94 
THE TROPIC Al. At3rR1tJOVTUR18T- 
[August I, 1891. 
lime and sulphur cure was suffioient to clear an 
estate of the fungus, but it soon returned and was 
as virulent as ever. Hope for ooffee would, therefore, 
seem to rest in the gradual wearing out and tinal 
disappearance of the disease. — Bn. d.] 
PLANTING IX PERAK. 
Perak, notwithstanding its productive soil and snita- 
bility for planting enterprise, shows no great progress 
in the cultivation of the ground. The dilBciiUy of 
procuring labour has been a sore hindrance in the 
way, but there is of courso some little prospect of 
this check being partly removed il the Straits Govern- 
ment will do anything with the Labour Commission 
report otlier than pigeonholing it. One great obstacle 
how6v©r iiriscs from tUo nhort loRflclioliI t©iinr6 of th© 
land available, and there are other minor discourage- 
ments in the way ol 8elector.s. The Perak Gavern- 
insut, to attract pioneering planters, have issued a 
circular, which we published some days ago, throw- 
ing open land on more liberal terms, but on oou- 
ditions which hold good only lor the first ten appli- 
cants who can pass muster. The chief feature of the 
new departuie lies in the granting of leases in per- 
petnity with no premium and a quit rent of 20 oeiits an 
sore after ten years free occupation, the area under 
lease being 1,000 sores in one block or in blocks of not 
less than 600 acres. The tenonr of the circular infers 
that perpetual leases will be given only to the first ten 
approved applicants, bat the principle once admitlerl 
calls for wider spplioation. The priv.leged ten would 
enjoy an invidious disliuotioa which will only stir bad 
blood. Now that the idea of sliort leaseholds has boon 
attacked, the Persk Government wonbl best consult its 
interest by making the principle of long loasebold of 
universal applioation. Under perpetual leases with low 
rents, and ample securities against monopoly, the agri- 
cultural land of Porak should attract planters of the 
right stamp.— ^f/roifs Tima, May 16th. 
PRECIOUS STONES. 
Largo qnan titles of inferior rubies and sapphires 
always find their way from Siam to Ceylon, the 
dealers generally mixing thorn with heller qoalities 
of the same descriptions obtained in the island either 
for export to the London and Paris marketa or for 
sale locally. Of Ute, the so-called alexandrite 
hag been introduced here from Siam principally in 
the rough slate. This atone (probably ohrysoberyl) 
baa all the appearance of tho Ceylon aloxnudrite, but 
it does not display the brilliant ted of the genuine 
arliolo when exposed to artificial liglit. Anyhow I uuder- 
ilaml that large sales have been made at extravagant 
prices, and oven experts have been dcooivod to come 
extent. The stones find their way to lh« gem districts 
where dealers from all parts congregate, and are more 
readily purchased under tho impression that they 
come from llie adjoining pita. The homo of tho 
Ceylon alexandrite is the WeligamaKoralc; and hitherto 
all the best finds have been scoured from Ibis district 
alone . — Oor 
* SetPHATE OP OOPPEE ANn I’OTATO DISEASE.— Tliero 
is no question that the disease may he controlled by 
fhft use of copper solutions, but, judging from the 
nrevalent apathv in such nsattns, it is questionable 
whether our growers wi 1 th.uk it worth tbc.r while 
.n. stena in the mattor. in ibe Reports of 
tL Oonneotiout f;vi°”ows 
find a report of an experimeut, m wliioli five rows 
were t,S on August 10, other rows rema.mng 
untreated. The sprayed tows 4 
tho others were dead aud black. On Sop ^ , 
when the tubers were lifted, those whicli had been 
treated were praoticelly free from disease, while the 
others were considerably decayed. The untreat ed rows 
yielded 3| bushels per row, those sprayed eupplied 0 
bushels.- Chronicle. 
ClNNAilON; QUALITY V. QUANTITY. 
The question raised by our Veyangoda correspon- 
dent in Tuemiay’s (March 3rd) issue, as to tho wisdom of 
the policy of manufacturing line Ciansmoii, after the 
maiiuor that baa became fasbiocable, is deaerving the 
serioua attention of Proprietors. It is well known in 
the trade that, under the inllneuco of competition, 
quilled bark haa become finer and finer for years past, 
uutill now, as many as forty quills of the finest quality 
go to a lb., 08 against, porhsP", half that number 
between 10 to IS years ago. The labour of making 
40 quills is, of course, greater than that of making 
20, .Hid the soslo of remuneration to peelers has in- 
creased, in some estates at least, in proportion. In 
most, however, the msxio.um rate of 16 cents per lb. 
for tho finest quality holds, and the earnings of the 
peelers — which always seemed to us excessive by the 
light of the prices which their manufactures fetch — 
have decreased. Through the influence of competition 
and of advances, they have been obliged to adapt them- 
selves to cironmstanoea, and now praotically do double 
work for the old wages. Tho quustion raised is not, 
iiowever, one of wages, or of the margin of profit 
left to those who pay high rates to secure flue Cin- 
namon ; but of the effect of the system on the property. 
Skill alone cannot produce quills over 3 feet long whicli 
average 40 to the lb. Tho bark to bo manipulated 
must bo fine aud tender. Does not the cutting down 
of tender shoots affect tho vigour, if not the vitality, 
of tho bash, and thus reduce the proluctiveuess of 
the estate? It is reasonable to suppose tUat these 
results would follow, though wo are unable to say 
whether the estimate of our correspondent is cor- 
rect, that tho productivoness of estates has fallen 
off from 20 to 40 per cent within the Inst 15 to 20 
years. It there has been such a decrease, thO ques- 
tion may arise, to what extent fine cutting has to 
answer for it, ami to what extent tho mode of cultiva- 
tion adopted. Nowhere, so far as wo know, is Cin- 
namon regularly manured. All that tho bushes receive 
are tho leaves and tho weeds which are buried. Tbe 
equivalent of the sticks and tlic bark that are removed, 
seasonaftorseason, isiiot returned ; and in these oircum- 
slaccesoonldtbeproductirenesa of estates be maintained? 
Confining ourselves to tho effect of deterioration 
from fine cutting, the Guaucisl question is by no 
means as easily disposed of as would bo tho case with 
products for which there is a growieg demand. Tho 
productiveness of an estate is maiutainod, not for tho 
honour aud glory of largo crops, but for ihe larger 
profits it would yield tho proprietor. In tho case of 
Omnanioii, an appreciable increase in tho output of 
the bark — say to the extent of 20 to -10 per cent., 
suggested as the falling off— might prove a very doubt- 
ful benefit. Tlio over production of Cimiamon is a 
fact, and is chiefly responsible for tho fall in prices ; 
it is also a fact that the increasing fluentas of quills 
has not led to any advance of prices. On the oou- 
trary, the finest qualities, which entail double the 
labour in preparation ns compared with 20 years ago, 
roaliso only about a halt the prices which the corres- 
ponding qualities fetched then. The lower qualities 
hardly leave any margin of profit, If the abondonmont 
of fine cutting should result in larger crops, the 
immediate effect ot an addition ol 20 to 40 per cent 
to our Cinnamon exports would probably be a further 
drop in prices by about 20 to 40 por cent. In these 
oiroumstaiiocB, we are unable to say tliat proprietors 
are doing unwisely in aiming at high prices for their 
crops, instead of endeavouring to main aiu a productive- 
ness which would not add totlio value of tboir lamls, 
It is qnite oonceivs tie that larger exports and still 
lower prices may lend to the al.andoumont of the worst 
lauds; but even if little gardens worke.l by their 
owners will not always bo deemed profitable and 
therefore maintained, the combination to secure 
that end is hardly within the bounds of practical 
politics Abandonment of patches may follow as well 
from the present system. The question discussed, 
however, points to the doublo disadvantage of Cinna- 
mon cultivation. Its profits are not large, and the 
mode of earning them threatens diminishing profits! 
—Local "Examiner.” 
