658 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[February i, 1883. 



ships, and further to urge on the Indian Government 

 the necessity to- promote emigration of Malabar 

 labourers to enable the pliinter to sRCurn valuable crops. 



Tea of the best Assam hybrid varieties has been 

 introduced from the commencement, and amongst 

 patches may be seen plauts five feet high, almost 

 resembling pure indeginous Assam tea ! 



These favouritP trees are now reserved for seed- 

 bearers aud the darker kinds pruned down for immedi- 

 ate tea manufacture 18,0U0 plants reareil from Assam 

 hybrid seed were lately planted out iu tlie clearing, 

 therefore a large supply of valuable tea seed may be 

 relied upon by iuteiiduig planters in this neighbourhood. 



Before closing this letter mention must be made, 

 of a discovery by Mr. C. F. Bozzolo, the super- 

 intendent, of a wild cinchona cloudy resembUnij ledger, 

 similar in every respect and bitter in flavour ; but 

 no analysis having yet been made, it is proposed to 

 send one entire plant to Ceylon with as little delay 

 as possible of the "Cinchona Bozzoloana." 



Blossoms of wild tea are also to be found at any 

 time in these jungles, and when out with the Super- 

 intendent yesterday several plants were found resembling 

 indigenous tea- Considering that the Malay Peninoula 

 is not very far as the crow flies from the tea-grow- 

 ing countries of China and Assam, faith mav be 

 placed in this discovery likewise. 



The climate of Perak is perfect, particularly at 

 this elevation and at this time of the year. The ther- 

 mometer in the shade has not exceeded 70° this week. 

 Every conceivable tropical plint grows to perfection, 

 and as for botanical specimens Mr. William Ferguson 

 would be in his glory here for only a few hours in 

 the Perak forests. — I remain, dear sir. yours faithfully, 



HENRY COTTAM. 



ME. COTTAM'S NOTES ON THE STRAITS. 

 Report on Waterloo Estate. Gapis-Pekak. 

 Waterloo Estate, 1.5th Oct- 1882. 



General Appearance of Estate. — The Coffee is re- 

 markably healthy for young cofiee of under two years' 

 growth. Some trees measm-ing five and six feet in height, 

 two and two and a half and 3J IVet length of primary 

 branches and stems five and six inches in circumference. 

 The estate ha.s an eastern aspect and the elevation at the 

 bungalow l,(i90 feet, top of clearing 2.440 and top bound- 

 ary of land suitable for the growth of cinchona ledgeriana 

 2,ai5 feet above sea-level- Of the 176 acres cleared 124 

 is fully rlante.-i and compact, 50 acres beilig as good 

 young coffee as any Ceylon planter of long experience 

 need wish to see even in Oeylon. 



Order of Coffee with Regard to Handling. — Some 

 system is required in topping at an average height to 

 give a compact appearance to fields. Four feet is quite 

 high enough, though it is a temptation and quite optional 

 with the proprietor to top at four feet six inches in 

 sheltered places only particularly in ravines. 



Care should he taken to remove the first pair of pri- 

 maries and form a cro.'^s when topping to prevent split- 

 ting when the trees come into bearing. 



Staking. — A great mistake has been made in staking 

 witti coir rope tightly tied and consequently barUringiug 

 is the result and the loss and sickly appearance of many 

 trees. It is well to mention the fact to prevent misunder- 

 standing iu future as many planters and others visiting 

 this estate with a view to reporting thereon might foim 

 an opinion that the percentage of deaibs and sickly 

 yellow appearance had been caused by leaf-disease or 

 grub at the roots. 



Estimate of Crop — Abo"t 50 acres bearing a patchy 

 crop of from J to 6 cwt. ner acr^^, ther-fore an est m- 

 ate of 2 cwt. per acre ove-' the nb ve' 50 acres bea-ing 

 may be depent'ed upon, or sa' 500 bushels' of pi ch- 

 ment coffee 



Ro.ujs. — There is a b'idh-path or hill read from the 

 cart road into the estate made at a cost of from £40 

 to £50 or S200 and spouting might be used to spout 



down crop from Waterloo to the Gapis cart road. About 

 h df-a-mile of spouting-wuuld suffice. 

 Forest in Reserve. — 4 500 acres O'' virgin forest and about 

 100 acres ra';re purchased from the natives by Captain 

 Schutze. The lower estate called "Sara" or '^ Sarah" is about 

 50 acres cleared and about five acres under Liberian coffee 

 just coming into bearing ; the trees are 6 K 7 feet 

 high and very luxuriant. This enterprise is very promis- 

 ing. Both upper and lower estates are suitable to the growth 

 of tea and cinchona and both named products should he 

 taken in liand without loss of time. A few cocoa tieea 

 are doing well, 



Value op Estates 

 50 acres @ S350 per acre= 817,500 

 74 do @ $150 do =811,100 



124 do cultivated on Waterloo §28,600 

 52 do felled at 85 per acre $260 



828,860 



Value of " Sara" Liberian estate.. .§1,500 



5 acres Liberian 1'250 dollars I ;~„„ „„r 



45 d. cleared land 255 , »^u,-iOo 



Value of Nurseries at 5 dollars per 1,000 > pul- 650 



30,000 Liberian 100,000coffee arabica ) per .350 



.'531,365 

 Draining &c.,Watee-Supply for Machinery. — Drain- 

 ing is very much required on the Waterloo estate and may 

 be cut cheaply by contract, as the soil is loose and com- 

 paratively free from stones. 



The supply of water is suflicient for pulping require- 

 ments. One large steam providing a constant supply. The 

 permanent store it is proposed should be built at Sara 

 near the Government cart road- 



Nueseries. — 30,000 Liberian coffee plants are ready 

 for putting out and 100,000 coffee Arabica. A small nur- 

 sery of nutmegs and cloves is doing well. (Some of the 

 latter planted.) 



Supply of Lime. — A plentiful supply of lime for 

 building purposes aud manuring can be always obtained 

 from Giiaanti Pandok adjoining Sara estate. 



Sawn Timber. — A large quantity of ."awn timber, beams, 

 planks, rafters, &c., are ready for use an I cost a consid- 

 erable sum. It is needless to say that a further supply 

 is available. 



Furniture of Bungalow. — The bungalow on Waterloo 

 estate is expensively furnished. 



Value of estate brought down... $31,365 



Reserved forest 4,376 at * a dollar 8 2,188 

 50 acres cleared land at Sara.-- 500 



Value of the bridle-path to AVaterloo 

 3 miles at 200 dollars per mile... 600 



Value of sawn timber for store... 



Single disc and double disc pulpers 

 and tools, &c., &c., 



834,653 



200 



834,855 



647 



' 835,500 

 (£7,100 more or less) 



Buildings— A subs antial hurgalow adds much to the 

 value of this estate and the cooly lines are in good 

 order ;ind sufBeient for the accommodation of over 100 men. 



A Pulping -house and drying-ground will be requi ed at; 

 once and an air-tight store of small size to store dried 

 crop during the wet .-eason. !'he store proper should be 

 open to let the air through the lofts and the coffee con- 

 stantly turned. The sample of parchment now broui^ht in 

 may be greatlv improved upon. 



VVeeping.— This item is the greatest difficulty and 

 urgent measures taken to introduce Tamil or Malabar 

 labourers and to get a kangani to take a contract to 

 weed mouthlv by'htmd and bury the wee Is in pits. Fail- 

 ing to accoinpli.sh the above advantage should be taken 

 of a few days' hot dry weather to clean up the estate be 

 Chinese and Malays. It must be remembered that thy 

 ageratum seeds every six weeks,* and that an individual 



* Which is just what seems to us the insuperable object 

 tiou to the new uin-w9eding system. — Ed, 



