66 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[July i, 1891. 
Wve headings, enter the number of ponnds of tea leaf 
lucked (or boxes of coffee cherry gathered) off that 
eld. You will find this very useful information as yon 
g o along; and it will fully compensate you for the very 
ttlo trouble it has caused you. Have also a column 
for number of coollee employed I'lucking and see 
(hat it agrees with your journal, and one to record 
the total average number of lbs. gathered per oooly 
pur diem. 
In the same field book a few pages further on 
have a page ruled almost similarly, for the purpose 
of recording the month and number of coolies em- 
ployed Pruning each field during that time. You will 
find this useful for reforonco as well as to afford you 
at a glance information as to what your pruning 
bos cost, and ho of some assistance to you in estima- 
ting the cost of pruniM ten in the future. 
Wbkdino. 
It will also bo your duty to see that the weeding 
Oontraotors do their work properly, and let me toll 
you there Is no work on an estate more liable to 
be scamped than weeding, and generally it is the 
most expensive. The estate you are going to, we 
will suppose is weeded once a month, still it is not 
clean and the contractors are making very little if 
any profit off their contracts, so that much of the as- 
sistant’s time is spent having frequently to visit 
the different weeding contract gongs. 1 am quite 
aware this is often the case, hut think the contractors 
should pay for their own overseer. 
Thus If your estate is 800 acres, and weeded by 
contract at so much per acre per mensem, it is an 
easy matter getting the oontraotors to agree to a 
reduction of three or four cents per acre, and you 
appoint one of themselves on the sum obtained by 
the reduction, to be overseer of all the contracts. 
His dnty wlU be to visit every contract, daily ex- 
amine the previous day's work, and make them do 
it over again if badly done. See that the coolies 
have the regulation weeding tool, whatever that may 
be, that each of them have a cooty sack to put 
the woods into, and that one or more large sacks 
are being used for receiving and carrying the weeds 
from tho oooty sacks to the weed depdt, that none are 
missed, or allowed to lie amongst the tea or in heaps 
on the roods. The weeds ought to be transferred from 
the oooty sacks to tho large sack and not thrown on 
the road in a heap, to be gathered afterwards. At 
4 p.m. tho weeding overseer reports to yon in the 
presence of the kanganies, and on the work gene- 
rally tho number employed on the various contracts, 
which statement you enter in yonr check-roll! 
If yon find that with monthly weeding witli the close 
supervision of an overseer, aiid your own periodical 
visits that the estate is still fur from clean, then 
insist on tho contractors weeding the same ground 
throe times In two mouths for the same money 
AS allowed for weeding twice in two months. 
It is only a matter of a few extra coolies the first 
month or two; afterwards tho work becomes lighter 
and contractors will reap a profit where formerly 
they had a loss. 
h aotory work. I ’ll leave yonr P. D. to give you the 
necessary bints: it is so much easier doing so on 
the spot. 
But if I haven't tired you out, I would strongly 
advise you to carry an umbrella and use it as a 
protection from the rain; it is more wanted tlian 
a waterproof coat is for protecting you from rain 
Never go out witliout a sun hut, while the snn is 
np, no matter whether it is shining or not even 
during a cloudy or wet day yon are liable to net 
headache, fever or snnstroke. 
Confine yonr drinking to the bungalow, and unless 
you are on one of t^he most highly favoured estates 
as regards climate, have the water you drink boiled as 
well as filtered before using. Don’t mi.x anj thing 
strong with your water. It will be quite time enough to 
do BO when the doctor orders you ; meantime the 
squeeze of a lime in water with a little sugar is quite 
enough when you get ill tired and must hare some- 
thing„beforB breakfast. Now, as a rule, is the time 
for vour bath, and a very groat luxury tlie liatli in 
Ceylon is to a new arrival. The big plunge or the 
spout of cold water, the very thought of it makes 
me wish I wore young again. But be careful not to 
stay in too long; one can have too much of a good 
thing even. Enjoy your bath and got into dry clothes 
as quickly as you can, for by this time lam sure 
you will be ready for broalrfast. Two hours are 
usually allowed for breakfast, but if you have been 
unable to spare tho time for a bath before breakfast, 
don't neglect to change your fiannols; they are bound 
to bo damp, and to sit damp in Ceylon in most 
bungalows, means catching a chill, and a chill Is fre- 
quently the first stage of nearly nil the ailments 
planters are heir to. 
After 4 p.m. you shonld have a cup of tea or coffee 
(if you can got it) and if very peckish a little broad 
and^ butter but nothing stronger. 
Water is also tho safest and best beverage to din- 
ner in youth, and should be persisted Tn unless 
otherwise ordered by a doctor whoso medical advice 
on all other points you would equally value and act 
up to. 
If cards happen to be introduced after dinner and 
you are invited to join in tho same to make up the 
set, if money arc tho stakes, don’t be afraid to 
decline to play for money. Stand firmly by your 
home training and you will never regret it. 
Make your little bungalow as neat and comfortable 
as your means will permit, having a few pictures to 
enhvou the w'alls, hut only of such a nature as your 
sister or mother might look on and admire. 
Do not forget the friends at homo, they are 
always anxious to hoar from yon. To write a letter 
home does not take many minutes after it is com- 
menced and tho postage is now within tho moans of 
all, BO there ought to lie no excuse for omitting to 
write at least twice a month to those who have cared 
for yon, probably from infancy. If you have not 
brought a few books with you, consult some of tho 
Colombo price lists, you have Cave & Co., the Colombo 
Apothecaries’ Co., or tor practical instruction, the 
ohservtr Office list containing all sorts of books useful to 
planters or your P. D. will be glad to lend yon if you 
are careful of, and return thoni. Make it a rule 
not to keep a book long and return it wlien read. 
However small your Income may be, live within 
It, Pay as you go, or at latest during the following 
month. 
Do not order anything unless you are certain you 
will be able to psy for it the following month. 
Credit has been tin curse of many a yonng man in 
Ceylon. My partii.g advice to you is " don't get into 
debt.” — Well, good-bye, I must ho off — shall be glad to 
hear from you, how you get on. Yon know my 
nddrtfsx. 
[We shall bo glad to receive Buggestione, or 
additions to above, and to put all in our “ Planting 
Directory " so as to be easy of reference in a 
permanent form.— Ed. T , A .] 

COCONUT CULTIVATION. 
{By an Old Planter.) 
DiaaiTIVENESB ; k bkvolution in oddtivation. 
The oooonnt planter, who turns over the 
whole surface of his field, to a depth of, from 
six to eight ioohes, or one mamottio, may fairly 
expect the following effects ; — 
Ist. Th»t the withering and aerstion of the 
newly exposed surface wili aid in rendering solu- 
ble any inert organic matter it conlaina. 
2nd. That breaking up and loosening the soil 
enables the roots of the oultivated plant |o extend 
mote freely, and oonsequently more quickly. 
3rd; That one digging ig more effioient, in 
cleaning foul land, than ten surfsoe weedings. 
4lh. That the natural herbaceous cover of the 
soil, when turned in, acts as manure, in the 
course o( its decomposition. 
6th. That in the course of the season, a richer, 
cleaner and closer pasture is produced, than that 
destroyed by the digging. 
