March 1, 1899.1 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
615 
The yield of the former was only £175,565, and on 
the latter £191,073, showing about the same figures 
as in former years. 
Indian Tea. and the Thibetan Maiiket. — The 
Tliibetan matket would bs a great advantage to 
Indian tea planters, and if this " splendid outlet," 
as the Globe describes it, were open is would no 
doubt prove particularly useful jn^t now, 
Indo-China and Produce Prospects. — M. Doumer, 
the Governor-General of Indio C.iina, is now in 
France, where he is engaged in expatiating upon 
the glories of the fine domain " three times the 
size of France," which he governs. It is to be a 
great market for French rannufactnres, and as for 
produce, there ai'e no bounds to the prospect it 
offers. The first step, M. Doumer painted out, wag 
to apply intelligenco and capital to the cultivation 
of rice, tea, coffee, pepper, dyestuffs and other 
tropical products for the French markets, in order to 
displace those now received from English dependen- 
cies. A start had been made in the growth of tea and 
coffee in Auuam, and progress had been aocom- 
nlished in the production of raw sugar, which was 
at present refined at Hongkong. — B. and C. Mail, 
Jau, 27. 
GOATS DAMAGE TEA PLANTS. 
CAN TEA SUXEBINTENDENT MAINTAIN AN 
ACTION •? 
f-™ Amongst the cases argued yesterday before Mr. 
Justice Lawrie at the Appeal Court was one from 
the Court of Requests, Kurunegala, in which ques- 
tions of law, of importance to Superintendents of 
estates, had been raised. In this case 
MR. E. SCOTT, OF DYNEOVEK ESTATE, KURUNEGALA, 
sued two coolies and a kangani of Daisy Valley estate, 
named Semaila, Sambage, and Sundram Kaugani, for 
thd recovery of R90. According to the plaint, some 
goats belonging to the defendant trespassed on Dy- 
ueover estate oathe 24t'iSIay last and destroyed about 
1,200 tea plants growing thereon, and caused damage 
to the plaintiff to the amount of R90, which the defend- 
ants had failed to pay. He asked for judgment 
against them for this amount and costs of suit. The 
defendants in their answer denied the allegations ef 
the trespass and damage, and pleaded that the plaint 
was bad in substance and in law, in that it did not 
disclose to whom the property of the estate on which 
the alleged trespass was committed, and t-he alleged 
damage was done, belonged. The plaintiff, as superin- 
tendent of the estate, had no status in Court, as no 
cause of action had accrued to him as such superin- 
tendent. The cause of action, if any, had occurred to 
the owners of the estate which plaintiff was not. 
The defendants 
DENIED THEIR LIABILITY 
to plaintiff for the amount claimed or any portion 
thereof, ai'd denied that the plaintiff had suffered 
any damages by reason of any wrongful act on the 
part of the defendants or any one of them. The de- 
fendants admitted that the first was the owner of 
four goats, that the second defendant was the owner of 
three goats, and that the third defendant was the owner 
of three goats. That the said goats were wrongfully 
driven on to the said estate by Carupen Kangaoi and 
Poochic, employed on the said estate, on the day 
alleged, in order that they might be seizsd and de- 
tained for trespass. They were subsequently seized 
and detained, and were released upon security. That 
the defendants were not responsible for the damage, 
if any, caused by the goats so driven. That the 
plaintiff ould not maintain the action jointly 
against the three defendants, but should have 
instituted three separate actions. On these answers 
this Commissioner framed the following issues for 
trial : — (I) Can plaintiff maintain this action as super- 
intendent, the proprietor being no pi>'ty ? (2) Can 
plaintiff maintain this action against the defendants 
loiutly ? (3) What is the value of damage can ^eil by 
the ten goats ? 
At the trial Mr. Scott stated that the whole estate 
was in his charge, and if/WH- planted with tea, cacao, 
Libeiian coffee, coconuts, c^S. Ha was answerable 
to the proprietors for ihv. s ife'.y- of ciia" plants. If 
a ly damage was caused, the propdetors 1 >oked to 
him, He whs agei.t of the proprie:o: S regarding this 
estate, and the entire business of the estate was in 
his hands as such agent. If ha recovered money for 
or in respect of any damage done to plsints, he gave 
credit of the same to the p'opdeiocs.- The managing 
proprietor was Mr. A. Wig-iu or Lindula. He then 
deposed to the trespass ana the damage caused. The 
goats wei-e seized and sent to G*lagadara Police 
station, whence the defendants removed them. He 
produced an authority from Mr. 'Wjg^iri empowering 
him to prosecute on behalf of tha pvoprietors'' for any 
damage. The authority was dated 20'h .August, 1898. 
The Police Sergeant depoaed that the defendants 
removed the goats on- . . " 
GIVING SECITRITY TO PAY 
plaintiff any damage which ha' might be declared en- 
titled to. 
The Commissioner then held that the defendants' 
proctor did not contest the amount of damage, and 
the trial was on the legal issues. On the first issue 
he held that the superiutenJeut could maintain this 
action. He had an unooubted right to detain the 
goats till the damage wasp iid, biit he prudently sent 
the animals to the Police Station, from whence they 
were removed by the d=fendailta, without his consent. 
On the second issue also he held that the action 
could be maintained ag-.iinst the d^fendarits jointly. 
Judgment was therefore entered for tlie plaintiff aa 
claimed. • • 
On an appeal against this judgment, the esse was 
argued at length on the points raised vesterday, Mr. 
Bawa appearing for the appellants, and Mr. H. A. 
Jayewardena appearing for the plaintiff. The counsel 
on both sides addressed the Court at length on the 
point of law raised, as to whether Mr. Scott could 
maintain this action aa supsriatendent of the estate, 
several authorities beijg cited on both sides. 
After argument, judgment was reserved. 
A New Industry : Alor Fibre.— At length, 
a full and fair trial is to be given to the 
utilisation of aloe fibre in Ceylon, through a 
machine, the patent for which hr-.s hesa secured 
in Sontli Africa and India as v/e!l as Ceylon. 
The patentee has granted certa.in ]uivileges to a 
local Syndicate wlro, with soiue- public spirit, 
have had a machine constructed at the Colombo 
Works and an adequate tri^il is to be made 
shortly at Matakuliya. But lirst a due supply 
of the leaves of Fotercroyn gigantea (fornierly 
known as Agave faitida) must be obtained and 
Mr. Jenkins, of Cargills, I.imited, is advertising 
for any one who will undertake to cut and 
supply "leaves of the large green pi ickly aloe." 
They ought to be tound near to a railway 
station and for their carriage i hence to Colombo, 
we should, expect the Government with the 
cordial approval of the General Manager to give 
free carriage. This is a very small request 
to ask for an experiment which is costing money 
to the promoters, but which may prove °of great 
moment to the Colony. Considering all" the 
expeniliture that Mr. Ch imberlain has sanctioned 
in Fibre and other industries in ihe West Indies, 
the Ceylon Government may well do all in its 
power to aid the presen'; local e.\-j>erimenl, and 
])Brliniis to the li^iL't'' " • t],,-. leaves 
required for Ihe liist ,.. ^ides of 
their railway line. Ai , carriage 
may well he cl-iinied. — 'I'o iiuiial ex- 
periment, about 2-1 tons i)f ' ,,e required, 
stripped of tliorns a ' , ;,! hiindles, 
These will probably d in quantiticB 
of one or more tons at diucia-nt railway stations. 
