602 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [March  i,  1893. 
TRAVANCORE  TEA  IN  CEYLON. 
The  Grand  Oriental  Hotel,  Colombo,  Feb.  8. 
Sir, — I have  seen  the  correspondence  in  jour 
paper  with  reference  to  the  above  subject;  and  I 
am  glad  to  notice  the  stroDg  support  you  have 
given  to  the  proposal  made  as  to  the  abolition  of 
the  duty  on  Indian  tea  imported  into  Ceylon.  If 
Indian  teas  were  allowed  into  Ceylon  free  there  is 
no  doubt  Colombo  would  become  a muoh  mere 
important  “oentre”  than  at  present,  and  it  is  oer- 
tainly  the  most  suitable  port  for  Travancore,  be  ng 
much  nearer  than  any  other. 
Ceylon  duriDg  the  last  two  years  has  shipped  about 
1J  million  lb.  to  India  free  ; and  it  appears  to  me 
it  would  be  a selfish  policy  to  continue  to  block 
Indian  tea  from  your  market,  while  Ceylon  is  per- 
mitted to  oompete  with  India  on  equal  terms. 
India  at  the  present  moment  is  the  third  best 
customer  Ceylon  has  got.  Ceylon  has  a fair  field 
in  India  both  as  to  labor  and  produoe,  and  our 
planters  there  expect  a fair  field  in  Ceylon.— Yours 
&o.  HENRY  M.  KNIGHT. 
P.S. — I am  aware  that  the  Dewan  of  Travancore 
takes  a great  interest  in  this  matter. 
TRAVANCORE  PLANTERS' 
ASSOCIATION. 
Feb.  9th. 
Dear  Sir, — I have  to  request  that  the  accom- 
panying proceedings  of  a meeting  of  the  T.  P.  As- 
sociation be  inserted  in  the  columns  of  your  valuable 
paper. — Yours  faithfully,  J.  E.  FOWLER, 
Hony.  Secy. 
Proceedings  of  the  Travancore  Planters’  Association 
for  year  1892-93.  General  Meeting  held  at  the  Club, 
Trevandram,  11th  January  1893. 
Present. — H.  M.  Knight  (Chairman),  Wm.  Mar  hall, 
Baron  V.  Rosenberg  (President  K.  T.  P.  A.),  T.  Clarke, 
R.  T.  Mille  H.  S.  Buist,  E.  C.  Chisholm,  T.  B. 
Berger  (visitor),  J.  S.  Valentin*1,  Hon.  Secretary. 
Notice  of  meeting  having  been  read  the  Chairman 
explained  why  this  meeting  was  called,  and  it  was 
unanimously  agreed  to  make  the  present,  the  Annual 
General  Meeting — and  that  in  future  it  shall  be  held 
3rd  Wednesday  in  January. 
The  Honorary  Secretary  then  read  his  report  for 
the  year  and  the  Chairman  reviewed  the  past  year’s 
work  and  said  the  Association  had  never  before 
been  in  such  a flourishing  state. 
Baron  J.  Von  Rosenberg  in  flattering  terms  pro- 
posed a vote  of  thanks  to  Chairman  nni  Hon.  Secre- 
tary for  the  work  done  by  them  during  the  last  few 
years.  Mr.  Knight  having  responded,  he  was  again 
eleoted  Chairman  for  current  year,  but  a substitute 
had  to  be  fouud  for  Mr.  Valentine  win  goes  on  leave 
—Mr.  J.  E.  Fowler  being  elected  to  the  post. 
The  following  resolutions  were  then  carried  : 
(l)  That  the  Madras  Government  be  petitioned  to 
extend  the  S.  I.  Railway  from  Tinuevelly  to  the 
Travancore  boundary,  and  that  a committee  consisting 
of  Messrs.  T.  Clarke,  E.  C.  Chisholm  and  Chairman 
be  formed  to  draw  up  the  petition. 
2)  That  the  Chairman  be  asked  to  visit  the 
congested  District  of  Madras  and  make  enquiries 
as  to  the  best  way  to  import  labour  into  Travan- 
core, make  arrangements  for  starting  an  rgancy,  and 
report  results.  That  the  Association  guarantee 
R1.000  towards  his  expenses  and  that  subscriptions  be 
called  for. 
(3)  That  registration  of  Kanganies  by  the  Asso  ia. 
ation  be  adopted  according  to  the  scheme  approved 
of  by  the  registration  Committee,  Messrs.  ICniKht, 
Clarke,  Baron  J.  Von  Rosenberg,  Bunt  and  Ya  entine 
—and  that  the  following  members  form  the  standing 
Committee. 
South.  J-  Fraser 
Central.  J.  S.  Valentine. 
Eorth.  T.  Clarke. 
Kanan  Devan.  A.  H.  Sharp. 
Peermade.  F.  M.  Paikc-r. 
With  Chairman  and  Seoretary, 
Registration  if  found  possible,  to  commence  from 
the  1st  of  April  next. 
Planters  end  Exchange-  The  reply  of  Wycaad  As- 
sociation to  Government  met  with  general  approval. 
With  the  usual  vote  of  thanks,  the  meeting  closed. 
Henry  M.  Knight,  Chairman,  Travancore  Planters' 
Association. 
CATTLE  FOR  CEYLON. 
Dear  Sir, — If  they  want  to  improve  the  breed 
of  Ceylon  cattle?  the  Kerry  cattle  are  the  animals 
to  import — splendid  milkers,  easily  fed:  where  a 
Sinhalese  beast  oan  live  these  mountain  cattle 
will  thrive  well.  Their  milk  is  known  to  be  rich, 
none  oan  beat  them  there.  They  are  a healthy 
and  sturdy  breed  of  cattle,  short-legged,  square- 
bodied, and  make  excellent  butchers’  cattle. 
KERRY  MAN. 
We  take  the  following  from  the  special  agricul- 
tural correspondent  of  the  Dublin  Evening  Mail,  and 
it  ought  to  be  an  inducement  to  the  farmers  and  breed- 
ers of  Kerries  in  this  country — their  native  one — 
to  go  in  for  a better  class  than  they  have  and  not 
be  beaten  out  of  the  markets  by  those  that  are 
increasing  every  year ; in  fact  Kerry  is  the  last  place 
that  persons  look  for  them  now: — 
Our  little  native  cattle,  Kerries  and  Dexters,  are 
fast  becoming  spread  over  the  world.  It  is  not  very 
long  ago  since  they  were  entirely  confined  to  their 
own  green  isle,  but  of  late  they  have  been  taken  up 
extensively  in  England,  and  have  this  year  been 
shipped  to  Gibraltar  and  South  Africa  by  Mr.  James 
Robertson,  of  La  Mancha,  Malahide.  Now  we  under- 
stand that  a lot  of  ten  have  arrived  at  Victoria  on  the 
4th  of  last  month.  They  were  selected  in  England 
bj*  Mr.  David  Syme,  and  were  to  be  located  at  his 
Kildare  estate  near  Littledale  when  the  period  of 
quarantine  had  expired.  One  of  the  bulls  is  a Kerry 
named  Best  Man,  of  whose  breeding  we  are  told 
nothing ; the  other  is  a Dexter  named  Denham  Mel- 
bourne, ai  d is  by  Limelight,  12  (the  famous  winner 
of  the  Queen’s  gold  medal  at  Windsor  in  1889)  dam 
Denham  Molly,  66.  By  the  name  and  pedigree  we 
can  trace  Denham  Melbourne  to  be  from  Mr.  Swithin- 
bank’s  herd  at  Denham  Court,  as  also  the  Dexter  cow 
Denham  Olive,  67.  Marguerite,  Aster,  and  her  daughter 
named  Dahlia  were,  no  doubt,  selected  from  Mr.  G. 
F.  Roumieu’s  stock.  Two  of  the  Kerry  cows,  Kil- 
larcev  3rd  and  4t,h,  both  by  Uncrowned  King  out  of 
Killarney,  were  bred  in  Ireland.  Killarney  was  reoom- 
mended  and  highly  commended  at  the  Royal  Show 
at  Warwick  this  year.  The  remaining  cows  are  Lady 
Kenmare  and  Lady  Clara.  These  are  from  the  well- 
known  herds  of  Mr.  Adeane,  Babraham,  and  the  Ex- 
press Dairy  Company,  Finchley.  Lady  Clara  was 
purchased  by  the  Express  Dairy  Company  from  Mr. 
James  Robertson,  and  exhibited  by  the  oompany  at 
Warwiok,  where  she  was  awarded  second  prize,  and 
was  so  much  admired,  and  had  suoh  a show  of  milk, 
that  some  anticipated  first  place  for  her. 
PLANTING  AND  THE  TREATMENT  OF  THE 
SOIL  : 
PRACTICE  VS.  THEORY  PLUS  SCIENCE. 
Dear  Sir, — I think  the  praotical  man  with  a fair 
knowledge  of  a few  of  the  fundamental  laws  of 
tillage  is  more  likely  to  be  successful  than  the 
soientifio  faddist.  Considered  from  one  point  of 
view  the  conditions  that  present  themselves  for 
consideration  are  so  many  that  no  ordinary  mortal 
could  meet  them  all,  as  they  vary  in  every  field, 
aspeot,  lay,  climate,  condition  and  past  history. 
There  are  farms  at  home,  where  the  working  and 
history  of  every  field  have  been  known  for  generations! 
All  the  farmer  wants  from  the  chemist  in  suoh  a 
ease,  is  a guarantee  that  the  manures  of  commerce 
are  what  they  pretend  to  be,  and  unadulterated. 
I But  to  approach  for  the  first  time  the  scientific 
