April  i,  1897.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
69s 
of  the  particulars  contaiued  in  this  account  and  for 
the  exceptioiialiy  kind  niid  obliging  manner  in  which 
everything  (/f  importaiico  and  interest  at  the  work 
was  explained  and  shown,  the  writer  is  gratefully 
indebted  to  Mr.  Silva  and  to  Mr.  kleiidis,  the  able 
and  e icrgelic  agent  of  Messrs.  J.  C.  de  Silva  & Go. 
THE  COST  OF  THE  WOKKS 
we  "an  only  give  a guess  at.  If  they  cost  a cent 
they  have  cost  their  proprietor  certainly  1140,000,  in- 
clusive of  mrclunery,  which  he  is  sure  to  recoup, 
a’ld  we  trust  with  handsome  profits  before  long.  It 
is  his  intention  at  present  to  commence  work  with 
about  2(),0C0  coconuts  per  diem.  There  are  mills 
w''iich  use  up  as  many  as  60,000  per  diem.  At  the 
modest  rate  at  which  Mr.  Silva  proposes  to  m ike  his 
start,  there  will  be  a never-ceasing  demand  for 
coconnts  in  every  part  of  the  district.  Mr.  Silva 
already  owns  thousands  of  acres  in  the  Kurunegala 
district,  and  he  has  the  lease  of  extensive  planta- 
tions ; nevertheless  he  will  have  to  place  lauds  other 
than  his  own,  under  contribution  to  meet  the  daily 
demands  of  his  mills. 
THE  l>OPU/..UUTV  OF  UESICC.VrED  COCONUT 
is  widespread,  but  the  writer  never  could  understand 
why  there  is  such  a halo  of  secrecy  around  desci- 
cating  manufr.ctories  as  to  prohibit  the  entrance  of 
visitors  into  the  charmed  places  where  the  desiccat- 
ing goes  on.  Is  it  the  risk  rnu  by  the  secrets  of 
the  trade  being  found  out,  or  the  chance  of  some 
spy  gettiiiii  a tip  or  a wrinkle  which  may  be  only 
known  to  the  charmed  circle,  that  the  desiccating 
rooms  are  so  jealously  guarded  and  watched,  or  can 
it  be  that  the  entrance  into  these  rooms  means  so 
much  diminution  of  the  manufactured  article  which 
is  the  greatest  temptation  to  the  visitor  to  resist 
the  tasting  of  ? 
PACKETS  OF  DESICCATED  COCONUT. 
Talking  of  the  high  favour  in  which  desiccated 
coconut  is  held  by  ‘‘  strangers  within  our  gates,” 
Mr.  Bilva  mentioned  to  the  writer  that  it  was  as 
ranch  as  he  could  do  to  keep  off  the  iuquisitivo  and 
itching  fingei’s  especially  of  the  fair  visitors  to  the 
mills  he  had  worked  in,  from  picking  at  the  scrap- 
ings, on  the  invariable  plea  of  ” just  to  have  a 
taste  only  of  the  nice  stuff.”  At  times,  on  weighing 
the  desiccated  coconut  at  the  close  of  the  day’s  work, 
as  much  as  20  and  ;50  lbs.  were  found  short,  tlio 
result  of  the  visitors  gratifying  their  taste  1 With 
a view  of  preventing  this  gratnitons  and  of  “ ad- 
mittance except  on  business,”  Mr.  Silva  proposes  to 
have  littlS  packets  m.rde  np  of  desiccated  coconut, 
with  printed  labels  containing  instructions  as  to  the 
way  in  which  the  contents  may  be  turned  into 
pudding  etc.,  and  to  sell  the  packets  at  a nominal 
rate.  This  idea  will  certainly  have  the  desired  effect 
of  cherkiug  ” shortage  and  intrusion.”  The  packet 
will  doubtless  be  a boon  and  a blessing. 
THE  THIRTY  COMMITTEE. 
Minutes  of  Proceeding.!  of  a meeting  of  the  “ Thirty 
Committee”  held  at  Kandy  on  Saturday  the  13th 
day  of  March  18U7  at  half  past  seven  o’clock  in  the 
morning. 
Present  ; — Messrs.  J.  N.  Campbell  (Chairman),' A. 
Philip  (Secretary),  R.  S.  Duff  Tytler,  F.  C.  Gubbins, 
A.  A.  Bowie,  j.  P.  E.  Ilyan,  Gordon  Pyper,  H.  V. 
Masefield,  H.  Cumberbatch,  C.  E.  Welldon,  E.  Ros- 
ling,  F.  G.  A.  Lane,  Oliver  Collett. 
The  notice  calling  the  meeting  was  read.  The 
minutes  of  proceedings  of  a meeting  of  the ‘‘Thirty 
Committee  ” held  at  Kandy  on  Monday  the  1st  day 
of  Eabruary  1897  were  submitted  for  confirmation. 
Read  letter  from  Mr.  J.  11.  Renton  regretting  his 
inability  to  be  nresent. 
Read  letter  from  the  Secretary,  Ceylon  Chamber 
of  Commerce,  notifying  that  the  following  members 
were  recently  elected  to  represent  the  Chamber  on 
the  “ Thirty  Committee,” — Messrs.  Gordon  Frazer, 
J.  H.  Renton,  C.  W.  Horsfall,  H.  Cumberbatch,  P. 
Bois,  while  Mr.  F.  M.  Mackwood  as  Chairman  of  the 
Chamber  will  continue  to  be  on  the  Committee. 
Read  letter  from  the  Manager,  National  Bank  of 
India,  Limited. 
Read  letter  from  Government  acknowledging  re- 
ceipt of  copy  of  the  minutes  of  proceedings  of  a 
meeting  of  the  “Thirty  Committee”  held  at  Kandy 
on  the  16th  January  1897. 
REPRESENTATIVE  IN  AMERICA. 
Read  letter  from  Mr.  Mackenzie  to  Mr.  Sackvillo 
dated  London  10th  January  1897 ; also  the  accom- 
Xianying  enclosures. 
Read  letter  from  Mr.  Mackenzie  to  Mr.  Philip  dated 
London  14th  January  with  statement  of  expenditure 
on  account  of  the  Committee  to  8th  January  1897, 19th 
January,  27th  January  1897.  Resolved  : — “ That  the 
sum  of  £3,000  sterling  applied  for  be  placed  at  Mr. 
W.  Mackenzie’s  credit  at  London  by  wire  for  the 
American  campaign. 
Read  letter  from  the  Secretary,  the  Ceylon  Asso- 
ciation in  J ondon,  forwarding  the  following  resolu- 
tion passed  by  the  Tea  and  Produce  Committee  of 
the  Association  at  a meeting  held  on  the  18th 
January. — “ That  the  Secretary  be  requested  to  ask 
the  Committee  of  Thirty  on  what  general  principles 
the  amount  raised  in  Ceylon  by  the  taxation  of  tea 
is  spent. 
“ What  amount  is  expended  in  America— and  to  ask 
that  an  account  of  expenditure  for  the  year  1896 
(without  details  that  it  may  bo  considered  injudi- 
cious to  publish)  be  sent  to  this  Committee.” 
Read  cablegram  from  Mr.  Wm.  Martin  Leake,  dated 
1st  February  1897,  reading  “ Mackenzie  sailing  Satur- 
day ; please  telegraph  credit  £1,000.'’ 
Intimated  that  the  request  had  been  complied 
with.  Resolved: — “With  reference  to  the  resolution 
forwarded  by  the  Ceylon  Association  in  London,  that 
in  terms  of  his  letter  to  the  Secretary  dated  London 
19th  January  1897,  Mr.  Mackenzie  be  requested  to 
give  the  Committee  of  the  Ceylon  Association  in 
London  such  details  and  particulars  regarding  the 
disposal  of  the  funds  granted  to  him  for  pushing 
and  advertising  Ceylon  tea  in  America  as  may  appear 
to  him  judicious.” 
Resolved  (II) ; — “That  in  answer  to  the  specific  ques- 
tions the  Ceylon  Association  in  London  be  informed, 
(a)  on  what  general  principles  the  amount  raised 
in  Ceylon  by  the  taxation  of  tea  is  spent?” 
The  general  principles  are  advertisements  and 
demonstrations  in  localities  which  are  being  spe- 
cially worked,  and  by  assisting  those  who  are 
spending  their  own  money  in  pushing  Ceylon  tea. 
(b)  WHAT  AMOUNT  IS  EXPENDED  IN  AMERICA. 
The  amount  expended  in  America  up  to  say  31st 
December  1896,  as  per  Mr.  Mackenzie’s  accounts  is 
£17,090  9s  8d.  (Seventeen  thousand  and  ninety  pounds 
nine  shillings,  and  eight  pence.) 
(c)  That  an  account  of  expenditure  for  the  year 
1896  (without  details  that  it  may  be  considered  inju- 
dicious to  publish)  be  sent  to  this  Committee. 
That  Mr.  Mackenzie  will  be  requested  to  give  the 
Committee  of  the  Ceylon  Association  in  London 
such  information  as  he  may  deem  judicious. 
CEVLON  TEA  IN  RUSSIA. 
Resolved  ; — “ That  with  the  object  of  farther  push- 
ing Ceylon  tea  in  Russia  Mr.  T.  N.  Christie  be 
asked  to  visit  Russia  during  the  year  1897  and  to 
report  to  the  Committee  as  to  the  best  means 
of  securing  this  end ; (2)  that  the  sanction  of  Go\- 
ernmeut  be  asked  to  an  expenditure  of  a sum  not 
exceeding  £200  to  cover  all  expenses  Mr.  Christie 
may  be  put  to,  during  his  visit  to  Russia  in  con- 
nection with  the  mission  reierred  to  in  the  above 
resolution.” 
CEYLON  TEA  ON  Till  ONTINENT  OF  EUROPE. 
Read  letter  from  Ml.  K.  V.  Webster  by  hi's  Attor- 
ney Mr.  J.H.  Renton  ackno'.vlrd.,ing  receipt  of  cheqi  e 
for  R7,852-76  being  the  equivalent  of  £5.)0  sterling 
granted  to  Mr.  Webster  for  the  purpose  of  pushing 
and  advertising  Ceylon  tea  on  the  Continent  of 
Europe. 
CEYLON  TF..V  IN  BELGIUM  .AND  HOLLAND. 
Read  letters  from  Mr.  E.  U.  Tcmpler  on  the  sub- 
ject of  his  offer  to  push  and  advertise  Ceylon  tea  in 
Belgium  and  Holland,  and  rogardiug  the  1,000  lb.  tea 
