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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[February i, 1883 



The Imports op Mexican Coffee into the United 

 Statis ani.innfed to value of $1,730,838 in 1881, 

 against 1,523,658 in IS'iO.— Bio News. 



Cinchona Bakes and Botanical Specimens — A 

 fine, series of cinchona barks, comprising all the varie. 

 ties of baik on the Government estates, together wilh 

 corresponding botanical specimens, has been secured 

 by Dr. Bi Ho for the National Museum at Washing- 

 ton. — Madras Mail. 



Indigo. — An Indian planter writes : — " Sometime 

 back I noticed in your paper that some ' capital- 

 ists ' were desirous of entering into the culti- 

 vation of indigo in your island, but, as their 

 names have not been put forth, I have thought it 

 most probable that I would get the information frorn 

 you, for having been 16 years in Indigo, I would 

 much like to obtain employment, so as to assist in 

 the cultivation and manufacture of this produce in a 

 country, which, according to uiy reading, must have 

 many parts capable of pmducing indigo, which in all 

 probability would give such hai'dsome, returns as 20 

 to 40 per cent on the capital embarked jjer annum. 

 Once successfully cultivated and the produce found 

 to be good, there can be no doubt that all the lands 

 capable of producing it would at once be required 

 and taken up, most speedily giving impetus to cap- 

 ital and employment for laborers." Our correspondent 

 must understand that there is no capital in Ceylon 

 to spare, and little scope for indigo cnliivation as 

 compared with India where we believe it has been 

 almost overdone? 



Tropical Agriculture in the We.st Indies.— A 

 West Indian planter writes :—" I camiot resist send- 

 ing you a few lines of congratulation on the excel- 

 lence of your capital periodical the Tropical Af/ricidf- 

 wist. I first saw a copy of it about 4 months ago 

 and I immediately ordered it to be regularly sent to 

 me from London. I have received 2 numbers, Sejit- 

 ember and October and I am so charmed with them 

 that I have requested my agent to get me all the 

 back numbers from the start. I hope he will succeed. The 

 fund of information and suggestions in your books are 

 so abundant and practical, especially as regards ' new 

 products,' that you give hope to those of us who 

 have been on the verge of despair with some of the 

 ' old products,' especially sugar — the profit from 

 which when grown on a small scale, manufactured by 

 the old-fashioned process, and with a paucity of labor, 

 is almost, if not absolutely, nothing. One of my 

 principal objects in addressing you was with refer- 

 ence to an article in the October number of the 7'. A. 

 respecting the plantain Jihre. We have abundance of 

 the plantain here. Would it be imposing too much on 

 you to ask you to recommend me wdiere I could get 

 some suitable machinery for preparing the fibre ? The 

 machinery .should be simple and somewhat inexpens- 

 ive, for skilled labor is scarce out here ?" We would 

 refer our correspondent to the advertizements of 

 machinists in the T. A. pages. 



Gutta Trees in Java.— Batavia, 21st December. — 

 Guttapercha, as is well known, is a, solidified milky 

 sap which bears a great similarity to caoutchouc, and is 

 obtained by incisions iu the trunk of a certain species 

 of tree generallv found in the tropics between 10° N. 

 and 10° S. Amazingly large is the number of articles 

 made at present ol gutta p^ rcha, such as different medi- 

 cal instruments and small boats or vessels. It is be- 

 sides turned to account for piping, buckets, soles of 

 shoes walking sticks, knifu-handles, flower-pots, driv- 

 ing gear, and many other useful purposes. Gutta 

 percha like caoutchouc can be vulcanised or combined 

 with sulphur, whereby it ceases to soften when heated. 

 It can besides be hardened further by exposure alonw 

 with sulphur to great heat. Its colour then becomes 

 black and its hardness atauda midway between that of 



horn and ivory. In this state it can be manipulated 

 freely. It is hence an article of great value, and, as Java 

 and Sumatra too abound iu guttayieldiug trees, the 

 Government resolution dated 15th iustant, whereby the 

 department of inland administration is directed to 

 make an inquiry into the growth and difJusiou of these 

 trees in the different provinces of Java, the mode of 

 collecting the gutta, the use of it made by the natives, 

 the .seasons for flowering and bearing fruit, is of the 

 utmost importance. In the same resolution instructions 

 are given to commission l>r. W. Burck, assistant 

 manager of the State Botanical garden at Buitenzorg, to 

 proceed in September 1883 to Muara Labu on the 

 West Coast of Sumatra to examine on the spot the 

 ditt'erent species of trees whieh yield gutta percha. — 

 From Java Bode in Straits Times. 



Commercial Pkospects in Ecuador are not encour- 

 aging. Three out of four of the principal articles 

 of export, viz., cocoa, ivory nuts and Peruvian bark 

 show a large decline in exportation, while the ex- 

 port of the fourth — india-rubber — has increased. Up 

 to the present, however, no measures have been taken 

 by the Government to prevent the cutting-down of the 

 trees producing this article, and the resources of the 

 country in this respect are being gradually destroyed. 

 As regards the supply of Peruvian bark, it is satis- 

 factory to know that large forests of the best quality 

 of bark trees have recently been discovered in the 

 interior. The low price prevailing in Europe has 

 curtailed the exportation of this article, but supplies are 

 ample. As is the case in Costa Rica, great things 

 are expected from the de velopment of the mining 

 industry. — N, Y. outmercialBuUetiii. 



North Queensland : Progress of our Producing 

 Industeie.s. — To those taking an interest in the pro- 

 sperity of our colony, especi.ally as regards the pro- 

 gress of its producing industries, we draw attention 

 to a most valuable and interesting return laid on the 

 table of the House by Mr. M. H. Black, M. L. A., 

 and ordered to be printed. Its title is " A Pi.etnrn 

 showing the progress of the Sugar and Gold Mining 

 Industries." From the return referied to, we find that 

 the number of sugar mills iu Queensland has increased 

 from 6 in 1867 to 103 in 1881. 



Quantity of sugai i;oiisumeil iu (.Jueenslaud iu 16S1 £ 



was 11,709 tons, at £25 per ton ... ... 292.72-3 



7,696 tons exported, valued at ... ... 207,210 



1,222 tons molasses exported valued at ... ... 10,i56l 



95,702 gallons rum exported valued at ... ... l;i,H12 



61,623 galls, rura home consumption at 2s. 6d. gall. ... 7,703 



Present producing power of tlie .Sugar Industry ... £531,608 



To those of our readers who are aware of the enorm- 

 ous increase row going on in this district alone, it 

 will be evid 'ut that in a couple of years the above 

 amount will be doubled. We also find that the land 

 under cultivation in Queensland has increased from 

 .SI, 559 acres in 1867 to 119,979 acres in 1881, or about 

 four-fold Out of this the area of laud under sugar 

 cane has increased from 1,995 acres to 28,026 acres in 

 the same time, or about fourteen fold ; thus showing 

 how favorably tropical agriculture is viewed by the 

 farming population of the colony. The average quant- 

 ity of sugar consumed per head varies considerably 

 during the fifteen years, but the average for the whole 

 time IS 931bs. If correct the Queensland demand 

 would be met by a production of 9,424 tons, but we 

 find that 11,709 tons was entered for home consump- 

 tion iu ISSI or llSJlbs. per head. We find that dur- 

 ing the smie term the value of gold produced has 

 increased from £189,248 to £92.5,012. Live stock, 

 overland, from £55.661 in 1869 to £251,113^ in 1S81. 

 With three such grand interests as the Squatting, 

 Mming, and Agricultural industries, Queensland has 

 undoubtedly a grand future before her, and the rapidity 

 with which outside capital is being invested proves 

 the high estimate our -resources are held iu beyond 

 our own colony. — Mackay {Qwensland) Standard, 



