March  i,  1897.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
645 
gained  from  the  fact  that  they  imported  in  1806  a 
total  of  757,091  bags  of  Brazil  coffee  alone,  or  nearly 
100,000,000  lb.  It  is  claimed  that  they  roast  and 
distribute  over  2,000  bags  per  day.  This  has  been 
an  enormously  profitable  business.  Thirty  years  ago 
the  South  and  West  used  only  green  coffee,  and  it 
took  years  to  overcome  the  prejudice  which  con- 
sumers had  towards  coffee  sold  ready  for  use.  They 
believed  coffee  should  be  roasted  at  home,  and  only 
as  required,  if  its  full  aroma  was  to  be  retained 
The  Atbuckles’  device  insured  the  aroma,  and  soon 
the  bulk  of  the  trade.  There  are  now  three  great 
roasting  concerns.  As  soon  as  the  Woolson 
Company  changed  hands  the  price  of  their 
coffee  was  reduced,  which  cut  the  Arbuckles 
net.  Cut  has  followed  cut,  until  2i  cents  per 
pound  has  been  taken  off.  Tho  fight  is  between 
giants,  but  Napoleon  said,  ‘ Heaven  is  on  the  side 
of  the  heaviest  artillery.’  The  probable  outcome  will 
be  tho  formation  of  a coffee-roasting  trust  and  a 
compromise  and  treaty  with  the  Sugar  Trust,  whereby 
both  interests  will  go  on  peacefully  and  profitably. 
The  Sugar  Trust  forced  the  fight  from  the  date  of 
the  inception  of  the  Arbuckles’  plan  for  an  indepen- 
dent refinery.  At  present  the  war  is  vigorous  and 
costly,  and  hence  is  likely  to  be  short-livod.” — II. 
& C.  J/itiV,  Feb.  5. 
TOBACCO— AND  CEYLON  PLANTERS. 
How  is  it  tliat  while  the  natives — the  Tamils 
especially— in  so  many  districts,  Negombo,  Chilaw, 
.Jaffna,  Trinconialee,  Uvaand,  we  suppose,  around 
Dumbara  continue  to  cultivate  tobacco  profitably, 
the  European  planter  should  have  cast  it  so 
much  on  one  side?  For  the  coarse  native  growth, 
a price  equal  to  25  cents  each  big  leat  is,  we 
believe,  readily  paid  in  the  bazaars ; and  even, 
therefore,  for  tlie  supply  of  the  local  demand, 
one  would  suppose  plantation  fields  of  tobacco 
would,  in  some  places,  prove  profitable.  With 
the  object  of  getting  the  opinions  on  this  point 
of  the  gentlemen  who  have  had  actual  e.vperience 
in  our  midst,  of  growing  tobacco,  we  sent  some 
notes  of  enquiry  and  the  results  we  are  now 
able  to  lay  before  our  readers,  in  the  following 
interesting  communications.  These  were  provoked, 
in  the  first  place  by  the  contributions  of  an  e.x- 
pert,  writing  from  Southern  India  in  our  columns 
some  weeks  back.  Hi.s  last  letter  we  referred 
to  local  authorities  and  one  of  these  challenged 
the  e.xpert’s  statement  that  Ceylon  could  produce 
“a  very  pure  and  high-class  leaf,”  insisting  in- 
stead tiiat  high-class  leaf  for  cigars  could  not 
be  produced  here.  Only  on  one  estate  was  this 
ever  done  in  Ceylon,  we  are  assured.  Another 
prentleman  with  some  experience  thought  “Expert” 
wrote  to  the  point  ami  that  he  touched  the  key 
of  the  situation  in  the  following:— 
All  ihat  is  necessary  to  ensure  success  is  a thorough 
knowledge  of  growing  and  of  manufacturing,  coupled 
with  busiuesslike  management  and  the  requisite 
TTis  “and  a raihvay  to  Jaffna”  he  thinks  should 
ensure  success  to  tobacco-growing.  Does  that 
mean  that  Jaffna  laud  would  be  clioseu  1 y Euro- 
pean capitalists— or  that  Jaffna  men  would  be 
eiu|doyed  as  cultivators?  Here  is  how  another 
resident  writes  : — 
1 am  sorry  that  I can  give  yon  no  infor- 
mation with  reference  to  tobacco  cultivation. 
There  must  surely  be  some  gobd  reason  for  the 
cultivation  being  abandoned  by  theCeylon  Tobacco 
Company  when  they  had  an  experienced  Sumatra 
Tobacco  Planter  to  start  and  supervise  the  w'ork. 
Then  if,  as  w'as  stated  at  the  time,  Messrs.  VoJar 
and  Cwatkin  made  such  a good  thing  out  of  their 
tobacco,  grown  near  Kandy,  why  did  they  not 
continue  its  cultivation  ? Why  did  Mr.  Ingleton 
fail  to  make  both  the  cultivation  of  tobacco  and 
manufacture  of  cigars  pay  ? should  be  able 
to  give  you  some  reliable  information,  also and 
w'ho,  1 remember,  was  .Superintendent  of 
the  Tobacco  Company  when  the  first  crop  of 
tobacco  was  secured.  Where  is  the  land  to 
be  got  suitable  for  tobacco  cultivation  on  any 
large  scale?  I know  of  none.  I think  a dry 
climate  with  a good  North-East  monsoon  rain- 
fall would  suit  It  best,  as  that  would  disi)ense 
with  watering  and  permit  of  the  leaf  maturing  in 
dry  weather.  It  has  first  how'ever  to  be  shown 
that  tobacco  can  be  [irolitably  cultivated  in  Ceylon 
by  Europeans  ; if  tliat  is  once  assured  I think 
tliere  would  be  no  lack  of  men  to  try  their 
fortune. 
Here  is  the  deliverance  which  Mr.  Vollar  himself 
kindly  sends  us : — 
“I  do  not  think  the  colony  can  do  a big  thing  in 
cigar  tobacco.  There  is  no  doubt  we  can  grow  first- 
rate  cigar  tobacco,  but  so  far  we  have  failed  in  the 
curing  of  the  tobacco,  and  in  the  making  of  the  cigars  to 
have  them  mild  enough— which  is  the  thing  that  is 
wanted  at  home.  Tliore  is  no  land  available  in  the 
Central  Province,  and  the  soil  in  the  Western  is  not 
suitable.  Jaffna  tobacco  is  too  coarse  and  rank. 
‘‘If  tobacco  could  be  grown  on  the  Eastern  aide 
and  proper  care  taken  in  the  curing  and  manufac- 
ture, it  would,  I think,  pay  well ; but  it’s  a very  tick- 
lish product  to  cure  and  so  dependable  on  weather.” 
Another  tobacco  authority  takes  a rather  differ- 
ent view,  although  in  the  main  equally  dis- 
couraging : — 
” I fear  good  tobacco  suitable  for  the  manufacture 
of  cigars  for  the  European  taste  cannot  bo  produced 
in  Ceylon.  It  is  true  Messrs.  Vollar  and  Ingleton 
grew  some  fine  tobacco  in  Dumbara  eight  or  ten  years 
ago  which  took  attention  at  home;  but  in  no  other 
district  in  Ceylon  was  ever  afterwards  such  tobacco 
grown  aud  it  had  a very  fair  trial  in  several  other 
Uistricts  as  I know  only  too  intimately,  but  without 
success.  We  cannot  produce  leaf  thin  enough  in 
texture  for  the  manufacture  of  cigars  and  no  one 
will  look  at  ours  at  home  or  on  the  Continent.” 
There  is  nothing  like  having  all  possible  views 
from  different  quarters  and  the  next  local  autho- 
rity we  are  going  to  quote,  has  entered  so  fully 
into  the  matter  that  his  letter  is  a little  essay 
in  itself : — 
You  ask  me  “ why  tobacco  and  cigar  making 
dont  do  in  Ceylon.”  I could  reply  by  telling 
you  why  they  did  not  do;  but  it  might  get  me 
into  hot  water,  so  instead  of  giving  a direct  re- 
ply I jot  down  a few  notes  which  may  be  useful. 
There  can  be  no  question  that  under  the  guid- 
ance of  capable  energetic  men,  with  the  neces- 
sary skilled  experience,  and  of  course  backed  by 
sullicient  capital  said  pluc/c  to  stand  a few  failures 
Ceylon  could  yet  compete  successfully  in  the 
tobacco  markets,  though  the  recent  failure  of  the 
Tobacco  Company  would  deter  many  from  ven- 
turing in  the  revival. 
Stress  may  be  laid  on  two  if  not  three  facts: 
1.  Tobacco  is  a leaf  product  which,  unlike  tea 
is  more  like  a fruit,  in  its  requiring  specially 
favorable  and  seasonable  weather  lor  ripeniiu'-  bar. 
vesting  and  ban  lling.  2.  That  a very"  large 
labouriorce  is  indispensable.  ,3.  That  freiidu  /ms 
been  a diliiculty  in  the  past,  aud  I am  noraware 
if  that  has  been  solved  yet. 
The  opinion  was  expressed  long  ago  that  it  was 
not  a work  for  Euro|jeans  to  engage  in,  and  <>-ood 
reasons  were  given;  but  the  same  was  said  of 
coconuts  ! Nevertheless  no  work  requires  so  much 
concentrated,  constant,  intelligent,  individual,  per- 
sonal supervision.  This  may  be  a pilimr-nu  of 
adjectives,  but  it’s  a fact  and  the  tobacco  planter 
must  be  prepared  to  torego  tennis,  cricket,  foot- 
