April i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
711 
the oountiy inspected, for settlement and planting 
purposes. The climate is splendid ; the soil in 
many parts vary good ; the rainfall suffloient. 
The two great points are in respect of " labour 
supply” and “ traneport." For the former, the 
inclination is to recommend Indian coolies i 
but it any difUoulty is made about these, 
there are the Ohinoso — many of whom work well 
in the country already— to fall ba. k on, and they 
can be got under indentures in large numbers. 
Very few planting countries in the world would 
begin so favourably for “ transport ” as Peru. 
Apart from the many railway lines already opened, 
there are several important extensions now under 
construction— notably the line across the Andes, 
which will shortly be opened and will prove of 
immeose adv«ntage. Both gentlemen, however, 
I found inclined, as true patriots, that after all 
there was no place equal to Ceylon 1 I had to 
temark, however, that they were not so young as 
they were, and it was natural they should revert 
to the scene of the labours of their youth and 
manhood, as the first spot on the earth, &c. ; but 
that they should try to think of how Peru would 
seem to them if they were still as fit for pioneer- 
ing work and beginning a new enterprise as 
they were in the “ fifties ” and *' sixties." Apart 
from the railways in Peru, for planters in the 
eastern slopes and valleys, there will be an outlet 
by water down tributaries to the Amazon, up which 
lor long distances, steamers now voyage. 
It was interesting to hear of the West Indian 
islands visited on the retnrn voyage. Mr. Sinclair 
has never seen a people outwardly better off or 
mure contented with their lot than the oultivat- 
ing negroes of Jamaica with their little farms 
or gardens. Mr. Boss paid a visit to Mr. W. 
Sabonadidre and had a moat hearty reception. 
Driving 12 miles to Gordon's Town, he there 
found (arranged by telephone) mules ready to carry 
him 10 miles up into the hills by a first-class bridle 
road to Mr, Sabonadidre's estate. He arrived 
at the bungalow as evening had closed in and 
naturally shouted ‘'Boyr' An intelligent nrgress 
servant answered the call, wishing to know in fair 
English "what name to give to master?" Miss 
SabonadiCre was away from home; but the host made 
the evening very pleasant for his guest and there 
was much talk about the dear old isle in the 
Eastern Seas which it is a pity Mr. SabonadiAre 
aver left, though bis coffee is doing very well on 
his Jamaica plantation about 2,500 ft. above sea- 
level, equal to 3,600 ft. in Ceylon. 
Perhaps Grenada was the island which most 
attracted the visitors for its beauty and resources. 
[It is the island whose beauties Mr. D. Morris 
chiefly depicted in his recent lecture.] Mr. Boss 
had a letter of introduction to the Governor from 
his brother, and both visitors were very kindly 
received. They heard of, though they did not meet, 
C. H. A. Boss, formerly of Ceylon, and how he was 
doing well. They also travelled to Trinidad with 
the Hon. Mr. Alexander of Grenada, who bore so 
strong a resemblance to bis near relative, Mr. 
W. H. O. Duncan of Colombo, that Mr. Boss made 
sure he had seen him in Ci ylon, where, however, 
ha has never been. At Trinidad, a good deal of 
attention was given to cacao, and one of the oldest 
and most important plantations — San Antonio — 
whose “ cocoa " was held up as a model (an ideal) 
to Mr. Boss when be commenced work in Matale 
with the now product. And before he left off 
(and now) Ceylon ‘‘cocoa" secures 40 to 60 per 
cent better prices than San Antonio. A groat 
deal is due to the very primitive style of cultivation 
and preparation followed in Trinidad. Even on San 
Antonio, such a thing as weeding or clean cultivation 
in the Ceylon sense, is unknown ; while the so-called 
factory and preparation were of the moat primitive. 
Covering with clay must be kept up to prevent 
mouldiness. " Why if a planter in Ceylon was 
in the habit of allowing his cocoa become mouldy, 
he would probably lose bis place,” was the natural 
remark. Among the few negroes crowding round 
the masters in the “ factory " in free and easy 
style, was one Tamil, and no one ever was more 
astonished than be when be got a mouthful of 
bis own tongue from Mr. Boss. He removed his 
cap and stood attention at once! — and it turned 
out that Mr. G, A. Dick had been bis old Ceylon 
" Durai ” and how surprised was be to learn that 
oven in Udapussellawa— on Bagalla— coffee was just 
giving way to tea. Mr. Hart of the Botanic 
Gardena was very pleased to see the visitors and 
to show them bis “ cacao ” trees, but the favourite 
Ceylon kind — to his astonishment — Mr. Hart learned, 
did not appear amongst them. The fact is that 
the Trinidad folk discarded the finer but more 
delicate Forastero kind long ago, just as the 
Ceylon planters of recent years have been doing. 
A remark made about "hybridizing,” on the part 
of one of the visitors showed how Ceylon planters 
in contradistinction to most in the West, study their 
profession. The conclusion arrived at was that 
cacao in Ceylon at five years old — in consequence 
of the more careful cultivation — is as far advanced 
as at eight years in the West lndies, notwithstanding 
bettor soil. 
w 
NOTES ON PRODUCE AND FINANCE. 
Evkrv Tex Betaiuer his own Gkower—A cor- 
respondent of the Qrocer, whoso communication to 
the effect that tea-retailing and tea planting wore 
particularly useful in combination, was referred to 
in our issue of the 15tb, again writes to that journal 
on this subject. Ho says 1 — '' I find that the sugges- 
tion contained in my letter that a retail tea-dealer 
oould to his benefit place himself in direct contact 
with tea plantations, has been the subject of an arti- 
cle by the editor of the Home and Colonial Mail, 
Naturally, the gist of the article is to scout the 
idea, and I trust, therefore, you will give me 
an opportunity to inform him that my knowledge 
on the subject is a little more than superflcial. Iii 
my letter 1 pointed out that the only Ceylon 
company of importance that bad been launched 
paid dividends at the rate of 16 per cent, aud I 
asked the question, why, with such brilliant results, 
plantations should not bo owned and managed by a 
combination of retail traders in the form of a 
limited company, thus saving not only the whole- 
sale dealer’s profit, but also that of the planters ? 
What arc the requirements to compass success 7 
A good mauager of tbs plantations, and a good 
manager to supervise the distribution in London, 
with a board of directors. This being so, may I 
ask what is the difference between a good mana- 
ger in Ceylon and London with well-paid indivi- 
duals as directors, and a good manager in Oeylon 
and London with a directorate of retail traders who 
would give their time with very little remunera- 
tion because it is their interest to do so ? My 
contention is that retailers with efficient managers, 
which they are just as able to select as any other 
body of meu, can manago a company more econo- 
mically than the ordinary director. But the article 
— as a terrible warning — that suggests that before 
embarking the grocer in such a venture I should 
got the opinion of the retail trader who has tried 
it, and ascertain whether it has paid. Inasmuch 
that I very much admire the practical shrewdness 
it the gentleman alluded to, 1 need not hesitatq 
