March 2, 1885.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



701 



lished up to the plucking period with everything but 

 machinery complete for £1,500. The establishment of 

 suitable machinery would leave little of another 

 £500, so that £2,000 of capital would be necessary 

 for the purpose. We count here in rupees, and the 

 rupee is equal to Is 7Jd more or less. 



For the returns from the property so established 

 we will only estimate 300 pounds per acre, costing 

 £10 and selling for Is per pound all round, £16 be- 

 ing a return of 25 per cent on the capital. I cannot 

 say what the same extent might cost elsewhere, and 

 under other circumstances. I have taken a low yield 

 compared with what has been achieved in other dis- 

 tricts, COO lb. per acre having been obtained at an 

 elevation of from 5,000 to 6,000 feet and from S00 

 to 9001b. on choice spots from 2,000 to 3,000. 



There is perhaps no part of the world more healthy 

 than the tea region of Ceylon : some authorities even 

 assert that some of the mountain districts possess the 

 finest climate in the world. 



It is an easy journey of ten hours from Colombo 

 to Nuwara Eliya, the highest town in the island, 

 where frosty mornings are common in the season 

 and with the exception of the outlying province of 

 TJva any of the planting districts may be reached 

 in one day from Colombo. 



Among the planters of Ceylon there is a large 

 proportion of exceptionally able men, and the whole 

 body form a well informed and highly intelligent 

 class, now pretty generally turned into conventional 

 subjection by the presence of many ladies. In all 

 the large districts there are Associations that meet 

 periodically to discuss local matters and bully the 

 Government, a duty they perform with more energy 

 than effect, for, " your dull ass will not mend his 

 pace for beating." L. 



CACAO AND ITS ENEMIES. 



All results of practical experience are valuable, 

 and, therefore, the public will appreciate the contrib- 

 ution made by Mr. J. E. Martin (see page 702) to our 

 knowledge of caeao cultivation and the serious difficulties 

 by which in an early state of the industry it has 

 been attacked. Mr. Martin is, of course very 

 safe in making the statement that " planters differ 

 widely as to the injurious effectt of the ravages" of 

 Helopeltis Antonii, as well as in the proposition that 

 good soil, fair rainfall and careful cultivation, in the 

 case of cacao, "may now be said to be a recognized 

 sine gvA turn." We should think so. Mr. Martin 

 desiderates the opinion of a scientist, but on the 

 question of thp "injurious ravages" of Helope'tis 

 Dr, Tiimen lias spoken, and with no uncertain eound. 

 We do uot suppose that he or any other scientist would 

 support the idea suggested by Mr. Martin that 

 Heloprlttii Antonii injects any specific poison into either 

 stems <>r pods. What the mischievous bug does is 

 to insert its proboscis, a most formidable pumping 

 instrument, and suck out the juices — the very life 

 bl >od — of the portion of a tree on which it operates. 

 Blackening and decay naturally follow, and in pro- 

 portion to the number of the insects and the extent 

 to which they attack a tree is the mischief done. 

 The re illy valuable point in Mr. Martin's paper, is 

 his confirmation of the conclusion arrived at in Java 

 ai d stated by Dr. Iriaien and others here, that | 

 Hilopellis can be successfully kept down, if not ex- 

 terminated, by the collection and destruction of the 

 insects in their various stages. The suggestion to 

 burn affected branches and pods ia also valuable. 



This fact is a great corrective to any tendency to 

 "scare," as well the other fact that the suffering of 

 cacao last season were largely, if not mainly, due to 

 the excessive drought. Mr. Martin thinks that the 

 snuffing out of many insuitable places is not matter 

 for regret, but we suspect the owners of such places, 

 who have purchased experience so dearly, very sincerely 

 regret the loss of capital unsuccessfully expended. 

 We are glad, however, to agree with Mr. Martin 

 that cacao cultivation in Ceylon is not doomed, 



♦ 



COFFEE PRODUCTION. 

 (From James Cook cf Co.'s Weekly Despatch, January 16th.) 



We print the undermentioned particulars, as a record 

 for future reference. Tons. 



Kio. — Available supplies interior for season 1884-5, 206 000 

 3J million bags. 

 Estimate of 1885-6 crop, 3i million of bags. 



Santos. — 1884-5 crop estimate 2 million bags, 

 available supply in interior, 2,250,000 bags. Es- 

 timates 1885-6 not yet given, but there is no sign 

 of diminished production. 



Bahia.— Crop 1883-4 (1st October to 30th Sept- 

 ember), 91,540 bags against 108,708 bags. 



Java. — Estimated crop, 1884-5, Government > 

 1,031,000 piculs 

 „ „ Private 250,000 



Padanci, a full estimate ... 120,000 



Menado 15,300 



Macassar, Timor, &c. ... 150,000 



It is expected that the 1885-6 yield will be large, 

 and so far accounts about leaf disease do not 

 cause uneasiness. 



Ceylon.— Yield 1883-4 proved to be 323,941 

 cwt. that of 1884-5 is not expected to reach 

 400,000 cwt, but not far short. 



British East India.— The last Export was about 

 15,000 tons. This yield likely to be later, though 

 somewhat larger than last year, probablv 16 to 

 18,000 tons. 



Export, 1st July, 1883, to 30th June, 1«84 



Beypore 9,126 tons. 



Calicut 2,387 



Tellicherry ^ 7,567 " 



Cochin 226 



Coffee is now arriving at the two latter ports in 

 considerable quantities; the quality. 50 far, pro- 

 mises to be superior to last — 



Costa Kica. — Last 



132,000 



5,384 



03,000 



16,197 



15,000 



seasou s crops, 

 y.-ars export was 269,513 

 bags, that of 1885 will at most be 180,000 bags. 



Venezuela.— Exports for the past season (1883-4) 

 LaGuayra ... ... 10,158.243 kilos! 



Puerto Oabello, about ... 11,738,310 , [ 



Maracaibo (we can only estimate) 12,0011,000 " ) 

 Crop of 1S84-5 was reported very good in 'some 

 parts of the country, poor in others, but result 

 likely to be an average yield. 



Porto Kieo promises to be exceptionally heavy; 

 generally assumed as 25,000 tons. Last year's ex- 

 port was exceptionally small, but we have not the 

 figures, excepting from Ponce from 1st Jan. to 

 20th Nov., 1884, which was 2,917,159 kilos. 



Hayti.— Last year's yield veryshort, about 350,000 

 bags. Deliveries this season began later than usual 

 owing to heavy rain, but the plant, it is thought 

 has benefitted from the same, the yield is large 

 and the quality is superior to what it has ever been! 

 Some expectations lean to 600,000, others to 500,000, 

 but 550,0U0 bags seems the most likely res. ill . 



African. — Of the bold berry (Enconge), usually 

 shipped from Ambriz, crop expected to be double 

 that of the previous one. The Oazenga crop, 

 shipped from Loando, also said to be larger than 

 last year, when it amounted to ."1,01x1 to 6,000 Ions. 



New Ghana da.— A good crop, butthe revolution 

 just reported in Columbia (and private advices 

 speak very seriously of the outbreak 1 will alto- 

 gether preclude shipment until a settlement occurs. 



-Iamak a. — A good crop ; no figures of export. 



Manilla. — Export 1st January to 29th October, 

 18S4, 110,802 piculs, against 111,417 uauie time 188a. 



13,475 



33,900 



19,500 



5,900 



