776 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[April 2, 1883. 



from 62,000 tons to 80,000, and then a jump to, 

 102,000. With the check which low prices have 

 given to production it is probable that the future 

 ligures for Santos may not range much beyond the round 

 100,000 tons. That would make an average of 350,000 tons 

 from Brazil, which, if peace prevails and commerce 

 and trade revive, the world can easily take at prices 

 which will not be, as in the past year, unremunerat- 

 ive. Of course in calculating the average production 

 of coffee iu Brazil at 350,000 tons, ortherea bouts, 

 we are taking it for granted that no great convul- 

 tiou connected with slavery shall take place. But 

 such a catastrophe is quite possible, and looking at 

 the principles which guide humanity, and, with due 

 reverence, at higher laws, very probable. It ought 

 to liH a comfort to us in this our season of depression 

 that we are not suffering from a tyrannous misuse 

 of the bodies and souls, the flesh and blood of our 

 fellow-beings. The Brazilian planters have Ijeen guilty 

 of that crime against humanity without the consol- 

 ation which profit might yield. 



Some time ago we were requested by some of our friends, to post 

 them oil the reutabUity or nou-reiitability of coffee plauting; at pre- 

 sent ruling prices, and, as it may lie" of interest to many of our 

 friends, to be informed how the planter is situated, we beg to gire 

 the following particulars of one plantation, the correctness of which 

 informations w e can vouch for. 



A fi'iend of ours bought in 1879 a plantation in the 

 district " Leopoldina " «ith 750,000 trees, all vigorous 

 at the sum of ... R780:0008000 



In order to complete the plantation he bought a lot of 

 slaves at the cost of ... 80:0008000 



Further planted 300,000 new coffee trees what, with 

 several repairs, amounted to an expense of about 20:000$000 



So that the plantation stands at K880:000$000 



The general expenses for clothing and feeding of slaves, salaries, 

 etc.. reach according to the average of the last three years about 

 R22:0U0SO0O per year, and the yearly crop during the same period 

 averaged about 2r> to 2ti,00D arrobas of coffee which, cleaned, give 

 a result of about 23,000 arrobas of merchantable coffee. 



The expenses of forwarding the coffee from the plantation to 

 Bio de Janeiro, including all charges for haniUiug, etc., amount 

 to about RlSStiO per arroba, not counting the 3 per cent selling 

 commission of the Rio commissario. 

 According to the prices which said planter received 

 foiinerly, he calculated on a net average of 3^000 per 

 arroba "(a price imobtainable today) or for 23,000 

 arrobas ... R69:000$000 



Less charges as above ... 22:0008000 



leaving ••• R47:0008000 



as interest upon the' capital expended. 



Besides this yearly yield of merchantable coffee, our friend holds 

 about 7,000 arrobas Triage (remainder since 2v years), which for the 

 moment has no value whatever, because the forwarding charges to 

 Rio are higher than the price he would obtain. 



Our frieud considers himself as placed in a better position than 

 mo^t planters, that the greater part of his colleagues still worse 

 situated than he is, with regard to the result of the crop, charges, 

 etc., and it is evident that, if he had worked with foreign capital, 

 he would have run himself deeply into debt, because planters who 

 can obtain money at 10 to 12 per cent p. a. interest can consider 

 themselves well situated indeed, the greater part paying higher 

 and in most instances even much higller interest. 



The Nilgiris : the Monsoon and Gum Disea.se. — 

 From a letter dated 29th Nov. 1882 we quote as 

 follows : — " The monsoon was the heaviest on record 

 and destroyed nearly all the seed crop. Our average 

 rainfall is slightly over 100 inches, but this year we 

 had in June 34-72, in July 94-36, and in August 18-53 

 inches. Such a monsoon has not been known liere. 

 1 am glad to say that the gum disease is not known 

 here. 1 have lost a tew Cinchona C radaminea which 

 were under the lee of a belt of gums, and all the trees 

 for a distance of 30 at 40 feet to leeward of the belts 

 of gums lost their leaves but are now recovering. I 

 put it down to the constant drip, and have seen it 

 before OQ a smaller scale. 



Spirit of Turpentine is now made, says a con 

 tei:>porary, from sawdust .and refuse of the sawmill. 

 It is extracted by a sweating process, and yields 14 

 gallons of spirits, three Jo four gallons of resin, and 

 a quantity of tar per cord. — Knoivkdi/e. 



Coca Tea.— From four to six coca leaves, with the 

 usual quantum of the Chinese plant, in an ordinary 

 teapot, will make "tea" of great value for relieving 

 headaches resulting from over-fatigue or cerebral depres- 

 sion, while the flavour of "the cup that cheers but not 

 inebriates" is by no means impaired by the addition. — 

 Monthly Mar/. Pharm. 



Fibre. — Messrs. SaturninoPatinoandM.C. Santos Coy 

 have discovered, in the canton nf Papantia, Mexico, new 

 textile plants j'ielding a fibre of great brilliancy, fine- 

 ness, and strength, possessing an admirable affinity to 

 all kinds of dyea, and i-esembling silk more than any- 

 thing known. The twenty-four samples shown vary, 

 Nos. 9 and 15 being particularly noticeable on account 

 of the extraordinary length of the fibre, which is over 

 twelve yards long. These plants will produce material 

 which it is expected will revolutionise the present lineu 

 and silk industries, being easily worked, and of greater 

 strength than either linen or silk. — Omrland Mail. 



PoRCTTPiNE.s AND Ceara' RUBBERS. — Nawalapitiya, 

 lat March : — Referring to your correspondent " Ceari," 

 porcupines are very fond of Ceara roots as well as 

 cassava. So they used to fell down large trees by 

 destroying roots. The only way to get rid of them is 

 first, inspect the path and what side they used to come, 

 and get some quantity of gunpowder mix, with limd 

 juice and keep round the plantation on leaves ane 

 rocks. Porcupines will not come as they are afraid of 

 the smell of the mixture. If again and again they 

 come, get a common villager (hunter): he will destroy 

 your enemy within a fortnigLt. 



Tea. — The following advice is given to tea planters 

 in India from the New York Agents—" Our sales 

 all along have plainly demonstrated that the chief 

 attraction to our trade is the style and make of the 

 leaf. If desirable liquor c:in also accompany the 

 handsome style, of course nothing is left to be de- 

 sired as far as quality is concerned. If only one of 

 these qualities is present, the trade here first desired 

 style, a small well-made leaf, and several of our sales 

 have shown what dealers will pay for a good leaf 

 even with deficient draw. We trust it will not be 

 necessary to sacrifice the liquor in sending us better 

 made teas, and that you will always bear in mind 

 the necessity of carefully keeping up the quality of 

 all teas shipped by the Syndicate. We need every, 

 thing in our favour, and witli purity, freedom from 

 dust, strength, flavour, attractive leaf, and better 

 packages, the teas must steadily, grow iu populraity." 

 — Englishman, Feb. 7th. 



The Indiarueber Industry in America. — It would 

 appear from statistics published in Bradstreefs Journal, 

 that the rubber industry in the United States has no 

 rival in foreign countries. There is something like 

 $76,000,000 invested in the busmess of manufacturing 

 rubber goods, .§30,000,000 of which is confined to the 

 rubbor boot and shoe industry. The total number of 

 employis is placed at 15,000, and the total number of 

 factories at 120. According to a recent? census bulletin, 

 the value of the annual product is ?250, 000,000, or 

 £50,000,000. Some 30,000 tons of raw rubber are import- 

 ed every year, which, when combined with other mater- 

 ials iu manufacturing, amount to 300,000 tons The 

 market price of tbe raw material has been forced up to a 

 dollar and a quarter per lb., while six years ago the 

 price was scarcely half a dollar. In consequence of the 

 advance price of rubb r, several substances have been 

 prepared as substitutes for it, of which celluloid is tlie 

 most important. Others have rubber as a couiponeut 

 part. But up to the present time rubber has been able 

 to hold its own, and America to maintain her position 

 as the chief seat of the industry. — Globe, 



