780 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
|Mav  I,  1897. 
Park 
Excelsior 
St.  John’s 
Ormidale 
About  lb. 
20,000  to  50,000 
H.  H.  . . 37,000 
H.  II.  . . 23,500 
U.  . . 31,000 
H.  . . 33,500 
Av.  price  per  lb. 
1890.  1895. 
lb. 
Is  2id 
Is  Id 
Is  H'l  spi 
Is  Oid  Is  Ud 
Altogether  the  tone  adojjted  in  tiie  London 
Tea  reports  is  encouraging,  at  any  rate  for  tlie 
immediate  future,  and  it  is  quite  clear  that  we 
cannot  do  better  than  to  go  on  trying  to  con- 
quer America  and  Russia  for  our  teas. 
COOLIES  FROM  NORTHERN  INDIA. 
Let  not  “Truth”  (whose  letter  appears  else- 
where) begin  to  crow  until  he  lias  got  his  Bengali 
coolies  and  found  them  suitable  for  his  work. 
“The  proof  of  the  pudding  is  in  the  eating 
thereof.”  Now,  we  know  for  a fact  that  every 
cooly  entering  Assam  costs  the  planter  RlOO  a 
head  (irrecoverable)  before  a stroke  of  work  is 
done.  It  will  be  strange  if  Ceylon  can  get 
coolies  from  the  same  region  more  cheaply. 
But  we  have  had  an  experience  juit  before  us 
gained  by  a Ceylon  iplanter  nearer  home  in  India, 
which  must  be  commended  to  the  notice  of  “Truth.” 
A Matale  planter  applied  to  a Madras  Cooly 
and  Planters’  Agency  whose  advertisement  de- 
clared their  ability  to  sujiply  coolies  at  a fixed 
rate  per  head,  (in  21st  December  last  he  got 
an  answer  tliat  “ advances  and  travelling  expenses 
would  amount  to  R1 1 jier  heail,  which  must 
be  remitted  with  order”  besides  the  linn’s  com- 
mission of  RIO  per  head.  On  7th  .January  R420 
was  remitted  for  20  coolies.  We  have  seen 
correspondence  iq)  to  3rd  (March  in  which 
various  excuses  arc  given  ; but  we  have  not 
heard  that  the  Matale  planter  up  to  this  date 
has  got  either  his  coolies,  or  his  money  back. 
Verb.  sap. 
^ 
MATURATA  : 
.SIR  HENRY  WARD  AS  A “V.  A.” 
Recurring  once  again  to  the  subject  of  the  dis- 
trict that  the  Governor  is  about  to  honour  with 
a visit,  we  may  say  that  amongst  _ the  older 
planting  divisi.rns  of  the  island  Matnrat'a  has  never 
seemed  to  us  to  quite  take  the  position  to  which 
it  is  justly  entitled.  Looking  .at  tlie  richness  of 
its  soil  and  almost  unequalled  healtlifulne.ss  of 
its  breezy  climate,  one  would  have  supjiosed  th.at 
loin'  ere  now  it  would  have  been  in  the  fore- 
front of  poimlarity.  We  have  known  Maturata 
intimately  ever  since  the  reign  of  the  “ Roses” 
on  the  one  side  and  “ Tip  Tliompson  ” on  the 
other.  Since  the  days  of  Robertson  on  Allecolle- 
weve  to  the  time  udien  the  old  store  echoed 
the  melodious  notes  of  “G.M.  B.”  k^llamull.a, 
with  its  rich  dark  loam  of  unknown  de])th,  is 
by  no  means  e.asy  of  access  but  once  the  hos- 
pitable bungalow  is  re.ached,  who  could  desire  a 
more  delis-'htful  highland  home  ? On  Mandara 
Nuwara  poor  .Middleton  found  life  was  not  worth 
living  ; yet  “ W.  W.W.”  could  checrfullY  hunt  the 
elk  liy'day  .and  dine  luxuriously  in  full  dress  togs 
at  ni"ht.  A breezy  but  rather  rough  and  rugged 
plantin'’’  school  is'  Mandara  Nuw.ara,  hugging 
close  bo  the  foot  of  I’edro  for  shelter  ; yet  we 
know  that  Boreas  blows  there  in  fitful  and 
unexiipcted  gusts.  Albeit,  that  land  of  moun- 
tain and  cloud  li.as  turned  out  some  notable  men 
in  its  day.  Here,  Dial  favourite  son  of  fortune, 
“jj  j.Y’/’’  began  Ids  planting  career  ; here  also. 
the  astute  Arnold  White,  fresh  from  Le.aden- 
hall  Street,  first  learned  which  end  of  a coffee 
stump  had  to  be  inserted  in  the  soil. 
In  18.37  that  Prince  of  V.  A.’s,  Sir  Henry  Ward, 
visited  the  district  and  wrote  his  model  report  : — 
“ The  Ford,  below  the  Fort,  inco  nvenient  at  all 
times,  is  dangerous,  if  not  impas  sable,  during  many 
months  of  the  year  ; while  the  District  is  rising, 
every  day,  in  importance  from  the  number  of 
I'lstates  already  opened,  and  the  excellence  of  a large 
belt  of  unsold  Land,  running  parallel  with  Mr. 
Robertson’s  Coffee  Plantation,  the  superior  quality 
of  which  is  admitted  by  the  best  judges.  I know 
no  part  of  the  Island,  in  which  the  two  great 
branches  of  Ceylon  agriculture  may  be  seen  in  such 
close  juxtaposition,  as  at  Maturatta.  The  Valley, 
extended  by  artificial  Terraces  up  every  Ravine, 
down  which  water  can  be  made  to  pass,  on  its  way 
to  the  River  below,  presents  a vast  expanse  of  green, 
reaching  to  the  very  crest  of  the  surrounding  hills  ; 
while,  wherever  Paddy  Cultivation  ceases.  Coffee 
cultivation  begins.  lu  the  immediate  vicinity  of 
the  villages,  there  are  gardens,  in  which  Onions, 
and  Potatoes,  grow  iuxurianity  : and  I had  the  satis- 
faction of  hearing  the  Planters  bear  uniform  testi- 
mony to  the  conduct  of  their  Kandian  neighbours, 
who  appear  to  be  a peaceable,  thriving,  and  indus- 
trious Race,  where  not  contaminated  by  Low 
Country  Singhalese — the  outcasts,  generally,  of  their 
native  Districts, — or  forced  into  brawls  by  Coolies 
belonging  to  the  Estates.  I was  much  struck, 
myself,  by  their  manner,  and  appearance ; — the 
wonderful  ingenuity,  with  which  they  have  turned 
the  smallest,  supply  of  water  to  account  ; — their 
ready  appreciation  of  the  advantages,  which  the 
District  will  derive  from  the  opening  out  of  the 
Country; — and  with  the  justice,  and  simplicity,  of 
their  views,  under  the  novel  circumstances  in  which 
they  are  placed. 
“ For  lUaturatta,  instead  of  being  one  of  the 
most  secluded  spots  in  the  Island,  is  rapidly  becom 
ing  the  centre  of  an  important  District.  The  trans- 
fer of  the  Court  from  Newera  Ellia  to  the  Fort, 
where  I have  authorised  the  erection  of  a Small 
Court  house,  and  Bungalow, — the  prospect  of  a 
Bandy  Road  to  Kandy,  which  must  be  steadily  kept 
in  view, — the  establishment  of  a Post  Office,  and  a 
Police  Station, — the  Bazaar,  which  is  growing  up, 
on  the  site  of  the  old  fortifications  ; — the  opening, 
consecutively,  of  twelve  new  Estates,  with  every 
appearance  of  adding  largely  to  that  number,  so 
soon  as  the  Surveyor  General  is  enabled  to  bring 
fresh  Land  into  the  Market  : — and  the  progress 
already  made  in  tracing  the  Road  into  Ouvah,  by 
the  Elephant  Plains,  which  will  make  this  the 
shortest  Route  to  Kandy  for  the  Coffee  from  the 
Badulla,  and  Oode-Pusilawa,  Estates, — all  these  are 
circumstances,  that  must  materially  influence  the 
prospects  of  Maturatta,  and  ensure  its  rapid  pro- 
gress in  cultivation,  and  wealth. 
“ No  greater  mistake  can  be  committed,  than  to 
suppose  that,  in  facilitating  this  progress,  the  Gov- 
ernment is  consulting  private,  not  public,  interests. 
Public  prosperity  is  but  the  result  of  the  aggregate 
prosperity  of  all  the  great  interests,  that  compose 
Society.  “ The  Planter  does  his  part,  by  turning 
the  jungle  into  cultivated  land,  and  connecting  his 
clearing  with  the  Main  Road  of  the  District,  to 
which  it  belongs.  But  that  Main  Road  is  a Public 
Road  ; — at  least,  it  becomes  so,  from  the  moment 
that  the  District  contributes  its  quota  to  the  Com- 
mercial movement,  from  which  so  large  a portion  of 
the  Revenue  is  derived.  It  may  be  difficult  to  de- 
fine the  precise  limits  of  public  and  private,  res- 
ponsibility. Men,  who  want  help  from  the  Govern- 
ment must  be  ready  to  do  their  part  in  the  work 
proposed.  But  the  Government  should  also  be 
liberal  in  its  aid  ; for  nothing  can  bo  clearer  than 
the  fact,  that,  in  Districts  like  Maturatta,  there  are 
large  Government  Interest.",  as  well  as  Native,  and 
Planting,  interests  at  stake. 
‘‘  The  Crown  has  still  a considerable  amount  of 
Land  to  sell.  Thfit  Laud  will  not  bo  bought  unless 
