Nov. 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
319 
a rise of prices in China, especially in the industrial 
regions. The peculiAi-ifcy of the position of China was 
this — that it was the one region in the world with all 
the means for industrial development on a gigantic 
scale that remained to be opened up. So far China 
had been a country of phenomenally low prices owing 
to the fact that the means of commnuioation were 
so bad that outlying parts were pt-aotioally cut off 
from one another, and the cost of transport being so 
great, there was no outside market for the disposal of 
produce, 'i'he country was enormously rich iu coal, 
iron ore, and cheap and efficient labour. Three pi ;o- 
vioces were especially richly endowed — namely, Hu- 
uan, Szu-chuan, and Shan-si. The last-named gave 
the most promise of immediate development because 
of its remarkable mineral richness and its proximity 
to navigable waters. A district in the mountainous 
regions of this province was so rich in minerals that 
it was estitcated that a railway would pay although in 
some parts it would cost as much as ±'10,000 a mile. 
A second consequence that might be anticipated from 
the development of China was the creation of a 
demand for foodstuffs not likely to be supplied by 
China itself — a demand which in itself would be one 
of the powerful causes contributing to maintain the 
rise in prices. A third consequence would be the 
imparting of a great stimulus to all the food-producing 
regions most favourably situated for meeting the 
demands of China, more paiticularly Manchuria, 
Siberia, and Western North America, probably the 
Pacific States of North America to a greater extent 
than Canada. But perhaps the most important con- 
sequence of all was that the result of China coming 
into the world's market as a country demanding food- 
Btulls would be the creation of a, tendency to a gradual 
but prolonged rise in the price of wheat and other 
grains all the world over,' reversing the process that 
had been going on since about 1870 as the consequence 
of the successive opening up of new countries. If 
this last-mentioned consequence of the development 
of China came into operation it would have an effect of 
very great magnitude, very wide-reaching in space, 
very far-reaching in time, very diverse, and very 
complex. 
4> 
BIG GAME IN AFKICA. 
(To the Editor of the Daily Graphic.) 
Sib, — Socalled "sportsmen" have been sc 
ruthless in the destruction of big game in 
Africa that, at the present day, large tracts 
of country Avhich formerly*, abounded in 
hartebeestes, antelopes, koodoo, eland, &c., 
are now desert wastes so far as livestock is 
concerned. In the Daily Graph ic of August 
10th I saw a paragraph dealing with this 
subject with quotations from a Consular re- 
port made by Mr. Commissioner Sharp. 
What led me to write thi.s was a chance 
glance at an advertisement in a Cape news- 
paper, the " Wynberg Times,"' and advertise- 
ment which proves that big game is already 
becoming scarce in South Africa. It is as 
follows : — 
Animals Wanted.— I will give £150 each 
for Mountain Zebras ; £100 each for ordinary 
Zebras, going in harness ; £100 each Blue 
Hartebeestes; £500 a pair Young Hippopo- 
■ tami ; £10 a pair Wart Hogs ; £50 a pair 
Cape Hunting Dogs ; £20 a pair Kaffir Cranes. 
Large Antelopes, Brown or Tortiseshell 
'Hyajnas, £40 per pair, Koodoo, Eland, or 
other large Antelopes high prices landed 
Southampton. Persons having friends up- 
country please communicate, &c., &c. 
;,, If something is not done many varieties of 
interesting animals will shortly become ex- 
tinct.— Youvs faithfully, 
" A True Sportsman," 
(JEYLON TEA PLANTING. 
REPORT BY THE NEW INDIAN EXPERT. 
Mr. Harold II Mann, who passed through Ceylon 
on his way to take up a post in India, has now 
issued a report on what he saw and gathered 
here. The following are lefereuces to it in the 
I.P.G. 
Tlie appendix to tlie report contains a short 
report from Mr. Harold H Mann on his visit to 
Ceylon when cii ruutc to India. j\lr. Mann's 
reniarlcs all'ord most interesting reading. The 
Conunittee of the Indian Tea Association desired 
that he would visit Ceylon on his way out to 
this country and the object of his visit was laid 
down in the following terms: — "You will take 
advantage of the opportunity to make yourself 
acquainted with the tea gardens in Ceylon, and 
to learn what you can as to tiie scientific 
methods and treatment of the plant which have 
been found of service especialh/ in increasing 
the yield per acre and iu maintaining the health 
and vigour of the bushes. (The italics are ours.) 
Surely the sentence in italics was inserted by a 
mistake. With over production staring us in the 
face, and lliousauds of new acres coming into 
bearing, what .shall we do if we increase our 
yield per acre? Ceylon has already over-reached 
herself in this direction, and done an injury 
not only to herself bat to us also in flooding 
the London market with cheap teas. If Mr. 
Mann's mission to India is to teach us how to in 
crease oiu' yield per acre, planter.s may well exclaim 
— "Save us from our friends," To increase our 
yield per acre in the same way as Ceylon has done, 
would, under present circumstances, simply spell 
ruin to us. It is to l)e hoped that Mr Mann has 
disabused himself of the idea that Indian planters 
want him to teach them how to increase their 
yield per' acre. Mr Mann clearly points out in his 
report the vast difference that exists in planting 
condition between the island and ourselves, he 
emphasizes the entire difference in the method 
of culture and treatment of the plant in Indian 
and Ceylon tea gardens. In India, while the pluck- 
ing of the leaf and the manufacture of tea from 
it is contined to the nine mouths of the year, 
—April to December — (Mr Blann says six months), 
in Ceylon it is continuous. This, of course, has 
ar. enormoris influence on the culture generally, 
on the manuring, and on the treatment of the 
pests and blights affecting the plant. Pruning is 
done, wit'iin limits, wdien most convenient, and not 
necessarily at any particular season. Except in the 
low districts, an annual pruning even is not ne- 
cessary, and on some of the higher estates it is the 
custom to allow thiee or even four years to 
elapse between the pruning without liarmful 
effect. Passing over Mr. Mann's remarks as to 
the nature of the soil in Ceylon w-e will briefly 
notice what he has had to say regarding manur- 
ing. In the island a great deal of careful and sys- 
tematic attentions has been paid to this matter, 
with the result that it is now almost considered 
essential to njanure all exce])t the richest land. 
He states that in Ceylon it is universally recognized 
that 
MANURING SHOULD BE DONE. 
The differences of opinion on the subject are 
only concerned with the amount and kind of 
manure which it will pay to apply. According 
to Mr. Mann the best authorities are in accord 
that the foundation of the manuring should be 
the burial of the greea prunings, preferably 
