Fes. 1, 1904,] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
543 
difficulty, Various schemes have been evolved and 
broueht before the planting coinmunity and one o£ our 
members, Mc Weatlaud, hns come forward and at- 
tempted to solve the probkm. Of his pluck and 
enterprise we have every aclmiratioii ; in his failure we 
have every sympathy, 'i'ho latest proposal is that 
Agency-Firms and Proprietors should step in and 
exercise tJ>eir authoiity in limiting the amount of 
advances and preveuting more abuse. It is to be 
hoped that something effective will be arraijged in 
the near future. This Association, being unanimously 
ot opin-on thit the short supply of labour so far as 
the Kandy Districts are concerned is due to the 
closing of the North Road and to the system of recruit- 
ing labour from each other, instead of from the Coast 
cordially supported the suggestion that a Commission 
should be sent to India to report on the old and new 
Districts. A copy of the Gommissionera' report was 
provided to every contributor. The Association 
realises the importance of the suggestion that an 
agent should be appointed to reside in Southern 
India as Intelligence and Recruiting agent for Ceylon. 
It is also strongly of opinion that the Parent Associa- 
tion should approach Government on the urgent 
necessity of providiugfor the immigration of coolies 
from Pamban via Anuradhapura as many of the 
coolies refuse to come to Ceylon on account of their 
dislike to the sea-voyage and the increased cost aa 
compared with the shorter and less expensive 
Northern Road. 
Cabdamoms, — The fall in the price of this product 
has for the present stopped all extension, and the 
older and non-profitable fields are being allowed to 
go out of cultivation. The Committee regret that 
the appeal made through the Parent Association, for 
a contribution from Cardamom Growers of fifty cents 
per acre under this cultivation for the purpose of 
making the product better known, did not receive 
more general support. 
Cocoa. — The Cocoa in the district is, generally 
speaking, in a thriving and prosperous condition, 
although the heavy rains in September and October 
caused a good deal of blackening off among the pods, 
and some loss thereby. The autumn crop was late, 
owing to wet and sunless weather whilst it was 
ripening, but was on the whole a satisfactory one. 
Canker is less troublesome than it was last year, 
and the treatment of it, in the majority of Estates, 
is carried out in a vigorous and effective manner ; 
which, aUhough it does not eradicate the pest, keeps 
it well within bounds. The system of cutting out 
canker and spraying the pods, which was first tried 
in this district, has been adopted in a very thorough 
and scientific manner at the experimental station of 
the Royal Botanical Gardens, with most encouraging 
and satisfactory results. The cultivation of Cocoa ia 
not being much extended in the District, but tho 
cultivation of I'ara Rubber in conjunction with Cocoa 
ia receiving considerable attention, and promises to 
]}& a success. 
CccoA Stealing — continues in the District, though 
there was perhaps less of it in 1903, than in pre- 
•vions years. This may be attributed to the personal 
exertions of the A. G. A. and the pressure which he 
has brought to bear on his headmen ; but all agree 
in thinking that the present law is not sufficient to 
suppress the evil. Any recommendation of Cocoa 
Thefts Commission will, if they become law, receive 
the fairest possible trial from Matale Cocoa Planters ; 
but your Committee is of opinion that thia crime 
will never be put down nutil those in possession of 
Cocoa are made liable to be called on to account 
for the same. 
Shot-hole Borer and other Pests. — The District 
ia practically free from all Tea Pests and Blights. 
The Government ia now going to step in and proclaim 
the Shot-hoje Borer as " an Insect Pest " and provide 
regulations to prevent tho spread of same. In some 
^istrictts this pest b^s CAUsed great Ipsa. 
Tea. — The year has been a fairly remunerative 
one for this prodnot though in muny cases estimates 
were not realised, due partly to r.athcr a severe 
drought in Match and to unfavourable flu("hiag weather 
ia October, but also, we fear, in some cases to 
scarcity of coolies. The enhanced prices that have ruled 
throughout the year have, however, more than made 
up for any shorliage in output. The improved piicea 
are no doubt due in a large measure, if not entirely, 
to the very large increase in the output of Green Tea. 
which is one of the most satisfuctory features of 
the year ; and they would, we feel sure, have been 
even better, but for the excess of crops from India, 
which began to tell on Ceylon prices towards the 
end of the year. Tho year closes with the London 
average a little below that of last year. There have 
been no extensions in the District, so far as we hear, 
during the year ; and we do not hear of any con- 
templated. Green Tea has been made on two or three 
Estates in the District, and we hope more will be 
iiaade during 1904 ; and we are strongly of opinion 
that the Thirty Committee should continue to foster 
this industry until 20,000 090 lb output is fully es- 
tablished. Manuring has been cone to, perhaps, about 
the same extent as last year with the same heneficial 
results and the style of plucking has also been much 
the same. The rainfall has bsen below that of last 
year, the N. B, monsoon proving somewhat of a failure 
in November and December, but the rainfall for thia 
year is about up to the Matale average. 
ACREAGE AND CROP FIGURES. 
Tea. — Aban- Total 
Acreage. Bearing doned. Greens. Black: Native. 
lb. lb. lb. 
1902 19,459 18,403 303 148,000 8,214,27.5 61,750 
1903 19,480 18,765 183 89,000 8,668,075 140,000 
Yield, per acre=462 lb made Tea. 
Cocoa. — Acreage. Bearing. Crop Est. 1904. 
European 9,270 7,700 19,250 cwts. 
Native 2,500 1,500 1,500 „ 
11,770 9,200 20,750 cwta. 
Yield, European, about 2J cwts, per acre, 
do Native, do 1 do do 
Return showing Cocoa despatched from llatale by Rail. 
o 6 S o 
Malvern Plt iorm 16 3 3 6 
European 741 12 1 21 Ukuwela Station 162 16 1 21 
Native 282 4 2 10 Matale Station 844 17 0 4 
Tons, 1023 17 0 3 Tons. 1023 17 0 3 
CARDAM0M3.— Acreage, Bearing, Estimate for 1904, 
1,545 1,113 105,000 
Owing to very imperfect returns of Cocoa and 
Cardamoms these figures have been completed by 
reference to the last two years and may be taken, 
however, as very nearly correct aa these products 
have not altered much of late years. 
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS. 
B. c. R. c. 
Balance from last year ,. 237 41 
04 Subscriptions received ... 320 00 
Paid for Railway Cocoa returns , . 29 28 
Little Sisters of the Poor (Donation) 50 00 
C. S. P. C. A. (Donation) .. 20 00 
Roneo Copying Apparatus ... 90 25 
Printing, <&c. ... 37 55 
Rent Borron Hall ... 10 00 
Postage, (io, .. 64 10 
Sundries ... 34 05 
Balance in hand 
335 
222 
23 
18 
557 41 557 41 
W. A. IIILEP, H(?D, Secretary, . 
