THE TBOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 1903. 
TURKEY IN ASIA. 
Tbe B itish V.ce Cij isul itb A l uia says that 
thousands of Circa-siaiis drink ten, ih aigli he 
himseif e jiisiiier s h ;re is no diink.i'iie tea to be 
had in Tu key. W s,i tiiere i>. comes fioin Russia, 
and thougU vtiy lufeiinr coniniauds a vmy high 
price. 
EXPORTS TO WESTb.RN EUROPE 
are Steadily increasing;. Afifrnoon lea ia rapidly 
becoming au insDiiULion in Pans. In liome, also, 
English tea rooms have been opened. Ceyl.ju tea 
is sold in over 1,3UU sliops in Switzerland and in 
many towns iu the south of France, in Germany, 
Austria, and Scaudia iviacousuimption isiucreasing. 
The above remarks show tiiat tlie demand for 
British-grown tea is steadily growing, and that 
the prospects of the trade are better than they 
have been for some time past. There is every 
reason to hope that the improvement will continue, 
Very little land will come into bearing during the 
next few years, so that, unless planters revert to 
the fatal system of coarse plucking, consumption 
and production will be fairly balanced. We may 
hope that the "silver lining" will shine more 
and more brightly till at last the "dark cloud" 
will entirely disappear.— Yours faitliiuliy, 
Brooke, Bond, & Co., Ltd. 
17 and 18, St. Dunstan's-hiU, E. C, Oct. 1. 
—London Times. 
♦ 
LORD AMPTHILL AND ANAMALAI 
PLyNTEES. 
In pursuance of his podcy of endeavouring to 
get to the root of local grievances " by informal 
discission with the persons imniediateiy afifeeced, 
in preference to bearing them set lorth in a 
formal address, His Excellency the Governor 
during his recent visit t, the Anamalai Hills 
met several of the Planters at the Mouica 
Bungalow on the ISih instant, and had a long 
and interesting talk with them about iheir pro- 
spects and wants. The Planters were represented, 
by Messrs Windle, Marsh, Walsh, Congreve 
Duncan, Watt and several others. They seemed 
to be very hopeful and coiifiuent of tbe sueccss 
of their newly developed District. Messrs Fiulay, 
Muir and Co. are putting up expensive buildings 
and machinery ; the Monica esiate is employing 
Sinhalese workmen to build a tea factory ; while 
one of the Planters has constructed at considerable 
cost a wooden bungalow in tbe style of a Swiss 
chalet. Several estates have been opened up and 
cultivation has alieady made a considerable ad- 
vance. In 1902-03, 74 tons of coffee were 
harvested, as against 1(J^ tons in 1901-02, and 
tile crops now on the trees are estimated at 
136 tons. Cardamoms are expected to yield 
34,500 lb. this year ; last year the yield was 18,515 
lb. This year's crop of tea is estimated at 50,000 
lb., and the following crop at 150,000 lb. All this 
looks like development and prosperity, and if 
better times are in siore for cottee, the Anamalai 
District, with its newly planted soil and favourable 
climate, ought to do well. The hrst and principal 
request put forward by the Planters was that 
CERTAIN BRANCH ROADS SHOULD BE CONSTRUCTED. 
This request was preferred in an Address to 
His Excellency at Coimbatoie last year ; and His 
Excellency, while promising to give his attention 
to the subject, which was undoubtedly important 
from the point of view of tbe expansion of planting, 
pointed out that the construction of the Ghaut 
road had cost a great deal more than was originally 
aniicipated, and expiessed a fear that it niighi not 
be possible to provide moi^ey for tiie consii uction 
of branch roads as fast as the Planters wislied. The 
braneli roads more pariicularly asked for on '.he 
present, oeea-ion were : — 
1. A btiady road from Paralai to Monica, aiSistance 
of 7 miles, to serve Pathentotam eataco (400 acrea 
under cuUivation), Stanmoie {79j acres under oulti- 
vitfciou) and Casllecrofi (285 acres under cultivation). 
2. A bridle-path from Stanmore to where the 
Serabniidera bridle path now stops, a distance of 
4 miles. Ibis would serve Serabundera, which has 
100 acres under cuUivation and is 4 miles from the 
Ghaut Koad. 
3. The conversion luto a bandy road of the exist- 
ing bridle-path from Monica to Karangamudi, a 
distance of 4 miles. This would serve the Karan- 
gamudi Estate, which has 400 acrea under cultivation 
and is 4 miles from the Ghaut Boad, and also enable 
culi.ivation in two other blocks to be extended. 
Mr de Win ton, C I.E., Chief Engineer, who was 
also present at the interview, thought that the 
roads and bridle paths could be made for about 
K35,O0O. His Excellency could not give any 
definiie promise that these roads would be con- 
structed by Government, but proposed to consider 
the request carefully on his return to Madras, 
and expressed a hope that it might be found 
possible to meet the Planters' wishes in the matter. 
The question of the juaintenance of the Ghaut 
Koad was then discussed. The Planters were 
anxious that it should be maintained by the 
P. W. D, as the District Board has not the re- 
qaisiiie funds to spare for the purpose. His 
Excellency promised to refer the point to the 
Departmenis concerned for consideration. The next 
point raised was the 
REVISION OF TH1£ TERMS OF THE LEASES, 
so as to enable Planters to cut and trade 
freely in the timber growi:ig on their 
lands. His Excellency considered such a request 
quite inadmissible, as also the next one, that the 
bection of the leases which prohibits Planters from 
trading in minor forest produce should be expunged, 
lb appears to be true enough that the Kaders (local 
hill tribe) trespass on the estates and commit theft 
of minor produce : but the point was fully con- 
sidered at the time the leases were drawn up, and 
the Section was deliberately inserted in pursuance 
of a promise by Government to the junple folk. 
The last request m cje was 
THAT RUBBKR MIGHT BE INCLUDED 
in the schedule of plantation products. This 
seems reasonable. Rubber is not indigenous 
on thes-e hills, but has been imported and culti- 
vated hy several of the Planters. No hardship 
wouldj therefore, be caused to the Kaders by its 
being classified as a plantation product. The 
Conference ended with some discussion about the 
applicability of the Planters' Labour Act to the 
circumstances of the Anarnalais. — M. Mail, 

EUBBER GROWING IN SEYCHELLES. 
SEycHEtLEs.— In his report for 1902 Mr Dnpont, 
Curator of the Botanic Station, writes as follows : — 
Paha Rubber, — A good contribution of Para Bubber 
seeds was sent by me whilst in Ceylon in September 
last. A tin of 2,U00 freshly^gathered seeds, dipped in 
a solution of copper sulphate for the 'destruction of 
fungi, and sprinkled with crystals of naphthaline. 
