ig6 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[October i, 1883. 



leased out 243 allotments, forming together 93,956 houits 

 or about '>(i,67l hectares. They are scattered over the 

 different llesidencies, as follows ; — Rembaug 2 allotments, 

 SueraHaya 0. Passaroean 79, Proboliugo 19, Bezoekie 1(3, 

 Banjoewa.igif 4, Madioen 29, Kedirie 94, aud are mostly 

 destined for Coffee. To compare the area of the soil in 

 East Jav.i, /// for the Coffee-culture, aud whicli is at the 

 ilispos:d of indiriduals or enterprisers, with the so much 

 greater cypliers stated by Mr. Lenios. can in my opinion, 

 be of as little use, as it can be for those who are con- 

 cerned in the cereal products, to compare the number of 

 hectares fit for corn-culture in Hungary or Russia with 

 that of Netherlaud. The main points we have to keep in 

 view, arc : 1st, the costs of production ; 2nd, the quantity 

 of the production per tree ; 3rd, the quality. 



b. The length of life of the Coffee-plant is equal to 

 that of Brazil. Concerning the productiveness, Mr. Lemos 

 •states that in Brazil n.ore than 1 milliard of Coffee-trees 

 produce on au average 400 milhons K. G. of coffee. If we 

 say 400 millions K. G. ou 1 milliard of trees, we get per 

 tree 04 K. G. In East Java they reckon to have a very 

 bad crop, if from trees of at least 5 years old, one obtains 

 I'd kattie (= 1 K. G.) per tree. A much larger produce 

 very frequently occurs. 



c. The manner of planting is very efficient. The man- 

 ner of preparing is still open to much improvement. 



d. The supply of labour in the Coffee districts is con- 

 tinually on the increase, from the voluntary impulse of 

 the natives, and even in a gi'eater degi-ee than the employ- 

 ment of that labom". The consequence of this was, that for 

 18S3 the general clearing-costs were cheaper than for 1882. 



e. The costs of pi-oduction are, in proportion to the 

 obtainable produce, very trifling. As however, Mr. Lemos 

 gives no cyphers on this subject, a comparison is impossi- 

 ble. 



f. Mr. Lemos says that there is reason to suppose, that 

 the present prices for the cultiue in Brazil are in general 

 )ie:irlj' remunerative. In East Java there is not only reason 

 to suppose, that in the main the present prices are re- 

 jnunerative, but better still, we have the certainty that 

 they are profitable. 



All this, aud especially the heads mentioned under c. 

 aud /'. give therefore to those interested in the Coffee- 

 i idtiire in East Java an inducement to look to the future 

 Avith confidence. 



For the rest, the correctness of ]Mr. Lemos's observation 

 that the interests of Netherland and of Brazil are in many 

 respects identical, is too obvious, to require any further 

 confirmation ; and those interested in the Coffee-culture in 

 Netherlands India cannot too highly commend the Ceutia da 

 Lavono, for the trouble they take to promote an increase 

 in the consumption of Coffee. 



Hilversum, 21st July 1883. F. de. Rijk. 



OOFFEE-OULTURE : No. II. 



at 5,000 piculs, the retm-ns of this are quite sufficient to 

 cover all e.^peuses and interests diu-ing those two years 

 assuming an average production of 1 kattie per tree (as 

 above), this gives over a planting of 500 Bouws (reckoning 

 loo trees per Bouw) a produce of 10 piculs per Bouw. 

 or 5,000 piculs. ^ ' 



Agamst this the expenses will be.- — 

 a. Wages for gathering/ 7,20 p. pic. / 37,500 



i. Preparmg „ 2,00 p. pic. „ 10,000 



c. Conveyance to harbour for shipment 

 , ,^ . , „ „ „ IJ p. pic. „ 7,100 



a Mamtenance of Enterprise say f 50 p. B. „ 25 OOO 

 e. Administration, etc. at / 1,500 per Moutii " IsioOO 

 I /. Lease-hold (good will / 5 p. B. „ 2^500 



Partly in rectification of a less correct statement in the 

 article of Mr. de Rijk, which we mentioned yesterday, and 

 partly in completion, Mr. C. "SV. Groskamp gives in the 

 Manddshlad of today, iu his turn, the following particulars 

 about the coffeeculture in East Java. 



1. Jlr. de Rijk says conccruing the productiveness of 

 the coffee-tree: "In East- Java it is reckoned as a very 

 bad crop, if trees at least five years old jield 16 katti (= 1 

 kilo)." This statement is in my opinion too favourable, 

 there are, indeed, cultivators who make on an average 1-6 

 kattie, and even 2 katties per tree, but in a general view, 

 good and bad crops, and first rate or inferior enterprises 

 must be taken promiscuously, and the average yield 

 he assumed to be I katti (= 062 kilogr. ; per tree; which 

 even then amounts to more than the average yield in Brazil. 



2. ■ Mr. de Rijk says, speaking of enterprises in East- 

 Java: ""We have the certainty that tliey are more remuuer* 

 ative." Many would think it, no doubt, of more value, 

 it this were proved by cyphers. I therefore deem it not 

 irrelevant to offer a few cyphers, which, though a rough 

 estimate, are however derived from my own experience. 

 A coffee enterprise of 6(10 Bouws in p]ast-Java will require 

 the first four years, by a gradual planting of 125 Bouws per 

 annum, for plant, etc., a caiiital in round numbers of 200,000 

 guililers. 



Takuig the produce of the 5th and 6tli year together 



being total iu round numbers of 



/' 100,100 

 guilders p. picul, 



Thus the product will stand in 20 

 delivered, at the place of shipment. 



By the private enterprises in East-Java the AV. J. prepar- 

 ation is exclusively followed. "With the present low prices 

 of coffee, as.suming the value of it to be 35 guilders (which 

 is not too high, as this year in Java several crops were 

 sold at a total average of 40 guilders per picul in the parch- 

 ment, which IS equal to 50 guilders p. pic. for peeled coffee), 

 we obtain a produce of 17,500, which, after deduction of 

 expenses at/1 00,00(1, leaves a profit of 75,000 guilders, making 

 374 per cent of the requisite capital. It need hardly be 

 added, that by a rising of the coffee prices the profits 

 would be considerably greater. Hence it appears plainly 

 that, in spite of the present low coffee prices, the pro- 

 spects of tbiscultm-e iu Easteru-Java are encouraging. 



THE COFFEE-CULTURE AGAIN: No. III. 

 Bitte... 

 "Im Caffee bin ich der Dritte." 

 Two gentlemen taking an mterest in the Coffee-culture, 

 Mr. F. de Rijk and Mr. C. W. Groskamp, have delighted 

 me and perhaps many others with their views of the Coffee- 

 culture. 



My delight at the favour.able prospects of these gentle- 

 men had perhaps been converted into melancholy, had not 

 my hard-hearteduess stood in the way. Yet, indeed, my 

 delight was not niuUloyed. 



When .Mr. de R, a man fancies he knows what's what, 

 when our own vanity aud other " dtimmer Letite" have 

 stuck us up, it is not pleasant to ha\e to confess all at 

 once, to have been found wanting. 



He who grows two halms where formerly grew one- 



he who can produi^e double the quantity of Coffee where 

 a decent Coffee farmer — no blockhead mind.'^was fain 

 to rest content with the half, deserves the gratitude of 

 posterity. That however does not prevent one's feelin" a 

 little injured to be taken down a peg or two so unmerci- 

 fully. But knowing the callousness of editors, who have 

 to hear so much at the office, and perhaps at home be 

 pestered with lamentations on bad management and bad 

 weather, I will spare you further bothering selfish complaints. 

 That I do not, however, complain without cause, I hope 

 to prove to you, and begin with saying that Mr. de Rijk 

 . calls the produce of a tree in East Java had, or that it 

 is called bad, when one tree yields 16 kattie = 1 kilogramme 

 Mr. Groskamp fimls this a little too bad, and would 

 rather say I kattie, that is more than one-third less; and 

 now I, as the minimum sufferer, must acknowledge that 

 with a good crop I have never been able to produce more 

 than i at most, aud in very exceptional cases j kattie 

 per tree. That is desperate for my vanity. Of course I 

 have occasionally plucked from one tree 2." aud even from 

 some gi;uit-tree, as much as 7 katties, but you would prob- 

 j ably call it shooting with a very long bow indeed, if I 



should call that an average production. 

 ! According to the reports pubhshed every year, it appears 

 I that Government does not gain, ou an average, more than 

 ; 03 to 0-4 kattie of coffee per tree. Private plantations 

 i give a httle more, plus minus 0-4— 0'5. In Ceylon (which 

 I was sometimes held up as an example for us, but which 

 did not exactly come up to my expectations when I visited 

 there in 1875), the average yield is not higher than J^bout 

 ' 07 kattie. 



