4i6 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec. t, 1897. 
6. I would not. 
7. No. 
8 Eatticaloa, Jaffna. 
y In Buenos Ayres foreign wool growers can never 
obtain Auatvalian prices from the bad name due only 
to the filiby condition of native WOOL ^ 
No. XIV. 
1 and i2. Dr. V/att m bis Dictionary of the Eco- 
nomic Products of India, says that to produce fibre 
of the purest hue the green or unripe coconuts, i.e., 
about ten months old, are used in South 
India * and it may be that in this fact we have the 
explanatimi of the superiority of so-called Cochin 
oil ” with reference to which, too, Dr. M'att says 
that he is almost forced to the opinion that by 
‘ Cochin oil, as with ‘ Cochin coir,’ may be meant 
the superior riualities of the oil derived from the 
Madras Presidency.” Several gentlemen connected 
with the coconut industry of South India have told 
me that nuts are not allowed there to thoroughly 
mature before they are plucked, as the fibre of the 
immature nut is so much superior to that of the 
mature, and the oil, though less in quantity, is 
superior in quality. Another difference from Ceylon 
practice pointed out to me \>as that the nuts are 
not allowed to wither as w'ith us for two to four 
■weeks (and sometimes even as many months waiting 
for better mr.rkets) before they are hu.-ked, but are 
husked within a day or two of their being plucked 
for the sake of the fibre from the green busk 
■ind prtsum ibly thekernels are dried at the same time 
as well Ceylon experience in the preparation of 
cooking oil and hair oil also shows that a superior 
white oil is obtained from the immature or rather 
partly mature nut. Our cooks, too, prefer such nuts 
in the preparation of curries. A careful series of 
analyses of samples of best and monsoon Cochin 
and of Ceylon oils extracted from nuts at various 
de-^rees of maturity and withering is very desirable, 
3 and 4. The Ceylon growers and dealers would 
be only too glad to pluck their nuts earlier and dry 
them ‘sooner, if it be the fact that less maturing 
on the trees and withering in the heap, would pay 
them better. But as for more careful preparation of 
copra than is the practice now, I do not think that 
is _like^ly. ^1^^ drier districts, that is where the air is 
least humid, Jaffna, Kalpi iya, Puttalam, portions of 
the Kuruuegal-a district and Batticaloa. 
(j Yes. Will W. J. oblige? His long experience, 
open mind and clear judgment would be invaluable in 
such an investigation. t ^ • , • 
7 We have a large number of Cochinese working 
our' chekkus and at our oil mills, .and I suppose 
they are also to be found in our larger gardens. 
8. Answered in 5. ,, , , 
9 I shall test on a few acres the value ot 
“pruning” off the stalks that have borne fruit. 
Does the sap continue to nourish these stalks ? If 
so the advice to prune, seems sound ; but would 
the bleeding of the sap not attract the red beetle ? 
J. D. V.-d-S. 
No. XV. 
1 Ceylon can produce as good oil as Cochin. The 
faiiit is that the men do not pick the nuts when 
mature. Natives as a rule send small quantities to 
the market, <aiid the market people make copra from 
all sorts of nuts which are discoloured by their method 
of drying and smoking them. I am of opinion that 
we should diy our copra in a Cli'eihews patent, 
similar to that used for coffee and the husk and shell 
could be nted as fuel. Mr. Levy of Levy Bros. & Co. 
told me that they kept the coconuts on a shelf above 
a fire-place for two months and this caused the oil 
to be clear and good. I have seen some oil extracted 
from desiccated coconuts which was as clear as 
water. I mean by and by to have a Clerihew’s 
patent and to dry my copra by hot air. 
Nuts mature with us when about 12 months old. 
2. We must dry our coconuts in the sun or by 
steam. 
3. Certainly. I for one will do it. 
4. No. Where there is a will there is a way. 
5. If we dry our coconuts by hot air and carefully 
pluck, I believe all the districts in the island will 
produce good results. In Jaffna, Batticaloa, and 
these places the copra is better simply because it 
receives more attention than in the other places, 
6. I do not believe there is anything 10 be learned. 
7. No. 
8. No. 
9. I am fully convinced that if our coconuts are 
dried by .sun the oil will be every bit as good as 
that of Cochin. W. 
SOME TEA FACTORY DEVELOPMENTS 
IN CEYLON. 
Much has been recently written about the over- 
production of tea in Ceylon by the opening up 
of new land, and the fear of a lowering of prices 
by tlie increased output. Wliile the dis- 
cussion has not jiarticularly affected (if at 
all) the arrangenients to open up more land 
for tea, it has neither prevented an extensive 
additional expendiuiie of money in connection 
with further accommodation and imiuovements 
tor an increased output of tea in the principal 
tea districls of Ceylon. Tlii.s does not apparently 
indicate tliat there is much deep conviction tliat 
tea production is being overdone, and that the 
industry has come to a precarious ]iosition in 
view of increased output, low prices, aiul high ex- 
eliange. It ratlier indicates a commendable deter- 
niination on the part of many proprietors of estate 
property tliat not only shall tlieir properties he 
maintained at tlie highest attainable iirnductive- 
ness, hut also that tlie cry of deterioration in the 
manufacture ot the tea sliall cease to be true, if 
at all true, in the case of their estates. It is 
an undoubted fact that want of firoper factory 
accommodation for tea manufacture is not only 
(to use an Irishism) an expensive economy in 
regard to output, but that this want of accommo- 
dation results in the production of an inferior 
quality of tea. This has been proved over and 
over again. M^e are glad to see these and other 
indications of wideawakeiiess in consolidating the 
industry, and hope the efforts to maintain and 
improve estate factories as indicated below, wil 
jirove, not only commercial successes to the 
engineering firm concerned — an important local 
industry in itself — but will stimulate other tea 
proprietors to similar efforts for the general im- 
provement of the quality of our staple industry. 
It was with these reflections that the activity 
in regard to Factory accommodation was brought 
to our notice recently, and now we are pleased 
to give some particular's as follows : — 
Among the engineering firms of Ceylon, Messrs. 
Brown & Co. of Colombo, Hatton, Norwood, Mas- 
keliya and Nawalapitiya have recently shown great 
energy and push in regard to business extension, 
While the Hatton branch is generally full up with 
heavy work, the branches at Norwood, Maskeliya 
and Nawalapitiya are also busily pushing on with 
the lighter, though not less important opera* 
tions, incidental to factory additions and buildings 
in extensive and important planting districts 
Their principal branch at Hatton is under the 
efScient management of Mr. J, Grieve, who has 
also a general control over the branches ; Mr. E. B. 
Stewart is engineer in charge at Norwood, Mr. 
Geo. Brown is engineer in charge at Nawalapitiya, 
The Hatton branch (in the charge of Mr Grieve) of 
Messrs Brovin & Co.’s engineering business is the 
largest. They have over one hundred and fifty 
hands constantly at work there. In spite of ex- 
