234 
tHE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
I 
[Ocr.  I,  1895. 
neglect  of  duty.  It  appears  to  me  that  a few  hundred 
yards  of  barbed  wire  would  have  come  cheaper,  and 
would  have  had  better  results.  As  the  Assistant 
Conservator  does  not  state  by  what  means  he  pro- 
poses to  p'otoct  the  young  crop  he  has  again  put 
in,  I woiu  . oi.ggohl  tliaL  even  now  the  jm  !i  oof  he 
barbed  wire  would  be  advisable.  The  cost  uumig  ine 
vear  has  been  119()4-:V.),  or  R82'88  per  acre.  The  small 
block  called  “Mediriya  ” plantation  in  form  No.  5 is 
the  one  mentioned  in  last  year’s  report  as  having 
been  planted  with  the  large-leaf  mahogany.  Teak 
and  toon  and  mahogany  were  planted  In  this  area 
at  a cost  of  R13'49.  The  mahogany  has  here  also 
been  attacked  by  borers.  The  Bandarawela  planta- 
tions do  not  show  a satisfactory  progress. 
Haputale  Plantation. — The  acres  planted  with 
Eucdl;/pfus  robusta  in  1889  are  a great  success,  and  it 
Is  tiihe  to  thin  out  the  suppressed  trees.  I have 
isked  Mr.  Ferguson,  as  part  of  his  working  plan 
Work,  to  coppice  a few  trees,  so  as  to  test  the 
capability  of  the  stools  to  produce  stool  shoots. 
The  next  plantation,  althougli  not  quite  such  a 
failure  as  anticipated  last  year,  cannot  be  called  a 
success,  and  many  vacancies  had  to  be  supplied. 
Fifty  acres  were  added  to  the  plantation,  but  here 
there  are  also  a number  of  vacancies,  the  result,  I 
should  Bay,  of  too  late  planting.  The  Assistant 
Conservator  put  them  down  at  ir>  per  cent,  but 
my  estimate  is  higher.  The  cost  of  supplying 
and  planting  in  this  plantation  during  the  year 
amounted  to  R2,042T5,  or  B37T3  per  acre.  The  sale 
of  3,359  yards  of  firewood,  chiefly  remains  of  the 
trees  taken  by  the  Railway  Extension  Department, 
which  were  cl  ared  out  of  these  50,  brought  a revenue 
of  R5,497. 
Ohiya  Plantation. — 'Twenty  acres  in  two  blocks  of 
ten  acres  of  forest,  which  had  been  mostly  cleared 
by  the  Railway  Extension  Department,  were  planted 
during  the  year  at  a cost  of  Rl,037'29,  or  R5186  per 
acre  The  cost  was  more  than  covered  by  the  sale 
of  the  firewood  brought  out  of  this  clearing,  by 
which  Rl,500  were  realised  after  issue  to  the  Rail- 
way Department.  The  cost  of  planting  is  higher 
here  than  elsewhere  in  the  Province,  but,  011  the 
other  hand,  the  clearing  can,  so  far,  be  considered 
a success.  The  Moratota  plantation  is  said 
to  be  doing  well.  The  cost  of  upkeep 
was  R79'94,  or  R13.32  per  acre.  This  is  one  of  the 
small  plantations  which  were  started  without  refer- 
ence 'to  me.  During  the  year  2,775  plants  of  different 
species  were  distributed  free  of  cost  to  the  Public 
Works  Department  and  to  the  Local  Board.  I am  not 
aware  that  this  free  grant  was  sanctioned  by  Govern- 
ment. 
The  total  expenditure  on  the  Itili  acres  of  planta- 
tion waH  during  the  year  R4,497'32,  or  R27'85  per  acre, 
and  the  total  cost  since  the  plantations  were  started 
R13,750‘65,  or  R85T4  per  acre.  As  the  revenue  ob- 
tained during  previous  years  is  not  stated,  I cannot 
show  the  net  expenditure  on  these  plantations.  Ap- 
pendix E shows  measurements  taken  in  the  plantations. 
Province  of  Sabarfif/amuica. 
No  addition  was  made  to  the  Para  rubber  plantations 
no  account  of  there  being  no  suitable  land  close  by.  The 
blank  spaces  at  Yattipawa  were  supplied  with  plants 
grown  from  seed  produced  at  Edangoda  plantation. 
These  appear  quite  sound  and  healthy.  The  trees  which 
produced  the  seed  were  planted  in  1891.  The  plantations 
look  sound  and  healthy,  and  are  the  better  for  the  grass 
which  has  been  allowed  to  spring  up  and  protect  the 
soil.  Some  trees  have  suffered  from  inroads  of  cattle. 
The  following  measurements  were  taken  by  the 
Assistant  Conservator 
a 
-.2 
c 5 
c3 
<a-S 
S 5 
c 
o 
o C« 
1) 
fc.  yj 
5 
— ^ ae 
p a 
2.i| 
oS-Z 
K<lang<«la 
1)0 
1)0 
Yattipawa 
1)0 
1891 
1891 
1893 
1892 
1892 
120 
50 
20 
1'  8 
108 
12-12 
8-75 
4 12 
91 3 
0-37 
4-01 
4-37 
4-12 
4 -.'■fi 
4-78 
The  trees  nieaaured  at  Yatti])a\va  were  respectively 
ou  eastern  and  western  aspects.  As  will  be  seen, 
those  growing  on  western  aspects  show  slightly  better 
growth,  and  both  of  them  have  grown  better  than 
those  planted  in  the  same  year  at  Edangoda.  The 
jak  plantation  at  Edangoda  has  unfortunately  suffered 
so  much  from  attacks  of  cattle,  deer,  hares.  Ac.,  that 
the  .\ --sistant  C'onscrvitor  is  of  opinion  Uiat  it  docs 
not  pay  to  extend  it  further.  It  is  a pity*,  for  there 
is  a large  extent  of  land  which  would  be  suitable  were 
it  not  for  these  enemies  of  the  plants. 
The  hal  plants  imt  out  at  Edangoda  and  Yattipawa 
do  not  show  satisfactory  progress.  This  tree  requires 
partial  shelter  for  young  plants.  Mendora  is  doing 
well,  and  so  is  nedun.  Both  of  these  species,  how- 
ever, like  protection  when  they  are  young  and  tender. 
DEPARTMENTAL  OPERATIONS. 
Tele;jraph  Posts  we-.e  supplied  in  different  Provinces 
I have  requested  all  Government  Agents  to  lay  in 
stocks  of  telegraph  posts  in  Order  that  well-sbasoned 
timber  may  be  given  without  delay  to  the  Telegraph 
Department  to  meet  urgent  indents. 
It  would  also  be  satisiactory  were  the  Public  Works 
Department  to  give  trials  to  a greater  number  Of 
kinds  of  timber.  For  example,  in  the  Eastern  PrO^ 
vince  tumpalai  was  used  for  several  kinds  of  works, 
and  I have  not  heard  that  it  has  proved  to  be  a bad 
timber,  yet  the  Public  Works  Department  now  coii- 
fine  their  indents  to  palu,  kumbuk,  and  milla,  the 
the  latter  two  of  which  cannot  be  said  to  be  very 
abundant.  The  price  of  tumpalai  is  also  lower,  and 
the  use  of  this  timber  would  reduce  the  cost  of  2)ul)lie 
works  for  which  it  was  used. 
The  work  at  the  Central  depdt  was  ably  superin- 
tended by  Mr.  Gillam.  Although  the  sales  of  satin- 
wood  for  export  to  England  were  almost  entirely 
confined  to  Howei-ed  sat.mvood,  there  being  little 
demand  at  home  for  plain  logs,  the  total  sales  would 
have  exceeded  those  of  1893  had  the  last  ebony 
auction  only  been  a success.  The  average  prices  for 
ebony  sold  were  improved,  and  very  satisfactory  prices 
were  obtained  for  satinwood.  The  total  value  of 
sales  amounts  to  R51,286-67. 
CITRONELLA  OIL. 
Lew  (uIh  are  more  larwly  u.sed  no\vaday.s  in 
soap-manufacttire  than  oil  of  citronella.  Within 
the  last  ten  years  tl>e  ex))ortH  of  citronella  oil 
from  Ceylon,  now  the  only  country  counting 
for  anything  in  the  production  of  the  article, 
have  increased  threefold,  and  there  seems  hardly 
any  limit  to  the  capacities  of  its  employment  in 
tlie  soaii-industry.  Formerly  a good  deal  of 
citronella  oil  distilled  hj'  a European  manufac- 
turer used  t</  reach  our  m.arkets  from  8inga- 
jiore  ; that  particular  hrand,  as  well  as  anotlier 
prepared  by  a European  distiller  in  Ceylon, 
was  considerably  dearer  than  the  “ native” 
distillate,  which  composed  the  hulk  of  the 
supply,  and  both  are  now  rarely  met  with  in 
the  open  market.  The  great  increase  in  the 
production  of  citronella  oil  in  Ceylon  has  gone 
iiand  in  hand  with  a depreciation  of  the  article, 
which  w'as  arrested  only  when  the  last  margin 
of  profit  had  disap))eared,  and  when,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  energetic  action  of  one  or  two 
large  buyers,  adulteration  of  Ihe  oil  with  kero- 
sene— long  a favourite  method  of  certain  distillers 
and  exporters  of  turning  a dishonest  penny,  while 
yet  keeping  pace  with  competition— had  been 
rendereiiso  easy  of  detection  as  to  become  almost 
impos.sible.  In  1881,  when  the  export  of  citionclla 
oil  from  Ceylon  was  less  than  one-seventh  of  last 
year’s  shipments,  the  price  of  “fair  native  brands” 
in  the  London  market  averaged  about  did  per 
oz.  (the  year  before,  during  a temjiorury  out  burst 
of  s])eculation,  it  touched  Gd  per  oz. ),  hut  in 
January,  1888,  the  .same  <iuality  eouhl  be  bought 
in  London  at  7-8d.  per  oz.  'The  screw  of  compe- 
tition could  not  he  turneil  on  any  tighter  than 
that  figure,  and  in  a trustworthy  Ceylon  re- 
port issued  shortly  afterwards  we  were  told 
