August i, i 884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 





word the vast majority of the population of Tonquin 

 are pirates. They are absurdly badly armed, but 

 twenty foot long spears and swords which bend double 

 with every blow, are quite formidable enough weapons 

 against Kuropeans who have no arms at all. The 

 exploitation of Tonquin is therefore likely to be 

 delayed for a considerable time. Colonists from 

 France with money to set themselves up are de- 

 voutly prayed for, but do not seem likely to come. 

 Meanwhile foreigners are apparently warned off, no 

 matter how much money they may be willing to 

 Bpend. This, however, is sure to right itself in time, 

 possibly with the next Governor or Commissary- 

 General, or if not with him, then with his suc- 

 cessor, and administrators-in-chief of Tonquin succeed 

 each other with even greater rapidity than Govern- 

 ments in France itself. 



Money is wanted in Tonquin, but it must not 

 be mistaken what it is wanted for. It is not for 

 the cultivation of the country, for there is not 

 a country in all this world that is more thoroughly 

 cultivated than Tonquin as far north as Thai- 

 ngnyen and Hung-Hoa. The lower delta lands 

 are almost wholly given over to rice, but north of 

 the Song-cau river and the country above Sontai, Ton- 

 quin is more like a large kitchen garden than an ordinary 

 agricultural landscape. The Tonquinese need nothing 

 in the shape of money inducements to persuade them 

 to work, nor do they require pecuniary assistance 

 to extend the area of cultivation. The whole country 

 outside of the village is in a most elaborate state of 

 cultivation, and even in the villages themselves every 

 available inch of ground is taken up with vegetables 

 or tubers to season the native's bowl of rice, and 

 areca palms and patches of sugar-cane for his solace. 

 Capital is required merely to improve the varieties of 

 produce, which he grows, so that the best possible 

 results may be obtained from the smallest possible 

 area. The country — the delta at any rate — is very 

 densely populated, and the greater part of the harvests 

 is required for the support of the population of the 

 country itself. [Rice, maize, sugar-cane, cotton and 

 tobacco are then noticed. We quote as follows : — ] 



Tea. — The shrub is the same as that of China, but 

 it is not prepared in the same way and is not very 

 palatable. A very fair green tea comes down from 

 the upper reaches of the Red River. There are 

 tolerably extensive tea plantations on the hills round 

 Sontay. The French hope to attract the whole of the 

 Ruerh tea trade through the Laos country to the 

 Red River, besides producing a rival to that famous 

 brand on the hills bordering Yunnan. 



Coffee. — Huge plantations might be established ou 

 the hills along the Song-coi river valley and those 

 of its affluents. The French missionaries at Keso 

 have acclimatized the plant ou the hills near ihis 

 their central station and the results have exceeded 

 the most sanguine hopes. The provinces north of 

 of Hanoi would be the most eligible. Labour and 

 land might be had for a mere song. 



Cinnamon is grown largely, mostly the infirior 

 kind. A very superior vnricty, however, iB found 

 in the hills of the southern province of Tbanh-hoa, 

 and the crops used always to be reserved for His 

 Majesty at Hue. When, however, the French 

 penetrate thither, which tbey no doubt will next 

 October, the famous barks of Trinh-Van and Thuong- 

 Doug will no doubt be consigned to less royal consumers'. 



Indigo abouuds in a good many provinces. The 

 Tonquinese do not know how to prepare it, and 

 therefore it is at present only used in the country. 

 With Tirhut methods and Tirhut experience there 

 seems no reason why there should not be a remuner- 

 ative cultivation. 



The Castor-oil plant grows in great abundance all 

 over the country, apparently thriving equally well in 



the marshes and on the hills. There are huge tracts 

 of it in the Bacuinh district. 



Tubers and roots of all kinds are largely cultivated 

 and grow to an amazing size. Cabbage, and all 

 European vegetables thrivo wonderfully. The Jersey 

 people are proud of the height of their cabbages, but the 

 Tonquin article surpasses them in every respect, in 

 length and breadth and thickneBS. A Hanoi cabbage 

 would require a table to itself and could not be got 

 on to any reasonable sized dish. Ground nuts, 

 sesamum, and a considerable variety of legumiuuus 

 plants are very extensively cultivated. 



The Y-dzi (Coix esaltata) is a most useful med iciual 

 plant. The Tonquinese call it the herb of life and 

 health. It is one of the Pharlarides, a plant of the 

 grass family called in France Larme de Job, but the 

 Tonquin species differs from the Europeau plant, coix 

 lacryma, which has been introduced from India. 

 When the skin iB removed the seed may be eaten 

 like an ordinary cereal. It has a peculiar aromatic 

 flavour. From the roasted seeds a refreshing diuretic 

 beverage is produced, which purifies the blood and 

 strengthens the digestion. It is also used extensively 

 as a remedy against the evil effects of the bad water 

 of the mountain s' reams, which contain quantities 

 of Baits of copper and lead in solution. From the 

 flour of the seeds a valuable medicinal soup is pre- 

 pared. The plant gets its name from the Chinese 

 General Ma Yuen, who conquered Tonquin in the first 

 century of our era, and who ate very large quantities 

 of the seed to counteract the bad effects of the climate 

 on his constitution. 



Another remarkable medicinal product of Tonquin 

 is the Hoang-Nan (Strychnos Eautherione) which grows 

 freely on the hills of the southern provinces of Bo- 

 Chinh and Nghe-An, It is said to have been proved 

 by experiment to be an efficacious remedy against 

 1 the plague, paralysis, leprosy, snake- bite and in general 

 against all blood poisoning. European science has been 

 greatly interested in this product of late years, and 

 in the Bulletin General de Therapeutique for August 

 1881, there is an interesting paper by a Dr. Barthe- 

 lemy, who claims great value for the plant in cases 

 of paralysis. 



Of other valuable vegetable products there is no 

 lack. Gutta is found in abundance in the hills. So 

 are a great variety of resinous trees, more particularly 

 that from which the Tonquinese obtain the oil which 

 they use for their lacquer ware, which is in no way 

 infeiior to that of Japan or Burmah. Tln-re is aleo 

 a low free which grows abundantly along the banks 

 of the more upland streams the fruit of which distils 

 an oil which, it is claimed, renders timber secure alike 

 agaiust the attacks of water and insects. 



Star Anis, a valuable essential oil used in per- 

 fumery, distilled from the fruit of a tree of the 

 Magnoliacea? species, is also found in quantities 

 in the northern provinces. A number of other 

 aromatic trees and shrubs have also been seen byexperts. 



Timber of all kinds is very abundant in the hills 

 north of Thai uguycu and Huug-hoaand to the west 

 in the provinces of Mi-Due and elsewhere. Rose- 

 wood, ebony, iron wood, Bapau and sandal are among 

 the more valuable varieties, 1 do not remember 

 seeing the teak tree in any part of the country. 

 * * * * 



If Frauce were a rich country there is little doubt 

 that Quang-yen would immediately be chosen as the 

 port. Unfortunately the Republic is in gitater 

 pecuniary embarrassmtnt than ever. The cable to 

 Haii hong is only hired from the English company. 

 Gallic pride can hardly stomach yet ihe construction 

 of a lailvvay through their rich new colony with 

 English capital. A few years, however, will probably 

 .see it, and then, and not till then, will Yunnan be 

 tapped, Shwav Yoe. 



