482 
THE TROPICAL* AGRICULTURIST 
I Jan. 2, IFi 'j. 
"THE POSITION OF TEA. 
We are mucli obli^'eil to the Colombo Merchant 
\vho has drawn our attention to the pnnfjent 
and telling article in the "Produce Markets 
Review" whicii. as reproduced and <-oii)nientcd 
on by the "Home and Colonial Mail" will he 
found on page 480. Written from the point of 
view, and in the interests of certain tea-dealing 
houses — wliose organ our contemporary mainly 
is — the article nevertheless, embodie.^i opinions 
• which have long been passing thiough the 
minds of many merchants and planters, in 
Ceylon at least; and allhougli there is 
severe criticism of the latter as jesponsihlc 
for over-production, yet we feel sure, our 
producers will (hank the writer in the 
"Review" for speaking so |)Iainly and for 
affording information not within our reach in 
Ceylon in respect of one side of the question. 
We now leave the article to speak for itself. 
LIQUID FUEL STEAMER. 
The ss. " Sultan Van Langkat " arrived here 
recently from Lancat on the east coast of 
Sumatra via Calcutta. She is ;in oil tank boat, 
but on the ])resent occasion has a caigo of coals. 
The Company to which the steamer belongs have 
five other steamers and scycral launches worked 
with this oil, and we understand that there is a 
small railway at Klang, near Penang, where the 
engines are worked very successfu ly Avith this 
fuel. The speed of the vessel is fast, 12^ knots 
an hour, and she performed the voyage between 
Calcutta and this port in 4J days. 
THE CHARGES ON TEA. 
Our correspondent " W.H.M." deals elsewhere 
with a standing grievance in regard to the 
I'egulationa and charges affecting tea in the 
London market. We trust he will not let the 
matter rest, until he sees it further considered in 
Committee of tlie Planters' Association, and, if 
need be, referred to the Tea Committee 
b( the Ceylon Associatiou in London. Of 
Course the existence of tlie regulations complained 
of, maybe regarded as an argument, or induccf- 
nient, for planters, to sell in the Colombo 
rather than the London market. Rut it is 
Strange how opinions vary in this matter? One 
planter at a high elevation only the other day 
wrote to us that, dissatisfied witli his experience 
of the Colombo market during ISOS (tor. fine 
teas), he is going to siiip once moie to London 
in order to try Mincing J.^ane in tlie hope of doing 
better during 1899. Let him take note of the 
obnoxious regulations and charges hefore he shifts 
his patronage. 
"Plantain Meal" is the subject of ^ report 
by Mr. Drieberg of the Agricultural Scliool 
issued to the press and embodying informa- 
tion gathered from the West Indies and 
India. We think most of the information has 
already been given in one shape or other in 
the volumes of our Tro2ncal Agriculturist ; but 
we are looking up our i)ages to see what is new. 
13oth Mr. Hart, of Trinidad, and Mr. Fawcett, of 
Jamaica, have little hope of a trade in banana 
meal and yet the West Indies (so close to the 
grand market in North America) have a far 
better chance of developing such a trade than 
has India or Ceylon. I'erhaps Cuba, will. 
A!Ji?iican enterprise, may lead the way. 
COCONUTS IN THE NOliTH- WESTERN 
PROVINCE 
THE NEW DESICCATING VIILLS. 
Maiiawila, Dec. U. 
The weather seems to have set line at U.<t. 
PieviouKly, we had a day «r twr» of line 
weather and it change I to wet without any 
warning. The rainl.tll for November whi* 3171 
inclie.'?, more than half of which fell in thrfe 
days. The canai is again at its normal level 
and is very mudily. fliis month ko far we 
have had ;i\ indies of lain. The soil will l<e 
none the worse for a little drying and airing. 
The Orient t-'ompany's Desiccating Mills here 
started work at liie beginning of this month. 
These are the ihiys of small things m> far, and like 
all enterprises in new centers ib is feeling 
its way. Local hand* have to be trained after 
(hey are attracted to the Mills. Pon^ibly by 
next year the woik of desi';caling will be in 
full swinjr. 
The price of nuts ha-* gone up; ivheiiier it 
be due to increased local demand.> or to a rihe 
in the price of copra this de;tonent knowetli 
not. The rfsult, due to whatever cause, is an 
advantage t'O coconut estates. A disadvantage 
is that the higher rate of wages and jierliaiis 
moie congenial work is ilrawing away our 
Sinhale.'C labour to the Mills. 
USEFUL KIND OF ORCHID. 
A fine specimen of the Vanilla oichid ia now 
producing an e.xceptional fjunntity of iis fmit in 
one of the banana houses in Eai'l Percy's garden 
at Syon House, Brentford. The Vanilla planixolia 
is well known to science as pioducing the l.e^t 
vanilla, which is so greatly valued fur its Havnur. 
ing properties. The fruit is produced in pod like 
bunches, as many as ten to eighteen pods grow- 
ing in a single cluster. 
While possessing such value in the fruit, which 
is straight and of a dark olive green, the blossoms 
are usually dull and uninteresting. The plant 
is of climbing habit, and largely distributed over 
the tropical regions.— Z^cJi'/y Mail. 
FACTORY EXTENSIONS. 
The extension to the Haputale estate factory is 
well-nigh completed. The original factory wa.-* 
about 98 ft. by 4U ft., and now an additional 
length of ."6 ft. is being put up. Another factory 
is in course of erection on Berragalla estate, under 
the supervision of Messrs. Brown & Co., Hatton, 
wiiose engineer, Mr. Turnbull, has been up here 
oft^en about it. 
It is rumoured, and is probable, that a very large 
factory on the famous Dambetenne estate, so well- 
known as the estate where the late lamented Hon. 
Mr. R. B. Downall spent most of his days whilst 
a planter, and now the property of Liptons Ltd., 
is to be erected shortly. Everything in connection 
with the same, it is said, is to be indented for from 
iSngland— even the engineers.— i/«'(>?«/a/c Cor. of 
Local " Times," Dec. 12. 
New Tea Boxes.— An old Ceylon resident at 
home with no interest in the box we believe, 
writes;— "I send you particulars of a .small com- 
pany called the ' Colinda Tea Chests ' a con- 
signment of a few thousands having just been 
despatched to Ceylon. They are the" best I have 
yet seen and surpass the ' Venesta ' so far M 
fastening goea." 
