SSo 



tHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. f November i, 18^3. 



influx of European goods in exchange for their native 

 productions, they have brought about their own civiliz- 

 ation far more rapidly than could have been effected 

 by the simple spiritual pressure of missionaries unen- 

 dorsed by self-interest. There are many other varieties 

 of tree oils, such as the Cahoun palui, the Bassift 

 butter, and others of which I have already given the 

 names and compositions, and of which yon see speci- 

 mer.e on the table. 



Those for whom the history of the stearine industry 

 possesses sufficient interest would do well to 

 read Mr. G. Ferguson Wilson's excellent lecture on the 

 subject, delivered before the Soeiety of Arts, in 1852, 

 and a paper read a short time subsequently, in amplific- 

 ation of the lecture. For the major portion of the 

 above information I am indebted to these records, 

 written by one who should, perhaps, rank next to 

 Chevreul for the share he has taken in promoting this 

 gigantic industry. — L. F. — Pharmaceutical Journal, 

 September Ist. 



KEW FIELDS FOR ENTEEPKISE. 

 AVe have received from a Ceylon planter who left 

 a few months ago for British Bunnah the following 

 letter : — 



Model Duke Estate, Tavoy, 3rd September 18S3. 

 Since I left Colombo I have had a considerable amount 

 of sailing. Ha%'iug b*?eu too late for the Raugoon 

 steamer at Madras, I had to proceed on to Calcutta and 

 from thence by Bahadad steamer to Rangoon. I had 

 the plea.sm"e of seeing the Chief Commissioner at his own 

 house inEangoon, andhereceived me with the greatest kind- 

 uess, and in no way embaiTassed me with his importance. 

 He explained to me that he is ready to make road and 

 rail dii'ectly he sees planters take loita file steps to 

 cultivate. He spent last year over two lacs of rupees in 

 introducing coolies to British Buim.ih and has increased the 

 number by 30,000. Mr. Smeaton, the able Secretary, at the 

 shortest notice gave me all the information required to 

 proceed to Tavoy and Nyadouug. Since then I have been 

 up at Prome by the State-Railway, and from thence up 

 within 30 miles of Mandalay in Upper Burmah in a thi-ee 

 decker, commanded by an Aherdonian. I \rill give you 

 more news when I have more time. I was put in poss- 

 ession, and am now busy at work again, have got the 

 foundation of my bungalow cut out already, and am now 

 busily employed clearing for niu'series. I had tilteen 

 Eamasamysin my force the tii-st day I commenced work ; 

 any number of cooUes offering daily, and they are work- 

 ing cheerfully and are in splendid health. My letters 

 have gone astray, and papers also, but I am now in a fair 

 way to get them. 1 miss the " Oiscrrer " tcrribh/. The 

 Raugoon papers have Uttle news, and mostly only a lot 

 of "squabbles" and " advertisements. " There is a mag- 

 niiiceut opening for a good paj)er, and I ti-ust to see a 

 branch of the U/mricr in Rangoon soon. Rangoon is a 

 rising town, and no mistake. Deputy Commissioner Duke 

 sends you the plan of the hill tracts by tins maU. 



The plans referred to have been forwarded to us 

 by the Deputy Commissioner cf Tavoy, and can be 

 seen at our office. In forwai'dlng them Air. Duke 

 WTites to us as follows : — 



Tavoy, 3rd September 1883. 

 Siis,^ — I have the honor to forward herewith two photo- 

 zmcographed copies of the plan of the Nat-yay-doung 

 waste-land giant blocks surveyed last season : at present 

 only thiee blocks have been taken, viz., Nos. 1 and 2 by 

 Messrs. SchwaUty and Lovell, and No. 3 by Messrs. 

 Theobald (Jimior) and Dixon. Nat-yay-domig is about 

 55 miles from the town of Tavoy, but only about 37 

 miles from the Tavoy river where the British India steamers 

 anchor. There are tivo Govenmient bungalows there for 

 the use of planters who wish to inospect the land, and a 

 six-foot road has been made from the steamer anchorage 

 to the Nat-yay-doung plantations, wliich will be made 

 into a sixteen foot road this season; at convenient dis- 

 tances along the road there ai'e Government resthouscs 

 for the use of travellers. 



Mr. J. D. TVatsou of Agrapatana, late of ArdaUie 

 estate, has inspected the laud, and is of opinion that any 

 tropical plant now cultivated in Ceylon can be grown 

 with advantage on the Tavoy waste-lands now being 

 opened out. 



Mr. Watson has obtained a grant for about 200 acres 

 of land on another range of hills nearer Tavoy, and has 

 commenced operations already. 



Any information you may require regarding the land, 

 &c., I shall be most happy to supply you with. — I have 

 the honor to be, Sirs, Your most obedient sei-vant, 



C. J. W DuxE, 

 Deputy Commissioner, Tavoy. 



The waste-land, traced out into sixteen blocks, con- 

 sists of over 5,000 acres on hilly, sloping land, rising 

 from one to fifteen hundred feet elevation on the 

 west, to from one to four thousand feet ou the east ; 

 the Nat-yay-doung range forming the north-eastern 

 boundary ; the land is in about 14° north latitude. 



REPORT ON THE GOVERNMENT CINCHONA 



ENTERPRISE IN JAVA FOR THE 2nd 



QUARTER lSi3. 



{Translated /or the Ceylon Observer.) 



The past quarter was characterized by a continuous 

 drought, which commenced ou the last half of April. This 

 drought, though causing some damage to the young plants, 

 was very favorable for harvesting. The export of the 

 produce of 1SS3 amounted to 159,293.* Amsterdam poimds, 

 while about 20,000 pouuds more are lying ready for pack- 

 ing and dispatch on the plantations and in the packing- 

 houses. At present cart-horses are alone used for the 

 transport of the produce. Since the substitution of horses 

 for buffaloes, consequent on the prevalent cattle-disease, 

 less difficulties have been experienced with the transport. 

 The charges for freight might even be somewhat reduced 

 without disturbing the transport. In order to proceed 

 without inteiuption w-ith the steadily increasing production 

 of the harvest, a beginning was made with the building of 

 a second place at Nagrak for the artificial drying of the 

 bark. The supply of labor was on the whole quite satis- 

 factory, aud equivalent to the funds available for the 

 enterprise. At Nagrak however,where, on account of the 

 steadily increasing production, a greater number of work- 

 people are needed without interruption for the harvesting, 

 there was a deficiency. Means are being taken to rectify 

 this. The large rainfall of 1SS2 was not favorable for the 

 blossoming of the original Ledgerianas, so that but little 

 seed was gathered from those trees. The Government 

 enterprise possesses, in its extensive nurseries at TJinjiroean, 

 which were laid out last year, sufficient supply of ))Iants 

 for at least a year in case of need. Large quantities of 

 tyjiical descendants of Ledgeriana were supplied to private 

 persons during the past quarter. The supplies have taken 

 place iu consequeuco of the Government order No. 23 of 

 26th June 1SS3, by which it was ordered that the Ledgeriana, 

 succirubra and officinalis seed produced on the Govern- 

 ment gardens aud not required there should be sold to 

 the highest public bidders. On account of the small sup- 

 ply of Ledger seed of original trees, the forthcoming 

 sales will at first consist .almost entirely of seed of typical 

 Ledger descendants. Amongst the plants obtained " from 

 that seed a proportion of hybrids and widely differing 

 varieties will be met with. If the plants are carefully 

 picked out in the nursery beds, and the bad sorts separ- 

 ated or at least not mixed with the typical plants, 

 there can be no doubt that pure Ledger plants can 

 be obtained from the seed of the descendants. It will 

 be judiciouB to plant closely, so th.at after some years the 

 evidently inferior trees can be dug out without harm to 

 the plantation. Tl e cultivation of cinchona by private 

 persons iu Java is increasing steadily, as shown bv the 

 manifold inquiries for Ledgeriana and succirubra 'seed. 

 According to advices received, the extension of the cult- 

 ure is specially due to the bad results which the coffee 

 culture has of late yielded. On almost all the estates in 



» Not 172,293 as given iu Utrnits Timei the other day.— Ed. 



