55° 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb.  i,  1893. 
increased  in  the  case  of  residences  built  in  eitua- 
tions  around  which  there  may  be  a dense  growth 
of  vegetation. 
TREE  PLANTING  ON  ESTATES. 
(From  a Planter.) 
I am  very  glad  to  see  you  advocating  tree-planting. 
Go  on.  The  way  that  some  districts  have  been  cleared 
of  every  stretch  of  forest  is  a crying  shame.  M en  are 
too  grasping  and  greedy  for  filthy  lucre.  Thank  God 
I live  in  a place  where  I can  see  all  round,  only  a 
little  of  man  and  a great  deal  of  His  creation.  Nature 
will  surely  rebel  sooner  or  later  if  she  is  offended 
in  this  way  by  pulling  off  all  her  clothes ; it  is 
absolutely  indecent  only  to  allow  her  a close  fitting 
chemise  1 I am  planting  up  3 to  5 acres  of  my 
waste  land  every  year  with  trees,  although  I have 
a reserve  of  120  acres  of  fine  heavy  forest,  and 
dotting  these  copses  all  over  the  place,  besides 
planting  up  roadside  and  exposed  ridges  in  the  tea.  I 
hope  to  have  wood  of  20  acres  in  extent  before  long 
Eucalypts,  Wattle,  Grevillea  and  indigenous  trees 
such  as  Sapus,  Di.leniaceoe,  Pihimbia,  (Filicium 
decipiens)  and  others,  with  gorse  growing  about  the 
edges  to  add  to  the  effect. 
[Welt  done:  may  our  friend's  example  be 
freely  copied. — Ed.  T.A.] 
NEWS  PROM  THE  CENTRAL  PROVINCE  : 
PLANTING  AND  OTHERWISE. 
(Notes  by  Wanderer.) 
20th  Jan. 
The  Ceylon  agriculturist,  like  his  brother 
at  home,  is  always  on  the  grumble.  In  my 
travels  last  week,  everyone  was  abusing  the  long- 
continued  drought.  In  the  beginning  of  this  week 
I found  myself  in  a district  where  two  copious 
showers  had  fallen,  and  a planting  friend  remarked, 
if  this  confounded  showery  weather  lasts,  the  flush 
will  be  stopping  again. 
Tea,  as  a rule,  is  flushing  less  in  January  than  De 
cember,  when  some  fine  harvesting  of  leaf  took  plaoe. 
The  difference  between  the  good  grades  of  pekoes  is 
now  no  little,  that  an  experienced  tea  planter  6aid 
he  began  to  thmk  the  only  way  now  was  for  all 
Ceylon  Tea  Eaotories  to  send  home  unassorted 
tea.  He  believed  that  this  would  put  an  end  to 
the  Blender  who,  he  believes,  is  at  the  bottom 
of  all  the  mischief. 
China  tea.— In  your  extracts  in  Tuesday’s  issue 
under  “ Notes  on  Produce  and  Finanoe”  I notice 
the  following : — 
“It  is  at  the  Indian  and  Ceylon  tea  sales  that  these 
unruly  scenes  are  principally  witnessed,  as  the  de- 
partment for  China  teas,  beiDg  more  old-fashioned 
and  seleot,  is  the  quietest  of  any,  and  much  of  the 
uproaiiousDess  of  the  other  auctions  is  due  to  the 
exuberance  and  youthfulness  of  the  majority  who  are 
present.” 
I fancy  the  seleotness  and  quietude  of  the 
China  auctions  arise  from  the  faot  that  the 
days  of  China  tea  file  about  numbered, 
and  so  the  buyers  and  sellers  of  that  article 
have  not  the  same  reasons  for  exoitement  that 
exist  in  the  Indian  and  Ceylon  tea  sale  rooms. 
Silvee. — Some  of  us  did  not  quite  follow  the 
reasoning  in  a recent  artiole  in  your  columns 
on  this  tantalising  metal.  Presuming  the 
rupee  is  worth  in  India  and  Ceylon 
Is  3d,  and  its  value  in  silver  is  only  Is.  will 
not  the  China  expoiter  score  over  his  Indian 
and  Ceylon  rival  by  that  3d.*  If  by  any  legislative 
aetion  you  can  fix  the  rupee  at  Is  3d  why 
not  give  it  at  Is  6d  or  to  meet  the  caFe  of  the 
* Yes,  but  the  argument  referred  to  was  based  on  the 
Lor  don  Times’  view  that  if  silver  is  left  alone  by  an  le- 
gCJators,  it  is  never  likely  to  fall  lower  than  at  present. 
HEd.  2.4, 
indfbted  Ceylon  Civilian  who  seems  always  to 
have  to  remit  money  home,  why  not  give  it  at  Is 
9d.  Such  fixing  can’t  be  done. 
The  i eylon  Planter  iB  never  happy  udess  he  is 
patenting  something,  so  here  is  one  of  our  numher 
coming  to  the  front  : — 
New  Patents- — Applications  in  respect  of  tbe  under 
mentioi  ed  inventions  have  been  fi'ed  Mr  W.  A.  P 
Ooseerat,  Foreman,  Bengal  Nagpnr  Railway  Workshops 
N»gpar,  for  imi  roved  joints  or  couplings  for  srr  cies 
made  of  bamboo,  canes  and  tbe  like.  Jessup  & Co. 
and  Mr,  G.  Rodoick,  for  controlling  pumps  anil  other 
Direct. Acting  Motors,  to  be  railed  the  " Phoenix 
Positive  Action  Valve  Gear  ” Mr.  J.  B.  idges-Lee,  u a., 
Barrister  at  law,  of  Lahore,  for  an  improved  mtth'-d 
for  separating  surplus  iqnor  from  Indigo  during  indigo 
Manufacture. — Mr.  L.  M.  Torin,  Tea  Grower,  of  Aldourio 
Estate,  Agra  P ti  a,  Ceylon,  but  now  residing  at 
London,  *or  an  improved  method  of  and  means  for 
the  drying  of  the  leaves  of  ti  a and  other  plants. 
Tea  Expoets  to  Australia. — An  increase  of 
2,800,000  lb.  in  one  year  is  very  encouraging.  If 
teas  put  up  for  sale  in  Colombo  are  bought  for 
export  to  Australia  I can  see  why  a certain  clbss 
of  our  tea  finds  a better  market  here  than  at  heme. 
But  if  tea  is  bought  here  merely  to  be  shipped 
to  England,  the  local  buyer  must  have  his 
profit  which  the  planter  would  get  if  he  shipped 
h mself.  Only  half  the  quantity  of  tea  (if  so  n neb) 
sold  here  goes  to  other  markets  than  London. 
Is  the  local  buyer  a philanthropist  ? 
Poonac. — I see  our  German  friends  take  nearly 
| of  the  stuff  shipped,  I can  therefore  understand 
the  reason  why  I may  get  better  prices  for  this 
aitio’e  here  than  in  London. 
Coffee  finds  its  way  to  the  extent  of  half  the 
export  to  foreign  ports. 
Caedamoms  must  also  from  the  same  reason  find 
a good  local  market. 
Tea  puzzles  me — but  then  I am  not  a philanthropist 
Ceeepebs. — I am  glad  to  notice  ihat  attention 
is  being  drawn  to  the  importation  of  these  in- 
teresting young  gentlemen  by  correspondents  in 
your  evening  contemporary.  The  traffio  should  be 
stopped. 
Fbeight  down  at  one  time  to  15s  in  tea  and 
now  repoited  to  be  rising  to  35s — means  some- 
thing rotten  in  the  management  of  those  who 
provide  their  constituents  with  freight. 
The  Dimbula  P.  A.  Report  is  a smart  one, 
and  I trust  the  remarks  on  the  Hospital  buildings 
will  be  well  digested  by  the  "Mortality  in  Hospitals" 
Commission. 
+ 
HAIL  ON  BRAZIL  COFFEE  PLANTATIONS. 
On  the  17th  Nov.  aviohnt  hail-storm  struck  the  dis- 
trict of  Rio  i laro,  S.  Paulo.  As  is  usually  the  case  the 
hail  was  the  size  of  hens-eggs,  and  the  damage  to  planta- 
tions, gardens,  etc.  washeavy.  Hail-stones  in  Brazil  are 
rarely  smaller  than  hens-eggs,  and  always  play  the 
mischief  with  coffee  plantations. — Bio  News. 
Gielle  Tea  Company  — Outturn  was  during  the 
season  just  closed  1,760  maunds  against  1,700 
estimated  for,  and  quality  very  satisfactory,  while 
expenditure  was  less  than  anticipated.  The  average 
obtained  was  a shade  over  11J  annas.  In  the 
accounts  the  various  blook  debts1  in  referenoe  to 
building,  &c.  are  now  wiped  out  and  the  reserve 
fund,  K25,0U0,  is  intact  and  available  as  working 
capital.  Revenue  account  is  R32.371  to  the  good, 
and  in  adjustment  in  profit  and  Iosb  R33  239  is  avail- 
able, from  which  a divioend  of  8 per  cent  will  be 
paid.  Tbe  estimate  for  1893  is  1,725  maunds  at 
a toial  expenditure  of  R65  000.  The  Bchime  for 
amalgamating  with  the  Teesia  Valley  Tea  Com* 
pany,  that  has  been  pending  for  some  time,  has 
fallen  through, —Pioneer. 
