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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[September i. 1883. 



bis expeditions in a country not previously Unown, met 

 with a party of natives believed to have erossed from 

 the oilier side of the Duteli boundary, aud was killel, 

 with sereral of his native attendants and guides. Mr. 

 Hatton, a promising )ouug ollieer engaged as a mineral- 

 ogist, met witli his death from an "ecidcnt : his own 

 gun g'>ing off while threading his way through the Jun- 

 gle when out elephant hunting. Mr. Collinson, an 

 euergelio and cap;ible Commissioner of Works, was 

 moat unexpectedly carried off by sickness while on 

 leave at IJoug Kong. ' We also quote the following 

 passages : — " In proof of what I have just said as to the 

 prohts yielded by ^ug«r plantations in Culonies less 

 favourably circumstanced than Noith LSorneo, b't me 

 cite one or two instances, and lirst as to sufiar-jlintiug 

 in Madagascar. A very interesting and trustworthy 

 account from a Special Correspondent of the Times, 

 under the heading of the ' Resources of Madagascar — 

 a new Field for Enterprise,' appeared in that journal 

 some two months ago (April 2nd, 1SS3). In this long 

 aud detailed account of the trade resources of Mada- 

 gascar in connection with the British Consular Ui-ports 

 the writer observes; — 'It is upon sugar that those 

 who believe iu a great commercial future for Madngasear 

 pin their faith, and not upon the rich mines which 

 are supposed to be hidden iu the interior of the groat 

 African Island.' Aud he proceeds : — ' As regards the 

 profitable production of sugar the experimental stage 

 has already been assod. Four years ago the first real 

 attempt at establishing a sugar plantation in the 

 neighbourhood of Tamatava was tried, and already 

 dividends of 15 to 20 per cent, on the capital invested 

 arc being realised. Next year one estate, which is be- 

 coming the property of a Joint Stock Company, pro- 

 mises to pay 30 per cent., and the limit of reniuner- 

 atlou has by no means been reached.' Many other 

 details are given of the same nature, all tending to 

 show the enormous profits that m.ay be realised from 

 sugar plantations in Madagascar, notwithstanding 'a 

 few obsolete and impracticable Hova laws.' If this 

 be true of Madagascar, where, — besides Hova laws, 

 frequent tornadoes, and now French invadiu, — there 

 are many difheuties to be encountered iu the pur- 

 chase of lands, &c., what may we not hope for North 

 Borneo, to which Australian Sugar Planters are turning 

 their attention, and investing largely in laud declared 

 by them to be all that thiy can wish? So als", if 

 we take the reports of the Sugai- Estate Companies 

 from the Mauritius. It appears that ' of the "JO old 

 sugar estate Companies iu Mauritius there are six 

 which paid 10 per cent, dividend on the last occasion 

 and one IS per cent., one 15, one 14 and one 6 per 

 cent, dividend.' So of Tobacco, for which soil and 

 climate in our Territory are believed bj' experienced 

 planters and exports from Sumatra admirably adapted. 

 Planters fiom L)eli iu that island, who have exhausted 

 the most available la' d then-, have already begun 

 operations in our Territorj' as ollVriug better conditions." 

 In the discussion which followed the chairman's ad- 

 drees Mr. Hildyard said : — "I should like to make one 

 short remark. I took this from a trade paper: 'It 

 is generally accepted that the sago palm grows on 

 the island of Borneo ; it grows there in very large 

 numbers almost everywdiere, and Boineo furnishes by 

 far the largest quota of all the sago exported. In the 

 interior of Borneo, along the river courses, the natives 

 make rafts of thn palm trunks, and lloat tliem down 

 to the trading settlements, where the pith is takeu 

 out, tied up in bundles, covered with palm leaves, 

 and shipped to Singapore or places where sago is 

 manufactured. The Borneo sag) palm is counted the 

 most remunerative as to quality and quantity.' I 

 wish to know whether the Company could not arrange 

 to grow sago." To this the chairman replied : — "In re- 

 ference to one or two question-; that h.ivc been put 

 I would say, iu reply to the lirst gouilemau who spoke, 



there is a charge of six per cent, on all calls in arrears, 

 and that no shares have been issued since the 31st 

 December. In reference to the (|uestion as to the raising 

 of additioial capital, ihe Dii'ectors see no reason to 

 doubt that they have quite suilicient capital, in view 

 of all the iiillovv of capital now going on from the 

 outside, to work Borneo as rapidly as circumstances 

 will permit ; and having that outer source of the 

 inflow of capital we do not require to r.iise more. 

 Of course we shall be glad to see the work more freely 

 supported, and I have not the slightest doubt that 

 when all this infcrmatiou is fully digested and under- 

 stood there will be a greater disire to invest in our 

 sliares, seeing that progress has been so rapid and 

 that theie is every prospect of its continuing. With 

 regard to the question of the cultivation of sago, this 

 plant is indigenous no doubt, and its cultivation is 

 very profitalde; but it takes 7 or 8 years to work it, 

 and that is too long for the Company to wait. They 

 have had their attention drawn to it, and some private 

 speculators will go in for it very largely. Although 

 it does yield a large profit, as I have paid, it does 

 not yield it for 7 or S years." 



INDLVN TEA AND WEATHER REPORT. 

 (From Balmer, Lriune <J- Ce.) 



Calcutta, 4th August 1883. 



Our last rejiort was dated 21st July. The weather through- 

 out the manufactuiang tTistricts has been more favourable 

 of late, Init most gardens have a long way to pull up before 

 they reach last year's outturn, not to speak of their estim- 

 ates; unless the weather during the next 3 months is more 

 than usually favourable, it is not likely that the total crop 

 will exceed last year, even taking into consideration the new 

 extensions coming into bearing. 



Assam. — Dibrugbar. — Tlie latest advices by letter bring 

 new of continued improvement in the weather over this 

 district, although more rain would be an advantage, to make 

 up for the previous very hot and dry days. Flushes are com- 

 ing out fast on most gardens, but the general state of 

 backwardness still prevails, and it is clear that many estates 

 will not make their estimates. Jeypore. — There has beeu 

 lately a heavy fall of rain which was nnich required as the 

 ground was very dry in .spite of the thunderstorm reported 

 in our last ; tiushes are now coming out better, and the river 

 is rising. Sibs.agar. — The weather has been extremely hot 

 over this district which has made the leaf dry and the Hushes 

 thin ; lately some heavy rains wnth cold winds have done btit 

 little good, and the nights have beeu rather too cold for leaf. 

 Joreliat. — The weather here has not been unfavotu-able for 

 tea although very changeable ; most gardens are however 

 going steadily behind last year's corresponding outturn ; it is 

 estimated that gardens are about 15 per cent, behind. The 

 rainfall since our last, has been about 12"G inches, most of it 

 falling at night ; much hotter weather is wanted to be certain 

 of regular tlusbes. Telegraphic ad\-iees report perfect weather 

 for manufacture. Lakhimpore. — The reports are not so 

 satisfactory from tliis disti'iet as last fortnight. The thermo- 

 nu-ter has been high and the sun extreme]}' hot ; there is 

 little moisture in the soil, and rain has fallen so slightly as 

 to be of hardly any good, the river is lower than is usual at 

 this season, leaf is scarce, and greeu fly is showing again 

 aud tendmg to stunt the flushes ; the extremes of heat and 

 changes in the temperature, have effected the leaf. Jlun- 

 gledie. — &fore rain is wanted in this part as only a few 

 showers have been falling locally and nearly all the gardens 

 are much behind last year, and it seems unlikely that this 

 year's estimates will be made, red spider is troubling some 

 gardens again for the third time this season. 



CACn.kE. — JIauy gardens are .still sutfeling very much 

 from blight and some are nearly shut up altogether with it. 

 The weather has been on the whole favourable with hot 

 sun and rain, and a few gardens are doing well that have 

 escaped blight and red spider ; the majority, however, are 

 very much behind last year's outturn, and estimates cannot 

 be realised. 



Sot'-™ Wkst Svlhet. — The weather since the last report 

 has been on the whole favourable, although more rain would 

 have been dcsuable ; the raiut'all at present is about t) inelies 



