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THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept.  2,  1895. 
Chiefly  foveiynevs  tliese,  \yliioh  have  fouml  a con- 
genial home  in  Ceylon  like  the  present  ruling 
race ; hut  there  are  many  purely  nati\  e })lants 
equally  beautiful  and  equally  valuable,  springing 
up  wherever  they  can  find  sj)aee ; the  cinnamon 
and  various  kinds  of  camplior  on  the  driest 
ridges,  \yhile  cardamoms  and  ginger  indicate  where 
water  is  near.  tJuavas  abound,  and  are  much 
prized  though  to  me  always  a disa]>i>ointing 
fruit.  But  there  is  another  and  smaller  fruit 
which  deserves  to  be  better  known — not  unlike 
the  black  currant,  the  virtues  of  which  for  colds 
and  throat  affections,  the  gudewives  at  home 
jdace  so  much  faith  in — it  grows  in  ])retty  clusters 
on  a handsome  treeof  moderate  height — .and  curiously 
enough  the  Sinhalese  call  it  “ i^ju-nesm,”  I'gu 
meaning  I believe,  the  throat.*  The  J\(paw  is 
common  and  either  for  vegetable  or  fruit  is  a 
great  boon  ; the  Avocada  pear  is  less  .seldom  seen, 
and  no  great  loss  as  the  variety  in  Ceylon  is 
rather  a fraud  ; Oranc/es  i>lentiful  but  sour.  Fines 
might  pass  had  we  never  tasted  them  at  Guaya- 
quil. The  sonsy  Soursop  is  appreciated  on  a 
hot  day,  but  is  a poor  relation  and  apology  for 
the  Cherinioya.  The  massive  Mango  tree  pro- 
vides in  season  the  best  of  all  Ceylon  fruits. 
Plantains  in  profusion  and  Tomatoes — particularly 
the  smaller  kinds — in  perfection,  while  the  Bead 
tree  from  which  we  get  our  Margosa,  the 
Croton  ami  Castor  oil  plants  are  every  where.  These 
and  hundreds  more 
“ here  disporting  owu  a Kindred  soil 
Nor  ask  luxuriance  from  the  planter's  toil." 
‘ Abandoned  1”  do  you  call  it.  jioor  divi- 
dend worshippers,  may  such  abamlon  long  be  mine  1 
Seriously,  the  les.son  to  be  learneil  from  this  is 
surely 
NEVKPv  MORE  TO  ATTEMPT  THWARTIN'CJ  NATURE 
esiieclallj'  in  the  tro[»ics — by  the  vandalism  of 
eradicating  all  the  products  save  one  p.assing  or 
temporary  favourite  ; the  more  mixed  the  more 
natural  and  permanent  will  the  [)roducts  become  ; 
and  under  such  circumstances  the  “Watte” 
regained,  will  be  much  more  interesting  than  the 
“VViitte”  lost. 
How  to  turn  the  various  Products  to  the  best 
ac<;ount  is  the  absorbing  problem  for  the  jilanters 
of  today.  To  arrange  the  robust  end  strong  so 
as  to  shelter  the  more  fragile  fiom  lierce  winds 
and  to  nurse  the  shade-loving  fruitbearer  under 
the  arms  of  umbrageous  mothers. 
.Some  of  the  best  examples  of  what  it  is  po.ssible 
to  accomplish  in  this  way  I have  recently  visited, 
RO.SENEATU  AND  ANNIEWATTE 
within  a mile  of  Kandy.  To  those  who  remem- 
ber these  estates  twenty  or  e\en  seven  years  ago 
and  have  not  .seen  them  since,  a visit  now  will 
indeed  be  a revelation.  The  erstwhile  bleak,  liare, 
washed  and  bleached  ridges  swept  by  both  mon- 
soons and  greedily  devouring  half  the  refuse  of 
Kandy  witTi  little  to  show  for  it.  Now,  see  the 
sylvan  shade;  what  a transformation  in  a few  years  ! 
' The  kindly  and  easily  luopagated  Erythrina,  the 
noble  Jak  and  graceful  Grevdlea  form  the  three 
best  shade  trees.  Next  comes  the  Inga  (name* 
after  our  fast  vanishing  friend  the  Inca  of  Peru). 
Under  these  the  cacao  thrives  and  yields  in  a 
manner  marvellous  to  see.  True,  no  San  Antonio 
can  be  expected  here  ; but,  such  cacao  as  may  be 
sulliciently  remunerative  ; wliilc  tea  and  biberi.in 
coffee,  though  not  courting  .shade,  pn-fer  it  to  llie 
wind-blown  dry  quartz  which  now'  responds  more 
profitably  to  the  manure. 
• One  Sin.-alese  authority,  sayj  that  it  is  of  the 
bark  of  the  tree,  a decoction  for  throat  purposes 
ia  made.— £i>.  T.At 
The  surface  soil  is  gre.atly  enriched  by  the 
fftlliiijj  ledves  from  the  shade  trees  M'liicli  drawintf 
their  chief  nourishment  from  the  snb.soil,  return 
dU  per  cent  more  than  they  take  from  the  food 
of  the  proht-giving  products. 
Altogether  the  transformation  is  veiy  striking 
and  })leasing,  while  the  returns  are,  I believe, 
in  keeping  with  the  enhanced  <ai)pear<ance  of  the 
estate.s.  Ihe  po.ssibilities  are  thus  shown  to  he 
something  not  dreamed  of  in  the  early  d.ays  of 
planting.  In  this  immediate  neighbourhood  or 
Avithin  a radius  of  ten  miles  of  jvamly 
400  .SC^UARE  .MILES 
might  be  treated  with  equal  succe.s.s.  Labour— 
oi  lathei  the  want  of  it — is  the  chief  ilifliculty 
which  meanwhile  bars  the  way. 
has  unquestionably  deteriorated,  both 
iamil  and  Sinhalese  es])ecially  near  ])0])ulous  cen- 
where  they  come  in  too  freipient  contact 
with  Europeans.  And  this  is  one  of  the  saddest 
facts  that  strike  tlie  returning  C'olonist  : 
“ Man  seems  the  only  growth  that  dwindles  here,” 
And  this  does  not  apply  merely  to  the  poor  dc- 
nioralized  coolie,  but  even  more  .so  to  the  families 
of  the  well-to-do  .Sinhalese. 
Let  me  record  one  example  out  of  scores  : 
Don  Carolis— as  I may  call  him— was  a well- 
known  and  very  presentable  ligure  on  the  Gat- 
tember  road  .30  years  ago— prospeious  and  deserved 
to  lie  ; honesT,  .active,  .suave  and  gentlemanly  ; more- 
over as  guileless  a Cliristi.an  as  ever  the  C.M.S. 
were  instrumental  in  saving.  I well  remember  the 
ate  David  h enn  taking  a .special interest  in  the  faith- 
tul  old  Don  and  frequently  calling  at  his  pretty 
uhite  l>un^;ilo\v  liy  the  lime  kilns. 
Don  had  a name-.son,  his  s])eci.al  pride,  a bright, 
keenly  intelligent  and  promising  boy.  With  what 
evnlent  delight  the  old  man  smileil  upon  his  son 
as  he  returned  from  school  laden  with  books  ! 
No  expense  was  sj)ared  in  his  education,  though 
at  home  every  economy  was  practised  in  onfer 
to  le.ai'e  at  death  the  coiniietence  he  had  so  care- 
tully  acquired,  to  his  much  loved  son.  Poor  old 
Don  IS  now  gone,  so  too  is  his  hard-earned 
wealth,  and  the  precious  son  m.ay  now  be  d.ailv 
seen  loafing  around  the  corner  grog-shop,  the 
blight  intelligent  eyes  now  hlood-shot,  glassy  .and 
void  of  expre.ssion,  but  with  shameless  jjersistency 
he  begs  a cent  of  the  ])asser-by  : 
“I  know  you,  sir,”  he  said  to  me  yestcrd.ay  in 
better  English  th.an  manners — “[  remember  you 
coming  to  my  father's  house  with  Mr.  Eeim.” 
\ on  drunken  scoundrel”'.  1 iej)lied.  “.Are 
yon  the  .son  of  good  Don  Carolis  '!  ” 
I must  leave  the  reader  to  moralize.  My  func- 
tion being  merely  to  see  and  try  to  tedi  in  a 
])lain  w'.ay  w’h.at  may  d.aily  be  witnessed  around 
beautiful  Kandy.  Ne.xt  week  1 purjiose  re-visitino' 
some  of  the  highei  regions  of  the  island.  ” 
A TOUR  BOUND  THE  COCONUT  DISTIHCTS. 
DELICIOUS  MANGO, STEENS  AND  ORANGES  AS  WELL 
AS — COCONUTS  (LVLORE!  TW'O  I'LA.VTING 
VETICR.VNS  : W'.  11.  W.  AND  W.  ,). 
At  what  age  do  mango.steen.s  bear? — is  .atjueslioii 
often  asked,  and  it  may  interest  your  readers  to 
heal  that  on  .Mr.  AV  right  s model  coconut  est.ate 
at  Mirigama,  there  is  a little  gro\e  of  lie.auti- 
iiil  foul  eai  old  luango.st ecus  \ielding  a \au'V 
nice  crop  which  rather  ujisets  the  native  theoiy 
that  if  you  plant  luangosteens  vour  children  net 
the  fruit.  ‘ ^ 
1 tasted  oi.anges  also  (the  tri'c.s  gia.wn  fnun 
seed)  on  the  same  estate,  more  delicious  t han  any 
I have  ever  eaten  before.  'I'hey  were  a .sort  of 
large  mand.arin  and  almost  seedless.  Under  the 
