Apeil 2, 19 00. J 
THE TROPICAL 
AaRICULTURIST. 
707 
quite a record, and must recall old times. 
Last November, when "worked" cinnamon 
of fine quality was in small supply. Is 5d 
to Is 8d were the highest prices, and they 
were satisfactory ; while in February, 1899, 
the prices were "is 2d to Is 3d. So that the 
figures obtained last month may well be 
described as exceptional. Nor had " un- 
worked " spice cause to complain, consider- 
mg the fullness of the offerings. The prices 
they realised, and the quantity that found 
buyers in the room, point to the continuance 
of the demand for good honest spice, as 
heavy sales are frequently effected after tlie 
auctions. Even more satisfactory than the 
top prices obtained for fine bark, is the news 
that there was no demand for wh-it is aptly 
described as " wild rubbish." The last was 
the second public auction at which wild 
cinnamon (if such it is) was neglected ; and 
we trust soon to hear that there has been 
a cessation of disturbing shipments of what 
is veritable rubbish. How anything fetching 
l^d to Ifd per lb can pay shippers, we fail 
to see ; but care will have to be taken by 
local buyers that "wild" spice, failing to 
command a market as such, is not mixed 
with plantation spice, and an outlet be 
found for it in that way; It is to be noted 
that, though the Chamber of Commerce 
gives no quotation for wild spice, exports 
have not altogether ceased yet, and last 
week saw a shipment of chips to the 
United Kingdom. 
We quote as follows from the Report of 
Messrs. Forbes, Forbes & Co , Ltd, on the 
February sale:— 
CINNAMON. 
London, 27th Februarjs 1900. 
The first series of public auctions of the year 
took place yesterday, when about 1,650 bales 
Geylon plantation were offered, together with 
about 1,500 bales wild Ceylon, and a large quan- 
tity of low bark &c. The supply of plantation 
quill was in excess of demand, about half only 
finding buyers. 
The " worked " spice 150 bales met good competi- 
tion, and the leading marks averaged late rates, 
except the fine quill A.S.G.P. in estate mark, some 
lots of which realised exceptionally high prices. 
The 1,500 bales "unworked" ordinary to medium 
sorts met a fair demand, some 700 bales being 
sold at prices, on the whole rather in favour 
of buyers. " Worked " firsts Is 5d to Is 9d ; 
seconds Is 3d to Is 7d ; thirds Is Id to Is 6d ; 
fourths 8id to ll|d pei lb. "Unworked" firsts 
9d to Is 2d ; seconds 8d to UJd ; thirds 6d to 
lid ; and fourths 4d to 9;^d per lb. For the 
" wild " rubbish there was no demand, a few 
bales only being sold at l^d to l|d per lb. Of 
4,600 packages wild bark, and chips about 1,709 
bags sold, wild at Id to l|d ; middling to good 
chips 2|d to 4d and quillings up to 10|d per lb. 
Stocks of Ceylon 4,109 bales againsl; in 1899 
5,239 ; in 1898 4,193 and in 1897 2,700 bales. There 
are 2,871 bales of "wild" Ceylon in warehouses. 
Of wild chips bark &c., 10,067 packages, and 
ordinary chips 2,736 bags. 
The next sales will be held on 28th May. 
SALE OP ESTATES. 
PITA RATMAXIB GROUP OF ESTATES, 
HAPUTALB, PURCHASKD BY CEYLON 
TEA PLANTATIONS CO., LTD. 
FOR £40.000. 
The name of Colonel Lillie was " familiar 
as a household word" among the early pro- 
prietors of estates in Ceylon. Like so many 
other military officers on the spot, he iu 
the "thirties" and "forties" picked up some 
choice land between Kandy and Rambocla : 
but he also later, through his agents, secui'ed 
a very valuable block in Haputale which be- 
came known as the "Pita Ratmalie and 
Pitarat Lillie estates," covering 1,603 acres 
in all. The management was for many 
years in the hands of "Dick Wyllie" and 
latterly of Mr. A. L. Kirk. Of course, the 
worthy proprietor. Colonel Lillie, has long 
been dead and his property out here has 
been held by trustees, for whom Messrs. 
Geo. Steuart & Co. are agents. Besides the 
Haputale estates just sold, they still hold 
Naya[)ane estate in the Pussellawa district. 
It is an extensive investment, the purchase 
money being stated at £40,000 and will afford 
scope for some of the reserve money of this 
prosperous Company. The bargain would 
seem to be a good one for the Company, even 
if the large area of coffee is not regarded as 
a stable industry ; for the total figures are 
given as follows :— 
Tea 
Coffee 
Grass and Timber 
Jungle 
Total 
466 acres. 
294 „ 
35 „ 
908 „ 
1,603 acres. 
Planting in the Cm^e Colony.— The Fores- 
try Department is undertaking the plaabiiig of 
Conifers for tinaber. At present a quarter of a 
million is annually paid for imported wood, niostly 
coniferous. — Geirdeners' Chrtnicle, Mar. 3. 
The tea is very good, and the large 
reserve of jungle is described as of fine soil, 
high elevation (5,000 feet and upwards) and 
most of it well sheltered, so that it alone ought 
to be worth a considerable proportion of 
the purchase money. If the coffee is in 
good heart and can be kept up by liberal 
cultivation and attention to enemies (now 
chiefly " bug " we suppose) the purchase may 
at once give some good crops to the Company. 
In any case this transaction indicates much 
confidence in the future of our staple, tea, 
and of high-grown tea in particular. We 
congratulate Mr. H. K. Rutherford, as 
Managing Director of theC.T.P. Company, on 
this latest addition to its properties. 
Experiments in the Growth of Sugar 
Bket. — At a recent meeting of the Sugar heet 
Committee of the Cential Chamber of Agricul- 
ture, Colonel Victor Mihvard, M P in the cliair, 
it was decided to make arrangements for a series 
«f not less than 20 experiments in the growth 
of sugar beet in different parts of Great Britain 
and Ireland during; tlie forthcoming season, each 
experimental plot to be at least one acre in ex- 
tent. It is proposed that of the 20 experiments 
about 12 should be in England, four in Kcotlaiid, 
and four in Ireland. As in certain cases previous 
experiments have demonstrated the value of sugar 
beet for the feeding of stock, independently of 
the value of the root for the manufacture of sugar 
this point will be specially kept in view in con- 
nexion with the proposed experiments of the pre- 
sent year,— London Times, Feb. 23. 
