July i, 1891*] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
69 
Great Keticence is observed in reference to the 
United Planters' Company of Oeylon by those inter- 
ested in it. The same may be said of another embryo 
company forming for the purpose of acquiring tea pro- 
porty in your island. I saw the skeleton prospectus the 
other day ; but, as it was orginally devised for the 
aoqusition of a large property since acquired by the 
Ceylon Tea Plantations Company — Yoxford — it cannot 
be mentioned as actually in existence, though othtr 
properties are mentioned as likely to be acquired. 
The initiation of the project ia due to Mr. Grigson, 
of Messrs. Geo. Sleoart & Co., and the proBpectua 
only awaits certain additions and amplifications iu 
order to plnce it before the British investing public. — 
Local "Times." 
Trade of ihb South American Eepublics. — At 
a meetiog o£ the London Chamber of Commerce, 
yesterday, Admiral H. D. Grant read a paper on 
the " State of Trade in the South American Eepub- 
lics," and in the course of his remarks expressed 
his surprise at the almost entire absence of English 
firms from Monte Video, and the decrease of the 
number in Buenos Ayres. The disappearance of old 
established houses he attributed to the growth of direct 
trade with England. Admiral Grant considers the 
trade prospects gloomy, basing his estimate on recent 
steps taken in taxation and currency matters, more 
especially in the Argentine Republio and Uruguay, 
— Chemist and Druggist. 
Niger Gum Arabic. — In a paper on a trip along 
the Niger and Benue rivers read before the Royal 
Geographical Society on Monday, reference was made 
to the town of Yola, on the Benue river, as the most 
important trading centre iu that region — tin, gum, 
baraic, and gum copal being the local products brought 
three by the natives in exchange for Manchester 
goods. The gum arabic referred to is the Niger gum, 
which has during the last two years arrived on the 
Liverpool and London market in such large quantities. 
The gum ia probably obtained from the Mnri range 
of Mountains, north of native villages of Lau, Dalti, 
and Djen, on the Benue river. With the establish- 
ment of more regular trading communications with 
Niger Basin, Niger gum is, perhaps, under certain 
citenmstances deslined to become as itioportaiit an 
article on our produce markets as the East Indian 
gums are at the present moment. Yola, the shipping 
port, is near the extreme enstern edge of the Niger 
Company's present fphere of iofluence. — Chemist and 
Druggist, May 16th. 
Dbhiowita Division, Kelani Valley, May 18 — 
Very monsoonish weather here. There was a 
terrific thunderstorm here on Friday evening ac- 
companied by torrents of rain. Saturday forenoon 
was fine, but rain came on again in the evening 
and continued steadily to pour all night, and all 
yesterday (Sunday). Today the rain came on again 
at 2 p.m. obliging me to knock ofi the coolies. 
I have hardly known such a ijersistently rainy 
monsoon. The electrical phenomena too have been 
remarkably severe, I append rainfall record since 
rst of this month as follows : — 
inches, inches 
May 1 .. -17 May 5 ... -30 
„ 2 ,.. -13 „ 10 ... — 
„ ,3 ... .40 „ 11 ... -10 
4 ... -60 „ 12 .. a Co 
,. 5 ... — „ 13 ... 1-83 
.< 6 ... '13 „ \i ... -11 
» 7 ... 1-75 „ 15 .,. 1 98 
8 ... 1-53 „ 16 ... 1-34 
17 ... 1 58 
Kainfall for 17 days May... ... .., 1460 
Do January 1891... ... ... 6 93 
Do February ... .. 5«4 
Do March „ ... . . ... 14 20 
Do April , .. 20-80 
Eainfall this year to date . . ... ... 62 47 
A Cocoa Store Bubnt Down. — We learn that one 
eveDing last week tbe large store at Sudaganga estate, 
Matule was destroyed by fire. It is estimatsd that 
several thougand rupees damage was done on the 
occasion, and while the origin of the fire is unknown we 
are sure mo blame can atlach to Mr. LeaUe Falkiner the 
energetic manager of the estate. — Local "indepeDdect." 
A Ceylon Pbabl Oysteb in , London. — The London 
Queen to hand by the mail contains an account of 
rnther a novel shop-window exhibition which it says 
is at present exciting a great deal of curlousity in 
Bond Street. The exhibitior, so it is said, consils 
of a perfect Ceylon pearl-oyster, in which are no tever 
than seven pearls in a cluster. The pearls are detached 
and are of excellent appearance, one being valued at 
£40 sterlirig. The oytter has been preserved in spirits. 
We do not know how it got there ; but we presume the 
ojbter is one of those fished at the last Fishery. Still, 
no clue is given as to wUo sent it, and we should hardly 
think any of the native ,traders would have recogonised 
what a curicsily it would be to the folks at home. 
Howevtr, the pearl oyster is there, affording yet an- 
other aivertisement for our island, and the little osiers 
it is said draws people by the hundred.— Local " Times." 
Tka in Travancohe. — Mr. Forbes Laurie, who 
returned from Travancore abodt three days ago, as 
greatly impressed, we believe, with the excellent pros- 
pects b(for6 Travaucore tea planters, and in a small 
way there is i o doubt that Travancore will be one of 
the future rivals of Ceylon, though the acreage under 
tea will never enable it to be a formidable one. The 
soil is good, and the tea though most of it is young, has 
done excellently so far, young tea 3 years old giving 
400 lb, an acre, while labour is plentiful and cheap, the 
wuge.s average beiug 25,^cents, and there being no diflB.- 
cuHy in recruiting. The coast advance system ha not 
proved the bane lo Travftncore planters that it hs s to 
Ceylon ones, and from all accounts Travaneore is a sort 
(.ftea growers' paradise.' Roads are not so numejous 
or good as they aro in Ceylon, but transport to the coast 
is cheap and plentiful while the estates are easily 
worked. They are for the most part at a height of from 
2,000 to 3,000 feet above the sea, though a given eleva- 
tion is said to he slightly warmer than the same eleva- 
tion in 0?ylon at least on tbe western side of Nuwara 
Bliyo. Th-fre are one or two Ceylon planters already 
in iVavancore and other Ceylon men have interests in 
the district. Tbe only thing against social life there 
is that the estates are at some distance from each other, 
and communication ia not so good as it is in most of 
the upcountry districts of Ceylon ; but from an inves- 
tor's point of view Travaneore leaves, it would seem 
little to be deaired.— iijrf. 
A New Planting Company. — I hear on good autho- 
rity that a company has been formed to open up the 
blocks of forest land in Bamberabatuwa belonging to 
Mr- J.Dent Young and ethers. These blocks, Hepu- 
gEstenne and Walawedowe, aggregate over 2,500 
acres, and will form a very fine property as they are 
situated at a fair elevation and in a fine climate for 
tea cultivation. They were originally purchased for 
the purpose of cultivating coffee iu the forties, and 
a small portion was opened, but they were abandoned 
in the crisis of 1848. Mr. J. Dent Young originally 
selected the land, I believe, and opened it. He ia 
still to the front, although one of the original pioneers 
of coffee planting. The Government are also adver- 
tising for sale on the 9th June a number of lots of 
land suitable for tea, cacao, etc., and these lota in- 
clude some of the finest land remaining in Govern- 
ment hands in tbe hills. This district ia as yet little 
known though only 2 or 3 miles south of Maskeliya 
and about the same distance north of the Pelmadulla- 
Ratnapnra road. The district will now, no doubt, be 
rapidly opened up, as the new company and the 
purchasers of the Government blocks will open up the 
roads cut over 40 years ago and which require com- 
paratively little done to them to put them in good 
order. There are over 6,000 acres of land in private 
hands, well suited for tea, being properties purchased 
over 40 years ago, and with roads to help, these will 
be opened up. The outlet for the Bamberabatuwa 
district will be Ratnapura, — Cor, Local "Times'" 
