48 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July 1, 1899. 
shows only an increase of $15,50-i; Spirits 
and Wines unhappily $.35,601. The above 
shows that Britisli Nortli Borneo or the New 
Ceylon is going forward. 
As to Exports, if we exclude Tobacco, there 
has been an increase in the general trade of 
$267,064 in 1898 over 1897. As regards to- 
bacco, new ground is being taken up, and 
this discrepancy will probably rectify itself 
by next year. 
Timber shows an increase of $98,427 ; 
Cutch, a very progressive industry, $35,706 ; 
Gutta and Rubber, $61,700 ; " Seed " and 
Mother of Pearl, $20,700 ; and Copra, quite a 
new feature, $10,695. 
To take the increase of Exports and Im- 
ports in the last decade, we find the following 
to show the "forridness" of New Ceylon :— 
1888— Imports... $1,798,620 Exports ... 6701,433 
1898— do, ...$2,419,087 Do. ...$2,881,851 
Increase ... $620,467 12,180,418 
To instance another feature in the pro- 
sperity of the Colony, one steamer alone, 
of 7th May, brought for the tobacco estates 
182 free Chinese and 425 contract coolies. 
I send you herewith a comparative state- 
ment of Foreign Exports and Imports during 
the years 1897 and 1898.— Yours truly, 
W. D. GIBBON, 
Ceylon Agent, British North Borneo Govt. 
CASTILLO A RUBBER. 
MAJOR GORDON REEVES' OPINION. 
Ratnatenne, Madulkele, June 10. 
Sir,— I have not been experimenting again 
with tapping Castilloa, as I do not wish to 
injure the seed crop ;— though possibly, tap- 
ping would tend to increase this as in the 
case of mangoes, peaches, etc. The tapping 
which was done to obtain the samples I sent 
to Liverpool, was carried out in average 
showery weather. Some Para trees were tap- 
ped at the same time, and the superiority of 
the Castilloa as regards yield at once became 
apparent. 
The quantity of drifed rubber obtained, or 
rather the quantity which we took from three 
trees as a sample, was about II lb. ; doubtless, 
a good deal more could have been taken, but 
we did not want more. A tree seven years 
old may, I understand, be tapped five or six 
times a year. What we did prove was the 
fact that, under the same meteorological con- 
ditions, on that particular estate, Castilloa 
yielded much more readily than Para, and 
we at once acted on that discovery. I am 
sorry I cannot give more definite information 
as regards yield at the present moment, be- 
yond the fact that Castilloa with us is by 
far the easier of the two trees to get a yield 
from ; and, probably, therefore, the best 
yielder of rubber. But we intend to carry 
out exhaustive experiments later on ; and 
you shall have a memorandum of these and 
of the results.— Yours, &c., 
E. GORDON REEVES. 
CEYLON "THIRTY COMMITTEE." 
CEYLON TEA IN RUSSIA. 
Sin,— I herein enclose copy of letter received 
from Mr. llogivue reporting on the progress made 
in the sale ot Ceylon tea in Russia and al-soadvert- 
inf' to what is beint? done in fci wit/.erland.— I am, 
)jjr! youre faithfully, A. PHILIP, 
Secretary to tlie " Thirty Committee." 
A. Philip, Esq., Secrei;ary to the " Thirty Com- 
mittee," Kandy, (Cevlon). 
Moscow, 1/13 May, 1899. 
Dear Sir, — I duly received your favor of the 27th 
February for which I thaiili \ou, also your Committee 
for their kind allowance of £4(1 towards the cost of 
my advertiBement-cartls, in the form of Ceylon views, 
which I have distributed over Russia. I now beg to 
inform you that. I have this day taken the liberty to 
draw these forty pounds sterling upon your goodselve 
at_ten days' sight, to the order of Messrs. P. R. Bucha- 
nan & Co., London, which I shall thank you to kindly 
honour on presentation. As regards the progress of 
Ceylon tea in Ptuasia, I am of opinion that the last 
Newspaper Advertisements directed by Mr. Christie, 
under my supervision, have done a great deal of good 
aiid the fact that more of Piuasiau Firms' Tea buyers 
are establishing themselves in<'olombo, and that the 
direct exports of tea from Colombo to Russia are in- 
creasing yearly in large proportions, also that the 
import of Ceylon tea in Russia, through London, and 
Germany is also increasing steadily, — is the best illus- 
tration one can get of the progress the article is 
making in this country. . . is right enough 
when be says that Ceylon Tea is largely used 
for blending with Chinese Teas, but he is 
decidedly in error when lie affirms that the Rus- 
sians don't drink Pure Ceylon Tea. Almost all 
tea merchant in Russia is uov>' selling Pure Ceylon 
Tea in packets, and I am not afraid of venturing 
to say that a few millions of pounds are now likewise 
(pure) sold and consumed yearly in Russia. The bulk 
of the trade, it is true, being however for blending pur- 
poses, because the Russians do not care any more for 
the weak and tasteless China Tea they are getting now. 
I was lately in Switzerland when I had the pleasure of 
meeting my old friend; Mr. Bremer of Messrs. George 
Steuart (fcCo., Colombo; he was greatly interested with 
the work I am doing there for the introd«ction of 
Ceylon Tea in Switzerland: where (at Morges on 
the Lake of Geneva) I have opened an Agency of 
Rogivue & Co., Limited, for the sale in chests and 
packets of pure Ceylon Tea, which is now gaining 
great favour in that country. Mr. Bremer will be 
able to inform your Committee about my exertions in 
pushing the article there, and he gave me to under- 
stand that the Thirty Committee would gladly support 
me and reimburse me a part of my expenditure for 
advertisement which I am doirg on a pretty large scale 
by the way of Newspaper publications, fine placards 
with Ceylon views, Cards, Pamphlets, and samples of 
Pure Ceylon Tea distributed gratis all over the 
country. — I am, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
(Signed) M. Rogivue. 
^ — — — . 
TEA PICKING. 
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "PLANTER."] 
Coonoor, May 29. 
Sir, — I should like to know if the following 
record pick of tea leaf haa been beaten on these 
Hills. The field is one planted in 1889 with plants 
fi'om oar own seed, off indigenous single p!ant.s. 
The plucking fairly fine, viz., two leaves and a 
bad. The field had its first low prune in July 
last only. The individual figures for fifteen 
pluckers are as follows :— 58, 37, 50, 58, 60, 60, 
60, 46, 55, 6.3, 64, 54, 48, 56, 59. The 68 was 
picked by a little Ladaga girl, named Gunghee, 
who is about ten years old only. I do not pick 
by contract, but give small rewards now and again 
for merit. I have never, in niy eighteen years 
on these Hills, had any better incks ! The total 
into the factory for the day was 3,350 pounds, 
beating the previous highest record by 350 pounds. 
But for a heavy downpour of over an inch, last« 
ing over an hour, the pick would have been far 
]ar<rer. Thos. Brown. 
[Have any Ceylon planters larger figures to 
ghowJ-ED. T.A,} 
