March 2, 1891.] THF TROPICAL 
CEYLO^T UPCOUNTKY PLANTING EEPOET. 
CACAO ; LOBS IN WEIGHT ; THE “ 8HBMEEGED TENTH” 
AND “NATURAL DEIAGE” — WEATHER —COOLIES. 
Jan. 26th. 
The oaoao crop is drawing to a close; and. while 
some have reason to regret that it has not been 
quite so good as they expected, others have done 
better and rejoice accordingly. There is no deny 
ing that many who went in at the first rush 
for this product were sadly disappointed. Here 
and there, all over the planting districts, there still 
remain evidences of that outburst of enthusiasm in 
the shape of isolated oaoao trees — deplorably ragged 
looking things which would bo enough to scare 
anyone from renewed eSorts. They stand there 
as warnings and awful examples, and are pointed 
to as conclusive when a good word is said for 
a first trial. But about cacao we have learned 
much and are still learning, and I am of opinion 
that if, when there was a general run into cacao, 
the knowledge of its ways and wants had been at 
all abreast of what wo possess today, there would 
not have been that shrinkage of cultivated area 
which we deplore, nor the current belief, which is 
pretty strong amongst us that only in highly 
favoured spots can this profitable cultivation be 
carried on. 
Cacao is not a hardy thing like tea, but is a 
plant demanding much patient care ; and it may be 
because this care had to continue unrelaxed for so 
long a time that we have in our midst those who 
scout at it, and question its profitable nature. 
Men who are in possession of gool cacao gardens 
know whether the thing pays or not, and the sort 
of feeling among them as far as I can discover is 
that of an inclination of laughing in their sleeve, 
and satisfaction that cacao should be decried. 
The more it is proved on paper that the industry 
cannot pay, the more they like it. 
The grower of cacao is, however, not without his 
bothers. If he has a fair field to fight these bothers 
in, it only adds a little zest to life ; but when he 
feels that he is running his head against a stone 
wall, it is different. We can fight the borer, the por- 
cupine, the want of shade, the cutting effects of wind, 
and to some extent the raid of the Sinhalese rogue ; 
but loss of weight in London is as hard a nut to 
crack ss the problem of the poor, and, like that 
unfortunate class is always with us. Cacao 
shipments, however accurately they are weighed on 
this side, invariably come out short. There is a 
" submerged tenth ’’ over and above the regular 
allowances which goes astray in the modern Babylon, 
and, alas I is never reclaimed. 1 fancy that all 
cacao shippers have had, at some time or another 
a tussle with their home correspondents over loss 
in weight, and have found that “ mickle din and 
little 00 " &c. accurately describes all that was 
ever gained when time was called. You may enter 
gaily into the controversy, but you come out with 
a chastened spirit. One who had gone through this 
valley of humiliation when I made up my mind 
to tread its tortuous way gave me this as his 
painful record: — “I have gone through all the 
performance of correspondence, and of sheer humanity 
charge you to desist. You will gain nothing, and the 
advantages of a cool climate are so completely in 
the brokers’ favour that wisdom dictates a moderate 
course.” Are these the words of wisdom or 
pusillanimity ? Let each judge for himself. 1 
AGRICULTURIST. 619 
certainly did not take them as my guide, but went into 
this loss of weight question with the hope to see tho 
bottom of it. 
The first bone that was thrown to me to worry at 
and break iry teeth over, was that fine, elastic, all 
embracing phrase “ natural driege.” “ Natural 
driage ” is a good general term, with an honest 
healthy ring about it and can account for much. 
If a shipment is half-a-cwt. or half-a-dozen cwt. 
short, all complaints when met in this way are 
hard to sustain. I knew a shipper of cinchona 
bark, irritated to exasperation through the loss 
from “ natural driage.” But he followed his 
produce on one occasion to London, saw the 
weighing done himself, and came out with an 
increase rather than the usual deficit to his friend’s 
astonishment “Natural driage” is, however, 
a very subtle kind of thing, and in connection 
with cacao shipments holds the same place as tho 
term electricity often does in the explanation of 
natural phenomena— an explanation which does 
not explain. 
To test what there might be in the “natural 
driage ” plea, I had a bushel of cacao carefully 
weighed just before packing and it turned out 38£ lb ; 
when it was weighed on arrival in London it was 
40 lb. My friends there who were at one with me 
in their desire to understand the shortage in w'eight, 
when sending on the result of this test, which 
nailed the “ natural driage ” plea to the counter, 
put the thing in these few pregnant words : — “It 
will not help you much, in fact nothing will. 
The brokers and the trade will only recognise the 
sworn weighers’ weights, and in our experience 
these are never satisfactory to the shippers.” 
When 1 got this length I thought of the cynical 
advice tendered me when I began the enquiry 
and which I have given above, as the words of 
true wisdom. Still I have a hankering after this 
“ submerged tenth” of ours, and would gladly see it 
reclaimed. If necessary I would willingly subscribe 
my experience for the ouifit of any prophet who 
may arise prepared to tackle the subject, and 
preach a reform. 
The late showers were very welcome and have 
done a lot of good. Now the weather is taking up 
and the clear brightness of the N.-E. is with us 
again. If the cold wind will only be moderate 
things will be “ booming. ” 
The cooly is turning restless and thinking of 
home. If all were to leave who propose to do so, the 
labour force would be much reduced. But Earnasami 
does not always ride when he ’s saddled. 
Peppercorn. 
^ 
IlILL-COUNTEY PLANTING EEPOET. 
The weather is now simply perfect, the wind 
having ceased and the morning and evening tem- 
perature being that of an English summer. Thera 
is, of course, tropic heat of an empihatic character 
during the day. There is not a sign of rain; and 
the only modification of the clearness of the sky 
arises from the smoke of burning patanas which 
is floating about, and this raises a curious ques- 
tion. According to the Coorg Forest Eeport quoted 
in the Observer the other day from the Tropical 
Agriculturist, the effect of the annual burning of 
grass growing in forests is to improve the soil 
by adding to its stock of nitrogen. Mr. Bramber, 
the Indian tea chemist, on the other hand takes 
the view generally held that it is the annual 
burnings which keep grass lands so poor in 
nitrogen. The premises granted, how are we to 
reconcile the opposite effects? For, be it remem- 
bered, tho falling leaves in the forest are burnt 
equally with the grass. 
