784 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[June  i,  1893. 
conference  by  fear  of  open,  healthy,  competition 
from  shipowners  of  standing  not  in  the  list.  A 
co-operative  line,  such  as  we  suggest,  could  afford 
to  take  its  supporters  at  least  R160  cheaper  to  England, 
than  the  mail  line.  The  vessels  would  not  be  extra- 
vagantly decorated  and  upholstered,  and  managem-  - t 
expenses  would  be  reduced  to  a minimum.  One  >: 
the  Indian  S.  S.  Companies  charged  £148,500  for  its 
office  expenses  per  annum  ! When  this,  and  rbe 
sums  put  by  to  reserve,  renewals,  insu  ance  and  de- 
preciation are  deducted  no  wonder  tbe  dividend  do 
not  appear  laige  ; yet  the  fleet  grows.  Similarly 
tea,  indigo  and  coffee  could  all  be  carried  cheap  r 
by  co-operation.  To  turn  to  local  conditions  ; pro- 
bably tne  Ceylon  exports  for  the  current  year  would 
amount  to  torty  million  rupees,  or  400  lakhs  ; why 
should  not  the  shipper,  or  producer,  be  able  to  share 
in  the  dividends  which  this  amount,  or  its  part 
will  pay  to  the  steamer  Companies  and  share- 
holders ? I can  only  express  my  belief,  which  is 
not  one  hastily  formed  at  any  rate,  and  is 
based  on  the  ueliberate  opinion  uf  many  bailing 
merchants  aud  shipowners  at  home,  and  by  numerous 
financial  papers,  that  the  Indian  planter  and  pas- 
senger is  like  the  Indian  elephant,  ignoraut  of  his 
own  vast  strength  and  importance 
In  December  1889  vide  the  Indian  Planters'  Gazette 
we  first  proposed  the  outlines  of  this  scheme,  aud 
were  told  we  could  not  bring  down  tbe  shipping 
“ring”  in  its  rates.  Had  our  plan  been  at  once  acted 
on,  passengers,  exporters  aud  importers  would  have 
been  saved  several  million  rupees  up  to  now. 
If.  Oeylon  Planters  and  Passengers  consider  their 
interests  lie  in  tbe  direction  we  have  indicated  they 
should  do  a little  organisation,  (independently  of  any 
fine  old  crosted  interests  if  necessary)  and  if  they 
write  to.— The  Sony.  Secretary  Imiian  Passage  Co- 
operation, Sanawar,  Kasauli,  Punjab,— he  will 
ste  that  their  communications  and  suggestions 
are  forwarded  to  the  shipowners  refeired  to.  Letters 
should  state  the  support,  in  freight,  which  the  writer 
oould  give,  and  to  what  ports  it  should  be  shipped,  so  as 
to  enable  tbe  Company  to  determine  whether  sufficient 
cargo,  passages  etc.,  was  Offered  from  Ceylon  plus 
Calcutta  and  Burmab,  to  enable  them  to  take  the 
business  up. 
It-  is  only  in  the  Crown  dependencies  like  Ceylon  aud 
India,  where  there  is  a large  travelling  military  and 
official  element  always  on  the  move,  that  such  a ship- 
ping co-oporation  is  tully  practicable,  ou  account  of  our 
facilities  for  defensive  counter-combioatioD,  afforded 
by  clubs,  assembly  rooms,  Associations  and  Regimen- 
tal messes. 
I am  certain  that  the  matter  is  one  fraught  with 
mnch  pecuniary  benefit  to  the  passenger,  but  with 
more  to  the  shipper,  and  it  is  within  measurable 
distance  of  suocees;  witness  tea  freights  today  and 
those  18  months  back  which  we  three  years  ago 
predicted,  and  were  scoffed  at.  Every  effort  was  made 
to  come  to  ati  amicable  arrangement  with  the  “ Con- 
ference” on  the  entire  question,  but  in  vain.  It  has 
failed,  however,  to  shut  out  unimportant  ‘ Tramp’ 
steamers  ; much  more  will  it  be  unsucces  sful  against 
a powerlul  organisation  such  as  is  indicated  above, 
which  those  interested  in  Ceylon  are  invited  to  join 
individually  and  to  elect  three  members  to  re- 
present the  island,  in  a great  Federation  of  Shippers 
and  Passengers. 
BUNDLE  OF  STICKS. 
ME.  HUGHES’  ADVICE  OF  NO  USE  TO 
CEYLON  PLANTERS  P 
Upoountry,  April  27. 
Dear  Sik,— Mr,  Hughes’  advice  to  let  the  tea 
leaves  develop  more  would  have  been  of  use  to 
us  Borne  time  ago.  Now  1 fear  it  is  too  late.  We 
have  a strong  and  powerful  foe  in  front  of  us, 
ih  North  India,  and  a weak  but  numerous  one  be- 
hind us,  in  China  &c.  We  are  not  strong  enough 
to  advance  on  the  former  pnd  it  wi U ibe  death 
to  retreat  to  the  latter.  To  follow  Mr.  Hughes’ 
advice  would  be  to  increase  our  output  by  at  least 
25  per  cent,  and  we  have  already  too  much. 
We  are  row  living  on  Exchange — neither  a 
heahby  nor  safe  means  of  profit — and  if  science 
can  give  us  no  better  advice  than  the  above,  then 
indeed  we  are  in  a bad  way. — Yours  truly, 
AN  OLD  COFFEE  STUMP. 
CEYLON  COCO  Y PLANTING. 
Sik  — Tbe  letter  you  published  today  taken  from 
The  Field  signed  ‘‘  Investment,”  is  as  misleading 
and  couleur  dc  rose  a puff  about  cocoa  as  ever 
startled  the  cocoa  planters  of  Ceylon.  The  cocoa 
tree  that  bears  in  three  years  is  the  swallow  that 
does  not  make  the  summer. 
The  cultivation  oE  cocoa  is  by  no  means  simple 
and  the  planting  out  is  not  limited  to  two  years  ; 
since  supplying  goes  on  for  years  after  the  first 
planting  of  the  clearing,  owing  to  the  many  enemies 
that  overtake  the  plant  when  young.  The  mere 
possession  of  capital  will  not  suffice,  except  for 
the  purpose  of  dropping  it  in  Ceylon  and  blaming 
the  country  afterwards. 
Long  experience  in  Ceylon,  a mature  judgment, 
patience  and  a long  purse  are  needed  to  be  a suc- 
cessful oocoa  planter.  X. 
THE  GERMAN  EAST  AFRICA  CO. 
April  28th,  1893. 
Deak  Sib,  — I enolose  copy  of  a letter  I have 
addressed  to  the  Editor  “ Ceylon  Examiner”  with 
reference  to  the  article  you  quoted  in  your  issue  of 
26th  instant. 
As  regards  the  emigration  of  Sinhalese,  the  state- 
ment made  in  the  “ Examiner  ” that  the  projeot 
had  to  be  abandoned  is  ineomot  : the  matter  has 
been  referred  to  the  Secretary  of  State.  If  Lord 
Ripon  should  decline  to  sanation  emigration,  all 
the  correspondence  that  has  passed  on  the  subject 
will  be  sent  to  you  for  publication,  with  other 
details  explaining  the  action  of  the  local  Govern- 
ment. I see  no  reason  for  supposing  that  this 
will  be  necessary.— Yours  faithfully,  B. 
( Copy  of  a letter  referred  to.) 
Galagedara,  28th  April  1893. 
The  Editor  “ Ceylon  Examiner.” 
Dear  Sib, — The  account  you  published  in  your 
issue  of  25th  inst.  contains  so  many  mis-statements, 
that  I cannot  leave  it  unnoticed: 
(1.)  It  does  not  take  a month  to  travel  40  or  50 
miles  to  the  estate:  the  usual  allowance  for  men  carry- 
ing loads  is  four  days. 
(2.)  The  estate  is  not  unhealthy.  The  elevation 
is  about  3,000  feet,  with  a climate  resembling  Dik- 
oya.  Your  informant  contracted  fever  probably  on 
the  coast  by  drinking  bad  water,  when  soda-water  was 
easily  procurable. 
(3.)  As  regards  good  supplies,  all  necessaries  can 
be  obtained  on  the  estate.  Y^our  informant  was 
supplied  with  rice,  whisky,  brandy,  sugar,  fowlsj 
milk,  curry-powder,  mutton  and  other  stores  be 
might  surely  have  taught  his  African  servant:  s to 
make  hoppers. 
Fourthly,  the  wild  statements  made  as  to  the 
malaria  carry  their  own  reputation.  There  is  al- 
ways fever,  more  or  leas,  in  every'  tropical  country 
when  land  is  being  newly  opened.  You  state  that 
“ the  attacks  of  fever  carry  one  off  within  eight  or 
ten  days,”  and  “when  you  ’re  once  in  for  malaria, 
it  is  a toss-up  between  life  and  death,”  but  though 
your  informant  had  fever  on  several  occasions,  he 
still  lives  and  with  light-headed  recklessness  libels 
the  medical  man  to  whose  care  and  skill,  if  he  was 
at  any  time  seriously  ill,  he  probably  owes  his 
recovery.— Yours  faithfully, 
RERCY  N,  BRAINE, 
