Oct. 1, 1903,] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
239 
DELFT HOR ESTABLISHMENT. 
(From Mr. levers' Report for 1902.) 
Rs. 
Revenue ... ... ... 1.000 
Expenditure ... ... 1,050 
There were thirty foals born during the 
season, but of these five vs^ere born dead, and 
tliere were sixteen deaths, caused chiefly by 
want of grass for the mares and foals. 
The present stock consist of— At Delft. 
Stallions,.. ... ... 3 
Brood mares ... ... 59 
Foals ... ... ... 16 
At Iranativu. 
Young stock ... ... H 
Since the commencement of the breeding 
experiment in 1898 the total expenditure has 
been R6,190-36. and the revenue R8,839-80, 
leaving a profit of R2,619 M, 
The financial results of the year would be 
better had I not decided to keep back ponies 
from sale until they are between three and 
four year old ; of course they will come in 
for sale in 1903. 
The year 1902 was a disastrous one in Dalf t 
for both cattle and horses. The usual April- 
May showers having failed, the overstocked 
pasture was exhausted, .and the water supply 
ran short on the plains. Consequently the 
weak cattle and horses had to ti'avel over 4 
miles to the only available water at Saraputti, 
and then return to the plain to pick up the 
scanty herbage. In result the reports show 
that the villagers lost 1,364 head of animals, 
and 5 mares and 21 foals of the Government 
stock died. 
The rains began in October, and continued 
until the end of December to such an extent 
that the pasture grounds were completely 
flooded. Only the sandbank round the Island 
afforded shelter and a precarious food 
supply. The people assert that such a flood 
has been almost unprecedented in their 
recollection. 
Delft island is in extent 18 square miles, 
excluding the salt lakes. The "village" 
pasture land may be estimated at 7,000 acres, 
the " horse plains " 3,000 acres, and the vil- 
lage compounds 1,000, a total of 11.000 acres, 
but of this a great deal is mere coral stone. 
Cattle, sheep and goats are more than double 
this number. The land can only carry one 
beast to the acre where there is good pas- 
turage, so that it is clear that I)elft has 
double the amount of beasts it can feed. 
But no cattle disease occurs, and the only 
natural check on production is death by 
famine. The people will not sell their 
cattle except at a ridiculous price, based 
probably on the recollection that when the 
Government cattle were in the island the 
breed was preferred ; so they ask R20 to R25 
for these degenerate cattle. I had one bull 
killed and weighed, and he scaled 59 lb. 
Similar animals could be purchased on the 
mainland for R8j to RlO, and they make 
no use of the cattle. They run wild. I 
am now having them branded under the Gun- 
sahhawa rules to endeavour to make owner- 
ship certain and ascertain , , the ^actual num- 
bers. But while I was trying to improve 
matters in the interest of the cattle and the 
30 
horses, a few persons, instigated and sup- 
ported in Jafiina, proceeded to enclose 
the pasture lands, over which the village 
cattle and horses graze in common > 
by asserting ownership to the horse en- 
closures on the plains. These plains 
were formerly kept for the sole use of the 
Government stud, and were cut off from the 
inhabited part of the island by a wall. 
These attempts at encroachment I firmly 
resisted. The Legislative Council was ap- 
pealed to by the would-be encroachers, but 
my action in securing the pasturage land as 
common pasture was upheld. A good deal 
of heat was imported into this somewhat 
trivial matter. I have therefore thought it 
well to deal with it at some length. 
MANNAR BEARS, LEOPARD, AND STRAY DOGS 
Rewards were paid for killing — 
Leopards ... ... .. 16 
Bears ... ... ... 5 
Stray dogs .,, ... 45 
TOBACCO CULTIVATION IN JAFFNA, ' 
Tlie following is the statement of tobacco ex- 
ported beyond tiie sea and Coastwise: — 
Statement of Tobacco exported beyond Sea and 
Coastwise durinp; the years 1901 and 1902, 
Beyond Sea. Coast-vise. 
Quantity. Value. Quantity. Value, 
cwt. R. cwt. K. 
1901 ... 28,269 673,062 51,220 583,661 
19)2 ... 43,982 1,029,806 34,560 454,968 
There has been a fall in the price in the leaves 
grown locally, and it is a matter of great anxiety 
with the tobacco growers of the Province thao 
the price is on the decline f jr some years past. 
The fall in the price is chiefly owing to the 
markets l)eing glutted, and unless afresh market 
is found for the local product no material improve- 
ment can be affected. A trial was made by Mr. 
Mac D. Gibson at Pallai in curing the Jaffna 
tobacco to suit European markets. I have nothing 
new to mention as regards this important industry 
which will continue to be unsatisfactory to the 
producer until he begins to realise the necessity 
for improved methods of curing the product. I 
can only call attention to my observations in 
previous Administration Reports, — Administra- 
tion Report for 1903. 
THE PRESENT TEA SITUATION IN AMERICA. 
BY C R BANKS. 
(WITH B FISCHER & CO.) 
As the earliest teas of the season to arrive are 
Japans, the writer will give them thefirst comment, 
by saying that the cup quality of the present 
season is decidedly better than it has been for 
several years ))ast, on the general average. The 
prices are decidedly higher than last season, which 
has in a measure limited the sale, because the 
merchant will not make other than necessary 
purchases on a sharply advanced market. The same 
condition exists with Basket-Fired Japans. The 
Japanese Government has endeavoured to aid the 
growers of teas by subsidizing that industry. An 
association was fonned by the growers, which is 
ably represented in the United States, to further 
their interests. For reasons unknown lo the writer 
the market materially advanced, so much so that 
the merchant could nob profitably sell Japan teas 
