THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
Feb. t, 1898.] 
the room would tolerate such a proposal. The 
existing rule had worked to the general satisfaction 
of the trade, and had stood the test of many years’ 
practical experience, and had proved a satisfactory 
solution of a difficult problem. It was quite possible 
it was not a perfect plan, but it had worked pretty 
well, and he thought the room had better let well 
alone. (Hear, hear.) He did not believe that 
the room would permit such a wanton act of 
injustice to the importers for the purpose of 
studying the convenience of a small section of the 
trade. In his opinion the fewer rules they had the 
better, and if rules were to be respected they must 
be framed in a generous spirit and found upon the 
goodwill of the whole trade. 
Mr. Ivey seconded the resolution. 
Mr. A. Devitt said, he was sure Mr. Schwartz had 
brought forward his proposals in the belief that they 
would curtail the waste of time which occurred in 
the coffee room sales, and which was to be deplored. 
If the sales were exhausting to buyer and seller, 
the exhaustion to the unfortunate auctioneer was 
even greater. Some of them had done what they 
could to hasten the sales, but even now some took 
such a time as was a disgrace and a discredit to 
the trade. He himself had sat in the box when a 
very small catalogue had taken three-quarters of an 
hour or fifty minutes, and a great deal of the waste 
of time arose from buyers of small and cheap lots 
not bidding up in a fair and proper way. They had 
coffee put up which was often started at 60 per cent 
less than it ultimately reached. But he did not think 
Mr. Schwartz’s proposition would be acceptable to 
any of them who had to sell fine coffee, or coffee 
which came in small lots. Take Jamaica coffee — did 
the resolution include the eight, ten, and twelve barrel 
lots of Jamaica ? Also, did it include East India, in 
cases ? Because, if they came to analyse the sales it would 
be seen that the rules, if altered, would bring about an 
extraordinary state of things. No doubt the idea was 
put forward with the best of intentions, but he did 
not think it would work, and not one of the im- 
porters would agree to it. As far as he was concerned, 
and his merchants, they could not agree. 
Mr. Graeff proposed the following amendment to 
Mr. Davis’s resolution : — “ That all East Indian and 
Ceylon be excluded from the present odd-lots rule, 
with the exception of triage, blacks, brown, and 
cherry pickings.” He said he believed that if his 
proposition were agreed to, the difficulty they all 
deplored would be overcome. They quite understood 
that importers did not want small lots of line coffee 
to be sold as odd lots, and he believed it was the 
general opinion of the trade that they should not be 
so treated. (Hear, hear.) 
Mr. Lansberg seconded the amendment. 
Mr. Wales said he would like to see the question 
relegated to a small committee, who might bring up 
an official report, which would act as a guide to the 
room at a future meeting, as to whether anything, 
and if so what, could be done to remedy the present 
state of thing. 
Mr. Asser also supported this view, and said he 
believed a representative committee might be able 
to devise some means for remedying the evil which 
would be satisfactory to everybody. 
Mr. Davis said he would rather that the meeting 
voted one way or tlie other, for if his resolution 
was carried no committee would be necessary. 
The Chairman put the amendment to the meeting, 
and it was negatived by thirty-eight votes to twenty- 
one ; and Mr. Davis’s resolution was carried as a 
substantive resolution by fifty-four votes to thirteen. 
A vote of thanks to Mr. Woodhouse for presi- 
ding concluded the proceedings. — U, tC C. Jitail, 
Dec. 31. 
The Aeleged Failure of Straits Coffee. — 
The he.avy fall in the price of Liberian Coffee has 
aroused widespread alarm in the Native Straits. It 
is alleged that coffee-growing will not now i>ay 
there except under exceptional conditions.— /S'fj'otte 
paper. 
MATALE EAST DISTKICT 1897. 
Weather. — The rainfall has been about 1.3 
inches over the average of 20 years, well distri- 
buted throughout, and free from damaging storms 
with the exception of a few siiowers in November. 
The south-west W'as milder than usual, August 
and September perhaps being an exception. The 
north-east till December was fairly favourable. 
Crop, excluding estates that are manuring, the 
yield generally speaking, is behind that of last 
year off the old area, maiiily caused by more 
selective plucking, and three poor flushing months 
in the latter half of the year. 
Labour. — Almost without exception ample for 
all requirements though with a tendency to a 
considerable increase in socal led coast advances. 
Transport.— More difficulty has been experi- 
enced under this heading than in any jirevious year 
of my experience of 26 years almost entirely caused 
by the deplorable state the roads have got into. 
Roads.-— Worse than I have ever known them 
and this time it has taken to get damaged bridges 
repaired on the Elkaduwa and Madulkella roads 
is a crying scandal. 
Rice. — Rice throughout the whole year has 
been costly entailing heavy loss to estates issu- 
ing at R-I per bushel. Coolies have also suffered 
from the high cost of other supplies. 
Grievances. — Bad roads, and an Indian tin- 
kered, and artificial exchange. 
PLANTING NTOES. 
Lady-Birds. — We learn from the Friend of 
I^idia that in connection with the introduction 
of lady-birds, iiito India, to combat coffee 
scale pests, especially green bug, and for which 
the Madra.s Government has promised to pay 
half the cost, the United Planters’ Association 
of South India have voted R2,000, the Lower 
Pulneys Assocation have promised R4,000, and 
the Wynaad Association, probably amongst others, 
re inviting their membeis to subscribe. 
Pine Apple.s, — A prominent importer of pine- 
apples stated a day or two ago— says the latest 
Journal of Horticidture — that it was probably 
safe to say that upon an average there are 
10,000 pines imported into London every week 
throughout the year. They are coming now in 
enormous quantities from (lie Azores, which seem 
to have given up growing oranges and have taken 
to this new cultivation, for which their soil and 
climate seem to be admirably adapted. Pines 
are still too dear to be a poi)ular luxury. The 
average wholesale price is said to be 3s and the 
retail buyer has to give 4s 6d or 5s for a good 
pine this Christmas. But the growing of these 
is rapidly extending, and there is every proba- 
bility that the price Avill go down. 
The Timber Trade.— The “ Orotava,” which 
arrived in Colombo from Australia lately 
brought a shipment of Jarrah the well- 
known West Australian iionwood, for this port. 
Among the sample.s, v. hich arrived by the 
“Orotava,” was one for the Public Works De- 
partment, and a report on the timber will be sub- 
mitted by Mr. Davies, Factory Engineer. A 
special virtue of the limber consists in its im- 
munity from the ravages of the Teredo, a 
worm which exists in salt water and which 
destroys more wood in its time perhaps 
than any other insect in existence. A represent, 
ative of one of our morniiig contemporaries found 
Mr. Bostock a great I.elicver in the potentialities 
of the J-arrali — as w.as also his predecessor Mr. 
Kyle. We have in hand an interesting paper 
about our local hard woods. 
