494 
THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[Dec. 1, 1900. 
the land, management and proximity to market but ; 
it may be reckoned approximately at from 4!> to 50 per 
cent, per annum on the capita! invested whicli will 
continue for an indefinite period, cacao trees lasting 
for several generations. The price of land varies 
greatly, and depends on the C3jpiice or need of the 
seller. Land adapted to cacao cultivation covers an 
area of some lO.KOO square miles in the coast provinces 
of Ecuador. A very small proportion of available land 
is now under cultivatioi'., althongh t'lere are lai'g';: 
tracts adjoiniog important estates. The chief im- 
pediment to the rapid development of Ci^cao planta- 
tions in Ecuador is the system of " peonage con- 
ciertos, " or slavery in all but name, which is in vogue, 
whei'eby Ir-bourers are bought and sold openly for 
debts. The production of cacao in Ecuador has been 
increasin;^ since 1836, and the crop in 1899 is expected 
to be nearly 3'', 000 tons, the chief producing piovmoe 
being Loa Bios, these following in their order of their 
importance : Guazas, El Oro, Manvi and Esmeralds. 
— Journal cf the Society of Arts. 
^ 
GAME AND FISH ON THE NILGrPJS. 
There is always a good deal of general interest to be 
found in the pages of the annual reports of the Nilgiri 
Goverment Fish Preseivaiit n, Association which held 
its annul general meeting at Ooty, on Friday. The year 
is said to have been a very successful one in the way 
of the preservation of these two sources of sport that 
yields" supplies " for the table. The first article in 
the report describes what has been done during the 
year in the way of the "destructian of vermin" ; but 
the word " vermin " here is used in a very special 
sense. For instance, the creature that is primarily 
set down as vermin is the otter ; and it is so called 
because the otter is the great enemy of trout — a spe- 
cies of fish which the AasociatioD have long been 
trying to cuUivate in Nilgiri streams. But the 
Nilgiri streams — in the words of tne reports — " swarm 
with the pest, and our promise of trout greatly depends 
on the destruction of the vermin." Something was done 
during the past year: for seven otters were killed, which 
is the second be.=it record. Of other " vermin, " 11 
wild dogs, 141 wild cats, and 62 mongoose were ac- 
counted for, which was a record in every case. 
The report regrets that, in spite of protection, im- 
mature game not unfrequently falls a victim to the 
" chapter of accidents " or; worse still, is killed by 
inexperienced sportsmen, who trust entirely to the'w 
shikaries, and are unlucky enough to get hold of 
unscrupulous men who only care to secure meat add 
trade on the inexperience of their employers and 
urge them to kill game that should be left for another 
day. The report represents that if the Association can 
but succeed in making things too hot for the careless 
or unscrupulous shootist, and especially for the worst 
class of shikari; it will be possible to v,'rite more 
definitely and satisfactorily of the results of protection. 
Actul poaching by the Badaga population has und- 
oubtedly been checked; and at the presnt moment 
the most confirmed poachers are Kuvumbers from 
Malabar, who make raids on the Kundahs and 
manage to evade detection, and wonder, no doubt, 
why they shouldn't be allowed to capture the game 
as freely and unrestrainedly as their father and fore- 
fathers did before them ! 
As for the culture of trout, Major Grant, v. c, who 
was an enthusiastic fisherman, has gone ; but in 
Major T. N. Bagnall the Association has found "a 
keen all-round sportsman, who has gone con awore 
into the business of trout culture in a workmanlike 
fashion, which promises great things for the future." 
Hitherto the importation of trout ova has not been 
very cuccessful, and IMajor Bagnall reports, in amus- 
ing fashion, that the whole supply received during the 
year was worthless, the fact being that in some cases 
" it had altogether rotted away, and only the smell 
remained." For the rest, he reports that Burnfoot Lake 
unquestionably contains trout though he has never 
seen one himself. Some have been seen in Avalanche 
river; but still they have never appeared to Major 
Bagnall. In Emerald Valley river, on the 23rd of June, 
Major Bagnall caught a male trout weighing 4 lbs. 
— '' he fought well, and was in good condition." 
Others have been caught at the same spot. There 
is no certain evidence of trout having been seen in 
Pykara river, but Captain dmpbell, R. A., who was 
fishing above the bridge in July, thinks a small trout 
came at his fly. Carp seen to be thriving there. 
C iptain Beadneil has had most succe.ss, as hecanght 15 
lb.?, vv'eight of fish in tree hours one day. Major B,.tinall 
believe:! these fish to be- I^Iah^eer and wants opinions. 
Apart from fish, the "Nilgiri Game Bag" thows that 
all sorts of animals have fallen victims to the guns 
of dift'erent shikaris during the past five years, namely 
ibpx, sambnr, panthers, bisons, bears, and tigers. 
The last bear was shot at Kullakowbay, in September 
ln.=t ; and in 1899 there have b^en as many as nine 
timers shot, the largest ot v.hich measured 6ft. 6 inches. 
Certain rules were fixed at tne raeetig in regard 
to the preservation. — 3/. Times 
PUBLIC SALES OF TEA IN COLOMBO 
DUIilNT. THE WAR 1899 
Exchange Demand 
Offered 
Sold 
Avg. 
Drafts. 
1899. 
1898. 
lb. 
lb. 
c. 
S. fl. 
s. d. 
Jan. 
11 
626,680 
562,074 
36 
1 4 1-8 
1 4 
11 
18 
911,98 1 
767,907 
35 
1 4 1-8 
1 3 31-32 
,1 
Feb. 
2.5 
852,419 
700 805 
34 
1 4 3-32 
1 3 15-16 
1 
.'03.405 
402, 147 
36 
1 4 3-32 
1 3 7-8 
8 
621,541 
480 .362 
38 
1 4 3-32 
1 3 15-16 
15 
717,348 
639,171 
38 
1 4 1-32 
1 3 7-8 
11 
22 
685,113 
651,223 
40 
14 116 
1 3 31 32 
Mar. 
1 
042,595 
590,740 
42 
1 4 1-32 
1 4 
11 
8 
682,808 
521,^13 
42 
1 4 
1 4 
ij 
15 
722,156 
031,788 
42 
1 4 
1 3 31-32 
,, 
22 
808,240 
743,492 
42 
1 4 
1 3 13 16 
)) 
Apr. 
,, 
23 
606,301 
499,2-9 
43 
1 4 
1 3 13-16 
12 
1,159,3U7 
1,037,992 
44 
1 4 
1 4 
19 
872,706 
672,060 
43 
1 3 15-16 
1 4 1-16 
i> 
May 
" 
26 
666,187 
.506,062 
43 
1 4 
1 4 1-16 
3 
685,315 
487,540 
39 
1 4 
1 3 15-16 
lU 
859,797 
673,360 
38 
1 4 
1 3 31-32 
17 
1,080,296 
912,283 
36 
1 3 31-32 
1 4 1-8 
1, 
24 
846,336 
751,891 
37 
— 
14 
11 
31 
891,32.5 
797,155 
37 
1 3 31-32 
1 4 1-32 
June 
7 
682.239 
585,644 
37 
1 3 31-32 
X O O L 0£i 
11 
14 
936,119 
846,169 
37 
1 4 
1 3 31-32 
51 
21 
871,993 
745,658 
37 
1 4 
1 3 29-32 
28 
762,845 
679,995 
30 
1 4 1-32 
1 3 3-4 
July 
5 
714.012 
6 1 8,643 
38 
1 4 1 32 
1 3 21-32 
12 
651,941 
566,198 
36 
1 4 1-32 
1 3 11-16 
19 
1,027,345 
809,368 
36 
1/11 P9 
1 3 15-16 
2G 
894,271 
735,708 
35 
1 4 
1 3 13-16 
Aug. 
2 
446.516 
348,521 
37 
1 3 31 32 
1 3 27-32 
9 
730,189 
576.352 
37 
14 
1 3 29-32 
16 
709 623 
563,242 
36 
1 4 
1 3 29-32 
)• 
23 
727,824 
732,068 
37 
1 4 
1 3 31 32 
Sept. 
'J 
3() 
779,117 
690,039 
40 
1 4 
1 4 
6 
585,206 
507,701 
38 
1 4 
1 4 
13 
668,769 
625,950 
40 
1 4 3-32 
1 3 15-16 
20 
891,490 
853,840 
40 
1 4 3-32 
1 4 
Oct. 
27 
739,242 
096,767 
43 
1 4 3-32 
1 3 15-16 
4 
582,724 
501,144 
41 
1 4 5 32 
1 3 31 32 
)' 
11 
734,160 
500,688 
43 
14 18 
1 3 31-32 
:» 
18 
765 446 
630,912 
40 
1 4 18 
1 3 31 32 
25 
784,427 
594,483 
38 
1 4 1-8 
1 4 
Nov. 
1 
563,67i; 
496,304 
40 
1 4 3-32 
1 * 
8 
632,286 
541,472 
39 
1 4 5-32 
1 3 15-16 
5) 
15 
678,871 
506,3-<3 
38 
1 4 5-32 
1 3 1,5-16 
22 
926,087 
635,403 
38 
1 4 1-8 
1 3 31-32 
Dec. 
29 
819,343 
717,697 
37 
1 4 1-8 
1 4 
6 
900,065 
735,777 
36 
1 4 1-8 
1 4 
13 
85 1 ,546 
688,126 
37 
1 4 1-8 
1 4 1-32 
19* 
1,130,000 
930,000 
37 
1 4 1-8 
1 4 1-16 
Total 
f r 
1899— 
37,485,258 31,870,2,36 
381 
1 ih 
1 3 7-S 
Total 
for 
1898- 
-35,928,262 28,831,747 
35 
* Approximate. 
