620  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [March  2,  1896. 
THE  ^YYNAAD. 
The  Lumlou  Times,  in  an  ably-wiitlon  article, 
having  for  its  text  the  deimtation  of  the  jdanters 
of  Sontliern  India  that  lately  had  an  interview 
with  Lord  Elgin,  recites  the  leading  dilliciilties 
under  which  the  |danting  enterprise  in  the  Wy- 
naad  now  snll'ers.  \Yant  of  comnmnicalion  with 
the  seaboard,  of  protection  foi;  jiroduce  in  tran- 
sit, ]>ro))er  organization  of  labour,  and  fixity  of 
tenure,  and  of  security  of  the  results  to  taxa- 
tion, are  among  the  chief  disabilities  set  out 
in  this  article.  Our  London  Correspondent  thinks 
it  to  be  possible  that  those  planters  who,  being 
crowded  out  from  Ceylon  by  our  local  policy  of 
restricting  land  sales,  are  seekir.g  inyestnients 
in  the  \Vynaad  may  wisely  have  their  atten- 
tion calletl  to  the  very  full  statement  contained 
in  the  Times.  It  would  seem  certainly  to  be  im- 
possible that  the  planter  in  the  Wynaad  can 
have  any  reasonable  chance  of  competing  either 
with  those  of  Ceylon  or  with  his  fellow'  tea 
planters  in  Assam  and  other  districts  of  N<jrthern 
India,  wdiile  his  interests  are  w'cighted  by  such 
cram[)ing  dilliculties  as  those  therein  set  forth, 
\Ye  are  not  without  causes  of  complaint  in  Cey- 
lon, wherein  tea  idauting  constitutes  relatively  the 
prime  consideration  of  its  governing  power.  Hut 
although  these  denuuul  and  oljtain  strong  re- 
monstrance— as  yet  relatively  and  in  some  in- 
stances incHectually — we  believe  it  will  be  ad- 
mitted that  Ceylon  is,  in  comparison  with  the 
Wynaail  at  all  events,  the  Elysium  of  tea  plant- 
ing. Certainly  the  'Times  by  its  revelations  utters 
a by  no  means  indistinct  note  of  w'arning  to 
those  of  onr  own  planting  community  who 
contemplate  investment  in  the  district,  the 
planters  of  which  have  such  grave  reasons 
to  complain  of  want  of  attention  to  their  in- 
terests. Hut  the  fact  that  there  is  now'  scarcely 
an  opening  to  be  found  in  Ceylon  for  the 
yonnger  men  who  have  (s>me  here  to  learn  tea- 
planting  inforccs  these  turning  their  attention 
to  the  wider  field  0])en  to  them  in  Southern  India. 
So  compelled,  the  exodus  will  no  doubt  be 
made,  and  this  must  yearly  increase  the  com- 
petition that  ''icylon  now  e\]icri('nc('s  from  India- 
grown  leas.  In  India  the  a.i'ca  of  lea  cultiva- 
tion will  be  yearly  extending,  wliile  in  Ceylon 
it  must,  if  the  present  policy  of  our  Covernment 
be  persisted  in,  be  restrained  within  its  present 
area.  Surely  a policy  productive  of  .sucli  a resent 
cannot  be  a wise  one  for  ns  to  follow.  We 
have  repeatcilly  pointed  out  tliat  this  colony  still 
possesses  reserves  of  land  suitalde  for  tea  plant- 
ing that  might  be  sold  without  injury  to  the 
maintenance  of  needed  public  rc.servations.  We 
need  not  here  recapitulate  w hat  we  have  before 
written  as  to  this  matter.  Hut  when  we  see  as 
we  do  tliat,  ow  ing  to  this  policy,  we  are  <loing 
our  best  to  foster  comiietition  witli  Ceylon  in 
India  it  is  time  to  reiterate  our  remonstrances 
formerly  made.  For  although  it  is  evident  from 
the  Tf/ZiC-sb- article  tliat  tea-planting  in  the  Wynaad 
is  at  pre.sent  so  heavily  handicai>pcd  liy  the  con- 
ditions under  which  it  lias  to  be  caiiieil  on  that 
comiietition  by'  it  wdth  our.seHcs  must  be  lela- 
tively  hopeless,  this  cannot  now'  long  remain 
the  ca,se.  When  redre.ss  is  granted,  the  few  who 
now  leave  Ceylon  for  India,  despite  existing 
dilliculties,  will  certainlv  have  their  numbers 
lar<'ply  All  the  (capital,  and  all  tlio 
talent  and  e..\)»eriencc  that  might  be  retained 
in  Ceylon  will  pass  over  to  the  opposite  Con- 
tinent to  increase  the  competition  acainst  which 
we  now  have  to  contend. 
TEA  IN  THE  WYNAAD. 
Ybni  recently  referred  to  the  desire  of  .some  of 
your  planters  to  undertake  operations  in  the 
Wynaad.  We  believe  it  to  bo  the  ca.se  that 
several  of  these  have  already  acquired  interests 
in  that  Indian  district,  one  that  appears  jiarti- 
cularly  well  suited  to  tea  planting  by  Eiirojieans. 
Hut  there  is  no  jiicture,  we  are  told,  however 
pleasing  it  may  bo,  that  has  not  its  reverse  .side. 
What  this  last  is  in  the  case  of  the  Wynaad 
has  been  luminously  .set  forth  in  an  article  that 
appeared  under  the  heading  of  “Indian  Allairs” 
in  the  'Times  this  week.  That  article  contains 
numerous  references,  by  w'ay'  of  giving  contrast, 
to  the  condition  of  things  in  Ceylon,  and  is 
possessed  beside  of  .so  many  other  points  of 
interest  that  it  seems  desirable  that  you  should 
be  supidied  with  a copy  of  it.  One  is  accord- 
ingly enclosed  with  this  letter.  [.See  l»age 
()2I. — Ed.  T.A  ] It  is  not  know'n  to  us  how' 
far  you  may  already  be  acquainted  with 
the  "circumstances  therein  set  forth.  Hut 
any  w'ay  the  writer  puts  all  the  points 
with  sucli  remarkable  clearness  that  his  state- 
ment of  the  jiosition  cannot  be  without 
interest  for  those  of  your  readeis  who  may 
be  contemplating  acquiring  properties  in  the 
Wynaad.  He  states  that  a deputation  of  the 
United  Hlanters’  Association  of  .Sonthern  India 
recently  interviewed  Lord  Elgin  on  the  occasion 
of  his  late  visit  to  Madra.s.  Its  members  strongly 
complained  of  the  labour  dilliculties  under  w'hicli 
the  jdanting  enterpri.se  in  the  district  is  con- 
ducted, ami  of  the  w'ant  of  protection  for  tlicir 
produce  while  in  transit  to  the  coast.  The 
article  recites  many  other  di.sabili  ties  under  which 
the  planters  of  Southern  India  lie.  Want  of  good 
roads  is  the  main  objection  taken  to  the  pre- 
sent state  of  things,  and  in  this  re.sjioct  coni- 
jiarison  is  made  with  the  coniiieting  country  of 
Ceylon,  ft  is  suggested  that  legislation  is  needed 
for  .Southern  India  of  the  character  that  now- 
jirotecls  the  planting  industries  in  the  northern 
districts  of  that  continent.  Assuredly  all  is  not 
yet  jierfect  in  Ceylon,  but,  equally  assuredly 
does  it  seem  to  be  the  fact,  that,  as  compared 
with  the  Wynaad,  your  planters  enjoy  very  great 
advantages.  If  those  of  the  Indian  district  .are 
to  have  a chance  of  successfully  competing  w'ith 
those  of  Ceylon,  it  would  seem  to  be  evident 
that  tiie  existing  inequality  between  the 
two  in  this  resjiect  of  roads  and  of  other 
matters  must  receive  redress.  To  outsiders  like 
ourselves  the  perusal  of  the  article  sent  you  leaves 
an  inqiression  that  it  can  scarcely  be  desirable 
as  yet  for  Ceylon  iilanters  to  extend  their  opera- 
tions to  Southern  India.  It,  however,  seems  to  be 
the  case  that  many  are  inclined  to  do  so  and 
that  some  have  already  iiive.stcd  cajiital  there. 
Whether  others  will  feel  inclined,  after  reading 
the  statements  in  the  'limes,  to  follow  their  ex- 
ample, cannot  be  predicted.  Should  they  do  so, 
however,  they  cannot  say  that  they  are  now  left 
in  the  dark  as  to  dilliculties  they  may  have  to 
contend  iigainst  of  a kind  co.iqiaratively  nn- 
known  to  Lea  idanters  in  (leyloii.  It  is  evident 
that  the  writer  of  the  'Times’s  article  thinks  that 
in  Ceylon  you  have  none  of  the  causes  for  com- 
]daint  that  have  been  advancevl  by  the  dejiuta- 
tion  that  waited  upon  Lord  Elgin.  Hut  it  is 
only  those  w ho  wear  the  shoe  that  know  where 
it  ].inches,  and  probably  the  'J'lmrs  w l iter  is  un- 
aware of  yonr  railway  stalions  being  left  for 
years  without  means  of  access,  and  of  other  minor 
dilliculties  with  which  your  jilanteis  have  from 
time  to  time  to  contend. — London  ('or. 
