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THE TROPICAL AGKICULTURIST. 
[MAKfTI 1, 1900. 
CEYLON EXPORTS IN KELATIOiN 
FREIGHT AND TONNAGE: 
18^8 1899 
TO 
TEA GIVING a PER CENT, AND PliODTJCTS 
OF THE COCONUT PALM 41 PER CENT, OF 
EXb-ORT TONNAGE PROM CEYLON IN l.s9<.). 
The following ntfureri— compikid froiiitlie Aii- 
HUJil Returns of Exports and Shipping:— .tsive 
the quantities of produce exjiorted from Cey- 
lon and the number of vessels by which such 
produce was shipped. The figures for produce 
exported are, in this instance, reduced to "shi-p- 
ping tons " on the liasis of the (Jeylon Tonnage 
Scale :— 
In 
Vessels 
Tons cargo 
Average ton 
Cleared with 
taken. 
taken yii-v 
carf>o. 
\ essel. 
1888 
... 573 
120,431 
210 
1889 
... 611 
131,849 
215 
1890 
... 698 
150.159 
223 
1891 
... 872 
174,310 
200 
1892 
... 871 
20(),98() 
230 
1893 
... -848 
197,823 
233 
1894 
... 808 
200,489 
248 
1893 
... 784 
213,843 
272 
1896 
... 830 
216,844 
245,830 
261 
1897 
... 756 
325 
1898 
... 773 
297,211 
384 
1899 
... 856 
293,507 
343 
The decrease in shipping tons of cargo ex- 
ported from Ceylon in 1899 is 3,704 as com- 
pared with 1898, but compared with 1897 the 
increase is 47,677 tons. The slight falling-olf 
in 1898 is due entirely to shrinkage in exports 
of cocomit palm products, and mainly to a re- 
duced export of copra. 
Going into detail the following figures show 
which products have mainly contributed to 
keep the total export to within a few thousand 
tons of last year : — 
Tons. 
10,125 
7,166 
360 
409 
1,539 
Tea shows an increase of 
Plumbago ,, ,, 
Coffee ,, ,, 
Cocoa ,, ,. 
Cinnamon ,, ,, 
The exports of cinchona, cardamoms, sapan- 
wood and ebony do not show sufficient varia- 
tions from 1898 to call for special comment. As 
indicated aboves exports of the products of the 
coconut palm for 1899 show a heavy falling-ofC 
from those of the preceding year. Grouping 
them together— coconut oil, copra, desiccatecl 
coconut, coconvits, poonac, coir yarn, rope and 
fibre — the following figures will be found of 
interesc :— 
1888 
1890 
1891 
1892 
1893 
Shipping- 
Tons. 
61,375 
55,780 
72,291 
69,879 
94,550 
79,935 
1894 
1895 
1896 
1897 
1898 
1899 
Shipping 
Tons. 
85,711 
84,567 
80,570 
100,614 
1.39,334 
119,154 
Of the total exports of the year 
Tea gives ... 44% o£ the shipping tons. 
Products of the 
coconut palm give 41% do 
Other products give 15% do 
The falling-off m exports of the coconut palm 
showing, as they do, ashrinliageof 20,184 ship- 
ping tons for the past year, as compared with 
1898, is a very serious one, and ii, is anticipated 
that, owing to the restricted rainfall last year, 
the exports of the coconut palm for the year 
190f) will show no better results, if indeed the 
exports reach those of the past year. 
The numljer of v'essels which cleared with 
cargo in 1899 shows a consideral)le increase 
over the figures for 1898. The average quant- 
ity of cargo taken per vessel works out natu- 
rally under those for 1898. Puttuig aside some 
sliort teni])orai"v scarcity of space, the supply 
of tonnagtt has been ample for the rcqiiire- 
inents of ship])ers, and the continxied increase 
in the carrying capacity of recently 1)uilt 
steanif I S, whicii run on the Eastern lines, will 
uieet any expansion in our exports. 
I'^KiifGii'i s have on ;ui average been low. 
Te;! varied betvvcen 25s and I-iOs to Lon- 
don. To tlie Con tin en t freights h.;;\'e varied con- 
sider;il)lv between and Iritis for rough cargo. 
Freights to Australian ports l eniainas before, 
\ iz. Ii4l) per ton mi tea to Adelaide, Mel- 
iiourne, Sydney or Brisliane. 
The f(^ll(i\\ ing ai'P iiiictunl ions in freights on 
teabv steamers t-ol^fJiidon: — 
Maxi- Mini- Maxi- Mini- 
mum, mum. mum. mum. 
1891 ... 45/ 27/6 1896 ... 25/ 7/6 
1892 ... 35/ I.-)/ 1897 ... .35/ 10/ 
1893 ... 30/ 12 0 1898 ... 40/ 20/ 
1894 ... 3,5/ 20/ 1899 ... 30/ 25' 
1895 ... 30/ 17/o 
Vessels which called for coals only, and native 
schooners, are not included in these returns. 
COCONUT PLANTINtJ IN THE EASTERN 
PROVINCE. 
(Fioin aCoriespondent of " Colonia" : the Colonial 
College Magazine) 
" I must apologize for not having written be- 
fore to tliank you for tlie ambulance cerlilioate. 
When I last wrote I was, I believe, tea planting, 
np country, but I have now got over my planting 
babyhood, and am a full-fledfied superintendent of 
one of my brother'.^ estate'i of ionrteen hundred 
acres. When I fn st c;\nie dovvn here seven nionth.s 
ago it was all virgin jungle, hut I have cleare<l 
about two hundrecl acres, whii-di I am now plant- 
ing up. I h;;ve therei'ore hpf:i so busy that f 
have hardly any time to write. The estate lies 
on the eastern and hottest coast of Ceylon, and 
stretches for about nine miles along the seashore. 
It is, of course, not suited for tea planting, owing 
to the climate, but is ideal soil for coconuts. Co- 
conuts are one of the mo-t paying products, if 
not the most paying, in Ceylon ; but as they do 
not come into bearing for ten to twelve years 
after planting, it entaiis an immense expenditure 
of cajntal in the interim. There are certainly 
)\iany minor products which may be planted. I 
myself am placting up Indian corn and chillies, 
and although both of these products take a cer- 
tain amount out of thesoii, I hope that indicious 
artificial manuring will replace the good taken out 
ot it. I now regret very much not having at- 
tended the agrieultu''al classes at the College, 
though at that time I had little or no idea of 
taking up planting. I am thinking of going in for 
ray licensed surveyor's examination, as there is a 
good deal ot work about here ; and as I shall soon 
have a good deal of time on my hands, I could add 
largely to my income in that manner. 
I think perhaps it would not be amiss to warn 
you about the to-called ' creeper mongering,' ih 
is one of the planting disgraces. few planters, 
I am glad to say a very few, ad vertise for young 
men to come out here to learn tea-planting, with 
a promise of a billet at the end of a certain time. 
They have to pay a premium from £100 to £200. 
Everything is painted in the most roseate hues. 
In many cases they are not shown or taught any- 
