CHAPTER VI.
 

    THE ORIGIN AND RISE OF THE  PLANTING INDUSTRY.



              (See Appendix Nos. II. and III.)



Coffee introduced in 1690, by the Dutch—First systematically cultivated

   in 1740—Extensive development in  1837—Highest level of Pros¬

   perity reached in 1868-70—Appearance of Leaf Disease in 1869—

   Its disastrous effects.



     WE  now  turn to the great planting industry which

      began in coffee, and the latter additions in tea (now

by far the  most important staple), cacao, the chocolate or

cocoa plant, not to be confounded  with the coconut palm :

cinchona,  rubber  trees, cardamoms,  etc.; to  these  the

past rapid  development and prosperity of the  island  are

mainly due, and  on them its future position as a leading

colony must still  chiefly depend.

  It was long  supposed, and Emerson Tennent adopted

the  opinion, that the  Arabs first introduced coffee into

India and  Ceylon, and that the shrub was grown in the

latter before the arrival  of the  Portuguese  or  Dutch,

though the preparation of a beverage from its berries was

unknown to the Sinhalese, who were said only to use the

young coffee leaves for  their  curries,  and  the delicate

jasmine-like coffee flowers for ornamenting the shrines of

Buddha.   But Dr.  Trimen,  F.R.S., the present  accom¬

plished Director   of the  Ceylon Royal  Botanic Gardens,

has  shown conclusively that  coffee  was  unknown   in

tropical Asia until the Dutch introduced it  into Java  in

                           03