Sept, 1898.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
151 
The Preface we quote as follows:— 
PREFACE. 
As planters, like doatoi's, often disagree, it may be 
thought presumption on my part to come forward 
with a work on the siibjsot of Coffee-planting, as at 
present practised in Ceylon ; yet I think that my 
twenty years' experience in the districts of PassslUwa, 
Hewahecte, and Rambodde justify ms in the_ desire 
to employ usefully the leisure time at my disposal 
for the bsnefit of beginners, in writing a work which 
may hereafcer be useful as a book of reference. 
I trust I need not say that I have no wish, neither 
do I pretend, to teach men who are as old and 
experienced planters as myself; for had I not felt 
confident, before I commenced this book, that a 
'modern work or manual for young coffee-planters was 
required (the want of which has often been deplored), 
I would not nave undertaken the task. 
I have appended numerous extracts from Laborie's. 
work, which, though written many years since, is 
still in some respects excellent of its kind, though 
not fully equal to present requirements —so much 
that is new having been learnt since Laborie wrote. 
I have also availed myself of various letters, 
published either by the Planters' Association or in 
the local papers, all of which I gratefully acknow- 
ledge. They will, I am certain, add to the value of 
my book, as affording corroborative professional 
authority. I also acknowledge, with thariks, m'ich 
statistical information derived from Ferguson's ' Ceylon 
Directory,' ISfii — 5, a compilation very useful to 
anyone who has interests in that island. 
In conclusion, I trust my fellow-planters will excuse 
the many deficiencies that may be found in my 
work, and rely upon their kind and friendly criticism. 
WILLIAM SABONADIERE. 
GuEExsET, Fehniarij, 1866. 
There was a new edition published in 1870. 
In selling oat of coffee estates before 
the crash overtook coffee, Mr. Wm. Sabonadiere 
may have been deemed fortunate; but on 
settling; in London he went into partnership 
with ilr, David Smith (afterwards Mayor 
of Brighton and a well-known Cinnamon and 
Coconut estate proprietor in Ceylon), the firm being 
Kuncinian ami Smith, and so maintained busines.s 
relati(ms with coffee proprietors in Ceylon. In 
this way he suffered, like many more merchants, 
when tlie ravages of leaf-disease ruined the 
coll'ee properties of constituents. Bat for some 
years after 1875 prosperity ruled and Mr. 
Sabonadiere lived in Delta House, Worcester 
Park, Surrey, the lower garden gate of which 
was immortalized by Millais in his picture of the 
"Black Brans wicker.'' Finally, Mr. Sabonadiere 
retired from the firm and from mercantile life 
in 1882, and, although now in his 54ch year, be- 
gan to cast about for a new field of labour and 
enterprise. Tea at that time had begun to at- 
tract attention in Ceylon as a substitute for 
coffee ; but at his age, Mr. SabonadiC-re did not 
think it well to take irp with a new product. 
He received good accounts of coffee in Jamaica 
where the fungus disease was unknown, and at 
the begiuniiig of 1884 he went out to Jamaica 
and took up the ArntuUy coffee plantation on 
the Blue Mountains, liuding, however, that labour 
ivnd mean.s of transport ami other conveniences 
were very different and more trying than in 
Ceylon. Mrs. Sabonadiere and his only 
daughter, xMiss Mary Sabonadiere, accom- 
panied him ; but the former died in December 
1885- Still Mr. Sabonadiere, cheered by Iiis 
daughter's society, stack with marvellous tena- 
city for more than another decade to the by no 
means encouraging work to which he had thus put 
his hands. 0: his varying fortunes and of his 
experience of coffee aad other products and lifj 
generally in Janixica, the readers of the Ceijlon 
Observer and the Tropical Agriculturist learned a 
great deal from his series of graphic letters sent 
to us at intervals between 1885 and 1896. He 
was cheered at times by good crop prospects and 
still more by the success of his only son, Mr. 
Alfred Sabonadiere, who won his way into the 
Indian Civil Service to the great satisfaction of both 
the old Ceylon Colonists (father and uncle) who well 
knew the possibilities for good and notable work 
and the advantages offered by the finest Service in 
the world. 
At length, early in 1893, Mr. Sabonadiere began to 
feel the time had come wiien he should wind up in 
Jamaica and retire finally to the mother country. 
In May, his daughter left for England to be with her 
brother invalided home from India ; and it was 
arranged that he (the father) siiould follow in a 
couple of months. In our last letter, already 
alluded to, Mr. Sabonadiere dating from "Arn- 
tuUy, Cedar Valley P. O., Jamaica, 17th May," 
intimated that he would " be leaving Jamaica for 
good on or abjuc 21st July." and he gave uj his 
London address for papers, etc., and promised to 
write occasionally after he had settled down, though 
he added, "my notes mxy not be so amusing as Jack 
Tyndall's." Alas, it was not to be ! He wound 
up his letter in the following interesting fashion :— 
" Crops on the Blue Mountain estate < are this year a 
bumper, and I am pleased to chronicle that Arntully i- 
no exception to the rule. The coffee I planted siuoe I 
came out is m full Dexring ani commeaciuT to tpl 
favourably. 
"The estate shoul 1 increase in value, as we have 
a cart road nea.r by, which will soou be further 
advanced, and pass close above the \Vorks It has 
also been proved that with cheap aud easy trans 
port it would pay to send Arntmly oranges to the 
iMew iork market, now that poor Florida has been 
proved too risky by reasou of the terrible cold " snapi " 
and " blizzards " it occasionally experiences It is 
time 1 went home for good. I am 67, and it is 51. 
years siuce I commenced work at Imbulpitiya and 
\\^hagapittiyaiu July 1815. I fe.l ihe laborious work 
of a Coffee Planter's life getting a little beyond mv 
diminishing powers. I shall be glad to hear from vou 
on my arrival iu England. 
Believe me, y.ursmoit truly, 
W. A. SABOXADIEliE. 
The big crop on Arntully and difficulties with 
unseasonable weather in July, prevented Mr 
Sabona<Uere getting away on 21st July as originally 
planned, or again by the first mail in August. 
