Dec.  2,  1895.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
393 
years  before  our  Christian  era.  The  ruins  of  its 
vast  temples  attest  the  skill  of  its  ancient  builders. 
A sacred  tree  brought  over  there  from  India 
when  a small  plant,  is  still  growing,  and  its 
history  has  been  reguarly  recorded  for  nearly 
two  thousand  five  hundred  years,  by  the  devot- 
ed priests  of  a Temple  dedicated  to  it.  It  is  now 
the  oldest  historical  tree  in  the  world. 
But  Lanka  was  known  and  its  products  utilized 
at  an  earlier  age  when  a still  more  famous  temple 
was  built.  I mean  that  of  Solomon. 
“ That  uxorious  King, 
Who  beguiled  by  fair  idolatresses, 
Kell  to  idols  foul.” 
If  in  the  recently  discovered  African  mines  we 
have  found  the  source  of  Solomon’s  immense  stores 
of  gold,  in  Lanka  we  recognize  the  source  of  his  ivory. 
So  skilful,  too,  were  the  dentists  of  those  early  years, 
that  the  ivory  trunks  were  extracted  from  the  live  ele- 
phant ; and  so  effectually  were  the  molar  roots  drawn, 
that  unlike  the  elephant  of  African  India,  Lanka’s 
greatest  beast  has  never  since  developed  a large 
tusk,  but  has  to  be  content  with  a small  protuding 
stump,  which  like  Monbodda’s  tail  in  man,  merely 
indicates  what  has  been. 
Passing  over  two  thousand  years  or  so,  a short 
time  in  the  life  of  those  eastern  countries,  during 
which  Lanka  was  ruled  by  its  native  King,  or  by 
Invaders  from  the  adjacent  continent,  and  while  its 
Gigantic  irrigation  works,  now  mere  monuments,  were 
being  constructed,  we  find  the  Portugese  ruling  the 
island  during  the  16th  and  17th  centuries.  Then  came 
the  Dutch  ; until  about  the  beginning  of  the  19th 
century,  the  English  gained  possession.  The  des- 
cendants of  the  Portugese  and  Dutch  are  still  numer- 
us  in  the  land. 
About  1825,  while  Lanka  had  few  Englishmen  be- 
sides the  Civil  aud  Military  Servants,  an  enterprising 
soldier  introduced  the  cultivation  of  coffee.  His 
example  was  soon  followed  by  his  brother  officers,  and 
within  the  next  ten  years  a large  tract  of  land  carried 
the  fragrant  bean. 
The  success  of  the  young  Englishman  attracted 
capital  to  the  island,  and  hundreds  of  coffee  gardens 
were  planted  during  the  following  thirty  years.  The 
island’s  seaport  became  a place  of  great  importance, 
and  the  planters  a numerous  and  influential  body. 
Roads  were  opened  up,  branching  between  ranges  of 
lofty  mountains  into  all  the  lovely  and  fertile  valleys 
on  whose  slopes  the  grand  primeval  jungle  gave  way 
to  the  coffee  tree. 
Soon  the  railroad  took  the  place  of  the  road  with 
its  thousands  of  bullock  carts. 
Between  1865  and  1875  the  exports  of  coffee  I'an 
from  750)000  to  1,000,000  cwt.;  giving  employment 
to  a quarter  of  a million  of  coolies  (native  labour- 
ers), or  with  their  families  perhaps  finding  susten- 
ance for  seven  hundred  thousand  people. 
About  1868  or  1870  a curious  looking  powder  was 
observed  on  the  leaves  of  the  coffee  plant  in 
many  parts  of  the  island.  At  first  little  notice 
was  taken  of  it ; then  it  became  a curiosity,  and  in 
time  the  attention  of  a famous  scientific  authority 
— the  Conservator  of  the  island’s  beautiful 
botanical  garden — was  attracted  to  the  phenome- 
non. After  close  observation  the  oracle  spoke, 
and  his  utterances  were  a grave  warning  ; the 
stranger  was  pronounced  to  be  a dangerous  and 
insinuating  parasite,  which  penetrated  into  the 
cells  of  the  leaves  and  prematurely  destroyed  them 
while  their  functions  in  assisting  the  trees  to  mature 
their  fruit  were  still  unperformed. 
At  first  little  heed  was  given  to  the  sage’s  opinion. 
Manuring  was  resorted  to  and  under  the  influence 
of  good  prices,  hope,  aud  faith,  with  an  occasional 
note  of  distrust,  which  when  expressed  was  im- 
mediately hooted  down,  ruled  until  about  1876-78. 
By  this  time  it  was  evident  to  many  that  the 
weaker  portions  of  their  gardens  were  succumbing 
to  the  attacks  of  the  parasite.  Manuring  no  longer 
produced  its  old  results  ; crops  estimated  to  be  good 
in  their  early  stage  gradually  dwindled  during  the 
two  mouths  while  the  berries  should  have  been 
maturing,  until  actual  out-turn  greviously  dis- 
appointed the  poor  planter. 
Tears  before  this,  one  gentleman  of  a botanical 
turn  and  a rare  gift  of  foiesight,  had  introduced  the 
cinchona  and  other  tree  into  Lanka.  He  planted 
fields  of  those,  and  soon  found  they  were  well  adopted 
to  the  soil  and  climate  and  could  be  cultivated  most 
profitably. 
His  example  was  generally  followed  so  far  as  cin- 
chona was  concerned.  Hundreds  of  millions  of  those 
trees  were  put  out  between  1870  and  1880.  Those 
who  planted  them  first  reaped  a splendid  harvest, 
as  the  bark  from  which  quinine  was  extracted  sold 
readily  at  from  three  shillings  to  ten  shillings  per 
pound.  Great  fortunes  were  anticipated  by  hundreds 
of  planters — single  trees  of  the  best  qualities  being 
valued  at  thousands  of  pounds,  as  seed  bearers. 
The  exports  of  bark  went  up  by  heaps  aud  bounds, 
until  supply  exceeded  demand,  when  prices  fell  badly. 
Quinine  fell  from  eighteen  shillings  per  ounce  to  two 
shillings,  and  even  to  ten  pence.  Bark  from  a five 
shilling  average  per  pound  to  five  pence,  and  soon 
after  became  almost  unsaleable.  Thus  another  gre- 
vious  disappointment  befell  the  poor  struggling  plan- 
ter. With  household  bills  unsettled,  and  labourers’ 
wages  in  arrear,  the  interest  of  an  ever  swelling 
mortgage  became  due  with  ruthless  regularity  every 
six  months.  Ruin  and  sequestration  were  the  fate 
of  many,  while  others  strove  bravely  by  hard  work 
and  strictest  economy  to  stave  off  the  evil  day. 
Meantime,  attention  was  directed  to  that  other 
plant  which  our  far-seeing  friend  had  introduced. 
ExperiTuentally  by  many,  and  boldly  aud  extensively 
by  a few,  its  cultivation  was  attempted.  Early  in 
the  eighties  it  was  recognized  as  a useful  friend 
which  miffiit  help  many  whose  properties  lay  in  the 
Zone,  to  which  alone  it  was  then  thought  to  be 
adapted.  Gradually,  with  fear  and  trembling  rather 
than  faith,  it  was  tried  higher  up  in  the  mountains 
and  further  down  the  vallies — and  still  its  capabilities 
did  not  fail. 
By  1885  it  was  known  that  those  who  had 
planted  it  during  the  seventies  were  surprised  at 
their  success ; and  it  gradually  dawned  upon  all 
that  from  the  sea  level  near  the  equator  to 
winter  snow  about  thirty  degrees  north,  and 
seven  thousand  five  hundred  feet  elevation,  one 
variety  or  another  of  this  Heaven-sent  plant  would 
grow,  flourish,  and  pay  handsomely.  The  moist 
climate  of  Lanka  was  found  to  be  particulary  suited 
for  it.  Cheap  labour  helped  greatly  and  raindly  ; falh 
ing  exchange  was  a God-send  to  a country  with  a 
silver  currency. 
Other  countries  slow  to  grasp  impi-ovemeiits, 
wedded  to  old  customs,  and  not  over  cleanly  habits, 
had  been  growing  this  plant  aud  exporting  products 
for  centuries.  Among  them  it  was  a family  industry, 
as  weaving  of  woolen  and  linen  garments  was  last 
century  in  England  and  Ireland.  The  children  plucked 
the  leaves.  'The  elders  rolled  them  by  hand  and  dried 
them  over  charcoal,  as,  and  when,  other  household 
matters  permitted. 
In  Lanka  it  was  speedily  recognised  that  machi- 
nery supplied  the  most  economical  and  only  cleanly 
way  of  manufacturing  the  article.  It  was  universally 
adopted,  both  for  rolling  the  leaf  and  firing  the 
pi'oduct. 
Ill  1893  Lanka  exported  1,000,000  pounds  aud  in 
1895  it  will  export  94,000,000  pounds  of  this  use- 
ful, refreshing  aud  grateful  household  need. 
Great  Britain  now  uses  the  machine-made  pro- 
duct of  Lanka  and  the  adjoining  continent  of  India 
almost  exclusively  whereas  a few’  years  ago  the 
hand-made  article  had  complete  possession  of  every 
household.  Other  countries,  chiefly  Australia,  Russia, 
and  America  including  Canada,  which  took  only 
four  and  one  half  million  pounds  from  Lanka  in 
1891,  will  this  year  take  seventeen,  perhaps  eighteen, 
million  pounds. 
Cleanliness  is  a factor  in  favour  of  the  machine- 
made  product,  as  is  also  economy  in  time  and  money. 
A cup  can  be  made  in  half  the  time  and  with  half  the 
quantity  of  raw  material  required  when  the  hand- 
made article  is  used. 
Lanka  is  the  ancient  name  of  Ceylon,  and  the  other 
plant  of  the  far-seeing  planter  is  the  tea  tree,  from 
the  young  succulent  leaves  of  which  the  now  famous 
an<^  ctlmqst  upivet'sally  dcuuls  Ceylon  tea  U manufai^* 
