CULTIVATION OF TOBACCO IN SUMATRA. 



PHYSICAL FEATFEES OF THE ISLAND. 



Sumatra forms part of the Dutch East Indies, colonies of the Kingdom 

 of the Netherlands (Holland), and is one of the four great Sunda Islands. 

 The other three of the large islands of the group are Java, Borneo, and 

 Celebes. This group of islands is situated in the remote southeastern 

 part of the continent of Asia, i See frontispiece. ) 



The island of Sumatra is about l.OUO miles long and 266 miles wide 

 in its widest part. The total area of the island is about 168,000 sc[uare 

 miles. The famous tobacco region known as the East Coast of Sumatra 

 covers only about 15,000 square miles. This district is almost directly 

 under the equator. It is a province under the government of an officer 

 called a resident. 



A feature of this island is made by the Barisan Mountains, which 

 run through its entire length. In the southwest some of the peaks in 

 this chain have an altitude of 1,500 feet, while near the equator they 

 are as high as 6,000 feet. About twenty of the peaks are volcanoes. 



Another range of mountains runs parallel with the Barisan chain, and 

 elevated plateaus connect them at certain points. There are also exten- 

 sive valleys. There are several lakes m the island, the largest of which 

 is Lake Semaway, 17 miles long and 6 miles wide, in Upper Padang. 

 This lake is 1,170 feet above sea level, and discharges its waters into 

 the Indragiri. which flows northeast. 



Many large rivers traverse the island. On the east coast the most 

 important ones are the Djambi, Indragiri, and the Siak rivers. Most 

 of the rivers run approximately from south to north. In the tobacco 

 districts, therefore, the northern estates are usually called the lower 

 and the southern ones the higher or upper estates. The rivers are 

 usually sluggish and form extensive deltas, from which wide, alluvial 

 plains have been developed, at present covered with jungle and forest, 

 except where these have been removed for the purj)ose of cultivation. 



The whole tobacco area of the East Coast of Sumatra is fre([uently 

 called Deli, because this is the principal district and produces the best 

 and finest tobacco. 



The population of the East Coast of Sumatra consists of about 1,180 

 Europeans, 223,600 natives, 7,600 Chinamen, 290 Arabians, and about 

 5,000 other people from various, parts of the Indies, including British 



