ME TROPICAL AaRlOULrURlST, [Nov. 1, 1902. 
our deciduous species become leailess during our 
hottest and driest months. The deciduous trees res- 
pond only to one hot dry period of three or four 
months, and not to the dry part of each monsoon. 
Some species undergo complete defoliation twice 
per yeai ; others exhibit incremental foliar activity 
several times per year, in addition to a complete 
annual renewal, and many introduced species show 
great variation duiing their phase of acclimatis- 
ation. In the northern districts, where the rains of 
th'e south-west monsoon are very feeble as compared 
with those at Peradeniya, the defoliation is con-, 
siderably delayed. Tiie climatic conditions in 
Ceylon are not equable enough to allow continued 
development along personal lines, and botanists de- 
siring to study the personal equation in plant life 
s'lould select a more equable area. 
Internal forces are, however, obviously at work, 
as evidenced by the following :— 
{a) Species retain luU possession of their foliage 
or pat forth new leaves when the temperature and 
dryness of the air is at the maximum. 
{b) Some species drop their leaves and remain 
b .re during our wet, cool months, when transpi- 
ration is at the minimum. 
(c) Plants of the same species, on the same plots, 
are deciduous at periods varying by many weeks 
and months. 
(d) The same species may undergo defoliation 
at approximately the same time of the year, though 
under the dissimilar climates of Peradeniya, Col- 
ombo, and Mannar. 
The irregularity of foliar periodicity is very 
pronounced. There is not a month when all the 
trees are in full leaf. 
The foliar periodicity of the evergreens is as com- 
plex as that of the deciduous trees, the foliar re- 
newal taking place annually, bi-annually, or 
weekly, all being subject to individual variations. 
Complete defoliation and foliar renewal in tem- 
perate and tropical zoi ei often results in the differ- 
entiation of ring3 of growth in the secondary 
xylem. The variation in our tropical species is so 
great that an exact knowledge of foliar activity 
must be at hand before the time-value of the rings 
of growth can be determined. Saplings may under- 
go foliar repletion in the first year, or several years 
may elapse before this occurs ; mature plants may 
be characterised by annual, bi-annual, or incre- 
mental periods of leaf production ; further, many 
trees are repeatedly defoliated by the ravages of 
insects, bats and fungi. 
Foliar periodicity is the most potent factor in 
determining the numter and significance of the 
rings of growth, but for the complete interpre- 
tation of these a further knowledge of the rate of 
cambial activity and the independent effect of a 
h )t dry season is necessary. 
The rate of cambial activity is of especial value 
in determining the varying significance if the 
xylem differentiations in slow-growing decduous 
or quick-growing evergreen trees. 
JAVA AND ITS TEA SUPPLY. 
Borne anxiety is felt as to the future of 
tea in Java. So far ab we can learn, plant- 
ing is not extending in that island : our 
Dutch neighbours have learned caution by 
their experience both in coffee and cinchona. 
The former industry has been wellnigh 
ruined by Brazil ; while the price of bark 
and quinine can only with great difficulty be 
jtept up to a vemunerative lev^l, yhf Java 
Quinine Factory has helped greatly to benefit 
the local cinchona planters, and its capacity is 
to be doubled we learn. Meantime as regards 
tea, with the experience of India and Ceylon 
before them, Java tea planters are bound to 
be cautious and festina lente is their motto. 
Those who have tea fields or estates are trying 
to do the best they can by improved culti- 
vation and manufacture ; but any exten- 
sions of the area under this product will 
be few and far between for some years. 
Our latest news from Java is as fol- 
lows:— "Java is just now experiencing a 
very severe drought. This should reduce the 
output of tea from that island to some 
extent this season." 
A satisfactory feature about the Java 
tea enterprise is the very considerable and 
steadily increasing proportion of the pro- 
duce which is shipped direct to Holland. 
This means the gradual conversion of a 
good many of the Dutch people to after- 
noon and, perhaps, morning tea. If this 
process continues and Belgium as well as the 
adjacent portion of Germany— the people of 
the Groningen and East Priesland provinces 
have always been great tea-drinkers — were 
induced to consume increasing quantities of 
Java tea, no one would regret some expan- 
sion in the. Dutch planting enterprise. It 
is any increase in the shipments of Java tea 
to the London market, that Ceylon and 
Indian planters deprecate. 
FREIGHTS AND PASSAGES TO 
AUSTRALIA. 
CEYLON TEA PAYING Id. A LB. 
IN FREIGHT ! 
" Tea Scrip " raises once again a very 
important question in his letter elsewhere. 
It is simply monstrous that the Ceylon tea 
planter should have to submit to the heavy 
and entirely inequitable rates of freight at 
present charged for his produce to Australian 
ports. Can it be doubted that the trade would 
still further expand until the Australasian 
market was nearly, if not, quite won over 
to " Ceylon's," or at any rate to British-grown 
teas, if only freights were at all reasonable. 
Surely, a remedy can be found by inviting 
competition with the existing steamers ? 
We saw it mentioned the other day that 
the Japanese Company was to be approached 
with reference to running a steamer once 
a month right round the Australian ports. 
If she started from Colombo and called on 
her way back at Singapore, we do not 
think that due encouragement would be 
wanting. In fact in this might be found 
the solution of cheap passages as well as 
cheap freight to and from Australia. Failing 
a Japanese liner, we trust the Australasian 
S.N. Company will be enterprising enough 
to establish a branch line with (^eylon and 
India. Meantime, pending any such arrange- 
ment, the Planters' Association and Chamber 
of Commerce should enter a remonstrance 
with the existing Steamer Companies as to 
their high rate of freights.— The question of 
a closer connection between Ceylon and 
Western Australia is discussed in corre- 
spondence on our sixth page ; but, we suspect 
only by securing a new and rival steamer oau 
heap tourist passage rates be established. 
