March 1, 1904.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
601 
indulged in stalking; was great. Tlie small con- 
ces^^i()n for huniint; men, as defined in the 
corre'^pnn'lence, he hoped won! i not bo oLjt'Ci ed to. 
Mr Ormiston— saiit he objected on behalf of 
every meniber of tlie Hipu'/ile Branch, most 
etroni; y, l o restriciing a ly poi tion of I he 
Hortoii Plains over 4,0(i0 feet to stalking 
witli the rifle. They wanted to stalk where 
they lifted whhout any restraint. Uva and 
Ilaputale men dil not use the Horton 
Plains very much ; l ist year one shot a pit; and 
a sambur ihere — so that stalkinfi over 4,u00 feet 
on the Horton Plains did not interfere veiy much 
with themen who hunted withthebounds and knife. 
Mr H V Masefikld — in seconding, said it wouil 
be a pity to start a re-triciion at the Horion Platns 
for stalking over 4,000 leet. If they did that at 
the Horton Plains they might have to give in 
everywhere else. (Mr Ormiston : Quite eo.) He 
supported Mr Ormiston free of any bias to either 
sine, as he npver huntt'd or stalked, 
Mr H G Kennedy — gave an instance of how 
one ilay he had lost 2 vnluable hounds in the jungle 
after hunting on the Horton Plains and wlien he 
went there on the following day he found two 
Haputale men stalkitig. How was he to know 
that, those dogs of his had not inadvi-rtently been 
hit by a shot meant for an elk? Elk hunting with 
hounds and knives was the sport in Ceylon, and 
he thought it only fair to those who kept a pack and 
hunted with them they should at least have one 
safe place to risk their pack in. He would propose 
as an amendment: — 
" That there be a limit fixed by the Government 
Agent of the Province reaerviog a certain portion of 
the Horton Plains for burning to the knife only." 
Mr Thomas Farr— in seconding, said he was 
sorry forany acrimony against the concession asked 
tor on the Horton Plains, a very small one. Mr 
Ormi-jton objected on principle to the thin end 
of the wedge ; that thin end was being introduced 
by the Society. It was only a bogie as regards 
Government Agents ; if they wanted to make a 
sanctuary or prohibit shooting or stalking in 
any area, G, A.'s would consult the Society before 
they acted upon it. Those who hunted with the 
pack kept them up at considerable expense, It 
cost money to keep a pack, and no hing to keep a 
gun. The master of the Horton Plains Pack, Mr 
Kennedy, as they all knew, was a gieat tports 
mail ; he was ready on rpque-'tmade by a post card 
to take anybody out for a hunt, and risk his pack 
anywhere for true sport, and would even entrust 
the pack to those with whom he could not 
join (owing to business calls) in a hunt. The 
area it was proposed to limit to hunting with the 
knife was only i — the stalking men had f— of the 
Plains. 
Mr Ormiston — said as very few shots were fired 
on the [iorton Plains by the Haputale men, 
he did not see how, if sialkina was tree on the 
whole of the Hortons, it could affect ihose 
who bunted with the kmfe. He thought that 
sport should be open to all true sportsmen any- 
where and everywhere and not ouly to lhoi>e who 
Cauld afford to keep a pack. 
The Chairman — then put Mr Kennedy's atnend- 
nieut to the meeting, for which there weiesix votes 
ID favour. Mr Ornnston's motion was only voted 
for by the proposer and seconilei with three proxies. 
The Chairiuau declared the motion lost. 
On a proposal of the Chairman, the New Rules 
published in the Ceylon Observer of 17th Septem- 
ber were adopted with one ot two alterations, no 
criticisms or sugsrestion had been received. 
The meeting, for want of time, did not deal with 
the ciuestioii of Sauciuaries or Crown Reserves 
notified on the Agenda. The proposed legislation 
(embodied in the Administration Report of 1902 on 
page F C re G irne and Fiiearms) was, on the pro- 
posal of Mr H. C Kennedy, seconded by Mr HiLL, 
referred lo the Managing Committee. The meeting 
permiuated at 3 20 p ni (thanks to the chair being 
Proposed by Mr Farr, seconded by Mr KENNEDY, 
NEW CEYLON MERCANTILE COMPANY. 
J H VAVA.SSEUR & Co , Ltd. (79,609).— Re- 
gistered Dec. 31, with capital £125,000 in £1 shares 
(25,000 preference), to acquire the business of pro- 
duce andgeiieral merchants, planters, etc., carried 
on by H H Vavasseur and R B Heinckey at 4, 
Lloyd's Avenue, E C, as J H Vavasseur and Co. 
Wo initial public issue. H Vavasseur and RB 
Heinckey are permit Government directors; special 
quiUiticition £1,000 ; remuneration £1,000 each 
pnr annum ; qualification of ordinary directors, 
£50. Hegistered office, 4, Lloyd's Avenue, E C. 
— Investors' Guardian, Jan, 9. 
RANGALA PLANTING NOTES. 
SINHALESE COOLIES 
are scarce owing to the large tobacco culti- 
vation about Teldeniya and Udispattu ; 
they are being paid 40 cents a day and, of 
course, prefer tne higher wage. Natives have 
been making a lot of money within the last 
few years hy this cultivation, and planters, 
1^ ith suitable soil and climate, should grow 
TOBACCO 
for the million (Ceylon and India) and not 
for cigar- wrappers, &c., there is money in it. 
Sell the gi een leaf if possible by the thousand 
leaves. The soil mtist be good, low lying 
and no wind. The land about Teldeniya and 
CJdispaLtu runs from about 1,400 to 2,000 ft., 
where the tobacco is grown. 
THE DRUG MARKET IN AMERICA 
IN 1903, 
Cocaine. — The oourse of cocaine during 1903 haa 
been a disappointing one, a steady decline having 
been its record, in spite of the tally maintained 
strength of the coca leaves. In January the 
quotation for cocaine was §4.25 for bulk, bat) 
toward the middle of March competition between 
the manufacturers and second hanas, who had 
supplies purchased at low prices, precipitated a 
fall to 83 50, In April the strength ot the crude 
material restored the mirket to a more propor- 
tionate basis at S4. 1 he upward tendency con- 
tiuutd when the supply of coca leaves was cut 
off for an indefinite (eriod, but the fact that 
outsi<le hands .still had sufficient supplies to un- 
dersell profitably prevented the advance that olher 
coinlition^ justified. Competition abroad and the 
accumulation of stocks here, following the re- 
siticiion placed upon the sale of cocaine in many 
of I be St ates, were the factors in a decline to 
$■'5 75, which mannfac.nrers announced late ia 
August. The s.ime cau-<es were responsible for 
another reduction two weeks later, and the market 
remained unchanged at $3*50 the remainder of the 
year. - 
