252 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct. I, 1897. 
tight, if there is a good buffer at the end 
of the shoot or the gradient is not too sharp, 
and if the sacks are emptied promptly as they 
arrive. Where necessary, single bullock carts 
have been found most useful in the transport 
of bulky manures to the fields to which they 
have to" be applied, into which such can again be 
carried in sacks if wic/i are employed, as baskets 
hold less. Tramways do not appear to find 
favour on account of their heavy initial cost ; 
but on large estates of 500 acres or more it is 
admitted, they would be found useful and would 
probably pay for their cost. On small estates, 
a road and single carts will be found more 
economical in the opinion of “ Old Proprietor 
and Planter.” 
On the question of “Weeding,” there seems 
to be a considerable difference of opinion ; for 
though clean weeding commends itself to a 
maiority, as justified by experience, one admits 
that damage is done when scrapers are allowed. 
Some insist on hand-weeding alone, some 
would allow mosses and ferns to remain ; some 
regard these as dangerous ; while only two “0” 
from Uva and “ F. B.” from Siyane Korale declare 
that weeding has been overdone. The weight 
of oiunion, so far, is therefore decidedly against 
any interference with the hoary system, which 
is further commended as helping to humour 
kanganies wlio make money out of weeding 
contracts, and the evils of which may be guarded 
against by careful drainage. But “ Bogawantala- 
vm” ’s suggestion has the merit of serving many 
purposes, and of apparently covering five out of our 
eleven questions — that grevilleas should be more 
extensively planted than now, and be gradually 
thinned out as they overshade the tea. The advant- 
ages are that the shade will reduce the weeds, the 
litter of leaves will serve as manure and pre- 
vent wash, while the thinned out trees and the 
piunings should supply firewood. Subsidiary crops, 
whether for profit or to be dug in as manure, do not 
find favour with cur first batch friends. Lack of 
labour and the fear of wash are the chief con- 
siderations urged against any turning up of the 
soil; while “Farmer” preaches contentment with 
results which are “ sufficiently satisfactory” with- 
out any adjuncts to tea. That is just begging 
the question ; for if all are as prosperous and 
happy as our friend seems to be, inquiries like 
those we have initiated would be wholly unneces- 
sary. 
All our correspondents are practically agreed 
on the advantage of allowing coolies garden plots 
tor vegetables, &c. Mot only is a garden a 
source of profit and of health to coolies — vege- 
tables in too great abundance cannot be con- 
sumed by those into whose diet dried and salted 
fish enters largely— but it keeps them from mis- 
chief when “absent,” and hinds them in a very 
desirable way t® the “tottum” or “ wattie.” It 
is particularly satisfactory to find so great 
ao-reement among planters as to the necessity 
of being in touch with their coolies — a point 
not sufficiently appreciated, we fear, by many of the 
new generation. A kind or jocu'ar word, pa- 
tient attention to some trivial complaint, sym- 
pathetic notice of a ininor ailment all these 
go a great way to cheer the Tamil immigrant 
labourer and make him content with his lot, 
and even to prevent quarrels and misunder- 
standings in the lines. “ B” says that he 
has never lost his cooly connection since 
1857 ; and he yet numbers among his kan- 
"anies one of the original lot, whose relatives and 
Sescendants on the est.-ite number 76 and are 
satisfied with the rate of wages they got 40 years 
ago. Surely that is remarkable testimony to the 
importance of good relations, and “B,” like most of 
the others, does not believe in enforcing abstention 
from arrack. A licensed tavern can be controlled; 
its abolition would be almost certain to lead to 
unchecked illicit sales. 
(Letters Continued. ) 
M'^o. X. — Northern District. 
Wire Shoots.- — I have worked these for many years 
and use them for all purposes, viz. (1) sending down 
firewood, (2) tea leaf in coir bags, (3) jungle soil for 
manure in gunnies, etc., etc. If lots of packing 
are placed against the delivery end, the leaf 
will not be much damaged, but if left to strike 
the tree or rock to which the shoot is attached 
the leaf will to a certainty be very much bruised. 
Other Labour Saving Appliances. — Aerial tram- 
ways are undoubtedly foremost in this respect, 
and another few years will, I am sure, see 
many more erected in the tea districts. Terrestrial 
Tramways are out of the way, except on places like 
Mariawatte, and there Appnhamy and his bullock cart 
would be as efficient and much more cheap. 
Weeding. — Surely this question has been threshed 
out long ago. A clean estate or none at all. There 
is no doubt “ humus ” is what our poor clayey Cey- 
lon soils want, and no better way to obtain a supply 
is to grow a thick crop of some nitrogenous weed, the 
same to be cut down and forked into the soil before 
it seeded. But look at the labour it would require, 
let alone the thousands of obnoxious weeds that would 
grow and seed unseen among the sort you were raising ! 
Who is there bold enough to try ? Such a beneficial 
green manuring would work wonders and make our 
soil last for years to come. An American plant 
called the Californian Cow Pea is what should be 
used for this green manuring. See back numbers of 
the Tropical AgricuUnrist. 
Drains. — If the cross and centre drains now in use 
all over the tea districts are properly attended to, no 
better plan for the money we can afford to spend on 
this head can be employed. I know of estates where 
every coffee tree was terraced, and every roadside 
built up with hammer-dressed stone over huudieds 
of acres, until the land looked like the ramparts of 
Malta. This work was done splendidly many years 
ago, and it would be very interesting to know if the 
tea now growing on this land is better than what is 
growing on other and uuterraced fields on the same 
estate. The capable Superintendent of Spring Valley 
Estate, Badulla, could say so if he liked. 
Coolies. — The possession of small gardens round 
the lines undoubtedly serves to make the cooly con- 
tended ; but it won’t deter him from leaving the 
estate if his kangaui orders him, or if he wants to 
go himself. It certainly adds to his health. 
Bazaars. — Bach estate should have its own bazaar if 
possible, under the fatherly supervision of the Superin- 
tendent, and owned by the head-kangani. The evil re- 
sults arising from coolies going long distances to bazaars 
for their curry-stuffs, etc., are incalculable. They 
come across crimps and pimps, and bullies of every 
sort, get into gambling hells, and get drunk and are 
most likely robbed and beaten. I am now building 
a big kaddy on this estate which I hope to get 
my coolies to come to in future instead of going 
weekly to that den of iniquity, Huluganga. 
Liquor Shops. — The arrack tavern is an evil we 
must all put up with, but liqour shops are the very 
mischief. In these shops the better class of cooly, 
the conductor and tea-maker go and booze and get 
corrupted. Otherwise they would not drink as they 
are ashamed to stand and drink at the arrack tavern 
with the common herd. L. 
No. XI.-UVA. 
i In replying to your questions I must premise that 
for all practical purposes we have plenty of labour 
