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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[September i, 1882. 



French Concessions were simple rice swamps, with 

 clumps of cottages here and there in which the 

 native cultivators thereof lived. Yet now Shanghai 

 claims place as one of the finest cities of the East, 

 and is a nucleus of a trade valued at forty millions 

 sterling per annum. Of course it is not pretended 

 to compare the " New Ceylon " with either Hong- 

 kong or Shanghai, or to foretell for it a progress as 

 rapid and gigantic as that accomplished by the latter, 

 for it lacks one important element of success, which 

 has done much to float the last-named places on to 

 fortune, and that is the advantage of position ; 

 in the one case upon the borders of a thickly 

 populated empire, andin the other, upon an old estab- 

 lished trade route. But what we wish to maintain 

 is that the day of small things need never be des- 

 pised, and we sincerely trust that the arrival of the 

 " Arohos " may indeed be remarkable as the presage 

 of a future of solid succss for North Borneo, and of 

 wealth tor those who give their money and their time 

 towards building it into a new state. 



As far as we are at present informed, Kudat and 

 Saudakan are the only two places which claim the 

 dignity of settlements and trading ports. The first is 

 prettily situated on a land-locked cove, which juts into 

 the western side of the bay of Mariidu, a large arm of 

 the sea, situated in the northernmost point of Borneo 

 Island. The metropolis of the new State is to be 

 established here, and Governor Treacher is only await- 

 ing the erection of his house and olhces to remove 

 thither from Labuan with all his subordinates. The 

 settlement consists of a number of Chinese shops and 

 Malay huts, which are daily being added to by new- 

 comers from the neighbouring islands and Singapore. 

 A substantial pier has been erected by a Singapore 

 firm, at which vessels of considerable draught may haul 

 alongside. Having been only started as a station in 

 the month of December last, there is of course little 

 to be said as to the trade of Kudat or of its prospects 

 of trade, but, considering its short life it may really 

 be pronounced to be a thriving place. Saudakau, which 

 is situated in a fine bay that forms the embouchure of 

 the two longest rivers on the east coast of North Borneo, 

 was founded upon a settlement which had originally 

 been a place of considerable native trade, and has 

 therefore made material progress already. It contains 

 a population of 3,000 souls of whom a large and in- 

 fluential number are Chinese. Malays are continually 

 coming in trom Sulu and the neighbouring islands', as 

 well as from the distant interior, attracted by the 

 protection and freedom from molestation which they 

 secure under the new reijime. The trade is jet limited, 

 but it suffices to occupy two steamers, belonging to 

 diflereut parties, and which make fortnightly trips 

 between SandaLan and Singapore, calling at Kudat and 

 Labuan en route. The country round is covered witli 

 forest, but the soil is rich, and pronounced to be well 

 suited to the cultivation of both low and high country 

 products. Much more might be added as to other 

 portions of the new territory which are likely sooner 

 or later to be brought into prominence, when once labour 

 and capital can be brought to bear. But our object 

 being merely to call attention to the interesting fact 

 that communication has been opened between this 

 colouy and Borneo, we will leave these places and their 

 capabilities for further notice hereafter. One thing we 

 are glad to learn on the authority of those who are 

 competent to form an opinion. It is that the Milay 

 population have not only given up their predatory and 

 head- hunting propensiies, but are willingly submit- 

 ting themselves in all directions to the jurisdiction of 

 the Kesidents, whose grasp of authority is effective 

 in the maintenance of good order and discipline. Even 

 some of the chiefs who were at first recalcitrant, 

 and hesitated to acknowledge the sovereignty of the 

 Company, are now giving in their adhesion with that 

 of theii' people. — Hongkonjj Z>aily Press, 



PLANTING PROSPECTS IN CEYLON. 



Nawalapitiya, July 21st. 

 By the time the train had reached Peradenija the 

 rain had passed away, and the mountains around 

 and beyond Nawalapitiya stood out pretty clearly, 

 but there is heavy rain again up here. Its result, 

 and no doubt the depression of the coffee industry, is 

 that the' natives are cultivating rice more largely than 

 in former years. Note that to leave old coffee as 

 shade for cocoa is right, as you want tree formation. 

 In the case of Liberian coffee it is wrong, because your 

 object should be to get bushes with primaries near 

 the root. Udapolla gave double the estimate of Li- 

 berian coSee, and Liberia yielded 1,800 bushels of 

 Liberian coffee. The cocoa trees on Moragalla con- 

 tinue flourishing, while sapan plants are shewing well. 

 A late visitor from Brazil was much struck with the 

 energetic eflforts of the planters to retrieve the failure 

 of Arabian coffee by new products. Brazil has plenty 

 of fine soil, but the labour collapse, though postponed 

 for perhaps ten years, is yet inevitable. There are 

 already a considerable number of runaway slaves in 

 the backwoods, and there are constant accessions. 

 Immigration from Europe and China is erjually a 

 failure. Coffee has been overdone. The future of 

 Cejlon presents a far more favourable view as regards 

 labour, communications, and a variety of products. 



THE UTILIZATION OF PLANTAIN FIBRE. 

 In copying an interestuig article from the Calcutta 

 Enfjlishmcm, we feel bound to say that previous read- 

 ing led us to doubt whether the fibre of cultivated 

 plantain steins could be profitably utilized for cordao-e 

 fibre. In the case of these stems, as well as that of 

 the wild plantain, the main difficulty always has been 

 about the cost of caniage of bulky stems to the 

 machine, or of a bulky machine to where the stems 

 were in plenty. Then comes the difficulty of pre- 

 paration so as neither to weaken nor discolour the 

 fibre. Finally comes the question of the low price 

 per ton offered by London buyers. The ' ' Manila 

 hemp " apart, we have always felt that if plantain 

 stems were ever to be profitably used it must be 

 as half stock for the paper makers. There can be no 

 question, however, that great advances have been made 

 lately in fibre-separating machines, and in the clean- 

 ing, drymg and preparation of fibres ; and tlie ubi- 

 quitous plantain, cultivated and wild, as well as aloes 

 may in Ceylon be turned to profitable account. The 

 statements of oiu' Calcutta contemporaiy sjjeak for 

 themselves, and we are especially struck by what he 

 says about the leaves of the pineapple. We have al- 

 ways felt that the long leaves of the plants, as giown 

 in shaded places in Ceylon, ought to yield fibre of 

 value superior even to the fniits, although these will 

 now be in special request for steamers resorting to 

 Colombo harbour. The fibre of the pineapple is strong 

 as well as tine, but, for cordage, we always understood 

 the defect of fibre from stems of the cultivated plant- 

 ain, was thcii- weakness. This objection will not tell 

 so much, if the material is used for pajjer makin" 

 In these hard times, when cotiee planters out of em- 

 ployment are ready to tui-n then- hands to anythino- the 

 preparation of fibres from the numerous plants wliicliyiekl 

 them would seem to offer a field of deshable euterprize 

 and we feel sure that, if the pursuit is taken up 

 in earnest, Messrs. .John Walker & Co. and other 

 »ngiueers will cio their part in providing the re- 

 quisite machinery : simple, strong and light. The 



