254 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
home they force him to move on to another if 
hia master will not yield to extortion. 
(11) Ai'rack taverns are a curse to the estate 
labourers and the Arrack renters seem to encourage 
illicit-sales and Headmen don’t try to slop it. R. 
No. XV.— Medium District. 
(1) We have a large number of wire shoots and 
find them labor-saving and economical. The leaf 
is injured to some extent in them. 
(2) Wire overhead tramways in the absence of cart 
roads meet all requirements of transport to or from 
the estate and it is surprising that they are not more 
generally used. 
(3) The expenses of rail tramways would be pro- 
hibitory, on most estates. 
(4) We believe in keeping the estate thoroughly 
clean, 
(6) The mosses do not seem injurious to tea on 
well-drained land. 
(6) No. (See above). 
(7) Where the lay of the land permits, drains 
cut at a low gradient — say one in twenty to one 
in twenty-five, so as to permit the water to drain 
off slowly, — seem preferable to a steeper gradient 
which scours and carries off the loose soil with it. 
This does not apply to steep land and the drains 
must be deep. 
(8) For transport of fuel and leaf, wire shoots on 
steep land and traced roads over which light carts 
can be taken on flatter laud, are all that occur to us 
as applying at all generally. 
(9) On estates not at a high elevation the more 
open the surroundings of the lines the better on sani- 
tary grounds. Space for gardens is generally left ; but 
is more often than otherwise neglected by the coolies ; 
plantains and perhaps a few briujals flourishing in the 
accumulated filth. Lines should be built wherever prac- 
ticable near a good supply of water and where there 
is a slope in all directions from them. Where practi- 
cable the keeping of stock should be encouraged. 
(10) Boutiques in close proximity to the Factory 
leads to pilfering; on the other hand coolies should 
not have tar to go for their curry stuffs. 
(11) We have no liquor shops near the estates ; but 
illicit arrack selling goes on everywhere. T. 
No. XVI.— Northern DiSTRic.r. 
(1) About I of my leaf is brought in by means of 
Wire Shoots. I think they are very generally used. I 
do not see how any injury to leaf can occur with ordi- 
nary care. 
(2) W ire tramways are being used on several Estates 
to bring tea to cart roads. Few Estates in Ceylon are 
large enough or flat enough to make a 12" or 18" tram- 
way of service. But it would be an advantage on some 
in the low country. 
(4) The cheapest Weeding and therefore that w'hich 
occupies the least number of coolies, is undoubtedly the 
monthly contract system, which if properly carried out 
can be done for R12 per annum per acre or even less. 
Viewed as saving expense not a fern or a moss should 
be spared, as they would soon form seed beds for other 
weeds. In damp climates, moss would, if left, soon 
choke up the trees and spaces under them and make the 
bark of trees unhealthy. The cleaner the Estate, the 
less the soil is disturbed and the less “ wash.” 
(5) No — not because I think that less frequent 
weeding would do harm to the tea, but because it 
would be more expensive. Even if dug in (where the 
nature of soil admitted) twice a year, it would be ex- 
pensive and require more labourers. 
(6) Quite, when thoroughly done. 1 would not plant 
anything in good Tea, but in bad, and on exposed 
ridges, Grevilleas if not too close are undoubtedly 
beneficial and make weeding cheaper. 
(7) I know of none. 
(8) They are too well paid already : the facility with 
which they can get advances is the great evil. 
(9) No. A shop in the Lines has worked well in 
some instances, but it generally falls into the head- 
kangaui’s hands. 
[Oct. I, 1.S97. 
(10) Yes. Abolishing liqucr shops or their reduction 
would (if it were possible) undoubtedly increase the 
efficiency of the force we have ; nearly all coolies drink ; 
and many a gang is lost from drunken quarrels. 
T. 
No. XVII.— Mid-Di.strict. 
Tour circular to hand opens up a very wide sub- 
ject — or rather series of subjects — to which it would 
be difficult to reply within the limit of the lines 
allotted to each question. 
(1.) I have no personal experience ; but believe the 
use of Wire Shoots to be capable of very great ex- 
tension and improvement. 
(2.) Have no experience of Factory work. Have 
used “ Thompson’s Patent Tea Pluckers ” on new 
flush after pruning, with a considerable saving of 
time and labour; but hand plucking is found to be 
more satisfactory after the first two months. With 
an insufficient labour force these clippers should 
certainly prove of value as a labour-saving appliance. 
(3.) I consider that Tramways (on the ground) — 
even of the smallest gauge — would be impracticable 
on by far the larger number of Upcountry estates, — 
chiefly owing to the difficult nature of the land 
and the costliness of construction. But overhead 
haulage tramways (with wire shoots) might — and 
probably will — be more largely employed as labour 
difficulties increase. 
(4, .5.) I am very strongly of opinion that WEEDING 
has been and is being overdone in Ceylon. I am 
convinced lha.t vast sums have been tbrown away on 
injudicious weeding; the labour and expense being 
not merely wasted, but employed to the actual de- 
triment of the property. The result of overweeding 
is everywhere visible in bare red soil divested of every 
particle of humus and affording no lodgement for 
fresh accumulations of leaf-mould. With the surface 
soil went the coffee. Tea being a deeper feeder is 
not so absolutely dependent upon surface soil ; but 
how much it is benefitted by the presence of humus 
is amply evidenced by the more flourishing condition 
of tea bushes immediately surrounding a well filled 
weed hole. 
On steep laud, the Indian method of hoeing in the 
weeds every two or three months would be quite out 
of the question. Such a plan would soon transfer 
the remainder of our soil to the low-country. But a 
system of water holes between each 4 trees, into 
which the W'eeds, at the periodical (bimonthly?) 
haudweeding, would be thrown and allowed to rot, 
erduld in my opinion produce good results It must 
be remembered that weeds returned to the soil in 
this manner not only give back what they took out 
of the soil, but actually enrich it with the store of 
nitrogen that they have extracted from the atmosphere. 
At the same time there are certain mosses and 
other small plants that might be encouraged to assist 
in the formation and retention of humus, — serving 
also to minimise W'ash. There would be no question 
of the necessity for artificially manuring tea if nature 
were allowed to play her willing part in helping to 
renovate the soil. The favoured plants should of 
course be selected with discretion. Such as have 
light surface roots and do not form too matted a 
growth being preferable. I have here a plant ad- 
mirably suited to the purpose. I have submitted 
specimens to the Director of the Peradeniya Gardens 
for identification. The ‘‘Liver-worts’' (Marchan- 
tia), amongst the moss-like plants, are Hot suitable, 
for the reason that their very close growth would 
interfere with the proper aeration of the soil. The 
advice of an economic botanist — to teat the plants 
and inform us which would best enrich the soil — 
would be valuable. Possibly Mr. Willis may give 
us the benefit of bis scientific knowledge. 
(6). I believe that no systematic experiments 
have yet been made in Ceylon in growing legumi- 
nous crops, to be dug into the soil. I fear that 
this would be open to the same objection that arises 
in the case of the Indian plan of hoeing in weeds. 
It might, however, be tried in connection with the 
system of water-boles suggested above, In districts 
