February i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



dzg 



without disadvantage, but with distinct benefit to the 

 Settlement and the inhabitants. But with the introduction 

 of tapioca the system became liable to great abuse. The 

 Chinese manufacturers supplied the Malays with funds, 

 and the Malays bcyan, without authority, to clear the 

 forests in all directions, and to plant tapioca, which they 

 afterwards sold to the manufacturers on the manufacturers' 

 terms. This state of things it was, of course, necessary 

 to put a stop to, and by dint of stringent notices and 

 summary prosecutions, I believe that it may now be said 

 that it has been put a stop to. The tapioca encroachments 

 have now, to a great extent, been dealt with, and the 

 old question relating to the Malay Peasantry has once 

 more come to the front. My own view as to how it 

 should be dealt with has never varied : I would give to 

 all the existing occupiers (whether holding by written titles 

 or by short leases) certificates in perpetuity under the 

 Ordinance XI of 1876; I would give fresh land to bona 

 fide applicants, to the extent of, say four or live acres, 

 on similar terms. I would charge uothincf for premium or 

 survey fees. If this system were adopted and a sufficient 

 staff of sm-veyors appointed tj carry out the work, the 

 settlement of the country would, I think, be effected 

 without difficulty, and a very considerable permanent reve- 

 nue added to the Rent EoU. 



STRANGE TRANSFORMATION OF SOIL. 



The results of an interesting experiment, proving tho 

 effects of lime on stiff clay soil, are published in tho 

 new journal of the Agricultural Society of British Guiana, 

 Timekri. The value and extent of the rich alluvial flats 

 in that Colony are well known, but in many parts of 

 the country are patches wheie the soil is so stiff and 

 tenacious and with so small a depth of vegetable mould 

 on the surface that their cultivation is unprofitable. In 

 order to test the effect of a top-dressing of lime on such 

 soils, the following experiment was made: — Equal quanti- 

 ties of yellow clay, very stiff and dense, and about the 

 consistency of putty, were jilaced under exactly similar 

 conditions in a wooden trough, with thorough drainage, 

 and to one portion was applied a thick dressing of temper 

 lime, while the other was left in its natural state. Some 

 months afterwards, on inspection, the two portions per- 

 sented a very different appearance. The one that had 

 no lime was very little altered. The clay in it was slightly 

 improved by the action of the weather, and a few blades 

 of sour grass had sprung up here and there, but so few 

 they might have been ea.sily counted. The other portion, 

 which had beeu limed showed a thick vigorous growth of 

 vegetation of young plants, some almost small trees, two 

 and three feet high, which on being pulled up brought 

 up a large bunch of fibrous roots with them about a foot 

 in diameter with a quantity of loose mould, and the 

 wliole mass of soil, down to the bottom, was found to 

 have been changed from a stiff yellow clay to a loose 

 lilack garden mould. Tnese facts speak for themselves. 

 They represent no absolutely new theory ; but they put 

 wellknown principles in a light in which they have prob- 

 ably uever^een put before. — Colonies and India. 



CEARA RUBBER TREES. 



TO THE EOrrOR OF THE "jLVDHAS MAU.." 



!Sir, — At a time when the Ceara rubber tree is attract- 

 ing so mucli attention in Ceylon add elsewhere, I think 

 a few lines about its cultivation in Southern India; may 

 be interesting io some of your readers, and I hope you 

 will be able to find space for them in your valuable paper. 

 About six months ago. some gentlemen imported Ceara 

 rubber seed from Ceylon. The produce of these trees may 

 now be seen flourishing in a wonderful manner at the 

 foot of tho Neilgherry Hills, by any one curious enough 

 to look out of the tonga, just before reaching Kallar. 

 Being much interested in the introduction of this 

 comparatively new, but very valuable product, I gladly 

 availi' 1 myself of an invitation to inspect the.se trees more 

 closely. The rapid growth of the Ceara rubber tree is 

 marvellous ; some, measured six months old from seed, 

 were fully eight feet high, and a cutting, that I was 

 told had been put down scarcely six months ago, was 

 quite eight feet high aud iu blossom. Being of such 

 80 



wonderfully rapid growth, the tree is naturally very 

 susceptible of wind, and liable to be blown over, until it 

 gets firm hold of the ground, consequently a sheltered 

 position is most necessary. It seems to thrive on poor 

 soil, requires no shade, and very little rain. With such 

 moderate requirements we may expect to hear before long 

 that this valuable tree the demand for the produce of 

 which seems to be unlimited, aud which is now being so 

 ruthlessly destroyed in its natural home, is being largely 

 planted in India, where there is so much laud likely to 

 suit it. I was informed that a considerable quantity of 

 seed has been sent to the S. E. AV'ynaad, where it is to 

 be tried on .some of the unprofitable coffee lands of the 

 various gold companies. Unfortunately the unusually heavy 

 monsoon has been rather against the experiment. Froiii 

 what I could gather, seems that it would be better to 

 plant out of the young Oearas after the first heavy burst 

 of the monsdou, say in the months of Augu.st or October 

 when the ground is thoroughly saturateil, and the showers 

 only occasional, with bursts of sunshine between. The 

 germination of the seed seems a very simple process, and 

 generally occurs in ten d.ays, and sometimes less, from 

 the time the seed is placed in the damp sand. The seed 

 coat, being extremely hard, requires very c.nreful filing, 

 so as to enable it to burst more easily, this is not done 

 the seed may take months to germinate. The geutlaman 

 to whom I am indebted for much of the above infor- 

 mation, and under whose fostering care the rubber I refer 

 to on " Chelmsford " has beeu so successfully reared, 

 told me that he would be delighted to show any visitors 

 over his small plantation, who, as well as myself, might 

 be interested iu this now industry. — Coi: 24th Oct. 



THE DECAY OF COFFEE IN SOUTHERN 

 INDIA. 



"Who killed King Coffee" is a question that has been 

 asked more than once, and a definite or satisfactory solution 

 has never yet been arrived at. So many agencies have 

 been at work for the destruction of the bean that to 

 fix the precise culprit would be difficult. If it be con- 

 sidered an honor to have killed the coffee industry, then 

 the Borer, Leaf disease, and other destructive agi-icultural 

 pests may fight for the glory; if on the other hand dis- 

 grace be attached to the proceeding, then each one of tho 

 above-named may cast the blame ou the other. The lenf 

 disease did its share, but would not have beeu entirely 

 successful without the borer, and uicd versa. To the poor 

 European, who has fought manfully against the enemies 

 to his success in coffee planting, it matters little by what 

 agency the deed w.is done; his proispects have been blighted ; 

 the best years of his life gone perhaps, or it not all of 

 them, still so many, that he knows not what to turn to, 

 in order that the rest of tliem njay not be wasted too 

 in pursuits that, in the end, have to be abandoned. Money 

 too gone, perhaps other people's as well as his own. This 

 is a sad picture to look upon, aud yet only too true a 

 one of many a Em'opean's experience, who has spent his 

 time anil capital in coffee planting. It has died hanl. 

 Year after year has hope carried the planter on to trust 

 to what another season may produce, but, alas! it has 

 only led to added disappointment. 



In .Southern India a new industry has sprung up in tl>e 

 Gold Mining operations; this is still in its infancy, and 

 its future has yet to determine whet her the Wynaad will 

 become a lax'ge field of active enterprise, or revert to its 

 primitive jungle. In this district, perhaps, we may say 

 that gold has had a hand in killing coffee, for on those 

 estates that have been sold to Gold Companies, the coffee 

 has been entirely neglected. Cinchcuia, where it has beeu 

 planted, may tlirive; it does not require the annual picking, 

 weeding xjruning, &c., that are neinled for cott'ee; the 

 trees will gr.jw if leit alone, but we do not hear of fresh 

 plantings of Cinchona were Mining is being carried ou. 

 It is bad enough for Coffee to have died out in the 

 Wynaad, but we read also that in C.ylon the same thing 

 is going ou. The Times of India of the 19th instant de- 

 votes a long article to the "Condition of Ce^don," from 

 which it ajipears the European coffee planter is in a verj' 

 bad way indeed. The leaf disease fu-st made its appearance 

 in tlie Island in 1870, aud for sonie time confined its 

 visitations to every other year, ajlowmg au interval for 



