Nov.  I,  1895.] 
THE  TROPICAI 
AGRICULTURIST. 
3<i9 
[The  following  was  written  to  us  four  years 
ago,  but  omitted  to  be  sent  for  publication  at  the 
time.] 
July  24th,  1891. 
Dear  Sir, — In  the  issue  of  your  paper  for  21st 
inst.  I notice  you  draw  attention  to  the  coffee  and 
cacao  clearings  on  this  estate  under  the  heading  of 
“ Coffee  Planting  in  Dunibara.”  There  are  one  or 
two  errors  which  I should  like  to  correct  as  they 
may  be  misleading  to  those  intending  to  plant  cacao 
and  coffee  together,  so  you  may  publish  as  much  of 
this  letter  as  yon  think  fit.  My  first  clearing — .50 
acres — was  planted  in  June-July  1888.-  Coffee  plants 
were  put  out,  but  the  cacao  was  planted  seed-at- 
stake.  The  next  clearing — 54  acres — was  planted 
June-July  and  Aagust  1889  in  the  same  way. 
The  cacao  holes  are  .8  feet  deep,  and  are  10ft.  by 
12ft.,  and  not  lift,  by  lift,  as  you  have  it,  therefore 
the  coffee  is  5ft.  by  6ft. 
If  the  land  is  really  good  I advise  coffee  and  Carac- 
cas  cacao  being  planted  together  at  10ft.  by  12ft.  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  the  Caraccas  or  red  variety 
is  a heavier  bearer  than  the  Forestero,  although  not 
so  hardy.  Forestero  grows  faster  than  the  Caraccas 
and  requires  more  space  as  it  spreads  ; therefore 
I do  not  think  15ft.  by  15ft.  too  wide  apart,  for  if 
the  soil  be  really  good,  even  at  this  distance,  the 
branches  will  meet  in  3 or  4 years,  especially  if  the 
laud  be  flat. 
In  parts  of  my  50  acres  clearing  where  the  soil  is 
really  good  the  Forestero  Cacaos  have  spread  so 
freely  that  their  branches  already  touch — so  are  crowd- 
ing out  the  coffee. 
If  Coffee  and  Caraccas  be  planted  I recommend 
them  being  planted  the  same  year  as  these  Cacoas 
do  not  grow  quite  so  rapidly  and  do  not  spread  so 
much  ; but  if  tne  Forestero  is  required  to  be  planted, 
I recommend  putting  the  coffee  in  alone  (without 
shade  plants)  the  first  year  and  Cacao  and  Shade  Plants 
the  year  following.  The  Coffee  will  have  a better 
chance  by  having  a year’s  start  and  I find  where 
the  shade  trees  have  not  come  on  well  at  first,  the 
Coffee  bushes  are  -much  more  luxuriant. 
Shade  Trees  in  my  clearing  have  Deen  planted 
10  by  12  i.e.  one'  for  every  Cacao  tree.  This  in 
my  opinion  is  far  too  close  and  is  not  required  I 
therefore  recommend  one  shade  tree  to  be  put  in 
for  every  two  Cacaos  thus  : — 
J 7 7 
o 0 0 0 o 
X x'x  x X X X X X 
■ - y y 
xxxxxxxxx 
X 
o 
X 
o 
X X 
O 0 
X X X 
y y y 
xxxxxxxxx 
Cacao  0-  Coffee  x.  Shade  y. 
"^C,  H.  WILKINSON. 
Mr.  Vollar  kindly  reports  as  follows  s — 
“ Coorg  coffee  was  planted  in  Dumbara,  and  at 
the  same  time  cacao  plants  were  also  put  out. 
Upshot: — got  one  or  two  good  crops  of  coffee  which 
more  than  paid  all  expenses  of  clearing  and  left 
a fair  profit,  and  then  the  cacao  trees  overshaded 
the  coffee  and  snuffed  it  out.  From  what  I observed, 
I have  no  belief  that  the  coffee  would  have  lasted 
or  gone  on  giving  good  returns,  if  it  had  had  its  own 
sweet  will,  but  it  was  a splendid  catch-crop.  We 
have  still  a fringe  of  coffee  along  the  roadsides, 
which  gives  a fair  crop  every  other  year.” 

DR*  TRIMEN’S  “FLORA  OF  CEYLON.” 
W e have  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  Part  III* 
of  this  valuable  work  accompanied  by  26  coloured 
plates  e.xecuted  in  Messrs.  Dulau  & Co.’s  (the 
publishers’)  best  style.  Reservinfj  an  adequate 
liQtice  with  e.\amples  of  the  information  of 
general  interest  afforded,  we  quote  for  the  pre- 
sent, the  title  page  of  the  volume  : — 
A hand-book  to  the  Flora  of  Ceylon  containing 
descriptions  of  all  the  species  of  flowering  plants 
indigenous  to  the  island,  and  notes  on  their  history, 
distribution,  and  uses  by  Henry  Trimen,  M.B.  (Lond.), 
F.R.S.,  Director  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens, 
Ceylon.  With  an  Atlas  of  Plates  illustrating  some  of 
the  more  interesting  species.  Part  III.  Valeriana- 
cesB— Balanophoracese  with  Plates  Li — LXXV. 
Published  under  the  authority  of  the  Government 
of  Ceylon.  London  : Dulau  and  & Co.,  37  Soho 
Square,  W.  1895. 
Among  the  more  striking  of  the  plates  are : — 
“ Barleria  Arnottiana,  Nees,  Var.  Glabra, 
Trimen”'  a double  page  with  “ IpoMEA  Ju- 
CUNDA,”  Thw.)  “ IXORA  JUCUNDA,”  ThtO.  with 
its  dark-green  leaves,  red  stems  and  wealth  of 
white  flowers  ; “ Wrightia  Flavido-Rosea,” 
Trim.',  etc 
— ♦ 
HOOLANKANDE  ESTATE,  KELEBOKKA. 
The  price  paid  for  this  property  the  sale  of 
which  to  the  Earl  of  Glasgow  (Governor  of 
New  Zealand)  was  recently  announced  is  £12,750. 
The  acreage  is  668  of  which  355  in  tea,  40  in 
timber,  rubber  &c. 
THE  TEA  “ RING  ” OR  MONOPOLY  IN 
CALIFORNIA. 
We  can  use  no  other  term  than  the  above  after 
reading  the  following  circular  letter  handed  to  us  by 
a Colembo  merchant.  No  doubt  San  Francisco  tea 
dealers  w’ould  prefer  that  there  should  be  no 
intrusion  of  a new  and  better  article  such  sis 
Indian  and  Ceylon  teas,  seeing  that  the  inferior 
and  oft-adulterated  Japan  and  China  teas,  afford 
them  a wider  margin  of  profit.  But  it  is  just 
their  monopoly  that  has  to  be  fought  and  if  the 
large  dealers  refuse  to  hold  Ceylon  and  Indian 
teas,  then  it  w'ill  be  for  the  producers  to  go 
direct  to  the  consumers  with  samjiles  and  ad- 
vertisements and  to  let  them  know  how  they  are 
kept  out  of  a wholesome  superior  article — and 
a more  economical  one  in  the  end.  To  stop  the 
steady  supersession  now  of  Japan-China  by  Ceylon- 
^dian  teas  year  by  year  in  America  (as  in 
Europe  and  Australasia),  is  a task  parallel  to 
that  of  worthy  Dame  Partington  in  trying  to 
diive  back  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  We  quote  a.s 
follows : — 
1895.-Whereas  the 
Jna  ^ consigning  Teas  to  this  market,  to  Agents 
and  Brokers,  has  been  steadily  increasing  ana  in 
consequence  threatens  to  be  a menace  to  legitimate 
Importers,  by  causing  serious  demoralization  in  prices, 
and  general  injury  to  the  trade.  Be  it  therefore  re^ 
rmnf’  ^”,.Tea  Houses  in  Japan, 
China,  India,  and  Ceylon  who  consign  Teas  to  this 
market,  to  cease  doing  so,  and  to  sell  only  on  orders 
from  the  Importers  direct,  or  by  sample  or  orders 
from  their  Agents  or  Brokers,  representing  them  in 
this  maiket.  Be  it  further  resolved,  that  the  respec- 
tive Agents  or  Brokers  be  at  once  notified  that  these 
resolutions  will  go  into  effect  after  due  time  has 
been  allowed  for  communication  with  their  Prin- 
Castle  Brothers, 
J.  A.  POLGEK  d-  Co., 
TiLLMANH  dBENDEL, 
S.  P.  Lauinger 
Secretary. 
McCarthy  Bros. 
M.  Ehrman  & Co. 
William  Clufe  CosiPANy, 
Mau  Sadlbr  & Co. 
Jones  * Co. 
M.  J.  BRANDENiTiTff  * CO. 
A..  ScmxLLiNo  Ss  Coi 
Adelsdorfer  di'  BiUN- 
denstein, 
Easton  & ScHWARTZj 
W.  A- W.  Maibbw, 
