S30 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
Fee.  i,  1893. 
also  recommends  the  extension  of  the  existing 
system  of  roads.  The  use  of  cattle  as  draught 
animals  is  further  proposed,  for  at  present,  he 
observes,  “ the  only  means  of  sending  produce  to 
the  coast  is  on  porters’  heads.”  It  appears  that 
there  is  some  talk  of  opening  a fruit  trade  with 
India  by  shipping  the  surplus  supply  to  Bombay. 
There  ought  to  be  a large  market  for  Zanzibar 
fruit,  especially  in  the  Western  Presidency,  as  the 
seasons  of  cropping  are  different  in  the  two 
countries.— 0.  Mail,  Dec.  23,  1892. 
♦ 
CEYLON  LAND  AND  PRODUCE  CO..  LD. 
The  shareholders  of  the  Ceylon  Land  and  Pro- 
duce Company,  Limited,  held  their  eighth  ordinary 
general  meeting  on  Wednesday,  at  Leadenhall 
House,  Leadenhall  Street,  E.O.,  under  the  presidency 
of  Mr.  James  Wilson.  Iu  moving  the  adoption  of 
the  report,  the  chairman  said  that  the  results  of 
the  operations  during  the  past  season  had  not  been 
quite  so  favourable  as  they  were  in  the  previous 
year,  which  was  largely  owing  to  the  abnormally 
wet  and  cold  weather  that  had  prevailed.  The  tea 
bushes  had  been  prevented  from  flushing  to  their 
average  extent,  and,  as  a natural  consequence,  the 
estimates  of  the  crops  had  not  been  reached.  The 
cacao  crop  rather  exceeded  the  forecast,  but  the 
yield  of  coffee  was  very  deficient.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  lower  prices  ruling  for  Ceylon  tea 
generally  during  the  past  year,  better  results  had 
been  obtained  for  the  produce  from  the  company's 
Fetteresso  and  Rickarton  estates.  On  the  other 
hand,  however,  the  low-grown  teas  had  shared  in  the 
general  depression.  It  was  al60  gratifying  to  the 
board  to  report  that  the  highest  price  pa:d  for  Libe- 
rian Ceylon  coffee  that  year  was  realised  for  a parcel 
that  came  from  the  company’s  North  Matale  estate 
on  October  6th  for  which  98n  per  cwt.  was  obtained. 
All  the  estates  belonging  to  the  company,  and  build- 
ings theieon,  were  reported  to  be  iu  excellent  con- 
dition ; also  that  the  factory  accommodation  was 
quite  equal  to  requirements  during  the  current  year 
—in  faot,  it  was  not  expected  that  any  important 
additions  or  alterations  wmld  have  to  be  effected  for 
some  years  to  come.  It  would,  however,  be  neces- 
sary to  sanction  some  expenditure  in  order  to  keep 
their  machinery  well  abreast  of  the  times.  The  mort- 
gage acoount,  which  originally  stood  at  £15,000,  had 
now  been  reduced  to  £9,500.  The  result  of  the  year’s 
operations  enabled  the  board  to  pay  a dividend  of 
15  per  cent,  per  annum  on  the  ordinary  shares  and 
6 per  cent,  on  the  preference  shares.  Mr.  Lewis  se- 
conded the  motioD,  which  was  adopted.— H;  # C.  Mail, 
Dec.  23,  1892. 
IRRIGATED  INDIA. 
Irrigated  India,  r.n  Australian  view  of  India  and 
Oeylon,  their  Irrigation  and  Agriculture,  by  the  Hon. 
Altred  Deakln,  m.l.a.,  formerly  Chief  Secretary  and 
Minister  of  Water  Supply  ot  Victoria,  Australia  (W. 
Thacker  & Co.),  is  the  work  of  an  Australian  states- 
man who  has  been  officially  concerned  with  the  vital 
question  of  irrigation  works  and  water  supply  in  the 
colony  of  Victoria  and  has  qualified  himself  for  his 
duties  by  a personal  study  ot  the  problem  and  the 
means  adopted  for  its  solution  in  other  parts  of  tho 
Old  and  New  Worlds,  such  as  tho  United  States, 
Egypt,  and  Italy,  and  now,  finally,  India  and  Ceylon. 
The  book  consists  of  a series  of  articles,  originally 
written  for  an  Australian  newspaper,  aDd  now  recast 
■and  revised  for  publication  in  Europe.  Mr.  Deakin’s 
survey  of  irrigation  work  in  India  is  of  great  prac- 
tical moment  in  its  bearing  on  the  Australian 
problem  ; but  what  gives  his  book  a special  value 
for  English  leaders  is  the  fact  that  it  is  written 
by  an  Australian  public  man  with  a saving 
faith  in  the  solidarity  of  the  Empire  and  a pro- 
phetic grasp  of  the  relations  which  geography 
and  history  are  destined  to  establish  in  the  future 
between  Australia  and  India,  Mr.  Deakin  writes 
EomewLat  rhetorically,  and  he  says  of  himself  that , 
writing  originally  in  a newspaper,  he  did  not  hesi- 
tate “ to  pass  judgment  upon  the  gravest  issues  with 
an  easy  infallibility  that  is  almost  editorial.”  But 
he  writes  often  with  clear  insight,  his  prepossessions 
ere  Imperial  rather  than  purely  British,  and  hs 
approaches  Indian  problems  with  an  Australian 
freshness  of  view  and  frankness  of  comment  that 
ate  often  singularly  suggestive.  His  point  of  view 
is  well  set  forth  in  the  following  oharaoteristic 
passages  : — 
‘ 1 By  tho  hoary  and  weary  age  of  India  now  stands  the 
eager  youth  of  these  southern  Lnds,  beholding  as  if 
in  a magic  mirror,  its  rapidly  passing  throng  of 
peoples,  kingdoms,  dynasties,  and  creeds,  that  have 
succeeded,  and  are  still  succeeding  each  other,  in  an 
apparently  endless  chain.  There  is  matter  for  medi- 
tation here.  Today  Australia  is  full  of  hope,  as  Asia 
of  despair.  Racially,  socially,  politically,  and  indus- 
trially, as  far  as  under  as  the  poles,  their  geographical 
situation,  bringing  them  face  to  face,  may  yet  bring 
them  hand  to  hand,  and  mind  to  mind.  They  have 
much  to  teaoh  each  other.  * * * 
11  Finally,  then,  the  British  Government  of  India  is  a 
compound  of  contradictions,  for,  while  praotioally 
absolute  in  authority  and  v<  sted  in  two  or  three  men 
eutirely.it  is  supposed  by  many  to  be  controlled  by  a 
popular  assembly;  military  in  spirit,  it  is  bureau- 
cratic in  method,  and  pacific  in  end  ; Conservative  in 
practice,  it  adopts  many  Radical  principles  ; and 
committed,  wholly  at  first,  and  often  still,  to  the 
energy,  judgment,  aod  initiative  of  individuals,  has 
created  lor  them  a complete  system  of  written  regula- 
tions embracing  the  whole  field  of  possible  activity, 
No  public  servioe  is  so  enslaved  by  the  pen,  and  yet 
even  the  civil  members  of  it  may  be  said  to  live  in 
the  shadow  ol  the  sword.  Separated  by  immense 
distances  which  forbid  frequent  personal  association, 
all  business  is  conducted  by  correspondence,  the 
affairs  of  the  country,  from  the  most  momentous 
foreign  relations  to  the  pettiest  details,  being  set 
out  upon  papers  which  are  passed  from  hand  to  band. 
It  is  a Government  of  minutes  based  upon  memos. 
Evon  its  soldiers  command  in  the  attitnde  in  which 
Boehm  has  plaoed  the  great  governor  of  the  Ptmjab 
iu  his  bronze  statue  at  Lahore,  sword  in  one  hand 
and  quill  in  the  other.  It  would  be  hard  indeed  to  say 
which  has  now  the  mightiest  influence  on  its  adminis- 
tration. While  the  soldier,  like  Henry  Lawrence 
has  often  done  the  most  distinguished  work  in  times 
of  peace,  the  civilian,  like  John  Lawrence,  has  come 
forward  as  a warrior  in  the  hour  of  need  to  save  an 
Empire  tottering  under  a stab  in  the  back  from  the 
treacherous  band  of  mutiny. 
“ British  India,  in  short,  is  British  neither  in  race, 
religion,  language,  policy,  sentiment,  nor  aspiration. 
Garrisoned  by  a few  Britons,  and  governed  by  etil  1 
fewer,  it  not  only  retains  its  Asiatio  complexion,  but 
impresses  its  character  to  a large  extent  upon  its 
conquerorp.  The  Brit'sh  in  India  have  themselves 
ceased  to  be  British  in  many  respects.  They  have 
developed  castes  and  curious  creeds,  walk  with 
troops  of  retainers,  live  like  Persian  satraps  or 
Roman  proconsuls,  comiDg  at  last  to  think  and  speak 
in  the  phrase  of  the  Orient,  and  with  its  vivid 
colouring.  It  is  they  who  have  adapted  themselves  to 
the  Hindu,  and  not  the  Hindu  who  has  taken  their 
imprint.  It  was  not  to  strengthen  her  hold  upon  her 
British  subjects  that  the  time-honoured  title  of  the 
Queen  was  altered  to  that  of  Empress  of  India.  Bearing 
in  mind  how  few  are  the  whites  in  proportion  to  the 
hordes  of  varied  hue  who  swarm  from  Cape  Oomorin 
to  the  Himalaya®,  and  the  extent  to  which  they  have 
required  to  stoop  to  the  conditions  of  life  in  the  tropics 
in  order  to  conquer,  it  is  cot  too  much  to  say  thattha 
first  fact  requiring  to  be  fixed  in  the  mind  of  the  in- 
quirer is  that  India  today  is  altogether  Asiatic  in  the 
spirit  and  form  of  its  life  and  institutions,  and  Britieh 
only  in  flag,  in  fame,  and  in  name.” 
There  is  some  exaggeration,  perhaps  in  these  latter 
sentences,  but  it  is  not  unprofitable  for  Englishmen  to 
be  told  how  the  spectacle  of  the  Britith  “raj”  in  India 
sttikes  a clear-sighted  Australian,— London  Time»t 
