Nov, 1, 1901.1 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRIOULTCJRIST. 
335 
tainty about the sexes that would result from 
the seeds, but they would undoubtedly show 
whether the climate and soil were suitable. It 
is reported that tlie Americans are making an 
effort to introduce the Do.te P;ilm in Arizona. 
E. BON AVI A, M.D. 
But an ordinary decent place for one man 
to work should not, I think, be more than 
300 to 350 acres. With a good assistant he 
could do double that.— Yours truly, 
PROPRIETOR AND MANAGER. 
CACAO AND CRITICISM. 
Sept. 28. 
Dear Sir, — " Pod " has the cacoethes loquendi 
(et sa-ibendi) and gets inebriated with the 
exuberance of his own verbosity. Is he not the 
gentleman who lectured before the Uva Cacao 
Committee in June last on the «cac?e?m'c question 
of growing suckers ? He is more adept in dialectics 
than in practical enquiry or appHcation. His ac- 
cusation of tactlessness in the Committee's questions 
is ridiculous. It is quite optional to answer or not, 
any or all or none, of the questions submii^ted in 
the amended circular of 26th July. District Asso- 
ciations can have as many copies as they please for 
distribution among those interested (if they will 
apply to Secretary, P. A,) 
Having asked the aid of a Scientist in formulating 
the queries and some experienced planters having 
passed in Committee the questions aforesaid, it is 
absurd of " Pod " to pose as one who desires 
information he cannot reach, and yet himself act 
only as a captious and not too well-informed 
critic. 
The parody in your issue of the 20th on the 
" Mahawansa," is clever as a literary jeu d' esprit 
and was v/orthy of a good hearty laugh. Even the 
poor casket incident, though in questionable taste, 
was irresistible to anyone knowing the original. 
Those who are curious enough will find en- 
lightenment in Barthelemy Saint Hilaire's "The 
Buddha and his religion " (in the appendix at the 
end of the volume.) 
Questions which may seem unimportant to some, 
may be most interesting to others. We have un- 
doubtedly to thank the Mycologist for identifying 
the worst pest cacao has yet suffered from. Sun- 
light is the best cure, and we have had very sunless 
weather this year in many districts, and yet the 
battle is, I think, in our favour, using the various 
methods suggested by Mr. C. If that gentleman 
could give more time to cacao interests, and if he 
credited average planters with more knowledge, 
intelligence and common-sense generally than he 
has implied in some of Jiis imperfectly prepared 
lectures, we should all score in the end, for his 
abilities are undoubted. Kew and Peradeniya 
are somewhat too prone to scorn the practical 
agriculturist, and to encourage too exclusively the 
scientifie work of the Gardens. 
But I must stop. It might be wise to enlarge the 
Cacao Committee and try to increase interest in 
this product ; but we do not want over-production ! 
— Yours truly, 
IN CACAO. 
SIZE OP "TEA GARDEN" FOR 
ECONOMICAL MANAGEMENT. 
Sept. 29. 
Dear Sib,— I have never given the ques- 
tion of the hesfc size of a tea garden, from 
an economical point of view, any special 
hought ; so much depends on the bearing 
ualities of the estate. 
LARGE vs. SMALL TEA GARDENS ; 
THE BEST SIZE PROM AN ECONOMICAL 
POINT OF VIEW. 
Oct. 5. 
Dear Sir,— As to the profitable size of a 
tea garden, it depends very much on the 
age, elevation, soil, &c. ; but I think about 
300 acres is a workahle average. Where manu- 
facture can be centralised I believe in the 
grouping of estates under & permanent st-a.fl. 
As things are, every superintendent has to 
spend a great deal of his time in correspond- 
ence, finessing and arranging about labour 
doctormg coolies, &e., which on larger estates 
could be more organized and combined. 
This is, from the purely commercial point of 
view, the desideratum to be aimed at ; but 
a more ideal system I consider to be a 
smaller and individual proprietorship, grow- 
ing the leaf and supplying it -to central 
factories ; these being worked as separate 
concerns, like the creameries and butter 
factories in Australia. But it is too late in 
the day for this now and it is no use crying 
over "spilt milk." — Yours truly, 
AN OLD HAND AT TEA. 
THE CACAO CIRCULAR: A SEVERE 
CRITIC. 
Wattegama, Oct. 10. 
Dear Sir,— I welcome P.O.D.'s challenge to 
" In Cacao ", but I would much i^refer to listen 
to the combatants in the Planters' Hall and in 
the presence of any cacao planter who may 
wish to listen to or take part in the argum.ent • 
for our Cacao Committee has sent out 
circulars -like the one I have received— with 
a number of foolish questions which at 
least some of the Committee ought to have 
been able to answer on the spot, if they are 
entitled to serve on the Committee. I have 
no desire personally for further information 
re Cacao as I can tell from appearance 
of leaf, bark, and pods, the requirements of 
the trees ; and tlie taste of the dye extracted 
from the soil around the trees is of further 
use to prove the correctness. As we have 
so many planters able and willing to speak 
out, I, as an old planter of 43 years' experience 
and 70 years of age, left younger men to 
carry on correspondence, &c., of late; but 
this circular is so silly that I welcome P.O.D. 
— Yours faithfully, 
JOSEPH HOLLOWAY. 
THE JAVA COFFEE CROP, 1901, 
According to a telegram sent to Europe by 
the Governor-General of Netherlands India, the 
Government coffee crop in Java is estimated for the 
year at 95,000 piculs,— jSifmifs Times, Sept. 30, 
