2o6 
TOBACCO CULTIVATION IN BATTICALOA. 
Sir, — Tobacco cultivation was introduced into this 
district, in the time of tlie Dutch Government, by 
some people from Jaffna belonging to the " Tanna- 
kara " class. At that time small gardens only were 
cultivated, but later on, in the time of the English 
more gardens were opened. During the adminis- 
tration of this district, by the late Messrs. Bone 
and Atherton. large numbers of tobacco cultivators 
came from Jaffna, belonging to the class referred 
to, and settled in the North and South of Batticaloa, 
and carried on tobacco cultivation ; but it was until 
the time of the late Mr. Birch that tobacco was 
more extensively cultivated here. Crown lands were 
surveyed and sold in small lots, thus bringing with- 
in the reach of every one the possession of a few 
acres of land. The.se lots were bought up. and the 
higher portions of it were planted with tobacco and 
the lower portions converted into paddy fields. Ever 
since that period up to the present it has been culti- 
vated very largely, and those people, who are de- 
prived of chenas, betake themselves to thi-s industry, 
as it is paying well ; better than paddy cultivation 
in these hard times. We hope that the day is not 
far distant when tobacco and other products such 
as' betel leaves, popper, arecanuts &c. will super- 
sede paddy. 
Jaffna tobacco is preferred to what Batticaloa 
produces, on account of its flavour, which is deficient 
in the latter. The growers of the weed say, that 
the different kinds of manure used in the gardens 
make all the difference. For in Jaffna goat and 
sheep manure is used, as a rule ; but, here the 
plantation is manured by black cattle and buffaloes 
owing to the want of an abundance of goat and 
sheep for the purpose, which are rather scanty in 
the district. At present, the best tobacco is grown 
at Cheukel-addy and Maraodey, in the north ; and 
at Chenget-padde and Torendlamedo, in the south 
Batticaloa. If small patches of Crown land, not 
suitable for other products, are given to the inhabi- 
tants on easier terms, than what is now the case, 
much more land will be converted into tobacco 
g;ardens which will ultimately give the means of 
living and lodging to many a poor man. This will, 
in fact, form a new colony of settlers. 
For instance, here in Batticaloa, a poor man not 
a "Pody," .with his small savings buys J of an acre 
of land, at the Government sale, cuts, clears and 
improves it by planting a few coconut plants, and 
after some years of toil and labor, this, once a jungle, 
now serves as the house and hearth of himself and 
his family. It will be so, if the Government will 
hold out sufficient encouragement to tobacco growers. 
In connection with this subject, I should mention 
that a scion of the family of tobacco cultivators, who 
first settled in Batticaloa, in the time of the Dutch, 
died to-day in^ his ninety-first year, le&viag behind 
a large number of relatives. He was known as 
"Counter Benjamin Motto." He was employed in 
the Kachcberi, as treasury watcher, for many years, 
and retired lately on a well-ea.rned pension. 
J. W. De Niese. 
— liocal "Independent" 
A VICTORIAN ORANGERY, 
By Bbuni. 
Over thirty years ago there journeyed out into the 
wild forest that then covered a wide expanse to^ the 
westward of the town of Wangaratta a man hailing 
from tlie Parramatta district of New South Wales, 
who was looking for a piece of land oa which he 
n)ight form a home. It was a singular journey to 
take, for the appearance of the country was any- 
thing but inviting, the soil being cold aud poor, and 
tlie surface was covered with forest of indifferent 
timber, below which was a heavy undergrowtli. At 
that time there were large areas of fertile land open 
for selection in almost every part of tho north-east 
district. This man, by name James Brieu, halted 
not till he readied a small watercourse close to 
where the northern end of the Warby Range sinks 
^utg tlio piftin. At th o present day the spot whe 
Mr. Brien fixed his camp, and where hia house now 
stands, has little to attract either the grazier or the 
agriculturist, but when he made his selection he 
had some trouble in clearing away the saplings so 
that he might use tlie cover of his waggon as a tent. 
Coming from a land where orange-growing was ex- 
tensively practised, and where he has many rela- 
tions still engaged in the industry, he naturally 
cast about for a spot that was suitable for an 
orangery, and he found it. Close to his first camp 
he discovered a little plot of land (not more than 
eight acres) lying in a dell at the foot of the range 
which, in his opinion, was admirably suited for an 
orangery. As soon as he got the land prepared 
he commenced planting oranges, and at the present 
day that little nook at the foot of those ranges of 
evil repute is worth more money and will give a 
much better return than many a half-section farm 
of fertile soil in what are regarded as more favoured 
localities. 
The road out from Wangaratta to Mr. J. Brien' s 
orangery is none of tlie best in summer, and in 
winter it must be anything but a pleasant drive. 
For some distance out from the town the soil is 
excellent either for pasture or agriculture, a chocolate 
soil of great depth, and capable of being worked at al- 
most any time of the year. I have often thought 
the soil would prove well adapted for growing lucerne 
but not a plot of this fodder plant could I see. On 
making inquiry I was shown a field that was sown 
with lucerne about 'en or a dozen years ago, and 
my informant said that it grew remarkably well. It 
was gradually got out of the land by growing a 
succession of grain crops. After journeying about 
two miles the surface began to show a very slight 
rise towards the hills, and with this rise in the sur- 
face there came a falling-o£f in the quality of the 
soil. The nearer we got t > the foot of the range 
the more pronounced became the rise, and the more 
indifferent the soil. At last, when near the hills, 
we met with patches of almost pure sand, and that 
sure indication of a cold, poor soil — the grass [tree- 
was plentiful. It was whatbushmen call sour, hungry 
country, that is generally regarded as useless for 
either the husbandman or the agriculturist. 
About Mr. Brien's steading there was a slight im- 
provement in the character of the soil. 
There was nothing about the homestead to distin- 
guish it from many hundreds of other old Victorian 
farm-houses — a rambling collection of buildjngs, many 
of which appeared to be suffering from the decre- 
pitude of old age. The house " did keep itself ; " 
so, after admiring the handsome pea-fowl and flocks 
of Guinea fowl, we made our way to the orangery. 
For sometime we saw nothing but the melancholy 
aspect of a poor-soil farm, with the dreary forest 
on three sides and stf ep range on the other. Whei'e 
a small watercourse runs down from the hills there 
is a little valley, almost hemmed in by the foot of 
the range, and looking towards this recess I saw the 
dark-green foliage of the orange trees, that appeared 
almost black in comparison with the dull green 
of the surrounding gum trees. As we drew nearer I 
could see the more advanced fruit just beginning to 
take a tinge of yellow. The main crop is, however, 
still of a deep green colour, and will not be ready for 
picking till about July. 
This orangery contains about eight hundred trees, of 
which three hundred are of large size and bear im- 
mense ci'ops. I have often heard instances of the 
wonderful fecundity of the orange tree, but even after 
going through the ground and taking a good look 
at the finest trees, I was greatly surprised to learn 
what immense crops of fruit they yield. On asking 
Mr. Brien what would be a good crop from one of 
his old trees, he told me that it would be between 
six and seven hundred dozt-n oranges. The fruit 
is of excellent quality, and finds ready purchasers 
in the district and In the metropolis. For many 
years the market price was Is. per dozen, but now 
it is about 9d. per dozen, a jjrice at which the grower 
makes a very handsome profit. A great many varie- 
ties of the fruit are grown, and, as a rule, they give 
excellent yields, The navel orange is, however, 
