3U 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov. 1, 1897. 
influence of vegetable gardens to bind the cooly 
to tlie estate is very freely admitted ; but any 
interference with his liberty to roam to what- 
ever boutiques he pleases for supposed bargains 
in curry sturt's, is depreciated ; and there is much 
in the suggestion that e.state caddie.", are often 
the home of illicit trade in arrack and the desti- 
nation of stolen estate produce, Kamasamy’s 
weakness for a drop too much when he has a 
chance is a sad, hut not unique, feature in his 
character, hut far better a licensed tavern than 
contraband trade. 
(Letters Continued.) 
No. XXVir.— H igh DisTRicr. 
(1) Have used wire shoots for manure, firewood 
grass, &o., but not for transporting tea leaf ; they, 
save a deal of labor. 
( 2 ) 
(.3) H.ave had no experience. 
(4) It has often struck me that weeding was over- 
done, but, as a rule, our hilly land would suffer from 
any other kind of weeding. 
(5) Selected weeding might be tried with advantage, 
but less frequent weeding would be a mistake. 
(6) Have not experimented in this way. 
(7) The present system of drainage is not satis- 
factory, but I doubt if it can be improved on at a cost 
that would pay. 
(8) 
(9) Good gardens make coolies more contented, as 
a rule, 
10) This might be advisable on outlying estates. 
11) Liquor shops to sell by the glass might be 
done away with altogether, with advantage. 
C. A 
No. XXVIll. 
(1.) No experience. 
(2.) I have not seen anything beyond what is usual 
in all web-equipped factories and estates. 
(3.) Very doubtful, except in very exceptional places. 
(4.) Weeds are pernicious wherever met. 
(5.) One argument in favour of clean weeding, is 
the saving of labour ; coolies are generally 
more content on a clean estate. 
(6.) No. 
(/.) A good deal more might be done in draining, 
both by having drains closer, and a system of 
silt traps ; tea apparently feels 
(8.) Wash more than coffee. 
(9.) A present of a Spinning and Weaving Co.’s 
cloth every 6 months to all good pluckers, and 
once a year to everybody on the estate. 
(10) Private Bazaars are good and they help to con- 
trol illicit arrack dealing. 
(II.) It is not so much the liquor shops as the enor- 
mous amount of illicit dealing that we have 
to content with. 
(Signed) DIMBULDANDAOYA. 
No. XXIX. — Mei' Um Di.'^trict. 
(1.) Wire shoots can be used with advantage for 
shooting down tea leaf or firewood to 'the factory on 
estates where the land is steep. 
(2.) I consider a tea-packer to be a considerable 
saving of labour in the factory. 
(3.) Have had no experience of tramways, but should 
doubt if they would pay on most estates with .labour 
at present rates, 
(4.) 1 I think selected instead of thoronghly clean 
[weeding might be a good thing, but doubt if 
t'l.'i ) one could get coolies to carry it out properly. 
(6.) Have never tried the experiment and can give 
no opinion on it. 
(7.) Yes, if carefully and thoroughly done. In steep 
stony land I have put terraces at an almost dead 
level right across the hill side instead of drains and 
found the system answer well. 
(8.) 
(9.) I think it is a good thing to let coolies Irav e 
gardens round their lines, but it is worse than useless 
trying to be rjenerous to them. Give them good and 
sufficient line accommodation and treat them juntl ;/ — 
but try and attempt nothing further. 
10.) It is a good thing, I think to prevent coolies 
going into the towns for rice, &c. 
(11.) Y'es, the liquor shops are a great source of 
trouble, but it is hard to know what to suggest except 
possibly that every liquor shop should be licensed 
directly from Government and the present system of 
arrack renting done away with. E. W. 
No. XXX.— Lowcouxtry. 
(1) Yes. Not if properly erected. 
( 2 ) 
(3) No I do uot think so. I believe that wuth 
rather broader roads cut, leaf carts drawn by bullocks 
is the cheaijest method for transport of leaf to the 
factory. 
(4) No. But too much “scraping” is done. 
(5) I think shade trees such as Albizzia stop a 
good deal of wash. 
( 6 ) 
(7) 
(8) A really good machine for tea-plucking. 
(9) Gardens. Cows and goats. 
(10) Most of the kanganies and many of the coolies 
have been on this estate for twelve years, and seem 
as a rule contented. 
(11) There are several arrack shops, but we have 
very little trouble fx'om them. The illicit selling of 
toddy etc. by the villagers does more harm. 
LOWCOUNTRY. 
No. XXXI.— High District. 
(1) I believe in wire shoots and think on many 
estates they could be used and save a deal of labour; 
if properly erected they do no harm to leaf. 
(2) Saws (circular) for cutting firewood could more 
extensively be used. 
(3) No, I do not think so. 
(4) No. 
(5) No. 
(6) No, I should not advise such an experiment. 
(7) Diainsare generally cut at too steep a gradient 
which causes loss of soil. But if cut at say 1 ft. in 
25 to 30 feet I find they stop wash well and the 
soil except in very heavy rain is not wasted. 
(8) In getting larger averages of leaf per cooly; 
but as the labour in Ceylon now is so utterly demora- 
lized, I fancy this cannot be done. 
(9) I do uot think they want any. 
(10) No. 
(11) Very much so and if there were J the amount 
of liquor shops, our coolies W'ould be certainly better 
I believe. 
In reference to my answer to No. 8, coolies now 
do at most j the work they did (per day) 18 years 
ago and the average per cooly in plucking leaf is 
very much less in the last 8 years, in my idea and m v 
experience extends over20 years of planting life. I am 
of opinion, that our coolies now, are half useless — an ^ 
what is the cause of this? Years ago one never hear I 
of a cooly taking his master to Court. Now the ex- 
ception is the other way. If you gain your case in 
the Police Court, it’s one thousand to one, you get it 
upset in appeal, and the cooly soon believes this, 
and simply does as he likes. G. 
No. XXXH.— Mid-District. 
(1) Yes, my experience proves they might be far 
more largely adoiTed, but runners could be improved. 
Leaf is not materially injured. 
(2) Many roads on easy gradients could be widened 
into tracks for single bullock carts. 
(3) Only on large properties or groups of estates 
where roads had been laid out suitably. 
(4) Glean weeding is cheapest and thei'cfore best 
from every point of view. 
(5) No. 
