Sept. 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGlilCULTUEIST. 
20S 
by Government, and refers to the gathering of Forest 
products by the Hill men, or Kadirs, who, under in- 
structions from the Conservator of Forests, collect 
cardamoms and wild pepper. Obviously, this system 
would prove impracticable when similar products 
came to be cultivated by planters. But as this tribe 
is believed to number only about 100, Government 
should be able to provide for them, though some diffi- 
culty may be confronted in the matter, as these men 
prefer an existence on forest produce, such as yams, 
fruits, &c. With the establishment of a sanitarium, 
and the immigration of Missionary settlers, it is pro- 
bable that some of these difficulties may be dissipated. 
"Under the segis of the present sympathetic Governor 
of Madras, a new policy for the development of the 
resources of the country is being inaugurated, as is 
already shown by accelerating the completion of the 
new road, and by the erection of the iron bridge 
over the main river, while it is said that the Govern- 
ment projects a line of railway from Podanur to 
Dindigul zna PoUachy, which would bring the Anamalai 
region within touch of Madras, Calicut. Colombo 
and other parts of India. Irrespective of the Water- 
fall Estate, and the area opened with coffee in 1897, 
there are already about 1,500 acres planted this year. 
Approximately half of the 15,000 acres taken up by 
planters is held by Ceylon men. 
THE MICA INDUSTRY IN INDIA. 
The attention that has begun to be paid to 
mica in the island, — one among the many 
valuable minerals soon to be extensively 
worked in this island, .we may hope, assisted 
by the proposed Chamber of Mines whose 
existence was inaugurated the other day — 
lends peculiar interest to wliat is going 
on in India where, too, mica claims more 
attention than it used to do. Mr. T. H. 
Holland, a young geologist with an excel- 
lent reputation, recently wrote a sketch 
of the mica industry of India, which 
has been pui)Ushed in the Annual Report on 
the work of the Geological Survey for last 
year. The Report, we learn from a Calcutta 
contemporary, was the outcome of a tour of 
inspection, in the course of which Mr. Hol- 
land, Avitli two others, examined the mica- 
bearing areas of Bengal and Madras ; and the 
conclusion arrived at Avas that the large and 
profitable industry might be rendered far 
more remunerative by more scientific ex- 
ploitation of the fine pegmatite sheets which 
have been almost untouclied hitherto. The 
system adopted in Bengal, where the field is 
12 miles by 60, is described as most wasteful 
and primitive, the mines being narrow irre- 
gular holes, following 
"The pegmatite sometimes to a depth well 
over two hundred feet. The whole of the materials 
^mlca, rubbish, and water— are brought by coolies 
to the mouth of the hole, which is often very 
near the summit of a hill, being the point where, 
on account of better exposure, the pegmatite 
outcrop was originally discovered. On accovint 
of the accumulation of water, all mining opera- 
tions are suspended during the monsoon season, 
and at the close of the rains the process of fork- 
ing a mine occupies several days, and sometimes 
weeks. In the same way, an hour every morn- 
ing is spent in bailing out the water accumulated 
over night." "With a single Exception, at Bendi, 
we are told, "there is not a single vertical shaft 
in the whole mica mining area of Bengal, not a 
fciingle drive or cross-cut to show tliat the miners 
have appreciated the actual disposition of the 
pegmatite as normal intrusive sheets, and, not- 
withstanding the favourably shaped natural con- 
tours of the .ground, not a single adit for the 
l^moval of water. Contrary, too, to the explicit 
regulations on the subject, no plans of the mines 
have been prepared to show the disposition of 
the workino's." 
In the Madras area, the system is only one 
step iu advance of that which obtains in 
Bengal, being of the open quarry plan. 
Notwithstanding that '• none of the mines 
have attempted to deal with the pegmatite 
vein by vertical hauling sliafts and drives, 
after the fashion pursued in all modern me- 
thods of mining for minerals occurring in re- 
gular veins or slieets." the industry is flour- 
ishing. The yearly exports of mica are 
valued at a million rupees, and we told 
that there is no reason why, with careful 
treatment of the abundant material avail- 
able, India should not continue to hold her 
place easily as the first mica-producing coun- 
try in the world — the more so, as it is likely 
that mica can be found in other districts, 
and other minerals are generally associated 
with gneissose rocks in which mica is found. 
Among the minerals, some new to India, 
found in Bengal, were arsenic of iron, in 
lumps weighing in some instances as much 
as 20 lb. ; phosphate and floride of iron, and 
manganese, in thick masses ; and appatite in 
sucli abundance that, out of 100 lb, of mate- 
rial collected at a pit's mouth, 76 per cent of 
phosphate of lime was obtained. In the 
scarcity of phosphates in India, the find is 
naturally considered of importance, as the 
appetite has hitherto been thrown away and 
ihe expense of treating it as a by-product 
will be almost wholly confined to "cooly 
labour to pick over the waste heaps, royalty 
and transport." The Madras area is des- 
cribed as less rich than Bengal ; and though 
larger crystals have been found, the ruby tint 
which has made Bengal famous in the market 
remains to be foiind. All this is of as great 
interest almost to us as to India ; and now 
that the Government is awakening to the 
importance of the mining industry generally, 
and is in communication with India about 
a geologist, we trust that the Geological 
Survey we have advocated for years will 
soon be undei^taken and disclose new sources 
of wealth and industry for us. The primitive 
and wasteful methods desci-ibed above al- 
most exactly represent the system generally 
pursued in the gem and plumbago industries ; 
and the recent discovery of asbestos which 
we recently noted, should induce the Gov- 
ernment to give all the help it can, through 
a Geological Survey, to capitalists to utilise 
every available mineral which the island 
att'ords. 
FACILITIES FOE MAKING TEA. 
Two circulars have turned vip from Northern 
Districts which deserve some notice. The 
drawbacks to one division North of Kandy 
are said to be : — Previous chenaing of lands, 
and, partly, full exposure to S.-W. monsoons, 
and possibly no appliances for cool fermenta- 
tion. The jat is said to be quite up to 
the average, but mixed in the oldest in- 
stances. There is very little virgin soil and 
much variation from iron-stone and red 
loamy clays, to clays, qiiartzes, gravels and 
.gritty cabooksand micaceous talc, plumbago 
lands. Any estates worn out ? — Yes, in two 
distinct cases, but one is now being Avorkec^ 
