H 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[July i, 1885. 



hills and highlands where tea is grown. Bat many 

 of the Indigo coacerns in Lower Bengal are within 

 the coco palm belt. The ambitious planter may 

 deride it as a poor idea, but there may be prudent and 

 astute men who might seriously consider the profit- 

 nbleness of having coconut nurseries in the neigh- 

 bourhood of their factories and plantations on their 

 estates. We especially commend the culture to natives 

 to whom it is in every respect better suited. It is 

 most lamentable to see this fine productive resource 

 of the country unutilized. While so many of the 

 respectable classes are pining in want, while our 

 educated young men are crowding the professions 

 and the ordinary spheres of employment to the de- 

 triment of those already in them and to their own 

 disappointment, while multitudes besiege a single 

 vacancy, here is actually a royal road to riches absol- 

 utely neglected. We say rojal road, because success 

 is certain and on the easiest terms imaginable. 

 Wealth perhaps may not be open to all, being a 

 question of capital, but with ordinary out'ay and 

 ekill and industry, such as most may command, a 

 more than fair return and even competence may bo 

 assured. We pretend to no discovery, the thing 

 ought to be well known. The 'coconut is one of the 

 oldest of indigenous plants. It is everywhere about 

 US, specially in the maritime fringe. It is, within 

 its sphere, found in numbers in every homestead — 

 its most striking object and cherished monument. It 

 is, on the face of it, a substantial valuable tree. For 

 that matter, it is unique. It is invaluable — absolutely 

 and entirely valuable— useful in the highest degree 

 in every feature and belonging of it. It does not 

 very much trouble, scarcely ever deceives, the loyal cult- 

 ivator, for on the right soil it is sure to grow without 

 solicitation and does not want delicate nursing, and 

 it almost never disappoints the merchant or trades- 

 man, as it keeps for ever and a satisfactory sale is only 

 a question of time. In fine, it is the best provision 

 for a rainy day in the agricultural career. Our unem- 

 ployed youth without professional training could not 

 do better than beg, borrow, oretealsorae little capital, 

 and plant a few acres of coconut.* 



♦ 



PLANTING IN DELI. 

 {Tramlalcd for the "Straits Times.") 

 bjyread of Plantation cnterprize. — A few years ago 

 plantations in the Battack country inland were only 

 few in number, but the tale of them both in Deli 

 and Langkat has now greatly increased, there being 

 every prospect that further advance by Europeans in 

 that direction is only a question of time, and that 

 the opening of tobacco estates in the Battack couutiy 

 will take place in all directions wherver the soil is 

 in any way suitable for it. By comparing previ us 

 surveys of the Deli district with those lately carried 

 through by the topographical office as set out in a 

 map now readily obtainable by the public, this for- 

 ward movement becomes more evident. This peace- 

 able annexation goes on so slowly but surely that 

 probably, before ten years shall have elapsed, the 

 green mountains at whch we had so looginftly gir, d 

 from the coast will no longer be a closed book. By 

 that time, European cultivation will have reached 

 them, and a fertile country will in a lawful manner 

 be brought under the Netherlands' sceptre. Already 

 at various places the so-called independent Battick 

 boundaries have been, if not crossed, at lea^t reache 1, 

 though the authorities pro forma have only granted 

 sanction to land contracts bearing upon cUstiicts 

 where the Sultan of Deli or the Pangeran of Langkat 



* See "All about the Coconut Palm," published at the 

 Office of this iieriudical.— £o. 



enforce claims or exercise dominion. Soon, however> 

 this will no lont;er prove sufficient, and then the tnrn 

 will come for contracts with which the Malay rulers 

 have nothing at all to do. The Government may now 

 look upon this as undesirable, and withhold as loug as 

 possible its sanction to such contracts, but even this 

 reluctance cannot be carried beyond certain bounds ; 

 and, when once the inclination and the need for extend- 

 ing colonization become too great, it must give way. 

 Difficulties and differences between the n.atives and 

 European settlers will not be wanting at the outset 

 (such things have taken place everywhere) ; but in 

 this case they might be greatly obviated by Govern- 

 ment taking action in time to favour settlement." — 

 Deli Courant. 



The European residents in Deli are 500 in number, 

 many of whom are planters. 



At a meeting of the Deli, Serdang, and Langkat 

 Planters' Association held at Medan, on the 23th 

 March, it was decided »o fix by w.xy of trial from the 

 1st .June to the 1st November this year, the foe for 

 Sinkeh coolies delivered on the estates at §50 each 

 owing to its having risen so enormously of late from 

 competition among planters when the labour market 

 was badly supplied, as to bid fair, unless checked, to 

 amouQt to SlUO per coolie, 



" We may add to our previous statement about 

 a German Consulate in Deli, the intelligence that, 

 yesterday, by French mail, Mr. F. Kediug re- 

 ceived a notification of his appiutment to fill it. so 

 that he only awaits the exequatur of the Netherlands 

 Government in order to enter upon the duties of 

 his office. 



"The severe drought which has been experienced 

 here also for a cjuple of mouths, which h.Ts hindered 

 the putting out of young tobacco plants on many estates 

 and alsa did great havoc among the seedlings, appears 

 to prevail along the whole coasts and more severely 

 even than here. In Assahan, the patty crop has 

 proved a total failure, so that the exportation of gra n 

 has been forbidden, a striking contrast to former years 

 when Assahan exported sometimes ten thousand gaii- 

 tangs to Penang, contrary, however, to the ruininirj 

 current thereanent in the Scraits, the state of hcaltti 

 here generally is sa'asfaclory, and there is not the 

 least truth in the assertion that cholera is prevailing 

 epidemically." 



The running away of coolies from e^tilea is be- 

 coming unusually fr€quent this year. Both in Dcdi 

 and Langkat, several planters are complaining heavily 

 of it, without any of tliem being able to find i,ut 

 wliat the true cause is. The blame may partly be 

 laid on the continually dry weather, for having 

 maJe the Chinese in consequence sick at heart 

 and impatient; but this cannot be the only cause, 

 because absconding takes phoe on estates where 

 field w..rk is not in such an advanced stage that 

 the continuous drought need cause uiuasiniss. We 

 rather prefer to account for it by what we la ely 

 heard brought forward, namely, that the luuaivaya 

 are hdp d to ab.-cond by coufalerates of the Penang 

 brokers. 'I he exeesdveiy high fcei paid of late for 

 coolic'3 at PeuADg n;i tin ally tends to encourage, 

 kidnapping. We moreover bel'eve that sopervfiou 

 over departing Penang steamers is not so strict as 

 the Planters' Oommittee laecy. During Ills) illness 

 of the Captain in China and his stay at Mcdau, his 

 so IS oft n repaired upcountrj ■ In our opinion, 

 I heir absence resulted in supervision becoming flwiier. 

 It would also be dtsirable were the plant' rs to pay 

 greater heed to ths returning of the discharge 

 passes of those coolies who leave the country. A 

 regular trade in there paSses is carried on in !,abuan 



Deli. 



