339 
Nov. I, 1897.] tHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
i would not advise such experiments unless the 
land is flat. 
6. No, and would not advise it. 
7. Yes — in the circumstances No — the cusnos 
scheme is not practicable on a large scale. The rows 
Would have to be moved every year or so. 
8 . 
9. No. I always allow gardens up to reasonable 
limits. 
10. No. Prices in these small boutiques are gen- 
erally so high that a working cooly will never go to 
them if he can get to a larger village. They are 
besides admirably adapted to facilitate the cooly’s 
getting into debt, and illicit sale of liquor. 
11. No. But there is plenty of illicit selling. I 
scarcely think anything short of abolition of liquor 
shops within 25 miles of an estate would stop drink- 
ing and even that would only do so partially. 
The vicinity of villages with toddy trees also must 
not be overlooked. 
The labour difficulty began with altered conditions 
of superintendence, assisted by the Medical Aid Or- 
dinance, and its remedy is probably to be found in 
superintendents’ hands taken generally. The cooly 
is pretty much what we have made him or allowed 
him to become. W. 
No. XLVII.— High District. 
1. I have not much practical experience of wire 
shoots as regards leaf transport, but they most injure 
it to a certain extent. 
2. A question impossible to answer without knowing 
cost of tramway. But on certain estates it would free a 
larger proportion of coolies for plucking purposes. 
4. Weeding is not overdone in Ceylon. The best 
form of weeding, il it could be carried out, would be 
once in three weeks. At any rate in wet weather. 
5. This applies to 5 or 6. 
7. The present drainage system, I don’t think, can 
be much improved upon. 
9. Coolies : — A certain amount of ground should 
be allowed round all lines for gardening purposes 
Attention should be given to the water supply 
Coolies greatly appreciate a supply of pure water, 
(which can only be done by spouting from the source) 
laid on to the lines. 
10. A bazaar supported by the estate (at fixed rates 
as far as possible) is an excellent thing, but coolies 
would obtain from this all they could afford to pay 
cash for and would then probably run into debt in the 
bazaar outside. What in my opinion would be the best 
check against coolies running into debt in the baz- 
aars would be a law making advances from the 
estate to the cooly a first claim over any other 
debts. Chetties rather would not then be so ready to 
accept Kanganis’ promissory notes, which are the ruin 
of many a labour force. C. 
No. XLVIII.— Mid District. 
(1) Yes, certainly. No; on steep gradients shunts 
could be used to obviate any damage. 
(2) In the field, plucking shears ; but 1 do not 
recommend them. Factories are as a rule, so well 
equipped now with labour-saving machinery that but 
little, if any, improvement can be made. 
(3) No, but I think that Tavalam bullocks could 
be more freely used for transport of manure, tea 
boxes etc. 
(4) Yes, most decidedly. Present system seems 
to me more for appearance than for any advantage 
derived therefrom. 
(5) I should certainly advise a less frequent weed- 
ing, say once in six weeks, also selected weeding, 
taking care to keep the tea trees clear of mosses 
etc. 6 inches round the etems. 
(6) No. Yes. 
(7) No. Waterholing might be advartageous. The 
rows of ouscus grass on a neighbouring estate are 
certainly deterrents to washing down of soil. 
(8) I can suggest nothing further. 
(9) Gardens round lines are general. In my opi- 
nion as much ground should be given to coolies as 
18 available and can be spared for the purpose. 
(10) Yes, but coolies will go to the principal 
bazaars in their neighbourhood to learn the news 
and to meet friends and relatives from other estates. 
(11) The liquorshop in this neighbouihood (which 
is luckily somewhat distant) gives no trouble, but 
there is a considerable traffic in illicit toddy. — No, 
as it would only lead to further illicit sales (and of 
adulterated liquor.) 
“S. E.” 
No. XLIX.- High District. 
(1) llhVe Shoots. — These are invaluable when ground 
is suitable, but gradients in hilly districts are often 
too steep for effective working and the converse holds 
true in the lowcouutry. Intermediate ridges are the 
chief obstacle to their general employment. 
(2) Labour-saving Apph’ajiccs.— hlxcept sifters and 
automatic driers, laLour-saving appliances are of 
little use in a factory. A certain staff is reqtiired and 
labour-saving appliances reduce the hours of work 
rather than the number of men employed. 
(3) Not in upcountry districts — there are about 10 
miles of roads to 300 acres — at least 3 miles of road 
(Tram) would be needed to transport say 300 tons 
of green leaf per annum. 
(4) Clean weeding may be overdone, but 1 do not 
think a dirty estate would last longer in bearing or 
give more crop or cost less than a clean one. 
(5) Less frequent weeding would not save labour 
in the long run. Moss and selagiuellas are hurtful to 
tea owing to the damp they engender. A cooly is 
not a botanist and it would be difficult to get him to 
discriminate between injurious and beneficial weeds, 
if the latter exist. 
(6) No 1 I should be willing to try the experiment 
if seed were available. 
(7) A tea hedge above each road and drain seems 
to me the best conserver of soil ; if pruned low, it does 
not interfere with passage of workers and gives a 
good crop of leaf. 
(8) It is evident that one must have coolies 
sufficient to pluck the maximum crop of the largest 
mouth and to manufacture it- The difficulty is not 
to save labour, but to find work tor it in the slack 
months when sufficient for high pressure of crop. 
(9) Coolies have as a rule more garden ground 
than they work. The gardening cooly very often 
does not work and simply squats on the estate occupy- 
ing line room, keeping others away from the estate. 
There are exceptions to this rule. 
(10) Small boutiques for each estate would keep 
down opportunities for crimping, but there are 
objections to them as leading to inferior supplies 
of certain articles. 
(11) Liquor shops could not be too much reduced 
in mxmhex, provided that illicit sales were kept down. 
Quality of liquor should be rigidly seen to. li. 
No. L.— UVA, 
(1) Yes, they might be more freely used. They 
do not damage tea leaf if laid at an easy gradient. 
(2) Tramways in factories. Endless wire ropes, 
where the weight of down load brings an upload. 
(3) Certainly wherever the easy gradient of road 
will admit. 
(4) No. Kanganies must have a quid-pro-quo if 
weeding contracts be taken from them. (BlOU a cooly!) 
(5) If I resort to this, it will be solely due to 
shortness of labour. 
(6) No. I cannot wiite from any experience of 
this. 
(7) Yes. The closer the drainage, the less soil is 
carried away. 
(8) A contented labor force and good rice. 
(9) No. I don’t think it is a situation of the 
cooly’s lines has a good deal to do with this question. 
(10) I would certainly. 
(11) No. I consider them nearly a necessity, 
though I visit with severity any laborer who forgets 
himself in this respect. 
D. 
