March  ij  1897.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  633 
THE  PLANTERS'  ASSOCIATION  AND  OUR 
MATERIAL  INTERESTS. 
Tnrniiv  to  oixr  stajxlo  exports  as  repre- 
sented W the  Association,  it  is  gratitying, 
after  all  we  have  heard  of  the  decay  of  cacao 
on  certain  estates,  to  note  that  the  crops  go  on 
steadily  increasing,  and  that  the  current  year 
is  likely  to  excel  its  predecessors.  Ihe  case  is 
ditlereut  with  collee--the  old  Arabian  slowly 
dying  out,  although  tlie  clearing  away  of  bug 
by  the  lady-bird  beetle  might  check  tiie  decay, 
while  tea  is  too  prosperous,  even  now,  to  allow 
of  anything  like  due  attention  being  given  to 
Liberian.  Cardamoms  continue  to  give  a good 
deal  of  assistance  in  certain  districts,  and  we 
sincerely  trust  that  attention  to  these  several 
bye-products,  as  well  as  to  Rhea  veiy  propeily 
broimht  forward  by  the  Association— and  some 
others  not  mentioned,— may  steadily  increase. 
We  are  surprised,  for  instance,  to  find  no  re- 
ference to  “ Rubber,”  which  ought  to  grow  in 
importance  every  year.  There  is  no  better  re- 
pertory of  information  for  the  practical  planter 
on  the  outlook  for  bye-products,  than  is  allorded 
in  our  “Planting  and  Agricultural  Revie.v, 
prefixed  to  Uie  Handbook  and  Directory,  ihe 
Association  has,  however,  taken  a very  wise 
step  in  calling  for  a resumption  of  the  adyer- 
tizinc'  of  seeds  and  plants  available  from  time 
to  tmie,  by  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens  ; and 
another  wise  step  would  be  to  ask  each  of 
the  seventeen  District  Associations  in  their  an- 
nual Reports,  or  in  special  communications  to 
the  parent  Committee,  to  notice  what  is  being 
done  with  new  products  within  their  boiiiuls. 
In  this  way  a good  deal  about  “Iwibbei  might 
be  learned  from  Kalutara  and  Sabaraganmwa  ; 
on  Liberian  cotlee  from  Matale,  the  Ivelaiu 
Valley,  etc.;  on  Rhea  from  Kurunegala  and  the 
lowcoiintry,  and  so  on.  It  is  encouraging  to 
know  that  the  Association  is  not  to  lose  siglit 
of  the  need  for  legislation  to  provide  a check 
on  the  quality  of  manures  sold  ; and  that— m 
the  interests  of  young  planters  especially— the 
Midland  Jury  lists  are  to  be  looked  after.  VVe 
are  very  pleased  to  see  the  reference  to  our  late 
Postmaster-General  in  the  Report.  If  ever  there 
was  a high-minded,  progressive  omcial  in  the 
Colony,  it  was  Mr.  T.  E.  B. 
is  astonishing  to  us  that  Sir  Artliur  Havelock, 
amhi  all  his  professions  of  esteem,  did  not,  in 
connection  with  the  opening  of  the  new  Co- 
lombo Post  Ollice,  secure  some  signal  mark  o 
honour  for  Mr.  Skinner,  who  certainly  deserved 
it  quite  as  much  as  some  otliers  who  were 
not  forgotten. 
The  Labour  Supply  t^uestioii  is  un- 
doubtedly  the  most  important  one  befoie 
the  Association  and  the  Planting  comnui* 
uity  generally.  It  is  not  necessary,  as  we 
h.ave  pointed  out,  to  go  beyond  the  Madras 
Presidency  or  a people  closely  allied  to  our  pre- 
sent coolies  in  race  and  language,  in  order  to 
tap  a new  and  populous  district  and  at  the  same 
time  relieve  distress.  We  lefer  to  the  (.mlappab, 
and  part  of  tlic  Arcot,  district  as  wotthy  ol  an 
experiment  in  lecniiting.  The  mention  of  1 nl- 
talam  as  the  future  central  port  and  depot  lor 
coolv  immigration  is  important.  ^Ve  have  long 
ur‘fe'd  such  a departure  in  connection  with  ti  e 
raflway  which  must  one  day  run  direct  from 
Colombo  along  our  North-west  coast,  while  a 
branch  to  Aniiradhapura  would  be  a necessary 
adiunct.  With  the  discussion  on  Mr.  N(^ls 
motion  we  shall  deal  in  our  next.- The 
explanation  given  about  the  new  Roads  Ordi- 
nance is  very  useful : possilily  this  may  ac- 
count for  the  delay  of  tlie  Ambawela  Exten- 
sion road  among  other  tilings ; Imt  we  can 
conceive  how  much  injustice  may  be  done  tlirough 
setting  the  value  of  the  roatl  to  an  estate  against 
the  land  taken  up.  Is  it  not  the  case  tliat  a 
proprietor  would  often  prefer  a road  to  keep 
outside,  rather  than  to  cut  through  his  plantation? 
All  that  Mr.  Mackenzie  tells  us  of  his  work  in 
America  is  of  great  interest,  especially  the  fact 
that  India  has  spent  as  much  as  Ceylon  in  the 
States.  As  to  “advertising,”  Mr.  Mackenzie  has 
been  repeatedly  told  by  us  that  we  do  not  coniine 
the  term  to  the  Press,  but  interpret  the  word  in 
the  broadest  sense  and  think  food-shows,  demon- 
strations and  lectures  about  the  very  best  form 
of  advertising.  The  “Thirty  Commitee”  again 
write  as  if  Mr.  Rogivue  were  practically  alone 
working  for  our  teas  in  Russia.  They  have  surely 
heard  of  other  big  operators — of,  for  instance, 
Liptoivs  House  in  «t.  Petersburg  sending  orders 
across  to  London  for  2,UUU  boxes  at  a time.  It 
is  very  satisfactory  to  liiul  the  Association  tak- 
ing an  interest  in  the  “ Arrack”  problem — a 
question,  we  suspect,  which  lies  at  the  founda- 
tion of  the  greater  part  of  the  serious  crime  in 
the  island ; but  is  it  not  rather  reversing  the 
usual  order  to  say  the  Committee  will  wait  for 
the  Commissioner’s  Report?  By  the  way,  how 
absurd  to  have  a Commission  made  up  of  one 
member?  We  do  not  know  if  this  is  because 
Mr.  Ellis  did  not  care  for  associates,  like  the 
dissentient  juryman  who  said  that  his  eleven 
colleagues  were  the  most  obstinate  and  wrong- 
headed men  he  had  ever  known.  Certainly,  on 
this  most  difficult  and  complicated  Arrack  ques- 
tion, there  should  sit  a representatiie,  though 
carefully  picked,  body  of  Commissioners,  some 
of  whom  should  be  native  gentlemen  as  most 
intimately  acquainted  ivith  the  ways  and  feelings 
of  the  people  in  the  principal  rural  divisions 
of  the  island.  Perhaps,  the  Governor  only  means 
Mr.  Ellis’s  Report  to  be  regarded  as  a preli- 
minary one,  to  indicate  the  policy  as  oo  which 
a duly-constituted  Commission  should  enquire  and 
take  evidence’ 
PLANTING  PRODUCTS. 
(Kxtrnds  from  the  Fortij-third  Ainmnl  Jtepo  i m ///r 
<Jei/lon  Plcuitcra'  As--<ociation,  held 
17 th  Feh.  18U7.) 
Tea. 
The  season  geuerallj  has  been  a fail  average 
one.  Taking  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  returns, 
the  increase  in  crop  as  against  1895  is  10,201,5411b. 
The  total  exports  reaching  108,141,412  lb.  of  this 
11,205,051  lb.  were  shipped  direct  from  Colombo 
to  ports  other  than  the  United  Kingdom,  or  an 
increase  of  exports  direct  to  outside  markets  of 
2,018,519  as  against  1895,  which  may  be  considered 
very  satisfactory,  more  especially  as  the  Home  ex- 
ports of  British  grown  Teas  show  an  increase  of  5 
millions  on  last  year — 1895.  There  is  also  the  very 
satisfactory  increase  in  Home  consumption  of  British 
grown  Teas  of  11  millions  over  last  year,  which  irself 
showed  an  increase  of  7 millions  over  tho  year  before. 
Everything  points  to  increased  foreign  consumption 
during  1897,  more  especially  in  America  and  Russia, 
where  your  Commissioners  fMr.  Mackenzie)  in  the 
former,  and  Mr.  Rogivu,  in  the  latter,  continue  their 
good  work  with  energy.  The  average  London  price  was 
8jd  per  lb.  as  against  8id  per  lb.  for  1895;  but  results, 
taking  the  year  as  a whole,  are  satisfactory,  and  con 
fidence  in  your  staple  is  maiutaiued,  while  it  is  geue- 
r.illy  considered  that  there  is  no  safer  investment  than 
Ceylon  Tea  property.  Extension  of  planting  still  con- 
