574 
The tropical AaRIOULTUR18T. 
[Febeuarv I, 1892. 
From this quantity the rise in 1891 has been to 
Baled bark 2,309.774 lb. 
O*”?" 888,264 „ 
Total ... 2,898.038 lb. 
Total 1882 2,009.931 „ 
Increase 888,107 ib. 
The market bar, in truth, been swamped with 
an arlialo incapable of any very large increase, 
even by such lowered prices as the export of such 
large quantities of inferior bark and especially 
chips (equivalent to the “dust” of !ea— scarcely 
equivalent indeed) have led to. Of this latter 
stuff which ought to have beeu distilled into 
oil or converted into manure, there has been an 
average export of over half-a-raillion of pounds dur- 
ing the ten years, while the baled spice has gone 
up from 1,887,000 lb. to 2,809.000 lb. The 
causes of the severe depression are manifest- 
excessive exports and lowered quality, quality 
in many cases nn 0 level with China •‘cnaaia,” 
BO _ that a reaction to diminished exports 
is inevitable; while to the cinnamon producers as 
to the tea producers of Ce;Ion the same advice 
must be given; “Study quality rather than mere 
quantity." In coconut oil Ceylon well supports its 
claim of being the largest exporter in the world ; 
and this is nn article which is not likely to 
exceed the demand which exists for it, in Holland 
and Germany speoially, for soap-making. The 
increase in the export of this article baa been from 
208,000 owt. in 1882 to 409,000 cwt. last year — a 
doubled export. For this oil India and Amrrioa 
are customers to the extent of 107,000 owt. in the 
first case and 110, 000 in the second. —Copra, the dried 
kernels of the coconut from which the oil is expressed, 
leaving a valnable oil oabe behind (known locally 
as poonao), has fluotuated greatly ; and the fii ures 
for last year show a fall more than equivalent to the 
increase in oil. Tho increased export of “ desic- 
cated coconut " used in oonfectionery may to soma 
extent aocount for the decrease in copra? The 
export of “ poonao ” has increased in proportion 
to that of oil, the figures for last year, 192,210 
owt., being, we believe, unprecedented. The exports 
of ooconota fluctuate violently, the figures for last 
year being 6,099,600, against 11.908.000 in 1890. 
The export of ooir rope, with some fluctuations, 
baa ranged at an average of 10,000 owt., but the 
increase in yarn and fibre, lor the manufaoture of 
mats, iko., some of the fibre being uscdinliiu of 
bristles, has been very important, yarn having 
risen from 00,803 owt. to 90,099 owt. and fibre 
from 7,959 owt. to 87,897 owt. Tsken together 
the value of products of tho coconut palm ex- 
ported are of great value in our oommvree, 
only aeoond to tea indeed -, with this grand 
difference between the two plants, that all 
but a fraction of the tea grown is exported, 
while most of the produots of the coconut 
palm are oousumed locally. “ Desiccated coconut " 
IS a marked exoeption ; and the introduction 1 nd 
use of kerosene as an illuminant has srt (roe 
from export a good deal of oooonut oil which 
was formerly burned in the lamps of local houses, 
huts and boutiques. We now come to onr o.tb 
important mineral produot (precious stones not 
reported except in rare oases), namily pIuiub»go 
or graphite, of which in its finer forms, in large 
masses free from impurities, this island has almost 
ainatural monopoly. Its very rofraolory oharaoLer 
renders it exceedingly valuable in the shape of 
ornoibles for the melting of the precious metals 
and the finer kinds of steel, such as is used for 
ordnance. The exports have fluctuated with 
" wars and rumours of wars,” commencing in 1882 
with 258,877 cwt., going down to 180,912 owt. in 1884 
rising again to the culminating figure of 475,516 
owt. in 1889, and closing Inst year with 400,268 owt. 
Mining for this artiolo and the eearoh for sapphires 
and other precious stones are sometimee conjoined. 
The plumbago enterprise is far the less precarious. 
Heavy digging is necessary, but this strange 
miueral, the result either of carbonized vegetation 
or deposited, as a German savant thinks, from 
either gas or water, is more or lees prevalent and 
plentifnl over large portiona of the western, and 
south and north western portions of Ceylon, Its 
preparation and elaasifioatioa in Colombo afford 
employment to large numbers of men, women 
ami children. The export of Oeylon ebony, under 
a restrictive policy adopted by the Forest Department, 
has gone down from a maximum of 23,951 owt, in 
1686 to a minimum of 8 539 cwt. in 1891. The one 
important dye-wood of Ceylon, ssppan.has fluctuated 
and fallen, having shown an export of over 10,000 
owt. ten years ago, going down to 1,080 cwt. in 
1889 and recovering last year to 2,. '>77 cwt. 
Another dye substance, orchella wood, has fluetualcd 
between 1.394 cwt. and 308 cwt., closing with 774 
cwt. Kilul fibres, used as substitutes for bristle, 
for brushes and for brooms, began with 1 496, owt. 
rose to 2,771 owt. in 1889, and closed with 
1,889 owt. The export of doer horns will probably 
decrease under tbe operation of recent laws 
directed to 'hs preservation ef game animals. Tbe 
figures have varied from 2 375 owt. in 1882 to 1,735 
owt. in 1891. Tho table closes with two essential 
oils, that from the lemcn-soeuhd glass, citron- 
ella, and cinnamon oil. The former, need 
chiefly to eo nt eoaps, we believe, has as- 
sumed important proportions, tho exports rising 
from 2,940 000 cz. in 1882 to 14, .559, 000 rz. in 
1890 and 11,263,000 in 1891. It is regrettable 
if what we read, eepeoislly in American journals, 
bo true, that this delicate product is not 
infrequently and not slightly adulterated 
with kerosene oil. The elegant cinnamon oil, 
obtained from tho cells of tbe inner bark, in 
which alone resides tbe odour which poetry has 
imparted to “the spicy breezes," is not, we 
believe, tampered with. It was exported to the 
extent of 93,000 oz. in 1882, the export rising to 
167.000 oz. in 1886 and cloaing at 122,835 oz. in 
1891. The relative importanoe of our chief staple 
exports, now that ooffoe is no longer king, may be 
stated thus we believe: — TKA; Pboddots of the 
Coconut Palm ; Coffee j Cinnamon ; Plumbago ; 
Cinchona; Cacao; Cardamoms and minor articles. 
In present value and future promise, three arli- 
alee seem to stand pie-eminont ; TKA, which is 
King in sueceasion to coffer, abdicated ; Pbodocts 
OF THE Coconut Palm ; Plumbaoo. Coffee, aa we 
have indicated, may possibly revive, and minor 
industries may devolope into importanoe. But tbe 
fortunes of tho colony, doubtless, now and for years 
to oome will be mainly dependent on the snooees of the 
tea enterprise. Increase of production is so assured 
that herein lies ground for anxiety and reason 
for every possible effort to promote inaroased cou- 
enroption. 
PROSPECTS IN WYNAAD. 
OoiY, Dee. 20. — As I have vi»ited Wyiisad I write 
fcn a few linos, to givn you the imprrs.nona which 
I have formed, as they are not Bllo„ellier so 
entirely ^ of the *• has been " as our old frieod 
who rerieited the country lately wrote you if. That 
it is viry sad to see so manr large properties that 
wo kuew in tiio old timo as fioiiiishiag coffee estetes 
now overrun with lantan-i and jungle, must be 
allowed; but in writing of this deserted enltivatiou. 
