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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May I, 1884. 



The tea supply has not made siich rapid strides as its 

 corapaniou, sugar ; uot because new fields of supply have 

 not beeu forthcoming, but because the old sources, probably 

 owing to the peculiarity of the Chinese, have not made 

 much progress. India has «nprecedentedly increased its 

 production, its exports amounting last year to 00,000,000 

 pounds, almost as much as the total consumption of this 

 country. Ceylon has made rapid strides both in the pro- 

 duction and quality of tea in recent years. The Maria- 

 watta tea estate has marketed its entire crop at an average 

 of 35 cents per pound, which is, we understand, the highest 

 price ever recorded for an entire crop. Java is also making 

 progress, but not at the same pace as either of the former. 

 Fiji may develop in a tea-producing country, for, according 

 to the the Australasian, " asmall quantity of tea grown 

 and manufactured on Mr. James E. Jlason's Alpha Estate, 

 Taviuni, has been otfered for sale by that gentleman's town 

 agent, and its strength and purity of flavor are very highly 

 spoken of by those who claim to be judges. The favor- 

 able result of the several experiments which have been 

 made at various places on that island leave no doubt as to 

 its capability for tea culture, and the industry promises 

 encouraging returns for its more systematic prosecution." 

 Witli the energj- displayed in recent years by the nations in 

 the East, our supply of tea, both in quality and quantity, is 

 in a fair way of being vastly enlarged and improved. — 

 American Grocer, 



[AVe need scarcely tell onr readers that the Mackay 

 and Burdekiu districts are both in Queensland, but we 

 must add that the figures for yield are far too high. — 

 Ed.] 



« 



THE JOHORE RHEA COMPANY. 



The preliminary arrangements for launchinsr this com- 

 pany, the general outlines of which were sketched in our 

 last, are making rapid progi-ess in the hands of Messrs. 

 Giorge W. H. Brogden & Co., the London agents of the 

 Lini Soio Sj-ndicate, and we understand that in a few 

 d tys subscriptions to tho share capital will be publicly 

 in\'ited. On the 18th ult. a largely attended meeting was 

 held at St. Michael's Hall, George Yard, in response to 

 an invitation from the firm in order to hear w^hat are tho 

 jjrospects of the enterprize, and to afford those interested 

 in Khea production and utiliiiation an opportunity of putt- 

 ing questions upon any point connected with either branch 

 of the subject. Various fabrics manufactured from Rhea, 

 and used in conjunction with other materials, silk, wool, 

 and cotton, were exhibited in the room. Mr. W. Leed- 

 ham Crowe was voted to the chair, and stated that Messrs. 

 Brogden & Co. were interested inEnglandastheagentsof two 

 proceses of ti'eating Rhea fibre (the Favier and the Fi-emy- 

 Urbain processes.) Jlr. Watson was a successful planter 

 who had been resident for some years in Johore, and 

 possessed vu'gin lands there, which wore considered of 

 great value ; and Johore was a counhy in which Rhea 

 was indigenous. These facts formed the basis of a pro 

 forma prospectus of the Johore Rhea Company. He be- 

 lieved there were two objects in calling the meeting ; first, 

 that those who attended might see tbe articles made from 

 Khea, or in combination with other products, and to ask 

 Mr. SVatson any question ; and secondly, to see whether 

 it would he possible to carry out the scheme of forming 

 tho company without going to the pubhc. Mr. Casper 

 afterwards addressed the meeting, and spoke of the enor- 

 mous value of China grass, and of the various uses to 

 which it can be appUed. The ai'ticie was no new thing, 

 but its use had been limited, owing to the heavy cost 

 hitherto of preparing it ready for the spinners. By the 

 processes referred to, he stated that the present cost could 

 be reduced by about one-half. Spinners would need no 

 change of machinery or of their work people. The 

 reason why capital was asked for was that the gen- 

 tlemen so far concerned in the scheme (the Lini Soie 

 Syndicate) had spent all their available capital in bring- 

 ing the aft'air to its present state. They had now, he 

 stated, works enabling them to produce anything which 

 was. or could be made from China grass. As one proof 

 of the superiority of Rhea tibre, he mentioned that some 

 leading manufacturers of fire-hose had tested it against 

 tho ordinary material, acd found that whereas tho latter 

 commenced to '' weep " at a pressure of 100 lb, Rhea cloth 

 would stand a presure of 6001b. Mr. Casper, having ex- 



plnined that the demand for Rhea fibre at a moderate 

 price would be practically unlimited, proceeded to point 

 out the advantages offered by Johore for the production 

 of the plant, and the very favourable terms upon which 

 the projiosed company would acquire 21,000 acres of virgin 

 land thi re from Mr. Watson. Estimates of the cost of 

 planting and of annual up- keep had been prepared by 

 several gentlemen of long esperiouce in India and in Alegria, 

 and these had been revised by Mr. Watson with his 

 thorougli knowledge ot Joliore with the following results : — 



Cost of planting one acre of Ithva in Johore. 

 Clearing the land and burnmg the wood Value of the wood. 

 Levellhig and straight lining .. £1 .i 



Planting of 10,000 plants .. 1 :> 



Hoeing and weeding ... .. 10 



Supeiinteudence . . , . 12 6 



Coutmgencies .. .. 12 C 



Total cost 

 Annual Expeinliiure per Arre 

 Rent of the land 

 Harrowing and weeding 

 Cutting the stems 

 Carriage to the steam chest 

 Cost of drying and baliug 

 Superiiitimdence 

 Contingencies 



Total cost . . £4 4 3 



Xote. — As the head of each stem gives a cutting which 

 will serve for planting up fresh land, the item for cut- 

 ting tlio stems is reduced thereby.- 



In Algeria t^e cost of planting an acre was £12 9s 6d, 

 and in India it was estimated at £7 10s lOd to £9 9s 2d, 

 but in both these, provision was made for manuring and 

 watering the land which would not be necessary in Johore. 

 To all these, however, must be added £8 i)cr acre the 

 cost of the plants. There was nn tropical product which 

 could bu so cheaply cultivated, and none that would give 

 so large a return. 



Explanations were given by Mr. Watson in reply to 

 various questions addressed to him by those present, which 

 confinncd the statements made as to the suitability of 

 the soil and climate of Johore, the abundant sujiply of 

 Chinese labour available, jmd tlie accessibility of the land 

 selected. AVe need not go at leugtli into tlie discussion 

 which followed, but it was abundantly evident, from the 

 views expressed by manufacturers present, that the value 

 of Rliea for textile purposes is recognized, and that they 

 will only be too glad to avail themselves of it, if it can 

 be sold at a price to compete witli flax. The chairman 

 in conclusion expressed the opinion that the object of the 

 meeting had been fully attained in the ventilation of the 

 subject. 



The Lini Soie Syndicate is convinced that iu the Favicr- 

 Fri-niy p:i tents, it has secured the best possible means of 

 treating Rhea, and that through their use the cultivation 

 of the plant will, in suitable localities, and whore labour 

 is cheap, prove highly remunerative. It will bs observed 

 that the Syndicate proposes to confine its attention ex- 

 clusively to Rhea, and in this it is wise, because here 

 it is working on the solid ground of repeated trials, and 

 there is obviously abundant scope for its operations iu this 

 one product. — Planters' Gazette. 



LIMESTONE A MAXURE FOR TEA. 



It seems now to be tolerably well accepted tha* the 

 future of Indian tea deiiends, first, on better communic- 

 ations,* to enable planters to place labour on their estates 

 at but a tithe of the ruinous cost at present ruling ; and 

 secondly, on the throwing up of all unpr. fitable |i.itches 

 and the concentration of all energy on the high cultiv- 

 ation of those portions of the gardens which, from jat 

 of plants and .suitaViility of lay and .site, promise remuiier- 

 I ative returns. By the form ' high cultivation ' we do not 

 mean tlie ceas(-less hoeing of steep Inclines or even of 

 flat Lands, liable to submergence during the rains, bu; the 

 application tu tea planting of those principles >i agricult- 

 ural scii'nce that have proved so successful in Europe, 

 Americ.i, ami the Colonies. The tea planter nf the futuro 

 must ciinibiiie within himself not only the qualifications 

 tliat ha\o hitherto l>een considered those of a good manager, 



