F£B. 1, 1904.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRlCULTUmST. 
36t 
Tea darine tbe season nnder review the market 
generally has been stronger and P^'oes 
Batisfactory. Your Committee considers the con- 
tracts made by Bome of those estates making Green 
Tfeas, for the disposal of their Crop for the new season, 
is indication of stability iu the Gieen Tea Industry 
It is hoped that no estates now m<;k.nK Green leas 
will have occasion to revert to Blacks. Wholesale 
reversion to Blacks must necessarily mean a drop m 
nrioee. The past season in respect to weather can 
Eoc be said to have been favourHble-tbe number of 
wet days and the absence of sun being abnormal. Xho 
N E at the close of the year was a complete failure. 
Paba EuBBER.-ConeiderabIe progieos has been made 
dnriDg the year in exploiting the di.tnct in Rubber, 
and the greatly improved results obtained by estates 
that are tapping on a large scale, both in '^creased 
qiiantity of latex obtained per tree and the enhanced 
price realised for the sale of the cured article, are most 
Batisfactory. During the year 667 acres of newland have 
been planned with this product, which, w th the 4.i6 
previously opened, brings up tbe total area to 1,103 aoiea 
while during 1904 it is estimated that over 1,200 acres of 
new W will be brought into cultivation. In f ^di- 
tion to the acreage of Rubber Clearings, it is 
estimated that 5,158 acie^ of tea have been pla nted up 
CROP.-The output of your d'^f i^t conti^aues to m- 
crease rapidly, the total harvested during 1903 amount 
iag to nearly 15 toes against 71 tons 1902 and 31 ens 
1901 Your Committee have the pleasure to report that 
notwithstanding the increased output of the older 
estates, the qui.lity shows no signs of deteriorating. 
Seed and PLANTs.-There ha^ aj^aiu been a very 
brisk demand, and a large quantity of seed has been 
Bent to S India. Sales during the year amounted to 
1 873 100 seeds and 551,100 pUnls. There is no doubt 
thai in the Kalutara district Para Rubber tas found 
exactly tbe conditions of soil and climate that it 
requires, and your Committee look forward with 
confidence to a bright future in this product. 
Canker exists in a mild form, but there is no cause 
for alarm, as with the most ordinary precautions it 
can be very easily kept in check. , , 
Coconuts.— The product is not extensively cultivated 
iB this district except on the Horana side, and where 
systematic cultivation is carried on the results have 
been good, the crop was well above the average for 
19(13 and nuts copra fetched a very fair price. 
Pests.— Your Committee are glad to say that^ with 
the exception of a bad attack of the Lobster Cater- 
pillar Stauropns Alternns'in one part of the district 
very little damage has been caused by inpect pests. 
The attack of Sianropus referred to caused very serious 
damnee on Polgahakande and Clontarf Estates acd 
likewise showed in a less degree on several others. It 
is thought that if more attention had been paid to 
the picking of the caterpillars when it first started 
on Po'Kahakande, there would have been little chance 
of its assuming tlie proportioLS it did, and your 
Committee recommend that a careful lookout be kept 
for any individual specimens that may occur ; and 
that the plnckern on all estates should be instructed 
to carefully pick them off and report their occurrence 
to the Superintendent. Grey Blight and Brown Blight, 
the two principal fungus diseases, have not been nearly 
BO troublesomo as they at one time threatened to 
heoome, and your Committee hope, that with better 
onUivalion on nearly all estates, they may in time 
radically disappear. 
Tea CROP.-The crop estimated for the coming year 
is 2 005,000 lb. off 5,837 acres, or abont MO ib. per acre 
Cardajiojis. — The crop for the past year hns been 
(he largtbt on record, 909,418 Ih. having been shipped, 
which is nearly 50 per cent over the previous jear. 
The stock in stores is considerably less than at the 
sam time last year, and it is not likely that mi re, 
thiiu 720,000 lb. will be shipped ibis Eta^-on. In this 
district not much new laud will come into beaiii'g 
and scarcely any Bew latid has been planted iu 190ci. 
The (Jaidamom Committee's good work is beginning 
to tell on the exports to new markets, and it ia 
hoped that all Cardamom Estates will eubsoiibe this 
year — to continue so good a beginning. 
Labour. — This is not in a satisfactory condition. 
There is a general shortage on most e-tates in the 
district. The rate per head is not high, but your 
Committee views with some concern the ra'es paid 
to go outside the district, viz., from E50 toKSO per head. 
KEGALA PLAKTERS' ASSOCIATION. 
ANNUAL RKPORT. 
Eeoister —The namber of subscribers on the re- 
ciHirr amounts to 20, 19 estates and 1 private vote. 
Tea —Generally the crop has turned out short of 
last y'ear's yield, the weather having been rather un- 
favourable to flushing. Tea in this district is 
practically free from blight and insect pests. 
Green Teas.— That your Committee ia of the opinion 
that the bcmna to green teas ehould be oontinued. 
PUSSELLAWA PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION, 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
The Chaieman : — 1 he Secretary will now read 
the Annual Report.— The HuN. Skcretary read : 
Your Committee beg to submit to you the Eleventh 
Annual General Report. 
Membership. — The number of Estates on the 
register is 50, the sf me as last year. 
Finances. — According to the accounts submitted to 
this meeting by the Hon. Secretary, the balance at 
credit of the Association is R181'G7 against R199*41 
last year. 
Meetings. — Four General and four Committee 
Meetings, (today's inclusive) have been held during 
the year, at which the average attendance was good : — 
4 General. 4 Committee, 
average 19. average 9. 
Estimates 1904,— Crop estimated for 1904 from an 
acreage of 27,581 acres representing 59 Estates inclu- 
sive of Native holdings is as nnder :— 
1914. 1908. 
Acreage in Tea 22,581 acres 21,501 
Acreage in Bearing 22,196 acres 21,042 
Total Estate Crop f 9,898,550 lbs. 9,555,550 i 
Green Tea \ Nil. 215,000 ^ 
Native Leaf ( 1,934,800 lbs. 1,653,500 ) 
Acreage abandoned 56 acres 50 
Estimate of Native 
holdings 5,000 acrea 5.000 
Total Crop 11,883,350 lbs. 11,424,050 
Yield per acre 437 lbs. 438 
Laboub, — Your Committee regret that they cannot 
report any improvement iu general conditions — on 
the othur hand they consider things are becoming 
more unsatisfactory. If the pieseut laborers turned 
out more regularly to work, there would be less 
evidence of shortage, but coolies do not woik as they 
used to. It cannot be a source of wonder that there 
should be an inclination to malinger, seeing how very 
strong the position of the cooly is at present, with 
reepeot to his credit. So long as advances of R50 to 
RlOO obtain per head and wnen it is realised that this 
includes many children and also many unfit to work 
from other causes, it ia not to be reasonably expected 
that the laborer will be otherwise than shifty, The 
hopes of the planting community will now be centred 
in the efforts of the strong committee of twenty, 
appointed to confer with the (Jolombo Agency Houses 
and yonr Committee are anxiously awaiting issues. 
Hospitals. — Your visitors are pleased to report on 
the h;gh slate of efficiency in which these institutions 
are niHiutained. 
Blights and Pests. — The spread of " Shot-Hola 
Borer" necessitated the appointment of a sub com- 
mittee to enquire into the extent affected and means 
for its prevention. Their report was presented to A 
general meeting on the 26th September. On that 
oooaaioa Mr Greeu,. Qovernment EntomologiBt, ver| 
