Nov. I, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 3(5 
(6) No, not in tea. Except when lay of land is un- 
usually easy. 
(7) Hedges of tea above roads and drains are tried 
now in parts of Dimbula. Cuscus suffers from a 
fungus at roots very often, also from scale and black 
bug and is not desirab e. 
(8) Machine pruners and pluckers. A light, cheap, 
narrow transport cart a la bicycle. Betttr tempered 
steel tools ! 
(9) Unquestionably, give gardens to all coolies who 
will use them and keep them clean ; encourage 
growing vegetables largely. 
(10) It would he a. good thing forestates to have 
their own bazaars and canteens, but whether practi- 
cable is another question. 
(11) Yes, liquor-shops are a nuisance, but no use to 
abolish them. Their number might be reduced with 
advantage. Gothenberg System should be tried. 
(Signed) T. KOKO. 
No. XXXIII.— High District. 
(1) Yes. No, not more than leaf carried in sacks. 
( 2 ) 
(3) On large estates only. 
(4) Yes. 
(.1) Moss very bad for tea bushes. 
(6) No. 
(7) Pairlv so. Only by terracing. 
(8) 
(9) Treating them justly and getting a good day’s 
work from them. Gardens generally given. 
(10) No. The nearer the bazaar, the bigger the debt. 
(11) No. S. 
No. XXXIV.— High District. 
(1) Have had experience of wire shoots. They 
might be more freely used ; but by any method I have 
seen of working they damage Daf. 
(2) More cart-roads wanted. Less might be spent 
on useless tanks and a little more on cart-roads. 
(3) Not only tramways, but a modification of 
switchbacks could be used on estates and elsewhere. 
M' Weeding is overdone especially on steep land 
and' wind-blown ridges. The soil, if bare, cannot fail 
to suffer during the monsoon. 
(5) I would advise selected weeding ; especially on 
steep land and exposed ridges. 
(6) Have no experience. 
(7) I consider the present system as satisfactory as 
practicable ; but if a grass could be got that did not 
spread, much benefit would result from planting as 
suggested. 
(8) All estates of 100 acres or over, ought to be 
assisted to afford cart communication to the station 
at least from the boundary. 
(9) I think, coolies are generally very liberally 
provided with gardens so far as the estate is con- 
cerned. The cultivation and turning them to account 
is in their own hands. 
(10) Wherever there are coolies, boutiques or 
bazaars very soon follow. 
(11) Liquor shops are a curse to the coolies and a 
perfect nuisance to all concerned. M. 
No. XXXV.— Medium District^ 
(1) Wire shoots are very useful on steep estates 
for firewood, less so for leaf. Are already in general 
use where suitable. Do some damage to leaf if the 
shock at the base be too great. Runners are a great 
trouble and expense. 
(2) Wire tramways worked by power are being 
successfully worked and may often be much more 
economical than a cart road. 
(3) Transport of leaf by coolies does not take up 
much labour and 18" or 12" tramways would be of 
little use for this. For transporting tea, rice, &c., 
a wire tramw.ay or cart road would be better. Few 
estates would suit tramways. 
(4) This was discussed in the papers about 1882-3 
by “Ageratum” (G. D. Gollinson) and others and 
has often been thought of since. 
(5) Regular clean weeding is the cheapest and 
therefore most labour-saving method. No doubt soil 
would be preserved by letting weeds grow and 
“selected weeding ’’ if it could be done would be good 
husbandry. Cleaning up after weeds have got in is 
very expensive. 
(6) Have not tried, but think other forms of cultiva- 
tion would pay better. 
(7 ) Silt pits in the drains, about 4 ft. long by 1 ft. 
deep and the width of the drain have w'orked very 
satisfactorily. They must be kept cleared and should 
be at frequent intervals say 10 or 12 ft. apart. 
(8) Labour would be saved if the migration of 
gangs could be diminished. The coolies in these 
migrating gangs won t work, but live on what the 
kangany can screw out of successive Superintendents. 
(9) Certainly gardens are of great importance and 
when cultivated generally imply that the cooly intends 
to stay. Good lines, good water, and dispensaries on 
the estate or within easy reach, should be provided. 
(10) If rice is issued on the estate, boutiques 
would be useful, otherwise coolies will go to the 
bazaar and exchange their rice for their other wants. 
More might certainly be done for the coolies, but 
they don’t, always know what is good for them. 
(11) If you abolish the arrack tavern you encourage 
the illicit dealer who sells adulterated arrack, also 
the cheap gin shop. Few estates but have their 
regular supply of arrack on sale in the lines. 
O. Y. A. 
REVIEW OF LETTERS XXVII. TO XXXV. 
The nine letters under review do not cover 
as iniich space, as the batches we had jne- 
viously reviewed ; but tliey are none the less 
suggestive on that account, nor are tlie opinions 
they contain le.ss weighty or definite. While 
“ Dinibuldanda Oya ” lias had no experience 
of wire shoots, and regards tramways a very 
doubtful ally, except in very exceptional p'ace.s, 
“ C. A.” from a liigli District has used shoots 
for manure, firewood, grass, &c., and found 
them a great .saving of labour. “ E. W.” from 
a Medium District commends shoots for leaf, 
as well firewood ; but like “ C. A.” he has had 
no experience of tramways, and doubts whether 
they can be shown to pay on most estates. 
“ Lowcountry,” “ G.” from High District, and 
“ T. Koko ” from Mid District, endorse this 
commendation of shoots, express their belief 
in the saving of labour they would effect in 
many estates on which they have not yet 
been erected, and see no reason why leaf should 
be damaged, if the shoots are properly erected 
and carefully worked. All three correspondents 
are further agreed that tramways are unsuited 
to the average estate, and two of them prefer 
wider roads and light single-bullock carts as 
means of transport. The suggesiions that circular 
saws for cutting firewood and packers for pack- 
ing tea, should be more largely employed as 
labour-saving appliances are deserving of atten- 
tion. “ S.” from High District, as also “ M.,” 
and “ O. Y. A.” from Medium District agree on 
the advantages of shoots ; but, while “ IS.” de- 
clares that leaf is not damaged by their use to 
a greater extent than leaf carried in sacks, 
“ M.” has found leaf damaged by every method 
tried. “0. Y. A.” on the other hand, refers 
damage to too great a shock at the base — a 
drawback, surely, which can be avoided ; while 
he has found runners a greit trouble and ex- 
pense. His experience of wire tramways is 
greatly in their favour, and they may often be 
much more economical than cart roads ; while 
both are to be preferred to ground tramways 
which would not answer on most estates, " M.” 
