March r, 1898,] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
619 
Small Breaks. — As we have previously notified, 
lots of less than 18 chests, 24 half-chests, or 40 
boxes, are reckoned as ‘‘ small breaks ; ” occasionally 
during the year the proportion of these in the auctions 
has been excessive, and we would here repeat the 
remarks in our Circular, 4th March, ‘‘ it would 
greatly facilitate business in every way if larger 
breaks, particularly of the lower descriptions, could 
be sent forward, and it seems to us that this might 
be managed in the case of many gardens by sorting 
for fewer grades.” With the increasing, totals com- 
ing to auction it is to the producers’ interest to 
avoid small breaks, as many buyers have no time 
to examine them, and confine their attention to the 
larger parcels. 
Quality. — The proportion of finest invoices has 
been somewhat small, but there has been a fair 
selection of useful parcels ; common descriptions 
were plentiful, and often of very]poor character, especi- 
ally so in th e case of Colombo purchased teas, for 
which the offers made here were exceedingly low. 
Loss IN Weight. — As tins occasionally gives rise 
to much dissatisfaction we offer the following sug- 
gestions : that the gross weight of the package 
should be a few ounces, say four or five, above an 
even number of pounds, and that the empty, 
package, complete with lead, nails, bands, &c., be 
to a like extent below an even number of pounds. 
In weighing here the gross weight is reduced, to the 
even number of pounds, whilst the tare is increased 
to an even number of pounds. With regard to 
garden bulked teas, it is imperatively necessary to 
put an equal quantity into each package of the 
break, and this quantity should be four or five 
ounces over the desired weight of content, viz., if 
the packages are invoiced to contain 100 lb. tea 
each, not less than 100 lb. 4 oz. should be 
weighed in ; test packages, weighing here a fraction 
under 100 lb., are reckoned as 99 lb. only, or a loss of 
1 lb. on each chest of the break. 
Careful observance of the foregoing precautions 
will prevent loss and disappointment. 
Draft of 1 lb. per package on all packages gross- 
ingl29 lb. and upwardss is allowed to the buyer. 
Weight of Packages. — When a gross weight of 
129 lb. is exceeded, there is an additional charge 
ef 5d per package up to 159 lb. The following 
scale of charges fully explains this and deserves 
attention ; — 
Dock and Warehouse management rates, subject 
to an uniform discount of 10 per cent , on packages 
grossing as under are : — 
160 to 199 lb. 130 to 159 lb. 90 to 129 lb. 80 to 89 lb. 
2/9 2/3 1/10 1/8 
60 to 79 lb. 45 to 59 lb, 35 to 44 lb. 17 to 34 lb. 
1/5 1/2 1/- ./7 
Marks on Chest. — Nothing is wanted or is of any 
service here beyond (1st.), Garden Mark ; (2nd.), 
Description of Tea ; (3rd.), Garden Numbers. Gross, 
tare, and net, are not of the least use, and should 
be discontinued. 
Metal Packages. — There is practically no objec- 
tion to these now, except on the part of some Con- 
tinental buyers. ■* 
Packing Small Brokens and Dusts. — Special 
care should be taken to pack broken descriptions 
which are so liable to lose in weight, in strongly 
made wooden packages. Dusts should be packed 
in half chests, either of metal or of strong iron- 
hooped wooden packages ; canvas coverings should 
in no case be used, as they disguise injury done to 
the packages by rough handling, and any tea re- 
tained in the canvas becomes of no value. 
NOTES ON BALANGODA-BAMBARA- 
BOTUWA. 
A NEW Ceylon Tea District. 
John Dent Young’s cart road trace— some eleven 
miles of which are being cut to Vevelkettiya 
— is nowhere steeper than 1 in 35 and goes in 
at Moriakotta and I think is 32 miles from Rat- 
napura. From Vevelkettiya a branch will be cut to 
Vevelwatte where the huge Hopewell Company’s 
Factory to turn out 1,250,000 lb. of tea, is being 
made. Hopewell, Bambereilakanda, Alupola, Wewel- 
watte, Ballacotum and perhaps later Agar’s Land and 
Welewalamukelana teas may be made here. All the 
machinery is to be worked by electricity and Mr. 
Pottie is the engineer. 
After seventeen miles of road to Hapugastenne is 
cut, surely, Government won’t stick at the other fifteen 
required to connect Maskeliya with Ratnapura, 
which was long ago advocated, but as Mr, Wace, in 
his Report of Sabaragamuwa, then said there was 
no trade and no justification to cut this road. No 
one will say so now with the thousands of acres 
opening and busy life and trade going on as far as 
Hapugastenne, 17 miles up and 4 miles farther, when 
Kondurugala is opened this year. This road will be 
a safe outlet for Maskeliya with a Railway slip on. 
This trace of John Dent Young’s is ridable now from 
Ratnapura to Hapugastenne, and from there on to 
Hopewell and other estates, and on to Balangoda ; 
the section from Hapugastenne to Rasagalla being 
made ridable by Mr. James Gray. The branch 
off at Kondurugalla is about twelve miles, and this 
portion of- the trace is overgrown and very wild, and 
passes just by Kondurugalla Estate (coffee in 1848) 
bungalow ; this is being cleared and out into bridle- 
road now. 
The Ratganga, one of the principal branches of the 
Kaluganga flowing past Hapugastenne Estate, the 
Walawaganga flowing through Wallaboda and Wala^ 
wadowa past the Balangoda Hospital, and the Kelani- 
ganga going through Gartmore, all ,take their rise 
from the true source, viz., a place called Diatalawa 
or Dictalawa on the top of the Maskeliya ridge. This 
is a hollow natural dam or swamp full of diaparra 
trees, swampy marsh and wallowing elephants. This 
is the true reservoir and natural source of Ceylon’s 
three rivers. It was a foolish idea to think 
the Walawaganga rose in Walawadowa block, 
any one, the least bit acquainted with the country 
could _ see such a large stream did not' rise 
only in 1,000 acres of forest but far beyond it. 
It is true it runs through the middle of it ; 
but its real source is from Diatalawa, and 
there are numerous other small streams join 
in from the whole of Maskeliya range, composed of 
thousands of acres to say nothing of the streams 
from Detenagalla, cfec., and from Bogawantalawa- 
Fetteresso. The Bilhuloya joins the Walawaganga 
and all the water of the Horton Plains about 
Denegama, &c., and then to say that 1,000 acres 
was the source of this fine river and to fell that 
would dry up the Walawaganga was a very far- 
fetched notion. Diatalawa (which means “water flat”), 
where the actual and real source of the Walawaganga 
commences, is also the source of Kaluganga, and 
Kelani gange, as streams running out of Diatalawa a 
hollow flat marshy reservoir situated on the ridge of 
Maskeliya^ range. This is the source of three 
of Ceylon’s principal rivers, and in Ceylon geography 
it says, they take their rise from or near Adam’s Peak 1 
Constant streams of coolies .and artisans in search 
of work from Maskeliya, and other places use the 
road now, where oulc nJl was jungle and elephants 
reigned supreme. 
I should say the big firm or Company have opened 
nothing under 3,000 acres of clearings last year in 
this District and that they own quite 10, 00 acres 
land. 
The cart road starts from the burial ground, or turn 
off at outer circular at Ratnapura, crosses by ferry 
Malwola where the Bamberabotua and Kuruwitte 
or Gillemalle River join and make the Kaluganga, and 
a few miles lower down, it becomes navigable 
mr boats. The road goes to Vevalkettiya 
Estate, and where old John Dent Young in the days 
gone by (1848) had a rice store for the Hapugastenne 
and Kondurugalla Coffee Estates. From here 
Me branch road is to go on to Wewalwatte. 
The ndeable road from Hopewell to Hapugastenne 
IS opened, and now shown in Surveyor Generals 
maps and plans of the district as connecting 
Balangode with that part of the country and an 
