630 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March 2, 1903. 
KURUNEGALA PLANTERS' 
ASSOCIATION. 
ANNUAL REPORT 
of the Karnnegala, Planters' Association of Ceylon for 
the year ending February 14th, 1903. 
Yonr Committee have pleasure ia submitting the 
first annual report, and they feel sure that all mem- 
bers of the Association, on perusal of same, perceive 
that the desirability and necessity for an Association 
in this district is very obvious, and that the formation 
of this Association which took place a year ago 
has already led to beneficial results in the Planting 
interests. 
Finances. — Your Committee are glad to be able to 
report that the finances of the Association are in a 
Bfttisfactory condition. All liabilities with the ex- 
ception of cost of recent advertisements have been 
paid up, there are no anbscriptions otilstandiug, and 
there ia a balance to the credit of the Association of 
R7891- 
Members, — There are 28 members on the register — 
25 estates and three private subscribers — and yonr 
committee are in hopes that some more estates iuthe 
district, which have not as yet joined, will do so in 
the coming jear. 
JJeetings. — Ihere have been five general meetings 
and five Committee meetings, and the attendance on 
the whole has been good. 
Hospital. — At an early meeting of the Association 
it w»3 thought desirable to ask Government to appoint 
hospital visitors, and Messrs. Scott and Hermon were 
duly appointed. 
Labour — on the whole has been fairly satisfactory. 
There has been trouble on one or two estates, but 
otherwise relations between employer and cooly have 
been harmonious and peaceful, and your Committee 
see no reason why this satisfactory state of affairs 
should not continue. The advances all over the 
district (as far as your Committee are able to ascertain) 
are considerably lower than they were a year ago. 
Main Eoads— suffered considerably during the last 
wet weather, but are now being put into good order 
again as before. A toll on the Kandy Eoad near Mal- 
Uwapitiya was removed by Government at the request 
of this Association, much to the satisfaction of all 
residents in the district. 
Minor Eoads. — Your Committee regret that they 
cannot give a good report in this respect, as some of 
them are in a state wholly unfit for cart traffic ; one or 
two roads near to the town are in a fair state of repair, 
bat beyond that the rest of the district is in a wretched 
condition. Plank bridges are rotten, culverts are 
choked up, and in many places no side drains exist at 
all, and practically no improvement in the way of 
necessary new bridges, pavings, drains, &c., have been 
done at all. Your Committee cannot help feeling that 
the continual change of Government Agents, which 
has been going on now for the last five years, has had 
a disastrous effect in this and many other respects 
regarding the welfare of the province, and they take 
this opportunity of pointing out the desirability that 
may arise of publicly discussing this important ques- 
tion, should further changes again take place. 
C.P.E.C. — Yonr Committee note with much satis- 
faction that a section of the C P R'C has been estab- 
lished at Kurnnegala, and under the able guidance 
and command of Mr H E H Hayes has already attained 
to a very high standard of efficiency, especially so at 
the range. 
Post Office. — Yonr Committee would call your 
attention to the wretched little building that is now 
used as a Post Office, which is wholly inadequate for 
the work and should receive your attention. 
Coconuts.— Our Association being largely comprised 
of representatives of the coconut interest, your 
Committee have much satisfaction in recording 
another prosperous year for that indup fy. With the 
exception of a decline of 65,069 cwts . in copra; a 
deficit of 2,262,569 in coconuts in the shell, and 6,826 
CWt3 iu coir fibre, all the other products reported- 
coconut oil, 512,498 cwts; poonao; 247,696 owla ; 
desiccated coconuts, 16,227,565 lb ; coir rope, 15,631 
cwts. — show an appreciable increase over last year 
and are the highest during the last 10 years, desiccated 
coconuts being the highest on record. Our best 
customer for copra and poonac is Germany ; France 
being next with copra. The United Kingdom takes 
the bulk of coconut oil, desiccated coconuts and 
coconuts in the shell. America is our next best 
customer for coconut oil and desiccated coconuts. 
India, which last year took 141,139 cwts coconut oil, 
has this year taken only 64,370 cwts. This great 
falling-off is said to be due to a tax imposed upon the 
article in India. Singapore takes 15,354 cwts coic 
rope, out of 15,631 cwts exported. Prices though not 
so good as during the closing months of 1901 were 
fairly satisfactory. Copra ranged from R61 to E63 
per candy during the first half of the year ; at E56 to 
B58 from July to October, and during November and 
December touched Eb7, the lowest price for the year. 
Coconut oil varied in the varying prices of copra, and 
at the end of the year was E4 per cwt., below what it 
was at the commencement. Poonac was E75 per ton 
from January to March and stood firm at E80 for 
the rest of the year. Desiccated coconuts varied 
from 19 cts. to 22 cts. per lb. Though the fall in prices 
has been considerable for the last few months, your 
Committee are hopeful that it is only temporary and 
will 60on rise. 
There woald seem to be a steady increase, both in 
Britain and the Continent, of the manufacture of 
coconut butter, and it is good news that we may 
shortly expect to see this article manufactured locally. 
We wish the venture all success, as the demand for 
coconut butter is sure to increase and be in great 
request by vegetarians of all creeds. There are 
rumours that the sensitive plant, which has hitherto 
been considered a nuisance and source of expense on 
many estates, is likely to prove a blessing. Being a 
nitrogen-collecting plant it is being cat down twice 
a year and buried — with results, it is said, far in excess 
of what might be expected from its nitrogen-pro« 
ducing propensities only. 
Your Committee would advise those who have this 
plant growing on their property to experiment in this 
direction with a few acres and report results. The 
year has been an unusually wet one, causing a deal 
of inconvenience at times, but upon the whole might 
be considered favourable for the formation of crop, 
and the probabilities are that 1903 will be a good 
year in this respect. 
Cocoa. — Throughout the district cocoa is doing well 
and cancer (as far as your Committee are able to 
ascertain) is not at present causing much anxiety. 
Crops were fairly heavy and realised on the whole 
good prices. 
Other Pkoducts : Rubber, Pepper and Vanilla. — 
From the results obtained from various estates it 
would seem that this district is very suitable for the 
growth of any of these products and a considerable 
acreage is now planted and being planted with them. 
THE RUANW ELLA TEA COMPANY, LTD. 
ANNUAL EEPORT. 
DiRCioRs : — Messrs. G H Alston, J P Anderson 
and H J Scott. 
Estate Inspector :— Mr J P Anderson. Estate 
Superintendent : — Mr D I Mackenzie. 
ACREAGE : 
Tea in full bearing . . . , 374 aorea 
Jungle and Wasteland .. 199 do 
ffotal .. 573 aorea 
The Directors submit herewith to the shareholdeta 
the report and accounts of the Company for the 
past year. The crop amounted to 180,125 lb of tea, 
which is nearly 20,009 lb. short of the estimate, 
but shows an excess over 1901 of 13,825 lb. The 
shortfall in 1902 is wholly attributable to the con- 
tiunal raiu and absence of sunshine during the last 
3 moatha of the year, Thg average aett prise r«- 
