The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-09-04


namon-Cocoa Palm Trces-CoiYee Plan |
tations Euined by tho "Vast-of-Tricks."
The Tea Industry.
Ceylon now pays its own military expenses, |
the force being only one regiment of British |
infantry, one of native and one brigade Of
artillery The island government grants aid |
To schools having required number Of pu-
pills The Dutch requirement of Protestant
profession was at once abolished. Hospitals !
and dispcnSarics abound. \ British governor |
foundsi our medical college, which i, liber-
ally endowed by two wealthy Singhalese.
The SinghaleSe, the native Ceyionians, have
an aptitude for the medical vocation, and
have large practice in government employ
and among resident British.
The proportion of children is one in twenty |
eight In India it is one III 100. The Sin
ghalcSe are prone to litigate. They 20 Ia law
| about owning the sixth part of n cocoanut
tree Singhaleso is judge of the supreme
| court. Others are Leading lawyers. The
abolition of slavery was finished about forty
years ago. Less than thirty Years ago poly
andry pnany husbands was legal.
The people have both SinghaleNe and Tamil
newspapers, Tho-e two are the most numerous
oil the several eastern races mere.
British law conSerycS the forests aud pre-
vents the extinction of wild elephants, elk,
etc. The townSpeople have modern adNan-
tags.
Government from time 10 time. according
to the will of the different governors clears
away overgrOwth and cXcavates out Of debris
and earth the still remaining architecture of
a civilization which ranks among the most
interesting OF ancient ruins, and will hence
forth much increase the attractions Of t"y ion,
CEYLoN's NATIVE PRODUCTS.
The native people could raise plantation
AMI garden rrwluv;s-peppcr, cinnamon, nut
meg, chocolate, cardamoms and fruit-->ell
them dear. and buy rice cheap from India
and Rurmah. Rice is their staple grain food
But they take to their Inherited rice culture
more than to any other agriculture Rice re-
quirrs a flooded ground Falling in with
their preference, the British have largely re-
stored ancient irrigation works, thus doing
more for the Singhalese than for centuries
had been done by either European or native
rulers. The average native was n more spar
ing eater seventy years ago than he is to-day,
and he is apparently very moderate eater
now. He was always inclined to vegetarian
ism through his devotion 10 Buddha The
exported cinnamon has greatly increased
| under British rule. Cinnamon is native TO
Ceylon, rs tea is in some parts of Assam and
| Burmah Ceylon cinnamon is the finest in the
world
More attention is now given to the various
palms Many forehanded Singhaese and
Tamils, whose thrift also is within the last
nifty years, now plant gardens OF palms and
other profitable trees rs an investment II is
estimated that III Ceylon there are 2G,n1OV0
cocoa palm trees, covering over 100000 acres,
almost all owned 10y Singhalese and Taniss
The annual exports of essential oils made
from lemon grass, citronella grass, cinnamon
| leaves and cinnamon value nearly $500, 90
| The Singhaltsae raise their own tobacco, and
| export n little to India. They sometimes mix
| it with their "hetel,' combination with
lime, which is generally used by the people Of
this region, who live mostly on rice and the
| like. 1t is said by Psychologists to furnish an
element in which their food is deficient.
Every Singhalese garden grows a little
sugar cane, mainly to he chewed like candy
I There is only one large manufacturing sugar
estate in Ccylon. The culture has been tried,
! and in most stun ions the cane runs in stalk
and the moist climate and soil do not allow
| the sap to crystal.0r, nor does the stalk weld
| enough crystaizaiae material
| TIE "vAST- OF TRICKS
| The Arabs introduced the coffee plant very
ancicntly; yet its beverage was unknown
| when the European arrived. The SiDghalcSe
used the coffee leaves in their spicy currics.
| and they OF namcn.ed the shrines of the adOrcd
| Buddha with the delicate white and jasmine
| like coffee flowers. But the British made
| great plantations, each estate employing
| sCores and HUNDREDS OF labOreIS, mostly Tamie
| from South lfndustan The Tamils are more
energetic to get the opportunity Of hard work
| than the Singhalos-' The British planter soon
introduced the West Indian system Of cultlva-
| ton; coffee became the backbone OF our
| treasury and the manufacturer Of individual
| fortunes, Then the Sinshalese caught the
coiTc" dnal, and quarter TO one bali Of the
| export was native coffee.
Meantime small, bright orange spot APP
pcarcd on the coffee leaves, yet slightly az
fcctins the plant. Nobody cared for ii ex-
ccpt the director of the Ccylon Botanic gnr-
dens, and gold III the planters Il, k"s JMgled
LOUDER than the plant doctors word of alarm.
But TINT little blight, the "Vast of-Tricks," as
| was Angiiciasi the IIimmalcia Nastatlix,
| brought the proprietors home from their
hAunts, mortgaged their estates, cbcapen.d
their lands, aud now new generation Of men
arc az energctically aud enthusiastically
planting ta with nm anticipation of more
than the prosperity Of coffee times, If the
| world will continue 10 te thirsty, and VIII
continue to quonch that thirst over "the cup
| that cheers but not Undertakes Everything
Is booming CcSlon Mt present Is Il favorite
plac,, for British capitalists to start their sons
in really wide and interesting career Of IN
| A. ~,
ploying one and half To two laiorers TO
every acrn-Anna Ballard in Cincinnati
| Commercial Gazette.
starvation In London.