^UNE I, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



1007 



gives a very good idea of what a strange object it must 

 be in a Central African landscape. The Mahogany seems 

 to thrive, and so do numerous species of Diospyros, while 

 among the specimens of palms, are some which I do not 

 remember even to have seen in the palm house or the 

 palmetum at Calcutta. A rather longer excui'.sion may bo 

 made to Guindy Park, which lies away to the west behind 

 the model farm of Sydapet. Guindy Park is the hot 

 weather residence of the Governor, and the shrubberies 

 jjresent specimen trees of almost everything curious that 

 can be thouglrt of. But to the Forester, there is nothing 

 so interesting as the Casuarina, and indeed I expect that 

 the Bladras Presidency can, in its coast plantations of 

 Casuarina, rival the work done on the dunes of Gascony 

 with the maritime pine. But I must leave my remarks 

 on them for another letter. A. V. 



TROPICAL AGRICULTURE IN THE NORTHERN 



TERRITORY OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA. 



On Friday evening, AprU 6, Mr. E. "W. Price, Govern- 

 ment Resident of the Northern Territory, who has just 

 arrived in Adelaide on a holiday trip, delivered in the 

 Town Hall Banqueting-room an interesting and instructive 

 lecture upon "The Northern Territory, its climate, pro- 

 ductions, capabilities and prospects." AVe quote: — Contrary 

 to expectation agriculture could be carried on in the 

 Northern Territory with success ; fruit and vegetables 

 were grown in various parts of the country from 

 Palmerstou to Pine Creek, and at all the telegraph 

 stations the supply was ample. Having referred to the 

 e.xperimental garden under the care of Mr. Holtze, he 

 stated that there were milUons of acres of land far richer 

 than that garden still open for selection. Speaking of 

 the experiments with sugarcane, he expressed the opinion 

 that the cane could be cultivated successfully without 

 artificial irrigation or manui-e. Since then the cane had 

 been tried on various other soils with equal success. The 

 Chinese grew it for eating purposes, and on rich moi.st 

 soil at Mindale, about one mUei from the town, it at- 

 tained great size, and the Chinese said it was very rich 

 in saccharine matter. On the banks of the Daly River 

 splenfUd cane had been raised. On the Adelaide River 

 Ml-. Sergison planted some on the virgin soil which was 

 only ploughed a few days before for the first time. There 

 the cane was growing splendidly, although the bush rats 

 gave a little trouble, but that evil had disappeared. On 

 Douglas' Peninsula, Messrs. Harris, Head, Erricksou, and 

 Clippenburg were growing magnificent eaue on their farms, 

 but too far away from the Delissa Company's mill to pay 

 for cru.shing. jfr. Beau was growing some fine samples 

 at DelissaviUe, but the ground at present cleared was in 

 his (Mr. Price's) opinion not suitable. It was too light, 

 and had not the power to retaui sufficient moisture, except 

 a small patch on the creek near the mill. No doubt on 

 the same estate there were lai'ge patches of suitable land, 

 but still uncleared. The same remark apphed to the whole 

 of that peninsula. He thought the great sugar estates 

 of the Northern Territory would be on the banks of the 

 rivers, and there were several reasons for that. First, 

 the land was rich, and when cultivated turned into a rich 

 loam — rich enough to crop for years without manure ; 

 secondly, there was no cost for clearing the land being readt 

 for the plough at once ; and thirdly, there was water car- 

 riage to the mill-door. The only disadvantage he could 

 see was the rajjid growth of grass, necessitating labour 

 to keep it down. There were millions of acres of that 

 rich land on the banks of the Daly, Adelaide, Victoria — 

 the three alligator rivers — the Roper, Liverpool, and several 

 smaller streams, so that the area as far as known in 

 Queensland was limited ; that in the Territory was practic- 

 ally unlimited. South Australia at present purchased 

 12,000 tons of sugar a year from other countries, every 

 penny of which would remain in the country when the 

 sugar industry was fairly developed in the Northern Territ- 

 oi*y. Immediate success could not be expected, nor had 

 it been attained in Queensland without a great deal of diliic- 

 lUty. but that the Northern Territory chmate was suit- 

 able for sugar-growing he had no doubt. The average 

 rainfall in seven years had been G'2 inches, spread over 

 seven to eight months; and during the dry mouths at 

 times heavy dews fell, quite as useful as rains, and at 



the Melbourne Exhibition somo maize was shown which 

 had been sown ."ind reaped in the dry season without a 

 single shower. There was one thing lacking in the 

 Northern Territory, and that was lime, but the cost of 

 supplying that would be small, as lime was easily obtained 

 from shell and coral close to liand. The next interest 

 in importance to sugar would be the cultivation of cin- 

 chona, but there was only one plantation of it yet, and 

 Mr. Poett, who had taken it up, had great success promised 

 him, although at first he had much trouble with the 

 plants. Even iu Ceylon Mr. Poett had not seen such rapid 

 growth, and the great value of growing that plant was so 

 well admitted that in Ceylon the cott'ee planters who had 

 suitable land were trying cinchona, as being far safer and 

 more remunerative than coffee. Liberian coffee succeeded 

 very well, both at the Government Nursery and at Mr. 

 Poett's place, where there were also 150,000 plants grow- 

 ing from seed cotton. Tobacco had to be planted at the 

 Territory just at the close of the wet season, as the heat 

 was too gi-eat before ; it would therefore require irrig- 

 ation, or a very moist and cool soil. Two fan- crops had 

 been produced at the Nursery, and cigars from it were 

 exhibited at the Melbomne Exhibition. Indiarubber, a 

 most valuable plant, was making rapid progress. Indigo, 

 tapioca, arrowroot, rice, maize, ramie. (Chinese grasscloth), 

 groimd nut, sesame oil, an^l ginger — every one had been a 

 perfect success. The plants that had failed were Arabian 

 coffee, cinnamon, coooa, nutmeg, pepper, tea, vanilla, and 

 poppy. Many of those Mr. Holtze beUeved would succeed 

 m moist gullies, but not close to the sea. The mangoe, 

 breadfruit, custard apple, pineapple, soursop, orange, citron, 

 lime, lemon, shaddock, banana, fig, peach, pomegranate, 

 .almond, quince, bambootam, and granadilla, as well as a 

 large number of fodder plants, succeeded. As regarded the 

 climate, he said that the Northern Territory for a tropical 

 country was certainly healthy. There was no yellow fever, 

 and as yet no cholera or smallpox. Dysentery was very 

 rare ; diphtheria was unknown, and so also was typhoid 

 fever, 'rhe last question for intending planters was the 

 labour question. Ho did not think the Chinese suitable 

 for plantations. They were liable to leave at a very short 

 notice, and perhaps when most wanted, while their wages — 

 3s. a day — was too high. Therefore the Government had 

 wisely provided for the importation of Indian cooUes, 

 who had everywhere proved themselves good plantation 

 hands. They would supply every need in the labour line 

 In closing, Mr. Price spoke of the natiual advantages of 

 the Northern Territory, its various resources, the character 

 of its buildings, fine harbours, admirable geogi-aphical posi- 

 tion, and general advantages. He defended the Territory 

 against its traducers, who were for the main part men 

 whose ill-success was due to themselves ; and he said that 

 so far from the TeiTitory now deserving the title of 

 •■ 'White Elephant " it was a credit to South AustraUa and 

 a valuable portion of her possessions. A hearty vote of 

 thanks brought the engagement to a close. — Adelaide 

 Ohcrrer. 



INDIA -.—CROP AND WEATHER REPORT. 

 For the Week endino the Sth May 18S3. 



General Remakks. — Heavy showers have again 

 fallen iu Assam, and good rain is also reported to 

 have occurred througliout Bengal proper. In Madras 

 rain has fallen more or less throughout the Presidency. 

 In the Bombay Presidency heavy rain is reported 

 from p.arts of Dharwar and slight showers from three 

 other districts. In Mysore and Coorg rain has fallen 

 in all districts. Elsewhere there has been no rain 

 to report for the week under notice. No report has 

 been received from British Burma. 



Madras.— No rain in Chiugleput, Tanjore and Tra- 

 vaucoro ; general prospects good. 



GORGED LIVERS, 

 Bilious conditions, constipation, piles, dyspepsia, headache, 

 cured by " AVells' Jlay Apple pills." 5<1. and Is. boxes at 

 druggists. B. S. Madou & Co., Bombay, General Agents for 

 East India. 



