March 1, 1902.] THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
$21 
CHEAP INDIAN ESTATES AND HOW 
THE PRICE IS EXPLAINED. 
Ambegamuwa, Feb. 15. 
Dear Sib,— I see another Indian estate sold 
for Ro.OOO. We were treated to the same story 
not long ago, but it transpired afterwards 
that the same estate had a mortgage behind 
it close on R2J0 per acre. Oh ! our solvent 
Indian brothers, is it not time you bucked 
up and had a Cess at your end and thus 
relieved us hampered ones from bearing the 
burden of giving you a fillip, free, gratis ?— 
Yours faithfully, 
GO SHARES. 
TOBACCO GROWING AT JAFFNA. 
Colombo, Feb, 15. 
Dear Sir — I have only today seen the Ceylon 
Observer of 8th inst., and therein your article 
headed " Tobacco-growing in Ceylon and its 
conditions of success." In it you make out 
that / came here in 1887, whereas I never 
visited Ceylon till last year. I was asked 
to come to Ceylon at the time you mention, 
but could not do so as I was engaged in 
making experiments in tobacco-growing for 
H H. the Rajah of Sarawak. Otherwise, 
the information given is correct.— I am, 
dear sir, yours faithfully, 
A MACDOUGALL GIBSON. 
[We are glad to find that Mr. MacDougall 
Gibson takes a favourable view of the 
native-grown tobacco leaf at Jaffna and feels 
sure it can be so manufactured under 
European auspices as to secure .i good price 
in home markets.— Ed. T.A.] 
COCONUT CULTIVATION AND 
STATISTICS. 
Hanwella, Feb. 18. 
Dear Sir, — With reference to your editorial re 
coconut export of 1901, in your issue of the I2th 
instant, I Ininibly tliink yonr calculation of 500 
nuts to a cwt. of oil is too liberal. For I know by 
experience, that IJ lb, of good copra produce 1 lb. 
of oil and Jib. of poonac, and an average of 3^ nuts 
go to 1^ lb. of copra. Therefore 364 nuts are equal 
to a cvvC, of oil, or say 375 nuts the most. 
It has also been found that the average nuts to a 
cwt, of copra on niy estate, for the last three years, 
to be S35, but we may allow 250 nuts the most; 
surely 550 are too high or I should say absurd. [550 
was a misprinti for 250 and was corrected at 
once for our weekly issue.— Ed. T.A.} 
I have no knowledge as to the de-siccated kernel, 
but I can say on authority, that the kernel of 2i 
nuts on an average are equal to 1 lb. of dried 
scrapings used in hand chekkus. 
Thus you will see you have been making a very 
liberal calculation of the out-put of our palm 
produce. 
My calculations, though based on actual facts, 
may not be quite accurate, but may be accept- 
able as closer to the mark.— 1 am, yours faithfully, 
CULTIVATOR. 
THE COCONUT PUZZLE : LARGE IN- 
CREASED LOCAL COiN SUMPTION. 
Galle, Feb. 20. 
Dear Sir,— With reference to your leader 
on the " Coconut Puzzle," the slow develop- 
paeut of exports is no doubt due to the large 
/oeal consumption. There is also an increasing 
d ema,nd ior kurumbas or tender nuts for the 
sake of the refreshing water, and it is quite 
apparent that the plucking of a large per 
centage of these tend to keep down produc- 
tion for export purposes. — Yours truly, A. 
P.S. — Some households take six tender nuts 
per day. 
A RECIPE FOR ROSELLE JELLY. 
Ythanside, Kotagala, 19th Feb. 
Sir, — Having read in today's paper that "House* 
keeper" wishes a recipe for "Roselle Jelly," I 
send my own which I have found very suc- 
cessful,— I am, sir, yours truly, 
J. T. S. CAMERON. 
"B03ELLE JELLY." 
After gathering the fruit wash them and pluck off 
only the fleshy red petals. 
Put these in a vessel and just cover with water, 
Soak for a night and next morning boil till reduced 
to pulp. Strain in a flannel bag. When all the 
liquid has run through squeeze the pulp in the bag 
into another dish and strain again to clarify the 
squeezed-out juice. Allow 1 lb. sugar to 1 pint juice, 
put in a copper or enamelled pan, bring to the boil 
and boil rapidly for five minutes. A soup plateful of 
fruit and water when boiled tarns out fully ^ pint 
juice. — C. 
Farms in South Africa.— We have mentioned 
the settlement on farms first becau»o it is on the 
agricultural land that th« balance in South Africa 
needs specially to be adjusted, says the Spectator, 
As it was before the war. Englishmen were, 
roughly, crowded in the towns and their neigh- 
bourhood, and the outlying districts were entirely 
populated by the Dutch. But, of course, there 
would be among the British settlers nob only 
the men who wanted to become farmers ; there 
would be the representatives of every conceivable 
trade and calling. And really one does not know 
of any accomplishment that will come amiss in 
the setklement of a great country like South 
Africa. There will be room for tinkers and 
tailors and candlestick-makers. As for the settlers 
on the farms, they must not run away with the 
idea that South Africa is a rich agricultural 
country. In a general way it is not. A man must 
not think he can be " a eentleman-farmer," and 
yet make a good living. He must work himself, 
and work reasonably hard. But he will have the 
advantage of being "boss." This may be aa 
advantage in most cases only of form and senti- 
ment, and will mean that the white man is not 
in competition with the black. This sentiment 
goes very deep, and cannot be laughed aside. 
But there is no reason why the white man, so long 
as his distinction of caste is ob.served to his own 
satisfaction, should n«t wear his pride as easily 
as the platelayer in India does, who works with, 
yet controls, his native labourers. There are 
arbitrary fashions in these matters certainly, but 
they need not dominate their inventors. An 
Amerii!au servant will not black shoes, but he 
will cheerfully perform the equivalents ot ihoe- 
blacking. As for an English ploughman, he would 
probably rather plough than not. A great deal 
depends upon the important questions whether or 
noc ploughing is bad form. With common-sense 
there is no reason why o«r settlers should nor 
become as thrifty, and yet as contented, as th« 
small holders in the Ea»tern States of Ameri«a, 
who have deliberately taught themselves to 
mulate the careful peasants of France ajnd Italy, 
