838 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Junk 1, 1899. 
NOTES Fl'iOM NORTH TUAVANCOUE. 
April 24. 
WEATHER. 
Tlie weather still continues wet altliougli not 
Unduly so. As a i iile, we liave line mornings, 
clouding up about the middle of the day with 
raise, and .sometimes rain in the early afternoons, 
but more f^encrally, late at niglit. The cold 
weather we had in the early months of the year, 
with frosty mornings, have entirely Rone and 
instead we are having line, mild, prowing weather, 
suiting everytliing to perfection. The months of 
April and May, I should say, are the two best 
and pleasantest months of the whole year .«o far 
ns my experience goes, and the lull before the 
storm of the S.W. monsoon, which generally 
reaches this ((uarcer early in June : then is the 
season of the year for rain coats, overalls, and 
Avatcr-tight boots, some not even despi.siiig Ihe 
tar famed " Sairey Gamp " when it is possible to 
hold it tip. The strongS.W. wind.s, however, often 
prevent this, but still the S.U. is not a thing 
to be de.?pised, although some people, I know, 
think it effeminate to be seen in tow wiih the 
so-called old lady.; lang may she wag aboon 
the {;nun ! The rains remind nie of a story of a 
Ceylon S.D., a true son of the North of Scoilantl, 
who came out to tea-planliag in the N. E. 
, monsoon in an estate where it liapijcned he was 
. fixed, and having to send in his Weekly Report 
ot how things were progressing in the estate, 
he was greatly troubled with what he called the 
Weat." The coolies couldn't work very weel on 
account of the "weet," the weeding was behind hand 
on account of the "weet," he couldn't get a drink 
on account of the " weet "!! and so on, and so on to 
the end of the report, and ending up by his getting 
nicknamed " the weet." 
WORK ON ESTATES. 
Every one seems busy in this quarter just now 
with new clearing work, pushing on to get things 
ready for the planting season, which will shortly 
be at hand. So tar things seem to be jiretty 
well forward, but there is still a lot to do in 
the way of reading, draining, &c., &c., before 
the planting actually comnieiKCs. 1 hear that 
I'actories are also in full-swing, lots of leaf com- 
ing in, and (he Lushes looking very fit. The coU'ee 
crops, so far as I hear, .seem to have been good, 
heavy crops in fact on most places, an(i bo 
doubt these showers, which we have had during 
the month, will have done the trees an immense 
deal of good ; prospects in coffee for coming sea- 
son, I am not in a position to report on as yet, 
only having seen certain coffee estates in the 
distance. The appearance, however, seems to portend 
10 be good, if the dark green colour of the trees 
is any indication to go by, no leaf disease or 
green bug seemingly about, or at least I have 
heard of none, of either disease. Long may these 
pests stay away. 
POSTAL COMPLAINT,S. 
I often notice complaints made about the delay 
at Post Oflices in Ceylon, delay in getting letters, 
\&c., &c., but how is the following for a record? 
A I'ost OlHee money order for only a small sum, 
was des]iatchcd from Munaur on 22nd of March, 
and did not reach the paity for which it 
, was intended until 13Ui April, both these dates 
being on the receipt received the other day. Thus 
it takes 23 days as you will see to send money 
■ from the above-mentioned Post Office to a Post 
Office in Ceylon. I think this will be hard to 
beat; no one could be surprised to hear of people 
sending small sums through sonieotlier chauncl and 
not much wondi.'r? Let others griiitible;vouguod folks 
in Ceylon, I doot think are so badly oil ufl«r 
all. Labour ueenis plentiful enough cverywlieie 
about, and cuolitB 1 calthy as a rule, " pueu- 
inoiiia " being iiboui the only disease amongst the 
laljourers at present and this only amongst newly 
arrived ba'ches coming up from the low country 
to the upper regions. This, however, is always the 
C&.HC, but it is never bad, only a death here and 
there being reportetl. When once they gel settled 
down and Hccliniatised, they Kcem to like tlie 
climate well enough, and certainly no one can ji ly 
it is unhealthy. The death rHte amongst coolieo, 
I should hny, U very low, compared with many 
district.^ in Ceylon, and less even than the Ceylon 
average. I may be wrong, but that ie my iinpm- 
wion from what I have seen, and also what I have 
heard about these districts. 1 atu not i<[>eakiu|( uf 
South Travancore. 
ELIvPHANTS. 
The ele')hanl8 still keep up their playful gam- 
boling amongst the tea estates around about: they 
seem to be very inquisitive at times, and any 
new land mark ab(;nt, in ilie shape of a newly 
made road, or drain, or wee<ls hole, wheie fresh 
earth has been brought to the surface, is duly 
examined an J reported on. These reports, however, 
are not sent in as a rule, so it is difticuU for 
anyone to say what their judgments are, but 
I have no doubt they are very satisfactory to 
themselves, for they seem to go their regular 
rounds at stated intervals ; but on the >\'nole, 
they do not do much damage, and show that there 
are always some of those denizens of the forest 
to the fore ; long may they be bay L 
CYCLING. 
It would be worth while for some true son of the 
cycle to take a tour through these districts. The 
scenery he would find grand, almost beyond descrip- 
tion. The roads, however, are a trilie ouW of 
order and might be against the trip ; but 
these are always improving, and in time, 
we lio|ie to have as good roada as the hill 
districts of Ceylon ; in time, I .say, — a few 
years more or less, — but " Rome was not built in a 
day," so neither are caitroads, tramways, nor rail- 
ways, but some day vve expect to have them all 
and then, oh ! well I won't say what will happen; 
but any Ceylon man curious enough to come 
over and see for himself, can give a true and 
faithful report and see that that re]>ort is duly 
printed and published {not like the elejjhant's re- 
ports) and held u|) to the light of day for every 
good and true planter, (and others for that matter) 
to see — so mote it B. 
Cardamoms. — Another large ai rival has come 
in since our last. In Ceylon Mysore kind the 
usual jobbing business has been done. For 
Malabar there is more inquiry, qualities worth 
between 2s. 2d. and 2s. 4d. being especially 
wanted. — B. and C. Drufffjist. 
Cinchona Bark. — The London warehousestock 
is now about 1,1U0 packages below tliat at the 
end of the last year. Ic is smaller than it has 
ever been before in the last seven years at the 
corresponding date. The arrivals up to March 
31st were 4,108 packages, which is only reduced 
on by 1897 of the last seven years. The deliveries 
are 5,220 packages, which is about the average 
of the same years. The Java shipments are given 
elsewhere. — B and C. Druggist. 
