March i, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



621 



i\e stems, if notcheil and laid iu the earth will very 

 soeedily tlirow out rootlets, and then the roots spread 

 very rapidly. Dr. Watson does not believe that any- 

 thing like 40 tons of stems per acre per annum will 

 be grown in Ucylou or ludia, as they say has been 

 the case in Algeria. He points out that any plant 

 that is asked to give tlu-ee or four crops a year of 

 great bulk must either be grown in exceptionally 

 rich soil, or that is rendered so by manuring and 

 'ligh cultivation. It is a common mistake, he thinks, 

 ) suppose that Rhea will do well iu poor soil. It 

 ,:11 grow doubtless, but cannot be expected to bear 

 nytliing like the weight named. He estimates 250 

 J. of clean fibre per acre per crop, and the number of 

 crops must depend upon circumstances. I am glad 

 to hear that -M. Vetittart has pronounced a very 

 ■vvourable opinion of the Wynaad Rhea, to the e6Fect 

 hat under cultivation it would probably give a fibre 

 (|ual to the best China Grass. 



I have been favored with the following estimates 

 tor the creation and upkeep of a Khea estate pre- 

 pared by a Wynaad planter of long experience and 

 high reputation, and therefore to be trusted ; tliey 

 will doubtless interest Ceylon planters, but they have 

 reached me too late for any comment: — 



Estimate of cost of preparing grocsd asd plaxting 



ONE ACRE Rhea Plants is Socthern India. 



Clearing land of undergrowth and small trees, 

 iligging oversoil, and removing jungle roots, 

 1 im-ning roots and brushwood and surface drain- 

 ing 



Roads and watercourses for irrigation 

 Lining and planting 16,000 plants 

 2 Weedings 



Native superintendence ... 

 Contingencies 10 V cent ... 



16,000 Rhea plants or roots— R5 V 1,000.. 



Supposing buildings available, per acre ... RIGO 



It may be advisable for this permanent cultivation to 

 terrace the slopes of the hills to save wash and facilitate 

 irrigation, which would cost R25 per acre more. 



Estimate op cost of upkeep of one ache Rhea Plants. 



Rent of land and Government land-tax . 



4 "SVeediugs at R2-8 



4 Waterings at R3 



ManiuHng — R24 per acre 



Native superintendence for 2.5 acres 



Contingencies IU P cent 



Sale of separated roots and cuttings will cover charge 

 of amortization of original planting cost. 



Estiil^te or crop expenses per cutting op 250 lb. 



Fin RE, OK 500 lb. Ribbons. 

 Cutting and trimming off leaves ... K3 



Carriage to boiler or machines, (S) R13\S 



per ton per mile of distance ... ISO 



Cost of drying or baling ... ii 12 



Or R47-4 V ton of fibre ^ 250 lb. 



R30 V ton cost of carriage to coast for shipment. 

 Ribbons R45 1* ton approximate cost of steaming tre:i tment. 

 Fibre R160 F tonappi-oximate costof treatment by machine. 

 Ribbons worth from £15 to 20 T toa. 

 Fibre worth from £45 to £50 ^ ton. ^ 

 -Cor. Local "Times." *■ .. li'I 



E25 



15 



15 



5 



12 8 



7 8 



R80 



81) 



R5 _ 4 



THE DUKE MODEL ESTATE, TAVOY. 



{from Mr. Jame^ D. ^Yation, The Duke Model Estate, 



Tavoy, to the Director of Aoricidlure, British Burma, 



dated the &h October 1S33. ) 



I hive now much pleasure in forwarding to you 

 a report of the surrouudiugs of Tavoy. I have already 

 inspected over 20 miles down the Mergui road and 

 from the point opposite the auchorage of the British 

 Indian st-'am^rs. whflr> the S. S. Anar/yc now lies at 

 anchor, near lo the Xhayete laung post office. I started 

 off from the dSk bungalow at Thavetohauug and wsnt 

 up and over the ''Pawdu HUl," the highest point there, 

 .ind over the other hill adjiining. I was much pleased 

 by i.lie app-'arance and formation of the soil ; it will 

 compare with any in Ceylon, which has none so good 

 at the same elevation. Like all tropical countries, it 

 vari<"a from good to bad to a certain degr.-e, bnt in 

 even the poorest soil iu Tavoy we can grow tea, I 

 am now ceriain, to perfection: in this fine moist forcing 

 climate there is not the slighti'st doubt about this. 

 Coffee we can also grow in the more favourable spots 

 in , a tract of land with good drainage. The coffee 

 here planted by natives is no criterion, as they do not 

 cultivate .and they always plant it in flat land. This 

 is altoi^ether agaiust the nature of the coffee plant, 

 and ne will improve upon this considerably. The 

 natives only want to be shown how this can be 

 attained. I have seen coffee near Tavoy 15 i/cars old 

 in a Burmese garden, and it will compare with any 

 of the same variety in Ceylon. The trees were loaded 

 with crop, bending down the branches to mother earth. 

 We will succeed in coffee also ; this is my honest 

 opinion. 



Cocoa. — In the flatter land we can grow cocoa. The 

 soil in the flat lands is equal to that of the best 

 coeoa lands I have seen, and I have been oa the best 

 cocoa estate now in Ceylon, namely, Palla Kellie. 

 What will be most favourable to this most valu.able 

 plant here is this — we have no winds. Wmd is cocoa's 

 enemy, and I am certain we will grow this plant here 

 to perfection. Cevlon cocoa now brings lOOs. in the 

 London market per cict. I have myself ordered 2 cwt. 

 of cocoa seed from C!"ylon from Palla Kellie estate. 



Cardamoms. — Cardamoms can hIso be grown with 

 great profit; they are indigenous to the Tavoy district. 

 On mj' way down to Thayetchaung, about II miles 

 from here, Mr. Wallace, an officer iu the Public 

 Works Department, took me into the jungle and showed 

 me carf'aoioms growing and bearing splendidly in a 

 wild state, — hirge bunches of fruits nearly ripe. I will 

 send you a book on this cultivation that will interest 

 you. 



Liherian Coffee. — Coffee, L'beria, we can grow. I am 

 also certain to cope with any in other p.arts of the 

 world. When down at Meigui I hud the pleasure of 

 seeing this valuable plant growing to perfection aud 

 now bearing crop, — a fair maiden crop. This plant 

 we cjn grow at sea-level and in all flat lands. In 

 this district it can be grown on the hills as well and 

 up to 2,000 feet elevation with profit. I got a few 

 plants from Cap'^dn Butler aud I did not lose one. 

 Although but small plants they ai-e growing splendidly, 

 also hybrid tea and colTee, Arabian: all doing well. 



Cinchona. — I fancy that Arakan will be butter suited 

 for this valuable product. iVly fear is that iu the 

 Tavoy district we have too much rain. But I am going 

 to give cinchona a fair trial. 1 have made a present 

 of seeds to James Pctley, Toungoo, and also Captain 

 Schwalky and Theobdd and Dixon, Natyadaung, also 

 Captain Butler, Mergui, aud yourself for Arakan, and 

 directly 1 know people willing to take the trouble to 

 yive thi'i ]ilant ,a trial, I will give them seed and also 

 instructions how to cultivate the same. I think we 

 will succeed here with C. SHCciruhra and Ledgeriana, 

 and I am about to giv« them a fair trial. 



