THt rnOPWkL AQRICULTURiST. [September t, 1891, 
had already given ample proof that stones of such 
a quality were abundant in Burma, and yet we 
are told that " they had not yet obtained stones 
of the quantity and quality which they hoped to 
get." This is pretty much the eame thing as has 
caused so many similar enterprises in Ceylon to be 
abandoned. 
Then, again, we have the statement as fo the 
apprehension that the natives employed on the 
works obtained and secreted many, if not most of 
the really valuable stones which had been un- 
earthed. This, as you know, was one of the chief 
obstacles foreseen as likely to militate against 
suoeess in Ceylon which were stated to mo by 
Mr. Streeter on the occasion of my interviewing 
him upon the subject when the question of syste- 
matic gemming in Ceylon was first mooted. As 
yet it is evident that the work which has been 
done during the several years since the Company 
oommenced its operations at the mines has been 
almost entirely confined to preparation. It is 
very certain that, had this case of " hope deferred " 
been realized when the prospectus of the Company 
was issued, we should not have witnessed that excited 
rush after its shares which created so much astonish- 
ment at the time. 
Although, of course, the Chairman bas said the 
best that could be said for the prosrect 
before bis shareholders, we fear the latter are 
scarcely likely to have their hopes stroniy re- 
vived by anything that fell from him. It is not 
to be doubted at all events that they will yet 
have to pay very heavily before they can ob- 
tain any appreciable results to their investments, 
and the fact will doubtless go far towards con- 
soling those other sppoulators who have ventured 
their funds in a similar enterprise in Ceylon. 
"The misfortunes of our friends" are said cui- 
rently to be always a source of concealed grati-. 
fioation to ourselves. — London Cor. 
HOW OTHEES SEE CEYLON PLANTERS 
will be gathered from the following letter:— 
TO THE EDITOB, " INDIAN PLANTERS' GAZtTTB." 
gjr^ Having been on a visit to Oej Ion and teen a 
few of the Ceylon tea estate?, I seed you my im- 
pressioDB on the fubject as likely to interest your 
readers. 
What has struck me chiefly is the vast amount of 
push and energy among the planters, and the vast 
area under tea point to a plentiful supply of capitaL 
Another point is institution of large central fact;-ries, 
where the leaf is either purchased from neighbouring 
gartlena or montif»otured for them. 
Manufacturing charges, inciuding all expenses of 
packing, and carriage /. o. b., Colombo, are about 5 
cents or Id per lb. The labour here is Tamil, or 
South of India; this labour should answer for the 
Doonrs, Assam, and Cachar, and on account of the 
cheapness of rice in tho^e provinces, labour phcu'd be 
obtained at preeent rates, K5 per month, and recruit- 
ing expentci should not cost more tliao K15 per htad 
to the different gardens. ... 
Labour is paid for hero at the rate of six annas 
per day for men, and four anijii^i for women. Price 
of rice K6 per maund (r,o rtcriutin^ exponeoB) ; yet 
in ppito of these enormous wages, Ceylon planters put 
down their tea/". 0. /). Colombo from 25 cents (four 
aiinhs) to 32 cents (fivo anrjas) per lb. respectively, 
Ijw and hill country. . n , 
Th're are 230,000 acres under tea in Co^lon, the 
lowrourtry yielding .WO to l.OOOlb. ( ea per acro, arul 
the hi'l country (at fn elevation of 5,(j(IO to 6,000 
fer t) 300 U). tea Plt acre, tlie aver < (jo of tlie whole 
a under tea in Ceylon will t e about -100 to 5001b. 
Iii''mMcbiiiery they are not behind hand, in fact 
aliead of India in dryiiig machinery. I wiil note firat 
the "■ Brittania," .Jackson's latest invention, said to 
beat the Victoria, though each has its own/ov .is. 
It costs about £300 and turns out 240 to 3001b. 
dry tea per hour, and the tea takes to dry 30 minutes 
for eaoh tray, and dries at a temperature of 200 deg. 
(though this could Easily bo increased to 240 deg,), 
the Ceylon mcthcd bting a vast quantity of low 
heated desicca'ed air. 
It occupies a space of 30 feet x 10 feet -, is e love 
machine, turns out good tea, and is automatic, bein'y 
a series of trays on an endless chain, and bclf-difg 
charging'. 
Mr. Jackson will be over in India before Ihe end 
of the jear as soon as his roller iiijnnotioa case is 
detddod. 
To tho.-e who prrf- r rmaller machines there is the 
Lrown'a Paient Desiccator in two sizes, turniiig out 
lespeciively 80 to 120 )b. tea per hour. This is a 
combination of up-draft and down.draft, and dries tea 
at a temperature of 2;d0deg., or any other heat de- 
sirable, and cost for the larger size about Rl,800 in 
Ceylon. 
Both Jackson's ' Brittania " and Brown's " Desic- 
cator " are mochines new to India, and Indian plan- 
ters should have a look at them, as they are well worth 
atttention and highly spoken of. 
The sifters a'o Walker's and Brown and Rae's 
rolled leaf breaker and fitter, and dry tea sifters by 
the same manufaeti.rprs whicli do not grey the tea. 
Unless Indian planters wake up, Ceylon will push 
them iuto the corner, aed before another three 
years the export from Ceylon will be 92 millioup, 
and the value of tea due to over production will 
fall to CJ. per lb. 
Thi^ is the blight (over production) which both 
Intiia and Ceylon will hHve to face ; the tea 
bushes in Ceylon »re healthy and not yet blighted, 
Rud there is no reason why tea should not last 
here icr 25 years as in India. I kiiow In^'ian 
planters will say "their lands will grow tea for a 
century," overlooking the fact cf the enormous 
qnantity of old tea land abandoned, and new tea 
planted to enable old estates to hold their own. 
Ceylon estates are kept clear of weeds, and 
bungalow managers (however clever th(y may be} 
are at a discount, not wanted at any price. 
A Wanderer. 
THE PRICE OF QUININE. 
(COMMCMCAXED.) 
The industry of Cinchona cultivation, the sonrea of 
quinine, has reached a critical stage in its development 
and there aro some facts connected with it which are 
of publio interest, and which should be more generally 
known. 
In 1860 the Cinchona tree was introdnced into 
India by the Government, who employed Air. Clements 
B. Maricham to bring plants from Son'h America 
v.hioh cou'.itry was at that time the sole source of supply 
of the Bo-ca;Ied PeruviiUi batk. Plantations were es- 
tablished 01) the Neilgherry Hills in the Madras Preei- 
dency, and at Hagkaiain Ceylon ; and in 1872 the first 
crop of bark was obtaiued. The ouluv^tiou of the tree 
spread to the Himalajas, Java, and otlier plaees, with 
th<; rvfult 'hat the ioiporlation of bark from the Kast 
info this country has averaged of late years about 14 
million pounds, aad it is estimated that the total expjrls 
from the E.^st for tlio twelve months ending the 1st 
July next will amount to not lees than 15 miliion pouuds. 
If to this we add the exports from South America, which 
are, however, insignificant, we have a total of ICg mil- 
li. n pounds of bark (( quivaleirt to about 8 million ounef a 
of quinine), and repreatn'i.jg one yera's production for 
the uso of ihe world. 
The object which the Government of India bad in 
view was the provision of an abundant and cheap supply 
of tb>-. febriluge for tbc iis-"- of hospi'slj and trooi s iu 
India, a^ well as for thu people genei ally , in a country 
wlieie fevers oF a niiihivious type i:re exceedioyly pre- 
valent, a source of numerous secoudary diseasfS and 
great mortality. It was also reeogni.^ed that an in- 
creaFod supply of this unique and valuable drug could 
not fail to be a benefit to the world at largo. 
