Nov. 1 , 1897.1 the tropical 
10 Yes, until two or three estates have their 
own'- also bring rice for coolies on to the estate. 
Tl Not now. No, I do not think hquor-shops . 
should be abolished, as coolies, if they want liquor 
will procure it some way or other ; but I would 
reduce them in number in the planting di..tiiots.^ 
Note,-I consider the first thing necessary in Plant- 
ing is a new Labour Ordinance suitable for the tea 
priduct. Agents in India to 
and longer terms of agieemeuts with coolies and kan- 
ganies. Possibly bring a “Register Ordinance in 
force, to prevent continual running away of coolies, 
and I w'ould even suggest e. legal visnoi 01 "It'S'® 
trate for coolies on estates to settle all their family 
and caste quarrels, also to act as a civil com- 
missioner to decide all irregularities with respect to 
debts, as I know personally the present i^i^oiir force 
is disorganized by kanganies and heads of families , 
possibly a visit once in four months would suffice. 
No. LXI.— High District, 
1 Yes; but not for leaf. No reason for damage 
unl’ess the shoot is too steep when the check cord 
They have been pretty well utilized in all well- 
going factories. 
3 Only- on exceptional estates. 
4 Clean estates, weeded under a ru^e, should be 
kept clean, with drains in proper order. Dirty estates 
far better left, save taking out coarse weeds 
and the surface stirred over with a mamotie once 
a year to prevent a too compact surface lorming. 
i No; have no experience of the process. 
7. Drains are often traced too steep ; one m 2o should 
not be exceeded. Cuscus grass will rob three feet 
tool., .oil ‘.‘li 'VO*. 
cy to, g«ao... »b.n th.,0 
none; when plenty space for them, gardens are 
.ho ho.il it-8."y 
but coolies like to go where they pLase. ^ 
11. Liquor shops are bad, and unnecessary ; but 
here I never see a drunk cooly- I have plentj of 
labour and no advances out. 
THIRTY-THRBE-YEAES-AT-IT. 
No. LXII.- Medium District. 
1. Yes ! they can be used more freely than they 
are at present, especially on steep estates of laig^e 
acreage It does to some extent dsmsge tea leaf, 
dependent more or less on the length and gradient 
of the shoot. 
2. Usual machinery in factory, 
3 Not in eveiv instance, but it may be pioii- 
tahiy used, where great distarces have to he cow red 
and where a dip exists between the starting point, 
aud that to which goods, &c., aie sent. 
4 Yes; where the hoe was incessantly used. 
5’, No ; but would suggest, that the hoe and 
kariandi be dispensed with, and the kootchie used 
instead, and every weed being pulled up as lar as 
practicable. This would not loosen the surface soil, 
and consequently there would he less wash. 
7' Planting tea in hedges, both above and below 
roads and drains, will to a very great extent catch 
un the soil and prevent wash. There is no method 
vet found out, that oau he praclicahly applied to- 
wards preventing all the soil from being washed away. 
8 A rough estimate before a W'ork is staAed, as 
to its cost, and the work done thoi oughly (allowing in 
cost for good and substantial work) will save a great 
deal of trouble and expense and be cheapest in the 
^’^' 9 .' Leave the cooly to look after his comforts and 
he 'will always he contented ; but if you attempt to 
administer towards his comforts, yon wRl breed dis- 
content and he will never be happy. The cooly is 
happiest when he is the most ignorant ; if attempts 
AGRICULTURIST. 
are made to over- educate him, he will no longer 
be a cooly, for, when thus, he will not care to do 
the work of a cooly, but will look upon it as_ beneath 
his dignity to do such work. The best thing is to 
give him his wants and let him alone. 
10. Yes. 
11. No. If arrack shops were abolished in the 
planting districts, estates would get on very much 
more satisfactorily than at present. 
W. S. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
“Will Coffee-growing Pay?” a.sk,s Mr. D. 
Buchanan, Manager, State Nursery, Mackay. 
He answers ; — 
I would advise all those who are in doubt about 
the matter to visit the State Nursery and see for 
themselves the crops on the trees here. Mr. Dausy, 
manager of the Mackay Cofiee Company’s estate, 
says he has not seen a better crop in Ceylon. I 
feel sure that a good future is in store for the coffee- 
growing industry; and it is just those farmers who 
have 30, 60, or 100 acres of cane who can go in for 
coffee snccessfiiily, as they have money coming in 
to tide tliem over the three years dining which they 
have to wait for a crop. 
Double Rice.— In tlie Proceedings of the Asiatic 
Society of Bengal for April 1896, Dr. D. Prain describes 
and figures what is known in India as Double Rice. 
In all cases the phenomenon was found to be due to 
an increase in the number of ovaries, the other parts 
of the flower being invariably of the normal number. 
In the gynaeceum of over 1.60 flowers examined not 
one was found with fewer than four ovaries, all 
apparently perfect ; the usual number being flve. A 
few flowers W'eie found to have six, and one or two 
had seven ovaries. When five, six, rr seven ovaries 
were present, sometimes only three, but usually four 
or five appeared to be perfect. The ovaries may 
be one-, two-, or three-styled. Usually only two 
ovaries develop into grain, sometimi s three, and their 
shape is modified accordingly . — Keiv Bulletin. 
Bubber-Tree Lands.— The National Congress 
of Bolivia have issued decrees declaring all rubber 
trees, or other wild tree.s or plants, available for 
industrial purposes, which may grow in fcn.sts 
or lands not legally held by individuals or duly 
authori.sed Companies, the jiroperty of the Govern- 
ment. In doing so, the Congress, however, 
promise important concessions to natives or 
others exploring the jiublic forests in search of 
rubber trees. Conces.sions are to be granted by 
“e.stradas,” or groups of one hundred and fifty 
trees, and actual proprietoiship will accrue to 
those who reside in the community for a period 
office yciirs. Unle.-s actually authorised by the 
Legislative Chambers of Bolivia, no individual 
c.'iii hold more than five hundred estradas, and no 
Cl iiiiiany mo) e tlian one thousand. The expenses 
attending the giants (15 Bolivian clolJais) aie 
payable by grantees and may be extended over 
fifteen years. Discoverers of rubber trees will 
have the preference in the granting of conces.sions. 
Certain rules are made for the )notection of 
labourers employed on the lands included in these 
concessions, but they do not seem irnduly stringent, 
though they throw a great deal of responsibility 
on the grantee. There has been recently formed 
in London, the Columbian India Bnl.ber Explor- 
ation Conip.any (Idmited) with a capital of 
$1,5UO,000, it being tlie outgrowth of an .agree- 
ment made on Aprils. U'97, between the Colum- 
bian Syndicate, Limit' and Mr. B. Alena as 
Tiustec for the new ( .mpany. The object of 
the Company is to explore, obtain conces.-iions and 
carry out the business of India-rubber tree growers 
and merchants, 
