Feb. I, 1898.] 
rHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
be 116,000,000 a little under 3,000,000 lb. Con- 
sidering tlie weather, which lias generally been 
.antagonistic to flushing, I consider the estimates 
nia.de by the leading authorities mentioned very 
close ones. The long-continued wet cold and 
sunless weather in S.-W. monsoon easily accounts 
the out-turn very less than expected. Up 
to July it appeared as if even more sanguine 
estimators than those quoted were to be true 
prophets, but the sponge had to be thrown up 
by end of October. Uva, I believe, will be found 
most progressive in 1897. The severe S.-W. mon- 
soon in the Central and Western provinces 
carried moisture clouds into Uva, and this last 
province had not the prolonged dry showerless 
weather it generally experiences in the S.-W. 
Manufacture as a rule was well attended to. If 
not, it certainly was not the fault of Colombo 
and London Agents who continually were prod- 
ding up Managers of tea estates. I think, how- 
ever, many factories have not sufficient w ithering 
accommodation without which it is impossible to 
have that fundamental operation in tea manu- 
facture an even wither.— As we have had so 
many obstacles to conterd with in 1897, we may 
have on the see-saw jirinciple a good time of it in 
1898 for tea planters : so mote it be — 
[We have added in the correct export figures 
n each case. — Ed, T.A.'\ 
lb. 
Exported Tea 1895 .. 97,939,871 
Do. 1896 .. 108,141,412 
Do. 1897 .. 116,054,567 
Coffee. — The price of this staple has been 
lower during the past season than it has been 
for some time. Fortunately, Ceylon is not much 
affected by this for we have so little to export. 
The leaf disease is quite as bad in the few acres 
of coffee left, as it was when we had thousands 
of acres, so a revival of this product is not 
likely to take place. 
cwt. 
Exported Coffee 1895 .. 63,920 
Do. 1896 .. 22,747 
Do. 1897 .. 19,383 
Cacao. — The disease which commenced to be 
talked about last season has made such strides 
that scientists are now in our midst. Where you 
have soil and a climate adapted for the cultiva- 
tion, we have planters who are quite pleased 
with the returns they get. “Supply, supply, 
supply” is their motto. Cacao is not like tea 
or coffee when the old bushes are so close that 
supplies have no chance. Supply with a hardy 
variety, and the results, say the favoured cacao 
planters, are successful. The action taken by 
the Proprietor and Manager of Wariapola ought 
to put to shame our lethargic Government, who 
after repeated prodding at its tough hide, on the 
part of the Planters’ As.soeiation, labours like 
the mountain labouring and with the same result 
a ridiculous mouse, — munificently designates Mr. 
Green an Honorary Government Entomologist, 
and gives him a small honorarium. How differ- 
ently does the Indian Government act when any 
of tiieir Agricultural Products are threatened. 
lb. 
Exported Cacao 1895 . . 27,420 
Do. 1896 .. 31,366 
Do. 1897 .. 34,503 
Cinchona. — Alas we have none of this product 
to benefit by the higher prices now ruling ; — 
lb. 
Exported Cinchona .. 1895 921,085 
Do. .. 1806 1,309,560 
Do, .. 1897 653,346 
525 
Cardamoms. — A limited cultivation, but those 
who are fortunate to grow the article, look very 
happy ■’ 
^ lb. 
Exported Cardamoms 1895 .. 374,63.5 
Do. 1896 .. 452! 595 
Do. 1897 .. 532,830 
OUR STAPLE EXPORTS FOR TEN YEARS 
AND DISTRIBUTION FOR 1896 97. 
We direct attention to the interesting tables 
given as a. Supplement last month as compiled from 
the Chamber of Commerce return. We have 
already noticed the figures for tea and explained 
how the increase between 1896 and last year is 
3 million lb less than between 1895 and 1896. 
Our table looks well however with the exports 
of tea running up from 24,381,296 lb in 1888 to 
116,054,567 lb in 1897. As regards distribution 
Australasia treats us well in taking 2,200,000 lb 
more last year than in 1896 (or over a fourth 
of the total increase). America only shows an 
increase of 112,000 Ib direct but to this un- 
doubtedly 320,000 lb more entered to “China” 
should be added. So that America altogether 
takes direct (apart from U. Kingdom tea re-ex- 
ports) 1,520,000 lb. The Export to Russia has 
greatly improved, showing 200,000 I b advance la-t 
year and so has that to Germany and to Africa 
the latter export now standing at 265 480 lb’ 
Leaving out the United Kingdom, Australasia' 
India (which continues to take close on a million ib ) 
America, Africa. Singapore, Mauritius and Malta 
we get the totals for the Continent of Europe 
of tea sent direct as follows : — 
1896 1897 Increase 
Tea Exports lb. 617,345 937,629 320 184 
Our poor old staple coffee makes a very poor 
show in 1897, but strange to say the export 
of 1888 was only twice last year’s though in 
the interval w-e rose to nearly five times that 
quantity. Very different is the case with cin 
chona bark which has lun down from 12* mil- 
lion lb. to 650,000 lb in the ten years. Cacao 
on the other hand, shows a steady advance from 
13,000 to 34,000 cwt., nearly all sent to London 
Cardamoms too have nearly doubled in expor’t 
in the ten years, the shipments being divided 
between London and India with an appreciable 
quantity 30,290 lb to Germany direct. We must 
leave the more purely native Exports for notice 
later on, save that we cannot help attracting 
attention to the grand show made by the pro- 
ducts of the coconut palm, more esiiecially*^ in 
oil, copra and desiccated produce. A thousand 
pities, that the richest coconut region in Ceylon 
should not have its railway before seventy miles 
of unoccupied, uncultivated country which could 
so well wait ! 
OUR PLANTING DISTRICTS IN I897 
Reports from well-known residents in nine 
additional districts will be found on our thbr? 
page today, and deserve attention. They rane-e 
Madulkelly to Lower Dimbula and from Madu? 
Sima to Rangalla. It is cheering to learn 
the last-mentioned of the faith felt in 
future of cardamoms and the prcbabilitv 
an extension of cultivation. The attention of 
a member of Council is directed to what is said in 
correction about road-making in the days of Mainr 
Skinner by one who ought to know : indeed wb 
can ourselves testify that never was better 
work done on the roads than during the do^„ 
of Ceylon’s great Road-maker. Criticism of roads 
