THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
1 
338 
[Nov, I, 1897. 
hand, has been unable to prevent some damage 
to leaf and would prefer not to shoot leaf, except 
where there would be a great saving of labour. 
We. fancy the gradient and the weight of the 
loads explain this dilierence of fipinion ; for we 
lind botli “D.K.” from a high district and 
“ J.B.” from Uva uniting in their testimony in 
favour of shoots, as of great advantage in saving 
labour without damage to leaf if the terminals 
are properly arranged ; while “J,” also from a 
high district, thougli he has not worked shoots, 
sees how they must save labour, and how the 
damage to leaf need not be greater than during 
long transport. He also appreciates small tram- 
ways in factories and withering houses ; but con- 
siders out-dooi tramways unsuited to the majority 
of upcouiitry estates ; and that o])inion is shared 
in by all the writers whose letters are under 
notice, including “A.f'.C.” who, — although he has 
laid three miles of a two feet gauge and has practi- 
cal experience of tramways, — regards them as un- 
suited to most estates. There is nothing in his 
view — and most of the letters we have noticed 
coni|)rise that view— to touch the cart road and 
bullock bandy lor economy and serviceable- 
ness, and there is the further advantage of their 
being thoroughly understood by the native. 
On the question of weeds and wash too, 
•‘A.F.C.” writes with welcome freshness, and 
without being afraid of dilt'ering from other 
daiiters. He has no doubt that weeding is 
overdone ; but the difficulty of deciding what 
special weeds peculiar to each locality should 
be left, and the impossibility of following the 
Indian plan of leaving everything to grow and 
then digging it all in, without the risk of 
having all the surface soil washed oft', have 
reconciled people to the present system. Moss, 
as more than one previous v liter hinted, has 
a tendency to sour the soil by excluding light 
and air ; but on Labukella estate our friend 
cultivated a creeping grass vvhich prevented wash 
admirably ; altliough lie fears bis successors may 
have regarded the experiment as “rot.” He 
prefers guinea-grass to cuscus, as serving for 
fodder, while protecting the edges of drains. 
“Hantona” and “ W.B.J.” do not believe there is 
over -weeding, though the niamoty and scraper 
are objected to. Grevilleas are recommended, as 
their leaves prevent wash, and the wood is 
useful for fuel ; but the growth of a crop to be 
dug in is an experiment which “Hantana” as well 
as “J. 13.” would wish some one else to try ! ; 
while “ W. B. J.” refers to experiments with 
Scotch thistle which did not succeed, though he 
fails to see what the benefit would have been 
if the weeds had been replaced by the thistle ! 
In fact there seems to be a consensus of opinion 
against digging in on steep lands, and a prejudice 
against a second crop on land of eveiy descrip- 
tion. Cuscus, about which some writers seem 
doubtful, does not, so far as we know, spread 
in a way to damage tea, while it can be easily 
thinned if it shows too great a tendency to 
spread. Tea heilges certainly strike one as a good 
idea; but whatever precaution and preventives 
be adopted against wasii, there is nothing so 
ell'ective a.s a careful system of drainage at the 
outset — shallow drains, of gentle gradient, not 
too far a)iart and with traps at intervals, for 
they can catch something more than silt, at 
any rate during average showers. It is note- 
worthy that from one planter comes the sug- 
gestion of effective su[)ervision as one of the 
iiiost ])otent means of saving labour ; and from 
another the regular enforcement of tasks with 
extra pay for extra work. Frequent absences 
from the estate, even for such pleasant recrea- 
tions as most districts provide, and which, in 
moderation, would be most unreasonahle to 
condemri, — can scarcely help towards efiective 
supervmion or the exaction of a good daj’’s work 
for a day’s pay; and if “ master ” takes it easy, 
Kamaswamy has too much of human natuie in 
him not to follow the comfortable example. In 
this connection “A.F.C.” raises the important 
question of the sufficiency of the cooly’s )>ay, 
and whether the extravagant advances now in 
vogue, most of which are irrecoverable, are not 
an undesirable way of giving the cooly a higher 
rate than appears in the check roll. The dis- 
cussion of higher wages is scarcely opportune in 
the face of dwindling profits ; but how can we be 
sure that a higher rate of wages — even it adopted 
— would give the quietus to the injurious sys- 
tem of advances ? u hile gardens commentl them- 
selves to most employers as a great attraction 
to coolies, it is gratifying to find that several 
of our corres))ondents give prominence to firm, 
just, yet kind treatment, with an occasional 
jocular remark, as the best way to attract the 
cooly to, and make him respect, his durai. 
The multiplication of boutiques is generally 
regarded as a mistake, as also would he the 
absolute prohibition of “a drop,” seeing that 
it would be impossible to enforce such prohibition. 
It is quite evident that as regards the relations 
of master and servant, cooly and the durai 
must be in touch if they are to work to the 
best advantage of both, and this is just what 
.so many experienced men say the young planters 
of the present day — with notable exceptions of 
course — fail to realize, not qualifying in the cooly 
language as they ought, nor in attention to cooly 
complaints, quarrels and little wants, even to 
the extent of an occasional jocative remark ! 
f Letters Continued.) 
No. XL'\^.— Kotmale. 
1. None. 
4-5. Weeding . — The existing system of weeding can- 
not well be beaten if carefully done with the mini- 
mum of scraping and moss and soil undisturbed in 
order to get a cover over the ground. Less frequent 
weeding would mean vigoious scraping, loss of soil 
and erelong more expensive weeding. It has already 
been proved that two-monthly pr three-monthly 
weeding is more costly in labour per acre per annum 
than monthly weeding. 
6. On weedy estates, rows of grass might with 
advantage be planted above drains, but on clean estates 
thsre is very little wash : hence these are unnecessary. 
9. Labour. — Out of a total force of 764 working coolies 
and children, I find 175 were born on the estate. 
Some have never been to India and it has occurred 
to rue that estates would have a better chance of 
retaining the old coolies and in a great measure 
stop the constant changing of estates by coolies if 
all estates wtre to adopt some system of an annual 
bonus to both adults and children born and resident 
on the estate, say at Tivali or Thai Pongal. I 
have been thinking out a scheme for some time, but 
h ve not yet decided upon the best means of doing 
it. A coat or cloth to each cooly would not amount 
to much and be money well spent. A. F. S. 
No. XLVI.--N0 ETHEEN District. 
1 . 
2. 
4. There is weeding and weeding ! Weeding has 
been vastly overdone by scrapers and mamoties. Hand 
weeding can scarcely be overdone. 
5. ^ 'With sciapers, weeds cannot be easily “ selec- 
ted.” Mosses and bard ferns are not erauicated on 
my places, unless the ferns become too luxuriant. 
