496 
THE TROPtCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Jan. t, 1898. 
occasion was in May 1889, when a communication 
was maile to a European gentleman, who, I 
think, lias taken up native industries. In that 
communication he was told that the Govern- 
ment would be quite prepared to consider 
any proposal which might be made on the 
part of the agricultural community. I, too, 
had the advantage of meeting the German 
professor to whom the Iron, member has alluded 
and he assured me tliat the system of dena- 
turalisation could be effectively and readily 
carried out. I was very much assured by what 
he said and I am very glad that the hon. mem- 
ber has brought the subject to the notice of 
Government in his motion today. It is now 30 
years since the discovery was made but we need 
not go to Germany for information. Dr. Letheby 
in 1869 said there was “ no substance which can 
be easily, chcaiily and safely u.sed tor adulter- 
ation. Pi'oper use is only secured by actual 
ocular supervision.” I nndeistand from the Ger- 
man jirofessor that in the progress of science 
something has now been discovered which is 
effective and practical. 1 understand sir, that 
this is not such a laro'e question as one would 
suppose at first; In 1888, the last time but one 
when enquiry was made there were only about 
100,000 acres' of inland coconut plantations, and 
the information given to me by coconut planters 
was that the amount of salt that they would 
undertake to purchase was 125,000 cwts. for the 
whole island. I may mention sir, that we have 
not at present such a very large stock of salt ; 
owing to the season the stocks at some of the 
stations are very low. I am very glad that the 
hon. member has included the Auditor-General 
on the Committee because he is Controller of the 
revenue and has ahvays been our authority 
on the salt revenue. As I have already 
stated there is no objection on the part of 
Government to help this Enquiry and I hope it 
will have a successful issue. 
The resolution was unanimously adopted. 
^ — — - 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Expehimental, Fakming in Madr.vs.— The 
question of the establishment of experimental 
farms and farm school is still under the con- 
sideration of the Government of Madras, and it 
is not probable that, if any scheme is ulti- 
mately settled, effect can be given to it before 
the end of next year. The provision of R20,000 
made l»y the Board of Revenue in its Budget 
estimate for 1898-99 on this account has accord- 
ingly been struck out . — Madras Mail. 
Vanilla as a Ceylon Pkoduct. — Vanilla, which 
has hitherto been conspicnons by its absence in the 
products cultivated in the Island, will soon be in- 
cluded in that category, providing the climate and 
soil prove favourable. Herr Langa, a young German 
who came out some time ago to learn tea planting 
under Mr. Holloway of Pranklauds, Wattegama, has 
purchased an estate of nearly a hundred acres, on 
which he intends cultivating vanilla, and should he 
be successful, he will find little difficulty in securing 
for it a speedy sale in the market for Ceylon pro- 
ducts. Vanilla by reason of the agreeable flavour 
which it imparts to tea and other beverages, is in 
great demand, though at a premium, and on this 
account the profits accruing from its cultivation will 
in time be considerable. Now that the projects has 
been fairly launched on the somewhat treacherous 
waters of experiment, it deserves encouragement, and 
Herr Langa ought to receive hearty co-operation in 
his endeavour to promo^te a new industry,— Local 
*« Elxamineri'' 
SALE OF ESTATE PROPERTY IN CE\LON 
DURING 1897. 
We direct attention to the long and interest- 
ing list of Sale of Estates in Ceylon during 1597 
given on another page. Our mercantile and plan- 
ting readers cannot fail to scan this detailed series 
of sales with special attention, ami we trust they 
will give us credit for some little enterprise in 
presenting the list to them at this early 
date. Tliere has been little or no abate- 
ment during the year now drawing to a close 
in the formation of limited Comiianies to take 
over Ceylon properties, and several of the sales 
are of groups of estates in tlilferent districts 
associated for the very purpose of starting a 
Limited Company. This continued activity in 
the selling and buying market is the more 
striking when we consider the discouragement 
offered by lower prices for tea ami hiedier rates 
of exchange generally prevalent in 1897. Taking 
the totals realized by the Sales of Estates in our 
lists as compared rvitli 1896 we have tlie fol- 
lowing : — 
Total Value of Plantati- ns sold : 
1896 .. R5.790.768 .. £1,668,912 
1897 .. 3,382,311 .. £1,. 517,702 
Decrease this year R2,408,457 Decrease ..£ 151,210 
CEYLON TEA COM PAN IE, S. 
A REVIEW. 
We have on several occasions alluded in this 
column to the steady progress and splendid finan- 
cial position of Ceylon, which, needless to s.ay, has 
been brought about solely by the tea planting en- 
terprise. When wonder is expressed that other 
tropical countries do not enter into the lists of 
competition against Ceylon by growing tea, the 
fact appears forgotten that no other country could 
suddenlj open up its land into tea estates as 
Ceylon planters were able to do within a few years. 
The coffee-growing industry had been going on 
in the island for upwards of forty years before the 
first break of Ceylon tea was ever shipped to 
England. During all these forty years jungle had 
been felled, roads and drains traced and made, and 
Tamil coolie labour imported, or, indeed, had been 
raised upon the estates themselves. When, there- 
fore, owing to the ravages of leaf disease and the 
fall in prices, coffee began to show a recurrent loss 
to planters who had been long accustomed to a 
high percentage of profit, the entire island was 
equipped with nearly all the requirements of a 
tea-growing country. 
In thousands of instances tea plants were put in 
between the lines of the rapidly-failing coffee trees, 
so that the weeding which was required for the 
one product was equally advantageous to the other. 
The young tea plants also benefited from the 
shelter and shade furnished by the coffee trees. 
In hundreds of other instances the coffee trees were 
bodily removed from whole hill-sides, and either 
carted away or burnt in the ravines when the 
denuded portion of the estate was relined, holed, 
and planted up with tea seedlings, all within the 
space of two or three months. 
Under such circumstances the cost and efficiency 
of the planting up of 200 acres with tea were such 
as to defy any competition, while the fact, that 
Ceylon was equipped with an army of 600,000 
Tamil labourers all conversant with the routine and 
discipline of an estate enabled the new enterprise 
to be carried on without a hitch. The change of 
the face of the planting districts was comparable 
to nothing but a dissolving view. As the coffee 
trees faded away the tea plants came into focus, 
until the same dark green aspect was visible over 
{ill the hills of the upcouutry districts, 
