Commerce,  but  there  was 
no  time  ; so  I have  thought  it  well  to  put  them  in 
writing. — Yours  very  sincerely,  John  Hughes. 
CULTIVATION  OF  COCOA  IN  CUBA. 
The  French  Consul  at  Santiago,  in  a report  to 
his  Government,  says  that  the  cultivation  of  cocoa 
is  closely  connected  in  Cuba  with  that  of  coffee, 
and  is  carried  on  at  the  same  time  and  on  the 
same  properties.  In  fact  every  coffee  planter,  if 
the  nature  of  the  soil  permits  him  to  do  so,  sows 
