Ceylon in 1913

Abstract

DVRINC~ a short visit to the island of Ceylon in the spring of this year I was greatly impressed with the progress made recently, and my impressions may be worth recording.Cey!on has made enormous progress in many directions, notably in connection with what was once almost the exclusive product of Brazil-rubber. Great stretches of the low country of Ceylon, which was formerly jungle or scrub, are now covered with European plantations, mingled with the netive coco-nut estates. The rubber plantations are well equipped with factories and bungalows of the most up-to-date description. Railways and roads are not far off, end the rubber can be transported to Colombo for sale locally, or shipped to London or other parts of the world direct. Millions of pounds of rubber are either sold in Colombo, or shipped direct without being sold, and the business is rapidly extending as new plantations come into bearing, which occurs after six or seven years from the time of planting. The Hevea (Pare) rubber-tree is unlike any other tropical tree in that in Ceylon in January it winters. The leaves become a russet hue, and then gradually drop off; and the old trees stand under bare poles, so that it might be assumed that they were dying rapidly. But this is not so, for in a month or six weeks the new leaves begin to make their appearance, and by the end of March the trees are clothed with bright green foliage.Tee planting succeeded coffee, which was killed out by the mysterious leaf disease, Hemdia IZastatriz, and is still a great industry, but tea flourishes best in the hill country at elevations of from 2000 to 7000 feet above sea-level. Strange as it may appear, the highest cultivated VOL. XXIX.