May 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
ni 
OUR STAPLE EXPORTS: 
TEA vs. COCONUTS. 
It is curious to note the widely ditferent 
positions our two principal staples of Export 
have occupied during the first quarter of the 
current year. Tea had dropped in price to 
a point which had never before been touched, 
and which we sincerely hope will never again 
be experienced ; while the remedy for the de- 
pression, caused by overproduction, was 
yet in the future. True, the past few 
weeks have seen an appreciable advance 
in price ; but the reduced output, by what- 
ever means to be accomplished, has yet 
to be arranged for, although it is well- 
known that an vmusual quantity of last 
year's tea entered into our January's ship- 
ments. Still, whetiier an actual reduction 
will be realized is a question, now that 
prices have risen and are keeping up, 
and that so many Companies have refused to 
give their support to any scheme for reduced 
exports. But that is not the question we wish 
to discuss now. What we desire to point out 
is that, while Tea Exports have risen, and 
while prices were disappointing during the 
first quarter of the year, the out-turn of 
Coconut products, on the other hand, show 
a falling-olf in quantity to the accompani- 
ment of high prices maintained for an 
exceptionally long period. 
We had thought, on the authority of pub- 
lished reports and the forecasts of our own 
coi-respondents, that the effects of the drought 
of 1899 on the Cocountpalm would cease to be 
apparent after the end of 1900, and that the cur- 
rent year would show an advance in Exports. 
That expectation has not yet been realised ; 
but, not to travel out of the first quarter, the 
following are the figures which the Chamber 
of Commerce returns up to 1st April show (for 
the first quarter) :— Of Coconut Oil, there were 
sent away 62,286 cwts., against over 102,000 
cwt. the previous year and over 82,000 
cwt. the two yeai's preceding ; of Copra 
57,034 cwt. against 111,585 in 1900, and 68,900 
and 69,275 cwt. in 1899 and 1898 respectively. 
In desiccated nuts too, there is a falling off 
from over 2,800,000 lbs, 2,700,000 and 
2,300,000 lbs in the three previous years to 
24 millions this year. Poonac, with 17,9.52 
cwt, shows the largest proportional decrease, 
being less than half the quantity sent away 
in each of the two years immediately preced- 
ing, and legs than one-fourth of the exports 
for 1898. Only in Coconuts in the shell is there 
an increase, with over 3^ millions 
in nuts against less than 2J millions in 
each of the three years preceding ; but this 
increase of a million nuts represents but a 
fraction of the deficit we have noted under 
the several important heads given above. The 
interpretation of these figures is that the 
expectation that this year's crops will com- 
pensate for the deficiency of last year has 
not yet been fulfilled. We do not say it will 
not be fulfilled, for we hear from many sides 
of the promise of very heavy pluckings 
duringthe next two crops ; but even March and 
April crops have been disappointing in many 
places. The fact is that the Coconut 
palm in a congenial climate can scarcely 
get too much rain ; while it is specially 
aifected by drought, and the longer the latter 
lasts, the more prolonged the effect on the 
crops of nuts. Meanwhile the demand for 
Copra is keen, the prices keeping up to close 
on R 52 per Candy for " best " ; and the 
Desiccating Mills may have to work short 
time until the coming big crops lower 
prices and render a large supply of 
nuts available. • 
_ 
"SPORT IN THE LOW-COUNTRY 
OP CEYLON " : 
By Alfred Clark.* 
Thereading of this little bookhas afforded me 
much pleasure, and, as those portions of it that 
I consider myself qualified to criticise appear 
to me to be' absolutely correct, I can only 
suppose that the remainder of the work is 
equally trustworthy. Being fond of sport, 
and having frequently visited the low- 
country of Ceylon, I had begun to fancy 
that I knew a good deal about the manners 
and customs of the fauna of its jungle ; but, 
after reading Mr. Clark's book, 1 am ready 
to admit that my knowledge thereof, as com- 
pared with his, is woefully incomplete. I 
can therefore conscientiously recommend any 
one, really a sportsman at heart, who intends 
making a trip to the lowcountry of Ceylon 
after game, to provide himself with a copy of 
Mr. Clark's book, as it will be found not only 
to contain useful hints] on Sport, and on the 
characteristics of the wild animals, but also 
a brief account of the game laws. The chap- 
ters on elephants are specially interesting, 
although shrouded by what I fear is the not 
too pessimistic view that 2,000 is probably the 
sum-total of wild elephants now in the island. 
The greatest number I ever saw on the hills, 
in a herd, was eight, and these lived for 
many months on the top of the range above 
Rangalla. Near the ruins of PoUonnaruwa, 
however, I saw about 40 together, and these 
figures seem to corroborate Mr. Clark's ex- 
perience. I was glad to read that the avxthor's 
opinion is that " in spite of the thousands 
killed every year, there is no reason to think 
that snipe' are less numerous now than they 
were formerly." When I recall the tremend- 
ous bags the planters of Rangalla and Meda- 
mahanuwara were wont to make, ■ in the 
paddy-fields of Bintenne, I would not have 
been surprised to learn that they had be- 
come as scarce as that less palatable bii'd 
the dodo ! If sportsmen in Ceylon are as 
keen as they were twenty years ago, I pro- 
phesy that Mr. Clark's book will in future as 
certainly be a part of the furnishing of their 
bungalows, as " Tlie Directory" has always 
been. 
Cosmopolite]. 
— 
SIR JOHN MURRAY'S EXPEDITION 
TO CHRISTMAS ISLAND. 
Sir John Murray, who has just Returned 
from a .six months' expedition to Christmas 
Island, during which he crossed the island 
from end to end— the first occasion on which 
it has been traversed— has made a statement 
with reference to his travels to a represent- 
- ^ Published at " Ceylon Observer " OfSce, 1901, 
