Oct. I, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
251 
(27 While wire shoot.s can be only used with ad- 
vantage on comparatively steep land ; on those 
estates where the lay of the land is fairly level or 
gently undulating, wheeled traffic, in the shape of 
light carts, made suitable for round roads, and drawn 
by ordinary native cattle, could be used with the 
greatest advantage. 
( 3 ) Tramways could not be used on the average 
number of estates, which are mostly steep; but on a 
percentage of them, v/here the lay of the land is 
suitable, i.e., practically flat, 12" or 18 " gauge tram- 
way might be laid down, proving very beneficial and 
a great saving of labour. It must, however, be under- 
stood that individual capitalists could hardly be ex- 
pected to gain from such an undertaking, as the initial 
cost would be prohibitive ; but to a Compan' , with 
capital at their tack, such a scheme would undoubtedly 
commend itself, and be found workable. 
( 4 ) The system of weeding adopted and carried 
out in Ceylon for so many years with success 
has proved itself to be the right one, and to change it 
now would, in our opinion, be unadvisable. 
( 5 ) Mosses and ferns might be left unweeded to a 
certain extent, but care should be taken to prevent 
them from spreading too thickly over the ground, as 
moss, especially, has a tendency to not confining itself 
to the ground alone, but of encroaching upon products 
in its immediate vicinity. 
(6; We have never tried the experiment of culti- 
vating any crop of lupines, &c., between the tea, so as 
to prevent wash, and hardly think it would be likely 
to succeed. 
( 7 ) We are of opinion that it would be unadvisable to 
effect a diminution in the system of drainage of estates 
as at present carried out. In preference to cuscus 
grass, a close hedgerow of tea, planted immediately 
above each drain, would be found serviceable as well 
as remunerative. 
(8) The only other way we can conceive for 
reducing ma,nual labour, is the introducing into 
factories of the latest approved machinery ; and if 
some ingenious person — yet to be born perhaps !— 
would invent an effective Plucking Machine, it would 
reduce the labour requirements of estates by at least 
one-half, to say nothing of the vast reduction m cost 
of production which would ensue, which, at present 
prices, is principally what we have to strive for. 
( 9 ) Coolies are as well off as they possibly can be 
in this respect, and we consider that the granting of 
any further perquisites or indulgences would not make 
them any more contented but rather the reverse. 
Volumes could Le written on this subject were time 
and space not limited. 
( 10 ) We believe in groups of estates having their 
properly established rice stores and boutiques imme- 
diately under the supervision of the Superintendent. 
The ordinary boutique-keeper, who swindles the cocly 
out of his hard-earned wages, and encourages him 
to indulge in extravagance, is the man who is lining 
his pockets at the expense of the country and is 
without doubt the curse of the planting industry of 
Ceylon. 
(11) Indiscriminate licensing of taverns and liquor 
shops in planting districts is another fruitful source 
of injuring our labour supply, and Government have 
a deal to answer for in this resnect. Illicit drawing 
and sale of toddy and arrack is another crying evil, 
which should be put down with a high band by the 
Powcrs-that-be. TWO OF THEM. 
REVIEW OF I.ETl'ERS NOS. I. TO IX. 
Tne questions which we have propounded by 
cifcnlar to planters and others on tlie a’oove 
subject, ire not only .supplementary to those 
whiidi have been most useful in eliciting 
information on the cultivation and nianufacture 
of tea in all their branches, and on the condi- 
tions which have affected t he price of tea in 
the markets of the world, but tliey may also be 
regarded as naturally llowing from tlie answers 
winch have been published in response to our 
first circular. It may be remembered that, in 
those letters, the cry from district after dis- 
trict was, that labour was scarce ; that the 
scarcity rendered the application of manures 
difficult, if not impossible; that even where there 
was sufficient labour, it deterred many from 
applying manures because of tlie probability that 
the labour would not suffice for the heavier crops 
which would follow manuring ; and, perhaps 
most important of all, that it led to plucking 
at longer intervals, thus rendering coarser pluck- 
ing, rasping liquor, and the preponderance of 
lower grades inevitable. In these circumstances, 
and with so serious a weight of testimoney on 
the direct and indirect tlrawbacks of an in- 
suffi cient labour supply, it became necessary at 
once to inquire, how can we increase our labour 
supply ? Or, how can we utilize to the best 
advantage tliat wliich we have ? The difficulties 
wbicli beset recruiting liave been well-known and 
appreciated by the planters and tlie Govern- 
ment for many years past ; and in recent times 
they have been the subject of aii.xious inquiry, 
without in any way improving the outlook. 
That, however, is not of direct concern in the 
present investigation ; but even if it were pos- 
sible to draw on the labour reserves of India 
according to our needs, the duty of economizing 
what we have would yet remain. And especially 
nece.ssary is it that we should make the present 
supply of labour suffice, in view of the sliriiik- 
age of profits caused by low prices, the up- 
ward tendency of exchange, the dearness of rice, 
and the growtli of so-called coast advances, much 
of which, we fear, are ail absolutely irrecoverable, 
and to which much more w’ill have to be added 
if our labour force is to be permanently increased. 
It is tlie.se and such like considerations which 
weighed with us in framing the questions to 
which wo. liave already received a very encourag- 
ing volume of answers. 
We purpose drawing attention now to the 
first nine letters which we give above. 
The testimony in favour of wire shoots, 
as a labour-saving appliance, conies from all 
who have tried them— Likoya, Bogawan- 
talawa, “C” from Uva, “Fanner” from High 
District and “Two of them” from a Southern 
District, certifying from experience to their 
economy in the transport of manures, firewood 
and tea-leaf ; while others who have no personal 
knowledge of “ shoots ” have observed their satis- 
factory working ; and all seem agreed that their 
use might be greatly extended, especially on 
steep estates. Now hlire is a most important 
means of econonii iig labour, which has long 
passed the experimental .stage— it was in use 
in the |.alniy days of coffee quite a generation 
since— and whieii conies to us with the higliest 
credentials. Why is it no) more largely in use? 
For, as “R from Lowcoiintry Estates” slirewdly 
points out, it is not only the diiect saving in 
the cost of transport wliicli has to be considered, 
but the setting tree of labour for other urgent 
work which niust be done, and the ability to 
exact a fair day’s work for fair wage where it 
is not necessary to humour coolies for work 
which is distasteful to them, and of such work, 
carrying loads unquestionably is one form. The 
only doubt that is leit about wire shoots is 
connected with damage to leaf ; but all our 
correspondents are agreed that tliere need be 
no damage, if the wire is not stretched too 
