March 1, 1902.] THE TROPICA]. AGRICULTURIST, 623 
PLANTING AND SOCIAL NOTES 
FROM MARAWILA. 
We have had very welcome rain last week on six 
days, or rather evenings, which agoregated very 
nearly two inches. This has been of immenso benefit 
to vegetation, following as it did a dronght of nearly a 
month's duration. Occurring in mid-drought, it has 
helped to '■ break tbe back " ot the season of dronght, 
so trying a period to man, animals and vegetation. 
The face of the country has been rapidly changed 
from brown to a bright green. 
Uoconnts are still sca,rce for desiccating, and the 
price is in sympathy with that for Copra. It was 
announced in the papers that the copra of Horekelle 
estate was sold for the whole year at E60 the 
candy — a record price. A correspondent of a contem- 
porary of yours announced that merchants were 
willing and anxious to enter into forward contracts 
for R64-65 the candy. This was promptly con- 
tradicted, and your contemporary called upon his 
correspondent to name the firms who were so anxious 
to enter into these contracts. He has observed a 
very discreet silence, and people form their own 
opinion for the reason for this gratuitous annonnce- 
meut. I am in a position to state authoritatively 
however, that a gentleman in this district was asked 
to enter into a contract for E62 the candy. "Once 
bitten twice shy," he declined. He hopefully looks 
forward to copra reaching RlOO the candy ! 
For a decent Circus to visit a wayside 
village, is an unheard of experience. Duval's 
Circus was brought to Marawila, by a trio of enter- 
prising Sinhalese, paying the proprietor Rl.OOO a 
night, for three nights. The result exceeded expect- 
ations. On the last night there was a crowd that 
could not be accommodated, and those outside be- 
came riotous and attenpted to rush the tent. The 
chief headmen being present, the crowd was 
restrained, with much difficulty and with a pro- 
mise of another performance. A local syndicate 
promptly engaged the troup for another three nights 
on the same terms. The tent had to be enlarged 
and was filled on these three nights too, people 
coming from distances of 12 and 15 miles. Doesn't 
the expenditure of about RIO, 000 or more, to 
witness a Circus, bear eloquent testimony to the 
general wealth of the district as a whole ? Isn't 
this an additional argument for a Railway ? 
There is a great bustle in Chilaw owing to ths 
approaching visit of the Governor and suite from 
the Kraal. Preparations are being made for arches, 
but as the visit is to be on a Sunday, His Excel- 
lency may be saved the ordeal of receiving addresses. 
The offending lamp-post has been removed, and 
the fate that Chamberlain was threatened with— 
being hanged on one— has been averted. Possibly no 
one will be broken on the wheels of tramway too, 
as the road to the Resthouse will have to be 
opened for the G-overnor. 
MINOR PRODUCTS REPORT, 
London, Feb, 1. 
Spices.— Cinnamon chips sold at 2ja to 2id per lb 
for common quality. Black Pepper was bought in 
at 5fd per lb tor light Sarawak, and at the same price 
for Penang. There has been a large business done in 
Singapore to arrive down to 6d per lb, but_ the 
market has since been firmer with buyers at 6 1-I6thd 
Singapore white was bought in at lOd per lb for dull 
orditiary, and at 11 to lljrt per lb for good coriander 
kind. For arrival fair Singapore is quoted 10|d to 
10 3-16thd per lb. Penang la unchanged at 9 ll-16thd 
on the spot, and lOd to arrive. 
Vanilla.— The supply brought forward on Wednes- 
day was the heaviest on record, and attracted a much 
larger attendance of buyers thau usual, There was 
a good demand, however, and practically the whole 
quantity offered, about 2,800 tins, was sold. Long 
lengths being scarce brought rather dearer prices ; 
medinm sold well at late rates, but the lower grades 
were easier. The auction wp-s adjourned on Wednes- 
day at 5 p.m., and was concluded today. The following 
were some of the prices paid : — Fair to good chocolate, 
8 to 8| inches, 223 6d ; 7i to 8 inches, 19s 6d to 
2l3 6d : 7 to 7id inches. Us 6d to 16s 6d ; 64 to 7 
inches 10s 6d to 14s 6d ; common dry brown 4s to 
lis 6d; ordinary foxy to fair short, 5s 6d to 63 6d ; 
medium, 6s 9d to 73 6d, and long 7s 6d to 10s 6d per lb , 
Messrs Brookes & Green h'ave issued a report on 
vanilla, in the course of which they state that the 
Seychelles crop for 1901, shipped from August to 
December, totalled " fully double " the heaviest quan- 
tity exported from the island in ^ny previous season, 
it being estimated at about eighty tons. Tbe feature of 
this season's supply of vanilla from Seychelles is the 
unprecedented large proportion of ''short" beans, 
medium to good size quality measure from 6 inches 
to 8 inches, but the consignments landed in London 
during the past three months have contained about 
75 per cent of very short beans ranging from three 
inches to five inches. The result has been that, whilst 
long-lengths quality has fairly maintained previous 
values, the short measurements show a reduction of 
about fifty per cent. To obtain good plump pods, it is 
incumbent for planters to see that early in the season 
the young shoots are thinned by pricking out a quantity 
of surplus sprouts. In the present case it would seem 
as though nearly all had been allowed to germinate. 
This view is somewhat confirmed by recent reports 
from Seychelles, which advise that the flowering for 
the next crop is small, possibly due to the weakening 
of the vines last year — indeed, some of the older 
plants are reported as seriously exhausted, a very 
natural result if the above surmise is true. During 
the past year or two there has been an increasing 
'• doubtful trade " carried on by crystallising Tahiti 
vanilla, and making it in bundles to represent Bourbon 
and other better-class qualities, buyers paying twice 
as much as their actual value, or even more. — Chemist 
and Druggist. 
— 
JAFFNA AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS. 
The reaping of paddy crops has been commenced 
throughout the District. In a few villages the 
crops are scanty, but on the whole the yield of 
paddy crops is not much below the average. The 
planting of tobacco is over, though the cultivators 
met with some difficulty in procuring plants, the 
nurseries having been washed away by the heavy 
rains of December and January. — 'Hindu Orgaii, 
Feb. 12. 
Indian Government CiNCHON and Quinine. 
— The Budget estimates of the Madras Cinchona 
department for 1902-1903 anticipate a further 
increase in the demand for quinine, and the 
estimate of receipts lias accordingly been raised 
to 210,000r, or 19,600r more than the estimate of 
expenditure for the year. In accordance with a 
Government order passed on March 10th, 1898, 
the Government, instead of extending its own 
plantations and competing with private industry, 
purchases the surplus bark it requires from cin- 
chona planters at a price per unit which is annu- 
ally fixed. Provision has been made in the Bud- 
get for working up 474,000 pounds of bark 
during the coming year to meet the in- 
creased demand, and for the purchase of two 
Jiundred thousand pounds of three and half per 
cent of bark at 2d per unit,— Chemist and Druq^ 
gist, Jan, 11, 
