The tropical agriculturist. 
341 
Kov, I) 1897^] 
estate to dispense with one-tliird of its labour 
force. This, surely, is a matter that needs in- 
vestigation : for altliough the dictum may sup- 
port the view of more than one old planter, 
that the average of work at the inesent day is 
far lower than it used to be, it would indicate 
a way out of the difficulty of enforcing a full 
task, and facilitate the recovery of advances. 
The cooly who earns his extras will have less objec- 
tion to deductions on account of advances than 
the man who is demoralized into idleness by the 
weight of advances he can never hope to liqui- 
date. 
On the question of Weeding, there is the same 
conservative love of the existing system which 
earlier letters disclosed, qualified by protest.s 
against the excessive use of karandi and mamoti. 
“ A. F. S.” thinks ” the present system cannot 
be beaten but he would leave moss and soil 
undisturbed as far as practicable, and he would 
grow grass above drains on weedy estates, as 
there is very little wash on clean estates ! “ W ” 
admonishes us that th.ere is weeding and W'eed- 
ing, and that there has been overdoing only where 
scrapers and mamoties are in use. Hand-w'eeding 
cannot be overdone ; and he leaves mosses and 
hard ferns alone, unless where the latter becomes 
too luxuriant. “ C. ” is emphatic that weeding 
is not overdone in Ceylon, and he holds that the 
present system of drainage cannot he much im- 
proved on. “R.” does not think a dirty estate would 
last longer than a clean one, and he condemns 
mosses and selaginellas as hurtful to tea owing 
to the damp they engender, while, w’ith the un- 
botanical cooly, selected weeding cannot be 
entertained. “ D.” is as emphatic as he is brief 
against any interference with the present sys- 
tem ; for without weeding contracts, the kangani 
will expect lilOO per cooly. So with “G. C.,'’ 
“ 1897” and “ H. H. ” Avho more or less reflect the 
opinions of the writers we have above-quoted. The 
only exception is “ S. E. ” who is most decidedly 
of opinion that weeding is overdone, and that 
the present .system seenis to aim more at appear- 
ance than any real advantage from an agricul- 
tural point of view. He is in f.'ivour of less fre- 
quent weeding — say once in six weeks— and w ould 
enforce selected weeding, taking care to keep 
mos.ses away within six inches of the stem. 
There is general satisfaction with the present 
system of drainage, with slight modifications, sug- 
gested, we fancy, by local circumstances. Cuscus 
has not many friends as a stop-wash, but it is 
not altogether shunned by those who have tried 
it, or have watched its effect on adjoining 
places. Though gardens are generally recognised 
as an attraction to coolies, and planters, where 
they can, (allow them suitable plots, and also 
liberty to keep cattle and goats, we find very 
decided testimony from experienced and influen- 
tial quarters that, what the cooly chiefly wants is 
fair-play — firmness combined with kindness, and a 
real interest in his poor soul and body. That 
was the secret of the durais of old ; but, some- 
how, the modern master is, with commendable ex- 
ceptions, either too busy or too keen on sport to 
cultivate the acquaintance of his labour force, 
and to make his men understand that he really 
cares for their welfare and is willing to listen 
to their grievances and remedy them, so far as 
he _ may. We should be glad to find the ex- 
perience of “A.F.S.” more common. Out of 
a total force of 764 woi king coolie.s and children, 
175 or nearly one-fourth, w ere born on the estate, 
and_ a goodly number have never been to India ! 
Similar results might, he thinks, be obtained 
on other estates by occasional presents and 
bonuses. The suggestions are worth considering 
and trying. Boutiques and taverns call forth 
much diversity of opinion. Some favour estate 
boutiques as tying the cooly down to the spot ; 
others regard it impossible to check the vagrancy 
of coolies in search of a bargain whereby even a cent 
may be saved on curry-stufl's, while an estate 
boutique is generally a handy receiver of stolen 
produce. Some would make Kamasami a tee- 
totaller ; others see the impracticability of en- 
forcing total abstinence, however desirable, and 
welcome licensed taverns, as greatly to be pre- 
ferred to the illicit sale of arrack. 
( Letters Continued. ) 
No. LIV — MiD-DlSTBtCT. 
1. I consider wire shoots on estates. Where suit- 
able sites are to be found, a very great saving in 
transport of leaf. Where practicable, more should be 
used. They do well also for transport of fuel. 
2. I fail to see why all final firing and packing 
should not be done in Colombo, all teas being sent 
down in special chests made for the purpose in good 
stout paper, so saving transport of all lead, nails, 
hoop-iron, etc. up to the estate. 
8. I think not ; besides, most estates require all 
their fuel for factory. 
4. Nothing like clean weeding frOln the first. When 
tea covers the ground well and when weeding is done 
for a rupee per acre per mensem, I think, seeing our 
pluckeis have to go over the ground every eight days, 
they can, at the higher altitudes, be made to keep 
down all weeds — when the kanganies would be well 
paid if they got 50 cents per acre jm o ?-afa on number 
of pluckers employed during the month, thus saving 50 
cents per acre. 
5. No, I would weed as above. Mosses and small 
ferns should be left as they do no harm, and all help 
to keep up soil and prevent wash ; indeed with this 
in \iew, tea should be planted closer I should say 
two plants in each hole, say 18 inches apart. Land 
planted in this way will terrace itself, no matter bow 
steep. 
6. No, beyond growing grevilleas for fuel which 
do no real barm to the tea. I would do nothing in this 
line. The mulching of the ground by fall of leaves 
of this tree does a lot of good particularly in thin 
tea where there is a large percentage of vacancies. 
7. 1 don’t think we can improve our present system 
of draining. Drain as close as possible ; but, try to 
have few leading drains, other than natural 
ravines, as possible as they always cut up terribly 
with our N.E. plumps, I don’t believe in soil traps, 
the best soil is always washed away, leaving nothing 
but sand in the trap which is useless. 
8. The best means of saving labour is to get a 
good S.D. or conductor and make him carry the pocket 
checkroll regularly, thereby keeping a lot of cents 
cff the cost of the pound of tea. Allow a fair rate 
for each work and don’t let it be exceeded. 
9. Cooly gardens should always be encouraged; they 
are a sure sign of contentment. Few coolies, how- 
ever, care to have them owing to the thieving that 
goes on. 
10. Yes, every estate should have its own bazaar. 
They help to keep the coolies from wandering and 
from being crimped and save a lot of time lost by 
coolies, who should be at work, having to go for 
their supplies in some cases long distances. 
11. Yes ; the very curse of the low-caste natives. 
Government Agents should restrict them as much as 
possible in planting and all other districts. 
OLD PLANTER. 
No. LV.— High-Disteict. 
1. I have had no experience in wire shoots, but 
have seen them working. They save labour, and 
might be used more than at present. Can’t say 
whether they damage leaf or not. 
2. Can’t think of any except these generally knows* 
