696 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Afmt 1, 
Never did pioneer, planter and niissioner deserve 
a fuller measure of success in all lie lias set his 
hands to, or his heart on. 
It only remains to remark on the 
wonderful growth of introduced trees at this 
elevation: a four-year-old "Albiezia" quite 
astonished us by its size, while young " Pe- 
himbias," with their graceful foliage, and the 
Na ironwood), with its white flower in contrast 
to scarlet leaves, remind planters that they need 
not go beyond local jungles for handsome orna- 
mental, as well as useful, timber trees. Clodagh 
tea-fields are planted all over with the grevillea — 
the "silky oak" of Queensland — which indeed is a 
distinguishing feature on all the plantations and 
clearings around Matale. Tlie scenic outlook from 
Clodagh is very charming — the front view em- 
braces Hunasgeriya peak and the range right along 
to the end of Laggalla, terraced rice valleys in 
the foreground adding variety, and only " water " 
in river or lake being wanted to complete the 
picture. There is a river running through one 
part of the property which (like so many of the 
Matale streams,) rises so rapidly as often to 
endanger life ; but a useful suspension bridge, 
thrown across it, is not the least of Mr. Malcom- 
son's improvements. From a point behind the 
bunp-alow, Adam's Peak and tlie False Pedro range 
are often visible ; while the West Matale hills up 
to eld Ambokka and the valley leading out to 
Nalande and Tamankaduwa are very near. The 
minor road as well as the main Rattota road we 
found in excellent order and Mr. Malcomson had 
only praise for the present active Assistant Agent 
in this and other connections. 
But we must return to 
MATALE TOWN 
which we left with one long street, whereas it 
has now developed a back street quite as fully 
occupied with several busy cross streets ; while 
the amenities — in parks, tennis greens, well-kept 
roads for the carriage, bicyclist or pedestrian, 
circling round the town, surprised us by their 
attractiveness and convenience. The Local Board 
and its President deserve much praise for these and 
other improvements in Lighting, Water Supply 
(not yet complete) and Sanitation. The town 
altogether has become a model ontstation for 
Ceylon ; but nature has richly endowed it in 
umbrageous and flowering trees and grassy glades, 
So fair a Bcene, so rich a sod 
Oar English fairies never trod. 
The most conspicuous building in Matale is the 
new " Club house," erected by the enterprising 
Mr. Perera, formerly resthouse-keeper, and which 
he has built all at his own cost, immediately 
opposite the resthouse which it dwarfs and 
dominates 1 The planters are expected to make 
the investment a remunerative one. " The Borron 
Hall and Library " near the green, the Roman 
Catholic Church and Convent (the " sisters " being 
all Ceylonese) in the back street, the neat little 
Anglican Church on the Hill in the midst of the 
well-kept Cemetei^?, the Baptist Chapel and 
Hall in the middle of the town are farther 
fkiHtitutions, not to mention the time- 
honored Kachcheri and Police Court 
with its, no doubt, indispensable " Lock-up " 
(Was it not an Englishman who, washed ashore 
from a wreck on a strange land, returned thanks 
that he was among a civilised people because the 
first object he s»w was a gallows 1) The airily- 
situated, neat-looking Hospital and grounds are 
a special feature near the old coaching entrance to 
the town ; w^ile the Railway Station, though not 
attractive in itself, has two of the finest 
flower-gardens we have seen anywhere along 
the line — the show of chrysanthemums is 
specially striking. Much good work is 
being done by the " Padres " in and around 
Matale, through in-door and open-air services, in 
schools and in other ways. The climate we found 
in February to be truly pleasant — never too herb 
nor too cold— a happy mean between Colombo anS 
Nuwara Eliya. 
A CEYLON PLANTER IN CALIFORNIA. 
MR O. H. GREBNSLADE: HIS NOTES 
ON CEYLON PRODUCTS. 
A letter has been received by a Colombo 
merchant from Mr O H Greenslade, formerly 
of Dehiowita, Kelani Valley, dated "Ker« 
County, California, January 80th," He had 
been at work there, without moving once 
from the town since he last wrote in J uly, 
1902 ; the railway is just across the road, 
where he lives. From his letter we are 
permitted to make the following extracts :— 
" We live a very quiet life, to bed at 9'30 every 
night. I am greatly improved in health, and feel 
very strong and young, and fit to do any work. A 
travelling 'bed renewer' (a man who re-^tuflFs 
mattresses) was working here yesterday. I showed 
him the sample of ' mattress fibre.' He said 'Yes, 
1 know it; it costs 22 to 24 cents per lb' at the 
lower price. The ton of 2000 lb. equals $140 00, 
against your quotation. Mattress fibre, £2 per ton, 
equals f 10. The Collector of Customs, San Fran- 
cisco, writes me the following on Import duty : on 
Mattress and Palmyra fibre, he answered 'Don't 
know whafe this is ' ; Desiccated Coconut, 2 cents 
per lb. Cocoa, answered " prepared " 2J cents per 
lb up to 50 per cent. — " raw " free. Plumbago free. 
Cardamoms free. Gum, unrefined free. Cigars 
$4-50 per lb and 25 per cent. Tea free," 
"You notice that Coconut fibr§ is not imported 
at San Francisco — also that there is a very fine 
margin on the retail price. — Import duty on Cigars 
is quite prohibitive (I got a lot of samples from 
Madras). — I believe there is quite a fine trade, to 
be done in Ceylon products, and only wish I could 
travel, or start in, and i,ell them. Brushes are 
made here, with * broom-grass,' which makes a 
very good brush. Straw, and hay, is bailed up 
with wire ; if the coconut fibre rope would h»ld 
the bail together, it would soon be in ^reat 
demand. [Wire is cheaper and better for bailing. 
—Ed. r.il.]— Tea sella retail ftom -50 to $1'00 per 
lb ; it can be landed here for under 25 cents. — Rail- 
way travelling is high ; commercial travellers are 
allowed ten dollars a day.— Is there much ' gum ' 
to be found in the forests of Ceylon ? Every body 
(boys and girls) chew gum here. Note that there 
is no import duty on raw gum. There should be a 
big trade in this article, for I have seen gum 
frequently in Ceylon." 
" Snow is thick all over the country, the first 
good fall for ten years in this part. Prospects for a 
good crop are good ; but the rainfall is very small 
eight or ten inches a year, and unless spriBg raioa 
come, the prospects fall flat." 
