Sept. 1, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
201 
looking trees, and I do not know anything 
better for p;rowing amongst tea. I am taking 
steps towards having any doubt as to tlieir 
identity removed.— I am, vours faitlifnllv, 
ROB'i'. WATT KERR. 
JAK FRUIT IN INDIA AND CEYLON. 
Aug. 7th. 
Dear Sir,— I learn on good authority that 
in India the largest and best jak fruits are 
i)orne on the roots of old trees, i.e , on such 
roots as come above the soil, which they 
often do in the case of very old trees. I have 
seen regular patriarchs of jak trees in 
Ceylon, with hnge fruits hanging from all 
parts of the trunk down almost to the sur- 
face of the gronnd ; but I cannot say that I 
have ever seen fruits produced on the roots. 
I should like to know whether the experience 
of any of your lowcountry readers agrees 
with my own or with that recorded in India. 
—Yours faithfully, 
INTERESTED. 
THE BRITISH NORTH BORNEO COM- 
PANY. 
Kandy, Ilth August. 
Dear Sir,— I have just received the Report 
issued by tiie Britisli North Borneo Company's 
Court of Directors for 1902, in which the follow- 
ing items, which may interest your readers, 
appear : — 
Receipts in 1901 were 
Revenue 1900 do 
$055,56902 
$587,226'81 
Increase of Revenue 
$68,342-21 
Disbursements 1901 
1900 
$131,21982 
§102,858-63 
Increased Expenditure 
$28,361-19 
Imports value 190] 
Do. 1900 
... $3,262,763-70 
.. $3,178,929-20 
Increase 
§83,834-50 
Exports value 1901 
Do. 1900 
.. $3,382, 3S7-64 
.. $3,326,621 39 
Increase 
§55, 766-25 
The Court of Directors propose declaring a 
dividend to Sliareholders of 2 per cent on Share- 
holilers' capital ot £741,130, beside paying 5 per 
cent on debentures, £200,000.— Yours faitlifully, 
W. D. GIBBON. Agent. 
JAK FRUIT BORNE ON ROOTS : A- . 
REPLY, 
Galkissa, August 13. 
Sib, — In reply to your correspondent 
" Interested ", anent jak fruit in India und 
Ceylon, I have not seen a single jak tree 
in Ceylon the fruits of which are borne on 
the roots, but there are, as j'our correspond- 
ent is aware, tiees with huge fruits hang- 
ing from the trunk and touching the surface 
of the gronnd. The former kind too is 
found wild in Panrute, a place on the South 
Indian Railway line near Poii'licherry, noted 
for fruits produced on tl\e root, which are 
considered very delicious, M, P. C. 
TEA OVER-PRODUCTION: A NEW 
SCHEME ?: 
IS IT WITHIN "PRACTICAL POLITICS"? 
Gammaduwa Group, (Jannnnduwa, Aug. 15. 
Dkar Sir, — I trust the following will connnend 
itself to the careful consideration and support of 
your readeis. For a sum of £20,000 (twenty 
thousand pounds sterling) the output of Ceylon 
tea can be reduced by 7,500,000 lb. (seven million 
five hundred thousand pounds) being the yield of 
30,000 acres of tea at the very moderate estimate 
of 250 lb. per acre. This can be accom[jlished 
provided the money can be found, and, handed 
to the Committee of the Planters' Association of 
Ceylon, who would, I presume, appoint trustees 
for the disbursement of tlie Fund. My proposal 
is tiiat ail Proprietors of tea estates, resident, 
non-resiilent or Companies, who find it impossible 
to cultivate tea at a paying figure, be inviied 
to enter into a contract for one year 
with tiie Trustees of the Fund, 
They must agree to bind themselves to cease 
plucking, from an area of their own clioosing, of 
not less tlian 25 acres of tea, now in bearing, for 
a period of one year from Isb January, 1903, on 
condition they receive from the Fund the sum of 80 
cents per acre per mensem, to enable them to weed 
the tea whicii they shall have ceased to pluck, 
and bound themselves not to pluck for that period. 
Example : A Proprietor or Company liaving say 
300 acres of tea in bearing (the youngest tea over 
four years old,) on agreeing to cease plucking 100 
acres from th^lst January, 1903, would receive 
from the fund R960 during 1903. This sum would 
enable the Manager, to keep the 100 acres free 
from weeds during that time. Without attempt- 
ing to go into details, I think a few of the ad- 
vantages of the scheme are : — estates do not in any 
way suffer, rather the opposite; mortgagees 
would not interfere, they should rather approve, 
as the tea on the 100 acres would have improved 
by the rest. Buildings would cost no more to 
keep up ; and a smaller labour force will be sufficient 
for the crop and maintenance of the other fields. 
Neighbourna; estates, proprietors and managers 
would have no cause to complain of the condition 
ot the abandoned tea, as it will, or ought to be 
easier weeded than the fields which are regularly 
plucked. 
The objection may be raised that it will be 
impossible to check the Superintendent or the 
coolies should they pluck the tea on the fields 
set apart tor the year, and that the tea would 
be sure to be plucked by some, though not in 
every case. I do not believe this could be carried 
on to any extent if at all without being dis- 
covered, as non-plucked tea iields are not so 
difficult to verify, but to lielp to cuard against 
this the fund has still R12,000 from which In 
spectors might be employed to make surprise visits 
to contracting estates. 
I conuiiend tiie al)ove to my brother Planters 
in the full a-surance that they will give it I heir 
careful consideration. The only difficulty, which 
presents itself, is, How are we to raise the money? 
The "Thirty Committee" lequires all the Cess and 
more, were it available, and this lessening of pro. 
duction can scarcely come under the Ordinance 
which empowers that Conuuittee to carry on its 
work. — Yours faithtully. 
JAMES WESTLAND, 
