792 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[May  1,  1897. 
of  India  were  either  starving  or  also  had  to  tramp 
along  a dusty  road  through  the  centre  of  the  island. 
Having  explained  the  necessity  of  a railway  track, 
the  lecturer  traced  two  alternative  courses  the  first 
^ong  the  western  shore,  bounding  a fertile  tract  of 
^ nd  but  hampered  by  the  deltas  of  rivers  ; the 
second,  a longer  one,  through  the  centre  of  the 
island.  Mr.  Cave,  however,  whose  book  on  the 
ruined  cities  of  Ceylon  is  commanding  so  good  a 
Sale,  spoke  on  behalf  of  the  second  line  on  the 
ground  that  it  would  pass  across  a district  which 
two  thousand  years  ago  had  been  one  of  the  most 
fertile  in  the  colony,  and  which  he  held  would  come 
under  cultivation  were  it  more  easy  of  approch  to 
the  native.” 
THE  INDO-CKYLOX  RAILWAY. 
From  tlie  London  Conespondont  of  a Colombo 
contemporary,  we  quote  a.s  follows 
London,  March  20. 
We  had  a Field-day  at  the  London  Cham- 
ber of  Commerce  on  Tuesday  last  on  the 
subject  of  tlie  proposed  Indo-Ceylon  llailway. 
The  autliorities  of  that  institution  evidently  did 
not  anticipate  a large  audience  to  hear  Mr. 
Donahl  Ferguson  read  Mr.  John  Ferguson’s  paper  : 
for  they  shut  oil'  lialf  the  Council  Chamber  by 
the  moveable  partition,  and  the  result  was  that 
tlie  scant  space  was  inconveniently  crowded. 
There  was  a goodly  gathering  of  Ceylon  men 
S resent,  amongst  them  being  Mr.  T.  E.  B.  Skinner, 
Ir.  H.  W.  Cave,  Mr.  F.  J.  Waring,  Mr.  J.  L. 
Shand,  Mr.  W.  M.  Leake,  Mr.  F.  H.  M.  Corbet, 
Mr,  A.  L.  Hutchinson,  Mr.  J.  Hamilton,  Mr.  A. 
Ross,  Mr.  J.  C.  Roberts,  Messrs.  A.  M.  and  D, 
Ferguson,  etc,.  Sir  Albert  Rollitt  occupied  the  chair 
at  the  opening  of  the  meeting,  but  having  engage- 
ments at  the  House  of  Commons  he  quickly 
made  way  for  Mr.  T.  Christy,  who  had  to  admit 
that  he  came  to  the  meeting  simply  as  a learner. 
MR.  FERGUSON’S  PARER. 
The  paper  ably  set  forth  tlie  advantages,  both 
commercial  and  political,  that  the  construction  of 
the  Railway  would  oiler  to  all  concerned,  and  as  it 
will  no  doubt  be  published  in  extenso  in  Ceylon 
I need  not  deal  fuither  w ith  it.  The  interest  of 
the  meeting  centered  in  the  speech  of  Mr.  Henry 
Kiinber,  M.F.,  who,  as  a Director  of  the  Great 
Southern  India  Railway,  lately  went  over  the 
ground,  interviewing  during  his  travels  both  Sir 
West  Ridgeway  and  Sir  Arthur  Havelock. 
Speaking  with  full  knowledge  of  his  subject  he 
announceil  that  the  scheme  had  now  fallen  into 
stronger  hands  and  that  its  execution  was  nearer 
than  most  of  us  anticipated.  He  was  further 
understood  to  say  that  his  Company  was  pre- 
pared to  construct  the  Indian  portion  of  the 
new  line  as  a branch  of  their  system.  Mr.  Waring 
expressed  an  opinion,  founded  on  personal  obser- 
vation, that  there  was  no  great  engineering 
obstacle  to  bridging  the  straits,  but  the  process 
would,  he  thought  be  a costly  one.  He  also 
touched  lightly  on  the  vexed  question  of  gauge, 
and  playfully  disclaimed  the  role  of  a thorough 
going  opponent  of  narrow'  gauge  lines  : it  was 
more  the  break  of  gauge  to  which  he  objected. 
But  as  was  subsequently  jiointed  out  by  Mr.  Corbet, 
the  Ceylon  gauge  being  5 feet,  and  the  Southern 
India  only  one  metre,  if  the  two  are  to  be  made 
one  line,  there  must  be  break  of  gauge  somewhere 
for  the  coolies  and  for  up-country  trallic.  Through 
goods  from  India  sent  for  shipment  for  Colombo 
might  indeed  escape  any  break,  if  the  metre 
gauge  was  continued  from  Manaar  along  the 
Coast  to  Colombo.  Mr.  11.  W.  Cave  with  his 
Avell-known  predilections  for  the  land  of  buried 
cities,  laid  stress  on  the  importance  of  linking 
up  the  Anuradhapura  district  with  its  fertile 
acres  ready  to  support  a teeming  population  now 
starving  in  Southern  India. 
From  no  quarter  was  there  even  a whisper  of 
a doubt  in  regard  to  the  eventual  construction  of 
the  Railway  or  of  its  vast  utility  when  constructed. 
And  Mr.  John  Ferguson  may  be  congratulated  on 
having  once  more  lent  an  effective  helping  hand 
towards  the  fulfilment  of  another  great  scheme 
tending  to  the  further  development  of  Ceylon. 
^ 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
Japan.— As  a result  of  brisk  sales  of  tea  during 
last  year,  probably  in  consequence  of  the  un- 
expected small  amount  of  production,  there  is 
now,  says  the  Japa7i  Times  ot  March  27th,  very 
little  leaf  left  in  the  Yokohama  market,  and 
this  is  almost  unfit  for  exportation.  A remark- 
able appreciation  of  prices  may  therefore  be  ex- 
pected when  the  new  tea  is  ready,  in  the  coining 
month. 
Packing  of  Tea  at  Gardens  is  attracting 
the  attention  of  the  Indian  Tea  Association  as 
its  General  Committee  has  received  a communi- 
cation, from  the  Committee  of  the  Calcutta  Tea 
Traders’  Association,  to  the  effect  that  a number 
of  claims  have  been  sent  in  to  thao  As.sociation 
during  the  past  season  for  the  particular  kind 
of  damage  to  tea  knewn  as  cheesiness,”  appar- 
ently resulting  from  the  use  of  unseasoned  wood 
for  the  boxes. 
Japanese  Enterprise.— Mr.  Shibusawa  and  a 
few'  other  prominent  capitalists  of  Tokiyo  have 
a project  on  foot  to  establish  a joint-stock  emi- 
gration company,  with  a capital  of  1,000,000  yen. 
The  waste  lands,  stretching  over  10,000  cho,  in 
the  districts  of  Kato  and  Kasai  in  Hokkaido, 
are  to  be  put  under  cultivation  by  sending  emi- 
grants from  the  interior.  The  application  made 
to  the  Government  for  renting  the  land  has 
already  been  granted,  so  it  now  remains  to  have 
the  company  organized  as  soon  as  it  is  re- 
cognized by  the  authorities.  Beans  and  wheat  will 
be  at  first  iirincipally  raised,  but  it  is  intended 
to  ultimately  plant  other  crops. 
Mr.  Kelavay  Bamber  having  retired  from  the 
service  of  the  Indian  Government  in  order  to  join 
his  lather’s  analytical  business  in  London,  invites 
orders  for  analyses  of  .soils,  manures.  See.  &c.  and 
adds  : — 
My  experiences  in  Assam  tea  districts  and  more 
recently  in  Kumaon  will  enable  me  to  draw  reliable, 
conclusions  from  analysis  and  submit  reports  and 
recommendations,  which  would  be  of  utility 
to  planters.  Besides  work  for  individual  gardens  I 
shall  be  glad  to  try  and  elucidate  any  interesting 
questions  affecting  the  tea  trade  generally,  such  as 
the  chemical  and  other  changes  which  occur  in  tea 
during  the  voyage  home,  when  exposed  to  the  high 
temperature  and  close  atmosphere  of  the  ship’s  hold. 
India-Rubber— Says  The  Globe  of  April  .3— 
The  prospectus  is  issued  of  the  India-Rubber 
(Mexico)  (Limited),  with  a capital  of  £406,000  in 
4b0,000  ordinary  and  6,000  deferred  shares  of  £1 
each.  Subscriptions  are  now  invited  for  300,000 
ordinary  shares,  and  £200,000  7 per  cent,  first 
mortgage  debentures.  The  company  has  been 
loriiieu  to  acquire  and  develop  an  india-rubber 
idantation  known  as  “ La  Esmeralda,”  in  the 
distnct  of  Juquila,  Oaxaca,  Mexico,  and  also  tlie 
india-rubber  and  chicle  gum  estates  and  plantation 
of  “ Llano  de  Juarez”  in  the  district  of  Pochutla, 
Oaxaca.  These  two  properties  cover  together  440 
square  miles,  ami  are  freehold  ; and  it  is  estimated 
tliat  theie  aie  up>yards  of  350,000  india-rubber  trees 
available  for  tapping.  The  list  opens  on  Monday) 
