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THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



[AUGUTS I, 1884. 



We will cheerfully examine aud report upon any samples 

 which our subscribers will send, provided they are suffi- 

 cient in quantity (not less than one pound) and come pro- 

 perly labeled, accompanied by a description by letter. — 

 American Grocer and Dry Goods Chronicle. 



DEMERARA. 



Since the sailing of last packet rain has continued 

 to fall in considerable quantities, and the rain gauges 

 now record over 50 inches already for the 3 ear. May 

 and June are generally looked upon as the wettest 

 months in the year ; so that, if this weather last 

 over June, the cry will be " too much of a good 

 thing." 



The general cry from those reaping canes is short 

 yield. This is what might have been expected after 

 the pinching up by the drought in October and 

 November last, coupled with the free way in which 

 the canes flowered (arrowed). 



The good old lovely canary sugar is again to the 

 fore, and as quality (bloom) counts equal to from 

 2s 6d to 3s, we are not astonished to hear that the 

 slovenly style of making American refining kinds, 

 which call for no polish, has given way to the legitimate 

 Demerara Crystals. We can only hope that the in- 

 creased output of the higher order of production may 

 not glut the market. What a pity that the present 

 fiscal arrangements of our cousins prevent us from 

 sending really highly-valued sugar to the States, in ex- 

 change for the necessaries of life in the shape of 

 food, which we now admit duty free from that country ! 

 It is quite true the mother- country has wisely re- 

 moved all restrictions, and our sugars are admitted 

 free ; but reciprocity with the mother-country does not 

 mean what would be the effect of a similar policy on 

 the part of the United States. The simple question 

 of proximity points to a closer union between the 

 West Indies and the great American Republic as most 

 desirable. In their Western States they are in a 

 position to supply us with breadstuff's and animal food 

 on terms with which the free trading Britishers can- 

 not compete, and in the same way we can supply 

 them with the finished and raw products of the tropical 

 country in exchange, and this is the first principle 

 of free trade. 



Our much-prized Botanical Gardens have had a hard 

 ordeal during the past month, and it must be dis- 

 heartening to Mr. Jenman to see his fine borders 

 and plots of rare plants completely water-logged. As 

 Mr. Russell would describe it, the whole place has 

 been little better than a "sheugh." We sincerely 

 trust that the requisition of a steam pump to diain 

 the gardens as origiually intended will not be hung 

 up until the superintendent has to stir those in au- 

 thority into action by a dismal accotut of valuable 

 plants destroyed for want of drainage. 



There always appeared to us to be great force in 

 Sir Henry Irving's argument that it is better to in- 

 duce an immigrant to settle permanently in the colony, 

 by offering him a piece of land in a suitable locality 

 at a reasonable price, than to give him land on the 

 express condition that he shall forego his claim to a 

 back-passage, and it, appears to have been well founded. 

 The acting Government Secretary, Mr. Francis J. 

 Villiere, stated yesterday there were numerous applic- 

 ations by coolies to purchase allotments of land on 

 Huls 't-Dieren. And it may be regarded as tolerably 

 certain that even an East Indian who buys land, 

 settles upon and cultivates it, will he much less likely 

 than auother to leave the colony voluntarily. It may 

 interest some of our readers to learn that, according 

 to reliable statistics, the population of the colony 

 was last year incieised by immigration to the extent 

 of 2,071, that number being the measure of the ex- 



cess of arrivals over departures or "returns." There 

 arrived : — 



From India 2,537 



Barbados 1,021 



,, other, places (Chinese)... 20 



Total ... 3,578 

 And there left the colony in 1883 : — 



East Indian Immigrants ... 1,561 



Chinese 251 



Total 1,812 



Leaving a surplus of 1,766 



But it will be observed in this calculation no allow 

 ance is made for the large number of Barbadian im- 

 migrants who in the natural course of events would 

 return to their island home during the year. And 

 we fear the number would suffice to turn the scale. 

 But it is at least so satisfactory to note that, even 

 with so small an immigration from India as 2,537, 

 the number of arrivals exceeded the number of those 

 who returned by 1,516. In other words the arrivals 

 were to the departures as 5 to 3. And when we remem- 

 ber that the birthrate among East Indiau immigrants 

 (notwithstanding the disparity of the sexes) nearly 

 equals the death-rate — in fact was, in 1SS3, 25'27 per 

 thousand, against 29'8) per thousand — the outlook is 

 less discouraging than some honourable members of 

 the Court of Policy yesterday appeared to imagine. 

 —Royal Gazette, May 24th. 



THE FRENCH PROTECTORATE IN TONQUIN. 

 (From the Daily Press.) 

 There are not many French colonists in the coun- 

 try yet, and there are no immediate signs that the 

 number is to be increased to any very considerable 

 extent. The few there are are not of a very estimable 

 character from the point of view of a political econo- 

 mist. They are divided into two classes the cantiniers, 

 the pot-house and wine-shop keepers, aud the some- 

 what more aspiring few who do not keep cabarets, 

 but tell liquor wholesale to those who do. Both of 

 these make money, but they do not make money 

 for France aud still less for the colony. Least of 

 all do they advance the prospects of Tonquin. With 

 the laudable object of putting an end to the multi- 

 plication of these sorry negotiants, General Mil- 

 lot has issued a proclamation. Whether, how- 

 ever, from a hopeless recognition of the fact that no 

 other Frenchmen but dram sellers would come to 

 settle in Tonquin, or with a view to control foreign 

 traders, the edict embraces merchants of all kinds. 

 No one is to lie allowed to establish a business of any 

 kind whatever iu the country without the express 

 permission of the Government. This is not the 

 way to encourage the bringing of capital into 

 the country, and Tonquin wants money even 

 more desperately than does the French Government 

 itself. The idea may merely be to put an end to the 

 terrible number of drinking shops, but it seems also 

 to be intended to keep down the establishment of 

 foreign firms of whatever kind. The suggestion may 

 appear ill-natured, but it seems to be borne out by 

 a further vexatious ordinance, issued within the last 

 few weeks. No "armed exploring parties" are to 

 be permitted throughout the whole extent of the pro- 

 tectorate. This virtually meaus the prohibition of ex- 

 ploration of every kind, except such as is sanctioned 

 by the French Government and supported by detach- 

 ments of French troops. Beyond the limits of actual 

 military occupation, no foreigner is safe unless he is 

 armed. The word ' ' pirate " is « onderfully misused 

 down in Tonquin. Any native of the country is stigmat- 

 ized as a piiate if he objects to the French domin- 

 ation of the country, and with this definition of the 



