December i, iSqo.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
409 
HILLCOUNTRY PLANTING EEPORT. 
A SOUTH-WEST EAIN-STOEM — FOEEST AND EAINFALL AND 
GOVEENMENT EESTRI0TION8 — A MORE LIBERAL TOLICT 
REQUIRED — IMPROVED PREPARATION OF CEVLON TEA. 
Nanuova, Oat. 28th. 
To revert to the question of forest end rainfall 
in mountain regions and the regulation prohibiting 
tho sale of lands above 5,000 feet altitude, I take 
it for granted that the prohibition does not extend 
to the vast stretches of upland prairies, which are 
treeless or nearly so. And as regards forest land 
above 5,000 feet elevation, which all the remaining 
forest on the dividing ranges is, I strongly depre- 
cate any hard-and-fast rule. Ever since my 
attention was attracted to the subject by a depu- 
tation from Kataragama when I was pioneering in 
Uva (half-a-century ago 1) requesting me to spare 
the mountain forest for the sake of the sacred 
river, my opinion that, in mountain regions 
at least, the denudation of forest has not the 
slightest effect in diminishing rainfall has been 
but strengthened with the efiluxion of time 
and the results of reliable observations. I 
was sorry to see a man like Mr. Moir, in his 
report on the Walapane distress giving currency 
to the proposition that the clearing of forest by 
planters had lessened the supply of rain for the 
paddy fields. There are regions of recurring 
drought on the outskirts even of mountain regions, 
owing to the position of such localities with re- 
ference to the monsoon currents ; and all the 
records available show that in all history Wala- 
pane has experienced the effects of being situ- 
ated in such a region. Mountains are nature’s 
great agencies for cooling moisture clouds and 
currents and compelling them to part with their 
contents. But there are in Ceylon as in India 
portions of mountain ranges beyond the reach of 
our greater monsoon, the south-west, and from 
which, by topographical features, even the currents 
of the north-east monsoon are either dellected or 
have been previously deprived of their moisture. 
On the rainfall in such regions the process of 
felling forest about 40 feet high and substituting 
cultured plants about 4 feet in height, within a 
good many cases, cultivated trees of taller growth 
(cinchonas and timber trees, for instance), cannot 
have, and we know from extended observation has 
not had, any diminishing effect. There is more to 
be said in favour of the statement that the de- 
nudation leads to floods and the deposit of silt. 
But any tendency in the direction of floods 
is very largely counteracted by the tillage which 
the soil receives on estates and which renders 
it specially absorbent of moisture. One of 
the greatest floods in the Kelani river in mo- 
dern times took place in 1837, when only a few 
hundreds of acres had been felled of tho vast 
tracts of forest at its sources and along its course. 
Hilt in rivers and streams is speedily disposed of 
by scour, and in the rare cases where paddy-fields 
lie beneath European plantations (there are no 
such oases in the region whence I write) damage 
by silt to the former could easily be obviated by 
the cutting of a trench between the two. This 
might be rendered imperative on the planter, instead 
of the course now frequently pursued of refusing 
to entertain applications for forest land, the clear- 
ing of which may possibly lead to damage of rice 
lands by descending silt. By all means let us have 
forest and fuel reserves in reasonable proportion 
and within reach of railways or other means of 
communication. And let rice cultivation be duly 
protected and encouraged. But surely it is an un- 
wise policy to restrict further extension at high 
altitudes of the one enterprise on which the 
5-i 
Prosperity and progress of Ceylon so over- 
whelmingly depend. In the region around me 
as I write there are elevated ranges con- 
nected with such mountains as Pidurutalagala, 
Kirigalpotta, Totapala, &o., which ought not to bo 
invaded by the clearing axe and with which no 
planter in his senses would tamper. But below 
these, at from 5,000 to 6,000 or 6,500 feet, are vast 
expanses of forested valleys, hollows and ravines 
specially suitable for tea culture and which cannot 
be utilized as reserved forest or fuel for the railway, 
owing to their distant and secluded position. If 
blocks in such valleys were laid out for sale, pro- 
portions of patana land being added for the growth 
of timber trees, there would be room for expansion 
of enterprise, culture and population ; means of 
communication being provided under the operation 
of the Branch Roads Ordinance. To say absolutely 
that no land above 5,000 feet will bo sold, is to 
say to progress in Ceylon “ Hitherto shalt thou come 
and no further,” and to divert capital and enterprise 
to lands which are our rivals in the production of tea; 
And this at a time when Ceylon tea is, above all 
others, finding favour in the markets of the world, 
and when its culture and preparation have coma 
to be so much bettar understood than ever before. 
Apart from such details of manufacture as leaf- 
sorting, — first a light rolling of the leaf, succeeded 
by a heavier ; the provision of “ roll-breakers,” 
and drawers for ” fermentation ” ; — planters now 
understand that the first flushes after pruning 
yield weak tea. Arrangements are, therefore, made 
for having fields of pruned and unpruned tea 
in due proportion, so that the leaf from each 
may be mingled. Then, at high elevations, it has 
been found that bushes can be plucked for two 
years in succession without being pruned, provided 
the previous pruning was low enough to prevent a 
tendency to blossom and leaf. In these directions 
and others knowledge has been obtained and im- 
provements made calculated still further to add 
to tho high quality of our tea and to the 
earniugs of “ poor but industrious planters.” 
DARJILING AND TERAI TEA SEASON. 
Since the deluge, or more plainly speaking, since 
the heavy rains, there has been very little to record 
in favour of the tea prospect. The weather in the 
district has undoubtedly improved but beyond that the 
tea manufacture oontinues very much in the same 
groove that it did when things were in a perpetual 
state of mildew. As to the future it is very difficult 
to foreshadow the results of this season’s working, but 
from recent accounts tho bill gardens have consider- 
ably improved in quality of outturn. This is gathered 
from the last London market sales to hand, which show 
prices not only better than usual, but far exceeding 
those obtained last year for the same quality of tea. 
Altbongh the hill gardens are favoured with what one 
might call toa-makiug weather just at present, the sea- 
son is too far advanced for any material change to take 
place as far as quantity is concerned, and it is feared 
that many will close with a very short crop. There 
is, however, a chance of tho season being late, with 
this wild woatber. In that case it will be a considera- 
ble help to those who sufforo I tho most from the effects 
of the spring drought. 
The Terai gardens have had an unfortunate season 
all round. To commence with, they required moisture: 
this was followed by exce.ssive rains in the hills flooding 
tlio rivers, and for two months many of the gardens 
in the plains were entirely under water. So, practically 
speaking, tho factories have almost been closed for 
tho latter half of tho stason. As soon as brighter 
weather favoured tho place, it became enveloped iu 
an overwhelming blight such as has never been known 
in the Terai, and there is very little chance of mattera 
improving at present. 
