March  i,  1893.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
THE  STEALING  OF  CACAO  PODS  FROM 
CEYLON  PLANTATIONS. 
The  state  of  things  revealed  by  Messrs. 
Martin  and  Gibbon  on  page  577  is  simply  mons- 
trous and  fully  explains  the  necessity  for  the 
motion  which  Mr.  J H.  Barber  is  to  bring 
forward  at  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Planters’ 
Association.  The  Cacao  planter  is  evidently 
worse  off  than  ever  his  Coffee  brother 
was,  even  in  the  palmy  days  of  our  former 
staple.  And  yet  we  can  recall  the  time 
when  on  estates  near  Kandy,  up  the  side  of 
the  Hantane  range,  the  coffee  thieves  irorn 
town  became  so  bold  as  to  refuse  to  move 
from  among  the  bus-lies  even  when  the 
European  Superintendent  was  close  up  to 
them.  Nothing  but  the  sight  of  a rifle  in 
his  hand  frightened  them  ; and  even  then 
we  beiieve  there  was  one  case  on  Hopewell, 
where  the  thieves  had  a gun  too,  and 
threatened  to  tire  if  any  attempt  was  made 
to  capture  them  ! The  experience  used  to  be, 
twenty  to  thirty  years  ago,  that  a certain 
(and  sometimes  a considerable)  proportion  of 
the  coffee  on  the  plantations  aruund  Kandy 
was  bound  to  find  its  way  through  native 
thieving  hands  into  the  town  bazaars, 
do  what  the  managers  would.  And  it 
seems  now  to  be  very  much  the 
same  case  in  regard  to  the  Cacao 
gardens  in  the  Wattegama  and  Matale  dis- 
tricts, with  this  difference  : that  proprietors 
now-a-days  cannot  afford  to  lose  the  percentage 
of  their  crop  which  they  often  scarcely  feit 
out  of  their  profits  in  the  best  days  of  coffee. 
We  remember  how  Robert  Boyd  Tytler,  the 
most  humane  of  plauting  employers,  urged 
that  the  evil  of  stealing  pioduce  from  plan- 
tations had  become  so  serious  that  nothing 
but  permission  to  responsible  Managers  to 
pepper  the  culprits,  found  in  the  act  in  the 
fields,  with  “small  shot’’ would  stop  it.  Mr. 
Tytler  seriously  contemplated  an  appeal  to 
Government  for  this  permission  to  be  gramed 
in  certain  cases  under  a license  from  the  Go- 
vernor. But  the  “peppering  with  shot’’ 
suggestion  was  treated  rather  as  a good  joke. 
The  punishment,  it  is  clear,  mu-t  he  left  in 
the  hands  of  the  Magistrates;  but  at  the  same 
time,  it  should  be  exemplary  and  deterrent ; 
and  it  is  evident  that  the  stealing  of  cacao 
pods  from  the  open  field  has  got  to  such  a 
pitch  that  only  flogging  can  be  exp  cted  to 
Stop  it.  Comideiing  the  difficulty  ot  capturing 
the  thieves,  we  do  not  see  why,  after  formal 
due  proclamation  round  the  villages,  the  in- 
fliction of  lashes  should  not  be  ordered  by 
Magistrates — if  not  for  a first,  most  certainly 
for  a repeated  offence.  It  is  evident  that 
Government  are  waking  up  to  the  need  of 
some  step  being  takm;  for  the  following 
circular  has  been  issued  hy  the  Matale  Assist- 
ant Agent : — 
Matale  Kacbchcri,  Jan  19th,  1893. 
Sir, — I have  the  honor  to  request  that  you  will  be 
gool  enough  to  let  me  know,  at  your  earliest  cou- 
venicn-e,  about  what  number  of  oases  of  Iheft  of  cocoa 
there  were  on e-tate  riuing  1892,  me'  tioning 
probable  value  of  produce  ttolen. — I am,  &c.,G.  Saxton. 
The  Superintendent, estate,  Matale. 
56s 
We  think  there  is  a good  deal  in  Mr. 
Martin’s  suggestion  that  better  than  the 
passing  of  a resolution  bearing  only  on  one 
side  of  the  evil,  would  be  the  appointment 
of  a small  committee  of  planters — say  Messrs. 
J.  R.  Marlin,  Vollar,  C.  Gibbon,  Dewar,  Barber, 
Pyper,  with  Mr-  Philip  as  Secretary — to  draw 
up  a Report  with  suggestions  as  to  special 
legislation  and  special  executive  precautions 
which  could,  after  adoption  hy  the  Assoc  a- 
tion,  be  laid  before  the  Government-  Such 
a Report  could  not  fail  to  receive  full  con- 
sideration ; for  it  is  impossible  to  deny  the 
urgency  of  the  case  already  made  out  for 
special  protection  and  relief  at  the  hands  of 
the  authorities. 
TEA, 
TO  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  DAILY  POST. 
Sir,— Referring  to  your  very  interesting  article  in 
Tuesday’s  Daily  Post,  will  you  allow  me  to  ask  the 
writer  or  “ any  other  man’’  how  it  is  that  after 
allowing  the  full  claim  of  Indian  and  Ceylon  tea 
being  50  per  cent,  stronger  than  China,  by  putting  in 
the  teapot  half  as  much  again  or  even  double  the 
quantity  of  Chi'  a,  we  do  not  obtain  the  same  milky 
appearance  in  'he  cold  liquor  as  in  the  case  of 
Ceylon  and  Indian,  and  why  like  port  wine  it  clings 
to  the  sides  of  the  cup  in  sinuous  veins.  As  an 
amateur  naturalist  I have  inquired  of  an  analyst 
what  that  -something”  is.  Some  have  put  it  down 
simply  to  the  extra  strength  ; others  that  the  two 
plants  are  of  different  species.  From  my  own  expe- 
rience I am  perfectly  satisfied  it  is  something  more 
than  extra  strength,  and  s<  mething  not  findabl  in 
China  tea  at  all  I am  also  very  sceptical  as  to  soil 
and  climatic  change  evolving  such  an  altogether  new 
features. — Tours,  &c  , E.  F, 
— 
PLANTING  IN  THE  EASTERN  ARCHI- 
PELAGO IN  1892. 
Perak  seems  to  have  been  the  most  prosperous 
among  the  Protected  States.  Roads  have  been  extended, 
aud  surveys  made  for  railways  in  prospect.  Trade 
shows  an  impruvement,  having  attained  the  respect- 
a ‘ le  figure  of  818,500,000;  while  the  export  of  tin 
(15,400  tons)  wts  the  laigeston  record.  P ogress  has 
also  been  mule  in  agricul  ure,  numerous  small  lots 
having  bten  taken  up  by  Malays  and  Chinese,  while 
Javanese  are  obtaining  very  satisfactory  re-ults  with 
tobacco  at  S’tiawan.  Europe  in  capital,  however,  is 
want-d  to  make  planting  au  important  industry,  and 
the  Government  is  urged  to  offer  more  liberal  terms. 
Speoimens  of  Perak  tea  have  been  sent  home;  but 
the  better  prospect  seems  to  l e with  Liberian  01  fFe. 
There  is  euongh  tea  in  the  world,  where  is  the  demand 
for  coffee  is  still  insnffic:ent!y  met.  The  Sultan 
has  been  made  a K.C.M.G.,  in  recognition  of 
his  su'-oesstbl  administration.  In  S lai  gor,  also, 
Li' erian  coffee  promises  well.  The  Uiu  Selangor 
extension  railway  was  opened  by  the  Governor  in 
November.  We  have  often  urged  that  the  Colony 
should  be  self-supporting  as  regards  food,  aud  gladly 
note  that  the  Governor  has  addre-sed  a oucular  to 
the  several  Residents  of  the  Native  States,  des  rii  g 
them  to  encourage  rice,  dholl,  and  grain  enltiva’ion. 
The  development  of  North  Borneo  still  proceeds 
slowly  ; but  fouudations  are  being  laid  for  eventual 
prosperity.  The  immediate  future  seems  bound  up 
largely  with  tobacco,  but  not  even  yet  can  it  be 
affirmed  whit  will  be  the  ultimate  issue  of  this  in- 
dustry. There  is  no  doubt  that  the  soil  will  produce 
excellent  leaf,  but  tbere  is  still  some  doubt  about 
the  climate  'lhe  probable  reduction  ot  the  McKinley 
taiiff  is  in  favour  of  its  commercial  prospeots.  l he 
North  Borneo  Development  Corporation  is  casting 
