May  t,  1897.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
75* 
COCONUT  PLANTING  AT  VETTUKKADU, 
JAFFNA. 
Vettakkadu  is  a village  of  the  Division  of  Punaryn, 
1 which  is  one  of  the  Maniagarships  into  which  the 
District  of  Jaffna  is  divided.  It  is  about  12  niiles^  by 
sea  from  Jaffna.  About  fifteen  years  ago,  Dr.  Can- 
diah  of  the  Civil  Medical  Department,  now  a pensioner, 
bought  a piece  of  Crown  land  and  planted  it  with 
coconuts  with  the  result  that  he  now  gets  a fair 
return  for  the  money  and  labour  expended.  The 
example  thus  set  has  induced  other  Jafluese  to  take 
to  coconut  planting  in  and  about  Vettukkadu.  Some 
years  ago,  Mr.  Casipillai  of  the  local  Bar,  purchased 
an  extent  of  Crown  land,  larger,  I believe,  than  Dr. 
Caiidiah's  and  commenced  planting.  The  estate 
formed  is  now  under  careful  and  systematic  cultiva- 
tion. It  will  come  into  full  bearing  a few  years 
hence  and  there  is  every  prospect  of  its  proving  to  be 
a profitable  investment.  More  recently,  about  600 
acres  were  purchased  by  a number  of  Jaffuese,  who 
have  already  cleared  about  two- thirds  of  the  extent. 
The  planting  of  a portion  of  this  extent,  undertaken 
only  last  year,  promises  well,  judging  from  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  plants.  Reference  was  made  in  your 
columns  some  time  last  year  to  the  land  bought  by 
Mr.  Bastiampillai  of  the  Fiscal’s  office,  Batticaloa, 
who  had  the  pluck  and  sagacity  to  send  a gang  of 
Moormen  under  Mohammadu  Ibrahim  Kandu  of 
Eravur.  The  Moorman,  who  took  the  work  on  con- 
tract, fulfilled  it  to  the  satisfaction  of  Mr,  Bastiam- 
pillai,  who  now  finds  that  he  has  had  to  spend  less 
for  clearing  than  the  owners  of  adjoining  lands. 
It  may  be  of  interest  to  state  what  I have  observed 
on  a recent  visit  to  Vettukkadu,  that  there  is  a con- 
siderable acreage  of  crown  land  to  the  south,  east 
and  west  of  the  new  clearings,  quite  as  good,  if 
not  better,  for  purposes  of  coconut  planting.  The 
water  is  good,  being  found  within  a depth  of  7 feet 
from  the  surface,  even  in  the  driest  season — a point 
of  great  importance  to  the  cultivator  of  the  coconut 
which  requires  regular  watering  for  a number  of 
years. 
The  soil  of  Vettukkadu  is  regarded  as  specially 
adapted  for  coconut  cultivation.  The  proximity  of 
the  village  to  Jaffna  and  the  facility  of  communica- 
tion by  sea  between  the  two  places  are  recommenda- 
tions which  cannot  be  overlooked.  The  carriage  of 
produce  by  carts  from  the  estates  along  the  central 
road  as  far  as  Elephant  Pass  is  expensive.  Vetuk- 
kadu  is  easily  reached  by  boats  and  the  transmis- 
sion of  produce  from  there  must  be  comparatively 
cheap.  Just  as  I am  writing,  a friend  furnishes 
me  with  the  infoimation,  which  he  avers  to  be  true, 
that  applications  have  been  made  by  natives  of 
Jaffna  for  about  2C0  acres  of  land  to  the  south  of 
the  new  clearings.  I,  for  one,  will  not  be  surprised, 
if  before  long,  the  whole  of  that  neck-shaped  stretch 
of  land  known  as  Vettukkadu  becomes  one  vast  ex- 
panse of  coconut  groves. — Cor.,  “ Jaffna  Catholic 
Guardian,”  March  27. 
^ 
COCONUT  OIL  IN  AMERICA  : DUTY 
DEMANDED. 
The  Eldorado  Linseed  Oil  Works  of  San  Fran- 
cisco have  filed  a protest  with  the  Committee, 
urging  that  a tariff  of  2 cents  per  pound  be  im- 
posed on  coconut  oil  as  follows:— “As  we  are 
conducting  a prominent  industry,  which  is  of 
great  importance  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  for 
which  we  seek  protection  under  the  proposed 
tariff  bill,  we  write  you.  We  are  engaged  largely 
in  the  manufacture  of  coconut  oil,  and  our  fac- 
tory is  situated  in  West  Berkeley,  on  the  sliores 
of  the  bay,  where  we  give  employment  to  a 
number  of  hands.  This  oil,  under  the  present 
tariff,  is  free  of  duty,  and  is  largely  imported 
from  India  and  the  East  Indies  into  the  ports 
of  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  The  raw  material  from 
which  this  oil  is  expressed  is  the  coconut  grown 
96 
in  the  South  Sea  Islands  and  brought  here  in  a 
dried  state,  commonly  known  as  copra.  This 
bu.siness  in  which  we  are  engaged  is  capable  of 
great  expansion  were  it  not  for  the  .severe  com- 
petition which  we  were  obliged  to  meet  from  the 
imported  oil,  made  by  Indian  labor.  Under  the 
early  tariffs  a duty  of  10  per  cent  was  impo,sed 
on  the  imported  oil,  but  subsequently  this  duty 
was  removed,  the  oil  being  classified  as  a nut 
oil,  and  entered  free  of  duty.  The  oil  is  jargely 
used  in  the  manufacture  of  soap  througho  ut  the 
United  States,  and  were  sufficient  protection 
afforded  the  industry  we  could  make  enough  to 
supply  the  United  States,  and  this  protection 
would  simply  counteract  the  additional  freight 
which  we  are  obliged  to  pay  for  transportation 
to  the  Eastern  markets.  In  fostering  this  indus- 
try  you  would  be  building  up  the  commerce  of 
the  Pacific  coast,  inasmuch  as  the  South  Sea 
Island  would  furnish  us  with  copra,  taking,  to  a 
great  extene  our  products  in  exchange,  a trade 
which  is  now  going  to  Germany,  and  which  could 
thus  be  diverted  to  our  shores.  We  address  you 
this  merely  as  preliminary,  and  would  like  your 
suggestions  as  to  what  steps  should  be  taken, 
or,  if  you  are  willing  to  interest  your.self  in  the 
matter,  we  will  furnish  you  with  sufficient  data 
to  fortify  the  position  and  make  your  demands 
appear  reasonable.  We  believe  that  a duty  of 
at  least  2 cents  per  pound  should  be  imposed  on 
this  article.” — Nexu  York  Oil  Reporter,  March  1, 
BRAZIL  COFFEE  NOTES. 
We  are  glad  to  hear  that  the  coffee  plant- 
ations in  Jujuy  are  giving  splendid  results,  and 
so  next  year  the  fruit  will  be  cultivated  on  a 
large  scale  in  the  northern  provinces. — Sport  and 
Pastime,  Buenos  Aires. 
Some  of  the  prominent  planters  in  the 
northern  districts  of  Sao  Paulo,  those  served  by 
the  Paulista  and  Mogyana  railways,  will  be 
much  diminished.  The  reports  from  the  new 
districts  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state,  those 
served  by  the  Sorocabana  railway,  are  stil 
highly  favorable. — Bio  Neioa. 
♦ 
ARNTULLY  ESTATE,  JAMAICA. 
This  was  the  property  of  the  late  Mr.  Wni. 
Sabonadiere.  We  now  read  in  the  Colonics  and 
India  : — 
The  future  resident  of  Arntully  Estate,  Jamaica 
will  be  Mr.  Hubert  B.  Eves,  a son  of  Mr.  C. 
Washington  Eves,  c.m.g.,  who  recently  left  Englao'’, 
accompanied  by  his  wife  and  family,  for  their  new 
home.  This  is  a further  instance  of  the  interest 
which  Mr.  Washington  Eves  takes  in  the  island, 
and  it  is  hoped  that  the  property  which  Mr.  Hubert 
Eves  is  now  taking  over  may  prove  in  every  way 
successful,  and  become  one  of  the  best  coffee  estates 
in  the  island. 
RUBBER  PLANTATIONS, 
The  cycling  world  will  soon  look  with  interest  to  “the 
Major’s"  advent  at  Lagos  as  a stimulus  to  increase  rub- 
ber production.  Surely  the  Straits  might  make  a big 
move  in  this  direction.  A home  paper  says  : — 
The  marvellously  quick  development  of  the  in  lia- 
rubber  industry  at  Lagos  will,  no  doubt,  incite  other 
tropical  portions  of  the  Empire  to  emulation.  In  the 
course  of  a single  year  the  exports  of  this  commodity 
from  Lagos  increased  from  5,867  lb.  to  6,069,5761b.,  a 
growth  of  trade  probably  without  parallel.  But  tho 
natives  who  obtain  the  rubber  in  the  forests  employ 
such  wasteful  and  destructive  methods  of  “ tapping  ” 
that  the  supply  is  sure  to  dwindle  away,  as  has  hap- 
