Dec.  1,  1896.] 
THE  TROPIv^Al.  AGRICULTURISr. 
415 
VEGETABLE  GARDENING  IN  CEYLON. 
The  "rowin';'  of  vegetables  of  European  hahitat 
lias  long  been  successfully  followed  upon  many 
of  our  upcouutry  estates,  and  at  higher  eleva- 
tions, such  as  that  of  Nuwara  Eliya,  their  cul- 
tivation has  liccoiue  ([uite  a large  and  [laying 
industry.  Kandy  and  Colombo  may  both  be  said 
to  be  sujiplied  with  these  luxuries  in  suilicicnt 
quantity  to  meet  the  demand,  though  this  last 
would  receive  great  extension  were  the  prices 
somewhat  reduced.  But  there  are  many  localities 
wherein  Europeans  reside  in  this  island  where 
no  supplies  of  the  kind  are  available,  and  where 
no  elVort  is  made  to  meet  the  deficiency  by  local 
cultivation.  We  ajiiirehend  that  the  omission  is 
largely  due  to  want  of  knowledge  as  to  what 
is  [iracticable  as  to  this,  and  many  residents  in 
lowcountry  outstations  would  probably  be  glad  to 
be  able  to  vary  their  dietai'y  did  they  know 
th.at  the  growth  of  many  kinds  of  European 
vegetable  may  be  accoin[ilished  by  care,  even 
under  the  drying  heat  of  low  elevations,  liy  a 
plentiful  su]j]dy  of  water,  and  judiciously  ap- 
plied artificial  shading.  The  late  Mr.  P.  A. 
Dyke,  when  Government  Agent  of  the  Northern 
Province,  made  persistent  effort  in  this  di- 
rection, securing  a large  amount  of  success. 
With  that  liberality  that  so  distinguislied  him, 
he  almost  daily  distributed  the  products  of 
his  vegetable  garden  among  his  European  neigh- 
bours, and  the  arrival  of  his  messengers  with 
the  baskets  of  varied  siipjilies  was  ahvays  warmly 
welcomed  and  appreciated.  What  Mr.  Dyke  did 
on  a large  scale  it  would  be  perfectly  possible 
to  accomplish  on  a more  restricted  one,  and 
many  housekeepers,  both  male  and  female,  would 
find  themselves  to  be  well  rejiaid  by  the  practice 
of  an  interesting  occupation.  Perhaps  the  vege- 
table with  which  Mr.  Dyke  was  most  .succe.ssful 
was  the  delicious  knolkohl,  a species  of  German 
turni[)  little  if  at  all  known  to  residents  in 
England.  But  with  c.arrots,  beans,  and  several 
other  vegetables,  Mr.  Dyke  was  equally  suc- 
cessful. What  he  succeeded  in  doing  in  the  dry 
and  arid  climate  of  Jaffna  we  feel  sure  could  be 
even  more  readily  accomplished  in  a great  num- 
ber of  lowcountry  localities.  Lfnfortunately  we 
are  riot  ourselves  able  to  describe  the  modus 
operandi  followed  by  the  former  able  agent  of 
the  Northern  Province.  But  tliere  must,  we 
shouhl  say,  be  still  many  residents  of  the 
northern  capital  who  could  sup[ily  the  informa- 
tion with  a sufliciency  of  detail.  With  some 
care  exercised,  and  at  but  relatively  trilling  co.‘-t, 
an  occupation  could  be  secured  by  mauj  other- 
wise unemiiloyed  wives  who  would  feel  a natural 
pride  in  adding  the  luxury  of  European  vege- 
tables to  their  daily  mams. 
NOTE.S  FROM  THE  METROPOLIS, 
London,  Nov.  2. 
Is 
COl’Ki'-.K 
to  be  overproduced  like  everything  else,  may  well 
now  be  the  question  ; ! On  tiie  head  of  tlie  news  of 
what  is  doing  in  East  Java,  the  Malayan  J’eninsula, 
East  Africa,  Costa  Ricaand  in  Brazil  itself  to  make 
up  for  the  deficiency  caused  by  the  collajise  in  Ceylon, 
Southern  Imlia  and  old  Javri,  there  now  comes 
the  report  from  two  or  three  quartex's,  that  Biazil 
itself  is  giving  this  year  the  lai'gest  coffee  crop 
it  has  ever  produced.  But  this  is  not  all : here 
is  the  paragraph  which  appears  in  this  week's 
issue  of  the  Society  of  Arts  Journed  and  which 
(if  further  verified)  may  eventuate  in  a “rush” 
of  capitalist-planters  to  the  Congo  region  ; — 
Coffee  in  the  Congo.— M.  Laurent,  Professor  of  the 
Agncullural  Institute  of  Gembloux,  entrusted  by  the 
inaepenclent  State  with  a mission  to  the  Congo,  has 
just  piibiished  a report  upon  the  results  of  his  travels 
in  which  he  say.s  that  the  Congo  will,  in  some  years 
to  come,  be  as  important  a coffee-giowing  country 
as  Brazil  is  at  the  present  time.  Tii.e  coffee  tree  will 
find  in  the  great  equatorial  forest  the  conditions  of 
soil  and  climate  that  are  the  best  suited  for  it.  It 
g'ows  there  in  a wild  st.ite,  and  there  are  three  des- 
criptions known,  two  of  which  yield  excellent  results. 
According  to  the  information  M.  Liurent  has  ob- 
tained at  Bosoko  and  Caquilhatville,  the  prcp.aratioiis 
of  the  ground  for  colfee  piautatiou^  would  require 
native  labour,  which  could  be  obtained  at  a cost  of 
about  £10  per  hectare  {‘2'47  acres). 
I have  applied  to  M.  Laurent  for  a copy  of 
his  report  roferreil  to  above,  in  order'  to 
review  it  in  the  Tropical  Ayricidturisl  for 
the  inform, ation  of  idaiiler.s  and’  caidtalists.  It 
will  be  interesting  to  .see  what  extent  of  “ wild 
colfee”  has  been  .seen  or  explored  by  M.  luuxreut 
or  lii.s  iiiforinauts. 
I .see  that  Mr.  T.  C.  Auder.son’.s 
Ir.Vlv  UKUL  r 
1 - V I 
to  be  olfered  by  auction  in  Mincing  Lane  on 
•2Gtli  November  by  Messrs.  (;  .,w,  ' Wilson  N' 
Stanton,  comprise  Gartmore,  Larclilield  and 
Bevys  estate.s,  most  compactly  situated  in  one 
block,  41)0  acre.s  of  tea  and  140  of  forest— truly 
a valuable  propeity.  ’’ 
Port  of  Spain  (Trinidad)  pajiers  have  lieen 
.specially  sent  to  me  with  article.s  marked  review- 
mg 
-MR.  ARTHUR  .SINCLAIR’.S 
chatty  clever  volume,  “ In  Tropical  Lauds,”  issued 
: r od  • reached 
1 ort  of  Spam  and  to  have  created  a mild  sen- 
.satioii,  judging  by  the  criticism,  although  f can 
discover  no  substantial  grourid.s  for  the  com- 
plaints liiuted  at,  rather  than  openly  formulated 
.against  the  autlioi.  For  instance,  one  paiier 
gives  some  columns  of  extracts  prefaced  by  the 
following  sentences  ; but  nowhere  can  we  liiid  in  it 
what  the  “palpable  misrepresentations”  may  be 
mu  L.vmis  Bv  Authuii  Sincl.iir,  — 
extracts  taken  from  one  of  the  latest 
additions  to  the  Public  Library  will  arouse  feeliu"s 
of  aslomsbments  owing  to  the  number  of  palpable 
misrepresentations  witn  whicli  the  book  teenis  Tiie 
sources  from  which  such  travellers  olnaiii  their  iu- 
formatiou  \vill  require  to  be  looked  into,  and  we 
will  probably  have  some  remarks  to  olfor  in  ,a 
future  issue. 
In  .another  paper,  however,  we.  have  a full 
editorial  critique  with  .some  strong  language,  bub 
calculated,  I should  s.ay,  to  amuse  rather  than 
annoy  the  author  who  is  placed  in  such  com 
paiiy  as  J.  A Frou.le-“  the  worst  ulfeuder  of 
all  agaiiist  Trinidad.  Here  is,  however,  the 
article  in  /nil,  to  prevent  our  Trmida.l  neighbours 
thinking  it  need  be  111  any  way  burked  : 
,NK.  SINCI..\IR’S  BOOK. 
Arthur  Sinclair  is  by  no  means  the  first  nnU 
we  fear  will  not  be  the  dast  of  the  vvrLrfwJm 
after  paying  a visit  sometimes  of  a tew  weeks  but 
oftener  of  a few  days,  to  Trinidad,  do  not  hSltaL 
to  issue  “ for  general  information,"  their  impressioiS 
of  a country  and  a people  of  both  of  which  they  are 
absolutely  ignorant.  Without  going  back  to  the  earlier 
writers  who  have  sinned  in  this  way,  we  will  iiisUiiee 
whn^st  offender  of  all, 
who  st.ited  the  principal  crops  the  Island  to  be  iiidi"o 
and  coffee,  adding-  that  there  are  still  some  lamer 
sugar  estates  and  tliat  as  the  owmers  h ,d  not  suc- 
ceede.i  in  making  the  negroes  work  for  them  thev 
‘ <-'oolies  under  indenture 
/oi  Jive  }jears.  With  characteristic  inaccuracy  he 
as  having  been  “alternate  y 
hrench  and  Spanish  until  captured  by  Pictoii  in 
