346 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov.  i,  1S92. 
“ Manuals  on  Tea,  Coconuts,  Cacao,  Rubber, 
their  Cultivation,  &c.”  Compiled  by  A.  M.  & J. 
Ferguson.  [John  Had  don  & Co.,  London.] 
“ The  Tropical  Agriculturist,”  for  Planters,  pub- 
lished monthly.  Compiled  by  A.  M.  & J.  Ferguson,. 
Colombo,  Ceylon.  [John  Haddon  & Co.,  and  al1 
publishers,  London.] 
THE  PALMIRAH  PALM  AND  THE  FIBRE 
INDUSTRY. 
* * * 
The  history  of  the  industry  is  briefly  told.  It 
was  started  in  the  beginning  of  1891.  Mr.  Ap- 
pleby, an  Agent  of  the  firm  of  Messrs.  Vavasseur 
& Co.  of  Colombo,  came  to  Jaffna  and  instructed 
the  people  how  to  make  fibre  from  the  stalks  of 
the  palmyra  tree.  The  industry  was  altogether 
a new  one ; but  considering  the  short  time  that 
has  elapsed  since  it  was  started,  it  has  attained  very 
large  proportions.  It  has  no  doubt  broughtlarge  sums 
of  money  into  the  Province  and  benefited  numerous 
classes  of  the  indigent  population.  The  quantity  of 
palmyrah  fibre  shipped  from  the  different  ports  of 
Jaffna  during  1891  was  450  tons  and  its  value  over 
11122,000.  But  the  continuance  of  the  industry  can- 
not any  longer  be  countenanced.  The  process  of 
tearing  away  the  stalks  has  already  proved  detrimental 
to  a very  large  number  of  the  trees.  We  have  from 
lime  to  time  pointed  out  Ihe  danger  of  extirpation 
with  which  the  palm  is  threatened.  Not  long  ego, 
we  quoted  the  remarks  which  Dr.  Trimen  made,  in 
his  report  on  the  Botanical  Gardens,  on  the  trade 
on  palmyrah  fibre,  which  had  epruDg  up  in  Jaffna. 
In  the  Report  on  Forest  Conservancy,  Mr.  A,  M. 
Walker  makes  a few  observations  which  are  V6ry 
pertinent.  He  says  that  what  is  sought  for  is  the 
petiole  of  the  leaf  and  only  the  ends  of  old  leaves 
which  have  already  dropped  should  be  stripped  ; but 
the  people  in  their  greed  for  money  pull  off  stalks 
which  have  not  died  off  completely  and  thus  the  naked 
stems  of  the  palms  are  exposed  prematurely  and  many 
trees  die  off.  Mr.  Walker  hopes  that  in  Crown  lands 
at  least  aobeck  would  be  given  to  the  New  trade  and 
that  only  trees  which  would  any  how  be  felled  for 
their  timber,  will  be  stripped  of  tbeir  leaves.  Mr. 
Twynam  in  bis  report  on  the  Northern  Province 
refers  to  the  ruthless  destruction  of  palmyrah  trees 
consequent  on  the  rew  industry.  He  says  that  as 
many  as  one  thousand  trees  has  been  destroyed  in 
the  island  of  Eluvativoe  alone  by  the  stalks  being 
torn  off.  Mr.  Twynam  has  we  think  but  done  his  duty 
in  calling  the  serious  attention  of  the  G overnment  to 
the  recklessness  with  whioh  the  palm  is  attaoked. 
Well  has  Mr.  Twynam  said  that  it  would  be  a bad 
day  for  the  Northern  Province  when  the  palmyrah 
palm  is  killed  out.  We  cannot  but  echo  bis  senti- 
ments. For  ages  past  the  palmyrsh  has  been  an 
important  food  and  timber  yielder  to  the  people  of 
this  Province.  To  as  many  as  three-fourths  of  the 
local  population  it  is  the  mainstay.  The  produce  of 
the  palm  and  the  uses  to  which  it  is  put  are  so  many 
and  varied  that  the  Tamil  proverb  pays  that  the 
palmyrah  benefits  its  grower  a thousand  years  during 
its  lifetime  and  a thousand  years  after  its  death. 
The  products  of  the  palmyrah  are  numerous  and  they 
are  so  well  known  to  our  readers  tha'  we  think  it  need- 
less for  us  to  enumerate  them.  Of  these  products 
there  hes  been  an  extensive  trade  in  Jaggery  and  tim- 
ber with  Southern  India.  During  the  last  two  years 
however  there  has  been  a decrease  in  the  export  of 
these  articles.  The  obvious  reason  is  that  the 
fibre  industry  by  damaging  the  trees  for  imme- 
diate profits  has  seriously  affected  the  export  trade 
with  India.  In  1890  the  timber  exported  was  262,315 
pieces  valued  at  R60.000,  whereas  in  1891  it  has 
gone  down  to  177,047  pieces  valued  at  R44,146. 
In  Jaggery  the  fall  was  one  half.  The  case  is  so 
serious  as  to  demand  the  urgent  and  earnest  atten- 
tion of  Government.  We  feel  it  our  duty  to  urge  on 
the  authorities  the  necessity  of  immediate  interference 
with  a view  to  putting  an  effectual  stop  to  an  industry 
which,  whatever  benefit  it  may  at  present  confer 
on  the  people,  threatens  to  deprive  them  in  no 
long  time  of  the  chief  sources  for  their  food  supply. 
— Jaffna  “Patriot,”  Oct.  7th. 
♦ 
NOTES  ON  PRODUCE  AND  FINANCE. 
Tiib  Ijipoets  of  Tea  in  India.— The  Indian 
authorities  are  puzzled  by  the  fact  that  the  imports 
of  tea  have  nearly  doubled  in  five  years,  the 
quantity  imported  latt  year  having  amounted  to 
6,353,000  lb.  Much  of  the  tea,  it  is  said,  is  re- 
exported, some  by  sea  and  some  across  the  fron- 
tier. But  a substantial  proportion  remains  in  the 
country,  though  a greet  part  of  this  is  inferior 
China  tea  consumed  by  people  who  cannot  afford 
the  better  Indian  tea.  It  is  not  a sign  that  Indian 
tea  is  unpopular  in  India  because  a European  firm 
in  Bombay  advertises  that  it  rpgularly  supplies 
Ceylon  teas  to  various  clubs,  military  messes,  aDd 
private  individuals  in  Western  India.  Coals  are 
occasonally  conveyed  to  Newcastle,  and  Scotch  Whisky 
is  still  sold  in  Ireland. 
The  Teade  in  China  Tea.— Sir  Charles  Dilke, 
in  a recent  speech,  made  some  reference  to  the  China 
tea  trade.  Messrs.  Lloyd,  Matheeon,  and  Carritt, 
in  a letter  to  the  Standard  say  : — “ Sir  Charles 
Dilke  made  several  statements  upon  China  tea 
which  display  extreme  ignorance  on  the  subject, 
and  we  should  like  to  draw  attention  to  the  actual 
facts.  So  lar  from  the  consumption  of  China  tea 
being  ‘almost  extiuct,  and  Ceylon  sending  three 
times  as  much  tea  as  China,  and  India  three 
times  as  much  as  Ceylon,’  as  Sir  Charles  Dilke 
stated,  it  will  be  seen  from  the  warehouse  returns 
below  for  the  first  eight  months  of  this  year,  that  the 
consumption  of  Ceylon  tea  was  only  four  million 
pounds  in  excess  of  China,  while  even  Indian  is  not 
twice  as  much,  and  further,  the  import  of  Ceylon  tea 
to  the  end  of  this  year  will  probably  only  slightly  ex- 
ceed that  of  last,  while  the  export  from  India  for  the 
fame  period  is  expected  to  show  no  increase  at  all ; in 
fact  this  season’s  crop  from  India  is  expected  to  be  less 
than  laBt  year,  but  it  is  not  sufficiently  late  in  the 
seeson  for  this  to  be  apparent Delivery  of  Indian 
tea  from  Jan.  I to  Aug.  31,  1892,  72,000,000  lb,  ditto 
Ceylon,  43,750,000  lb. ; ditto  China,  39,750,000  lb.  We 
feel  obliged  to  reply  to  this  incorrect  assertion  of  Sir 
Charles  Dilke  in  the  interests  of  the  trade,  and  also 
in  consequence  of  the  misleading  statements  one  reads 
in  the  press  from  time  to  time  with  regard  to 
China  tea.” 
A “New  London  Tea  Mabket.” — We  BPe  by  the  pros- 
pectus of  the  New  London  Tea  Market,  Limited,  that 
the  “ advisory  Board  ” of  the  concern  informs  grocers 
and  tea  dealers  “ that  a new  tea  market  has  been 
opened  to  enable  a grocer  to  purebase  his  teas  at 
London  market  rates,  and  thus  dispense  with  the 
wholesale  dealer’s  profit  of  Id.  to  4d.  per  lb.  The 
formalities  of  and  conditions  imposed  by  the 
present  London  Tea  Market  make  it  almoBt 
impossible  for  a grocer  to  purchase  his  teas  there, 
aDd  the  tendency  is  to  increase  the  stringency  in 
favour  of  the  leading  wholesale  houses.  The  lots 
are  made  as  large  as  possible,  often  upwards  of  100 
chests  in  one  lot,  a prohibitory  quantity  to  an  ordinary 
retailer.  The  object  of  this  company  is  to  remove  all 
obstacles  which  at  present  prevent  an  ordinary  grocer, 
nble  to  pay  cash,  from  buying  at  London  market  rates, 
and  this  is  oarried  out  as  follows  :— The  company 
purchases  its  teas  at  public  sale  (or  direct  from  planta- 
tions) in  large  lots,  and  offers  the  same  to  its  members 
in  lots  of  from  one  chest  upwards  at  the  aotual 
public  sale  price,  charging  only  a small  brokerage  (2J 
per  cent.)  for  the  trouble  and  expense  involved.  A 
catalogue  of  all  .offers,  with  public  sale  price  and  full 
description  of  eaoh  tea,  is  sent  every  week  to  each 
member  three  days  before  sale  day,  in  order  to  give 
him  time  to  sample  any  lot  and  send  his  orders, 
which  will  be  invoiced  as  before  mentioned  at  the 
actual  public  sale  price.  To  suit  the  convenience  of 
buyers  of  blended  teas,  any  lots  purchased  from 
