338 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[Nov. 2, 18851 



showed the handsome figures of 4-35. It is somewhat 

 of a surprise to authorities that at so low an elevation 

 such a good result could have been attained. 



Cacao still keeps looking well, and if the fine 

 blossom out is any promise of what the crop in the 

 early months of the year will be, there are good 

 prospects ahead. But then it is such an uncertani, 

 treacherous product, and has so many enemies, that 

 one is afraid to build one's hopes on aught else than 

 the nibs in store. Even the yellow variety, which has 

 been admitted to be so much more robust than the 

 red, does not seem as if it were to escape molest- 

 ation from the everyday enemies of the cacao. I 

 saw one tree lately' every pod on which had been 

 badly punctured by a sucking bug of some kmd, 

 if indeed it was not hchpcltis. It did not seem 

 to have injured the nibs inside, but it could not 

 have done them any good. It will be rather dis- 

 gusting if what were thought the strong varieties 

 are going to turn out like the disease-resisting 

 Liberian coffee a sell after all. 



I have heard it stated by one who ought to 

 know that the variety which we call " CarAcas " 

 is really not the true thing, but that it is actually 

 the red which we have growing here, and which 

 is so sensitive to blights of all kinds. It seems 

 that about thirty years or so ago the red was 

 pretty universal in the West Indies, but that 

 it was almost wiped out by some blight or an- 

 other. It was then replaced by the stronger 

 varieties, such as have lately been imported into 

 this island. The red kind so common with us 

 came from the West Indies before the yellow 

 had taken its place. The full plump bean and fine 

 flavour of our cacao is also said to have been a 

 peculiarity of the true " Caracas," whereas what 

 now goes" by that name has a iiattish nib, and 

 does not win the London buyers as tha other 

 does. Of course, it is only aspcculation yet, but 

 nevertheless a very interesting one. 



I trust it is an exaggeration, but I was told 

 of an unfortunate jilanter who at the beginning of 

 the late dry season put out 80,000 tea plants, all 

 of which or nearly so have succumbed. Even if 

 it were half as bad, it would be distressing enough ; 

 and still the last six weeks have been very disastrous, 

 will, 1 fancy, be remembered for a long time to come. 



Pkppeecorn. 



PLANTING IN NETHEKLANDS INDIA. 

 {Tirinslaicd fnj the "Straits Thne.n." 



Coffee estates in Java have of late been sold 

 for an old song owing to low prices and leaf- 

 disease. The Home Government has directed the 

 authorities there to be less forward in shipping 

 coffee to Holland owing to the depressed condition 

 of the market arising out of the enormous over- 

 production of that article in Brazil. The outlook is 

 gloomier still from the hopelessness of any change 

 for the better in a great many coffee estates in 

 Mid Java where Hemileia Tcistatrir has got firm 

 foothold. 



A disease called Sfivh which by destroying the 

 roots of growing cane in Cheribon, was threaten- 

 ing the sugar industry there with ruin bids fair 

 to be of a fleeting nature owing to diseased plant 

 cane having produced healthy canes, thereby show- 

 ing that aerch arises from something in the en- 

 vironment or in the soil. 



The Sourabaya Vonyaiit of the 27th August, re- 

 commends as an unfailing remedy for snake bite 

 the juice of the papaya fruit dropped on the wound. 

 The venom becomes speedily sucliod up hy that 

 milky fluid thereby warding off the deadly con- 

 sequences o£ the bite. 



By last advices from Java (12th September) 

 the Treasury is so short of cash that in some 

 districts the land tax began to be collected in 

 August instead of in November when it legally 

 falls due, to the great inconvenience of the cult- 

 ivators whose minds such fiscal exactions render 

 more open to the seditious influence of Zealots 

 and fanatics who leave no stone unturned to stir 

 up a spirit of disaffection against the Government. 

 Their efforts are seconded by a secret Mahomedan 

 sect which is steadily gaining ground especially 

 in west Java, where even native headmen have 

 show-n signs of fanaticism. Ko far the Govern- 

 ment has taken no notice of the movement, at 

 least no action is taken against the fanatics, 

 though it is manifest that by taking iirecautions 

 in time more rigorous measures hereafter will be 

 avoided. The Samarang Loi-umotief of the 26th 

 August points out that, in these times of screw- 

 ing 111) taxation, it would not be amiss to take 

 into account that it is one-sided and wrong to 

 have only fiscal gain in view. Care should be 

 taken not to arouse discontent among the people, 

 from fanaticism differing as it does from devout- 

 ness, being highly dangerous in Netherlands 

 India as nobody acquainted with both country 

 and people can deny. At present the mischief 

 done 13 so slight as to be easily remedied, but if 

 the foretokens of danger are disregarded, the re- 

 sponsibility for consepuent disaster rests on the 

 Government. 



THE CULTIVATION OF TEA IN CEYLON. 



To show what a London •' City man " interested 

 in tea generally thinks of Ceylon and its new 

 staple products, we publish the following contribu- 

 tion handed to us a .short time ago. The writer 

 evidently possessed himself of a copy of our 

 " Tea Enterprise " pamphlet and proceeded 

 to give a summary from a rather sanguine jioint 

 of view of the prospects before the investor in 

 tea in this island. He stops short before com- 

 ing to the working out of his estimate, but 

 this may follow in a second paper. The chief 

 point is that this contains the ideas (after per- 

 using Ceylon reports) of one who has had long 

 experience in Indian tea and " city " business. 

 It is well to see what is thought in such 

 quarters : — 



(Commiiniaitnh) 



In consequence of the ravages of the leaf- 

 disease, or coffee fungus, among coffee plantations 

 in Ceylon, and the partial failure of the cinchona 

 industry, estates and land can at present be pur- 

 chased at very low rates in the cultivated dis- 

 tricts of this island, and land is still obtainable 

 from Government at the moderate upset price of 

 BIO (lbs) per acre, but the suitable and desirable 

 portions have now mostly been taken up ; and of 

 these latter, I am told, Government are disinclined 

 to make any large grant, and I hold a letter from 

 the Ceylon Colonial Secretary, in which he in- 

 forms "me that " the extent now available is 

 limited " ; and, however preferable these virgin 

 soils may ultimately prove, great care must be 

 exercised in their selection. 



These facts, however, go far to prove that iww 

 is a very exceptional time for the tea enterprise 

 in the island, more especially for the abandoned 

 coffee estates, or those on which the coffee is 



