758 



^ftifc TROPICAL XGRfCTLTURIST. 



[April i , 1885, 



been made. The causes assigned were the abundance of 

 the crops which had caused a fall in prices of food grains, 

 and the demand for labor on the Bangalore-Tumkur Line 

 of Railway, which was under construction. Some of the 

 estates suffered from the weeds not having been removed 

 in time, while in other cases the managers and proprietors 

 were saved from heavy loss only by the strenuous efforts, 

 which they made to import labor from the Tamil country 

 near Salem, and by employing the costly but valuable labor 

 from the "Western Coast. Owing probably to questions 

 afEectiug the tenures of land iu Malabar, the numbers of 

 coolies, chiefly Moplas who were attracted from that part 

 of the country, were unusually large; and with their aid 

 the difficulty of securing the crop was tided over. Many 

 of the Tamil coolies, who were imported, failed to give 

 satisfaction, but others have done well, and their advent 

 to the country is welcomed, the more so as many of them 

 are willing to engage without advances. The Mopla laborers 

 proved also most useful in doing good work on petty 

 contract on the roads. The alarm which arose in the 

 minds of the planters from the unforeseen difficulty about 

 labor as above descrioed, has passed away, but not without 

 attracting attention to the necessity of labor being drawn 

 from more than one source of supply, and to the advantages 

 which would result to the community by the construction 

 of a Railway, which would facilitate communications with 

 distant parts of the country. 



I'rice. — No greater blow has been dealt for many years 

 past to the prosperity of Coorg, and to the coffee interest, 

 to which it owes its flourishing condition, than the heavy 

 fall in the market price, which took place at the close of 

 the season. It has decreased from R40 to R25 the cwt. 

 within the last two years, and in the Home market from 

 100 shillings to 61 shillings, or 40 per cent. The cause 

 is attributable to the overstocked condition of the London 

 market. The Times in a recent issue describes the stock 

 as apparently inexhaustible, and states that it is not known 

 to how low prices may still fall. Ceylon and Coorg have 

 to compete with Brazil where there is slave labor, and 

 where fresh land is said to be abundant. The extension 

 of Railway communications in Brazil is another advautage 

 in favor of that country, and in recent years the planters 

 there have been taught by settlers from Ceylon the proper 

 manner of curing and preparing coffee, so that Brazil coffee 

 has lately obtained in the Home market as good a price 

 as that of Coorg. The native coffee is chiefly in request 

 for the French market, to which quantities have been 

 exported direct from the Western Coast. Owing to the 

 good crops reaped in Mysore, the prices of food grains 

 showed a tendency to fall still lower. Rice, the staple 

 crop of Coorg, fell to Rl-12-0 the maund of 80 lb. or annas 

 12 less than in the previous year, and ragi to Rl-2-0 or 

 annas 5 less. The market was so dull at the end of the 

 harvest in the Yelsavirshime Taluk, that sales could not 

 be effected for some time. The ryots acknowledged the 

 liberality of Government in giving them time to effect 

 a sale by the recent alteration in the payment of instal- 

 ments of revenue. 



Weather and Orops.— The rainfall during the year was 

 slightly above the average:— 



That registered in 



,, in 



in 



., and on 



The season opened 



Mercara being... 



South Coorg ... 



East Coorg 



the Western Chats 



very favourably for all agricultural 

 perations. The timely blossom showers led to flue crops 

 of coffee and cardamoms being picked. The subsequent 

 rains ensured the safety of the rice crop, which was fully 

 up to the average: but in Eastern Coorg serious damage 

 was done by the heavy rains to the ragi and Bengal-gram 

 crops especially by two unexpected downpours, which 

 t.ouk place in the month of December. These showers 

 caused also some damage to the coffee crop when drying 

 on the barbacues, and to the rice crop in South Coorg. 

 Cinchona.— Consequent on the poor returns on many 

 estates from coffee, greater attention is being paid by 

 planters to cinchona. A number of plants have been put 

 down among the coffee trees, and in a few cases separate 

 plantations are being found on lands, originally taken up 

 for coffee. The returns give 1,494,385 plants covering an 

 area roughlv estimated at 1,868 acres, or 782 in excess 



of that planted out during the previous year. It is found 

 to succeed well both when planted in the open and with 

 shade; but, as might be expected, does not do so well in 

 exhausted soil, and as it is a surface feeding tree it has 

 been found to be detrimental to coffee, when planted with 

 it. The variety known as 0. Succirubra appears to be the 

 hardiest. The returns show that 835.423 plants consist of 

 this variety; while of the other varieties, Ledgt nana nunil .ers 

 now 82,612, and Oalisaya 71,000. The Reverend G. Richter 

 has found by experience on his estate that the new pro- 

 cess of bark shaving causes deterioration on repetition in 

 the quality of the bark, and renders the trees liable to 

 disease and early death. While bark from the first shav- 

 ing sold in 1882 at 3 shillings and 8 pence, bark of tlie 

 second shaving from the same tree fetched 2 shillings 4 pence 

 only per lb. Many of the trees, twelve to fifteen years 

 old, dried up after the second shaving. 



The few Ceara rubber trees put down for experiment 

 are growing rapidly to a great height. The oilpalm (Eiais 

 Guifleens6}has flowered, and a Carob tree on the Polibetta 

 estate came also into full blossom. 



lea has been found to grow readily in Coorg, and as 

 it is a hardier plant than coffee itis thought possible that 

 it may take its place. Its cultivation has not yet been 

 attempted, as the heavy rains in the monsoon and the 

 beat and drought in the spring of the year are considered 

 ill-adapted to cause the numerous flushes that are required. 

 On the .Sampaji Ghat it might, however, receive the aid 

 of artificial irrigation from the numerous running streams, 

 which are met with 011 most of the estates. 



Horticulture. — The coffee enterprise is at present passing 

 through the most critical stage iu its existence. But wbi.e 

 in other parts of Coorg its cultivation has heen more or 

 less a failure resulting in heavy loss of capital, the good 

 management, judicious expenditure, and well directed efforts 

 of planters, based upon the experience gained in the past, 

 have resulted in securing most satisfactory results in that 

 recently-opened tract of country in South Coorg, known 

 as the "Bamboo." There and on the Suntikoppa side of 

 the Mercara plateau are to be seen fine sheets of coffee 

 extending for miles together. The secret of success has 

 consisted in the early propagation of suitable shade trees 

 as a protection against the numerous enemies of the plant, 

 and iu the pursuance from the commencement of a system 

 of high cultivation. AVith the fine crop which was picked, 

 the largest yet known, it was confidently expected that 

 the labor given and the outlay incurred would at length 

 be repaid by handsome profits; but the result has been 

 only a disappointment; for the heavy fall of 40 per cent 

 in the price of the berry has upset all calculations, leaving 

 little or no margin for profit. The result is that Banks 

 and agents refuse to make advances on the crop, and that 

 estates are generally unsaleable. This is a great discourage- 

 ment to the European gentlemen, fully 200 in number, who 

 have taken to the cultivation of coffee in Coorg as a means 

 of livelihood, and also to the numerous Natives who have 

 been induced to embark in the enterprise, and who often, 

 from no fault of their own, now find themselves in very 

 embarrassed circumstances. These remarks apply imme- 

 diately to that part of the country, known as tin "Bamboo,'" 

 and to the fine estates of Messrs. Mangles and Macpherson 

 on the Suntikoppa side; but there are other portions of 

 Coorg in which climatic and other reasons have led to the 

 abandonment of estates and to heavy loss of capital. As 

 large remissions of revenue to the extent of 1123,335-0-10 

 yearly have had to be sanctioned in consequence, the following 

 extract taken from a special report submitted lately 011 

 the subject by the Commissioner is quoted, as affording 

 further information of the circumstances which have led 

 to such detrimental results: — "The cultivation of coffee 

 which was introduced into Coorg in 1835 by Major LeHardy, 

 the list Superintendent, was confined at first to the two 

 estates on the Mercara plateau, known as "Beuvoir" and 

 the " Mercara estate," and to a few holdings owned by 

 Moplfl settlers in ar Nalknad in the Padinalknad Taluk. 

 In 18.38 land was opened on the Periyambadi ghat, and 

 in 1863 a great stimulus was given to the enterprise by 

 the rise in the price of coffee, when clearings were first 

 made at Madeuad on the Sampaji Chat. Unfortunately 

 some of the first settlers who came from Ceylon set the 

 pruicious example, which was followed by all planters for 

 the first fifteeu years, of clearing and burning the forest 



