80 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



AN EX-CEYLON PLANTER ON FIJI. 



A veteran Ceylon planter, who has been at 

 home for a holiday, sends us a letter, a littlo 

 belated but none the less interesting', from an 

 old Colonist of Ceylon who migrated early 

 from Fiji. We make tho following extracts : — 



Levu, April 23.— ... Memory often calls back 

 to me the old times when coffee was king, and 

 bumper crops, tots of arrack and Mootoma and 

 Meenachie moved things so merrily along; when 

 the vestige of a weed a wrongly pruned secon- 

 dary — or even tertiary — bone dust poonac and 

 cattle manure gave tho old gentlemau so much 

 concern. Tea and rubber. I suppose, now reign 

 supreme. Tea, I believe, is now fetching a fair 

 price. I infer that there is good acreage of 

 rubber now lit for tapping. What with these 

 products times ought to be bright and cheery 

 in Ceylon now. ... What an ignis fatuus that 

 Alpha coffee in its opening glory proved to be 

 to many of us. It is somewhat flattering to my- 

 self to know there were wiser and more knowing 

 ones than me dupes of the illusion. Short as 

 was its career, there has not been so much in- 

 dividual enterprise shown or private capital 

 spent since in so short a time in any other in- 

 dustry in Fiji. — The high prices ruling for 



COPRA 



during the last few years has led to no influx of 

 new settlers, extension of cultivation, or im- 

 provement of existing properties worth men- 

 tioning. Although the Indian element has con- 

 siderably increased since you left, the Euro- 

 pean and Fijian population has fallen off. The 

 Indians appear to thrive well on their crime and 

 filth — and the congenial conditions under which 

 they are living. As regards the Fijians, the 

 legislation — and what is termed civilisation — 

 appears to be too much in advance of their in- 

 telligence, customs or requirements. In regard 

 to Europeans with all the accumulation of laws 

 and vaunted measures for the welfare of the 

 Colony, there were more men with brains and 

 money coming to Fiji under the old condition 

 of things than even now. Enquiry for land is 

 chiefly confined to Indians and a few of the old 

 settlers anxious to augment their present re- 

 stricted resources— or those of their children. 

 Any general determination on the part of the 

 present settlers— or real Governmental practical 

 help or encouragement to do so — to give any 

 fair trial to any new product brought under 

 their notice likely to be successful— even by those 

 who have ample means for doing so at their dis- 

 posal — is almost totally totally absent. Indeed, 

 it may truly be said, enterprise is altogether 

 dormant— except in a very few exceptional in- 

 stances. Progressing as things have been doing 

 during the last 10 years, 



THE OUTLOOK DEPICTS A COLONY OF INDIAN 

 SHOPKEEPERS 



and small Indian lease-holders with a regiment 

 or two of soldiers to suppress disturbances. 

 Some extension of operations on the part of 

 the C. S. R. Co.— and well-trimmed Government 

 reports and messages — help to gild over the 

 actual conditions of things. Although, as you 

 know, the Company's operations are large- 



excepting the Indians and a few shopkeepers- 

 only a few others— and these in a very scanty 

 measure -have profited by them, and it may 

 truly be said that the planters have sulfered by 

 their monopolizing influences. Blot out the 



Company and what remains! told me 



three or four years ago that not 10 per cent 

 of those engaged in cane-growing had bettered 

 themselves, and most of these only in a small 

 degree. Banana-growing still survives with all 

 its fluctuating results. 



COCONUT CULTIVATION 



—as it now appears, the best Fiji can boast, in 

 my mind — owes its origin rather to the persever- 

 ance and struggles of the old settlers than any 

 other cause. A few engaged in this cultivation, 

 such as Tarte, Coubrough, Miller, Borron, &c] 

 who, with good luck and favoured circumstances, 

 have been able to grasp their opportunities, are 

 now, in their eleventh hour, deriving appre- 

 ciable incomes. Whilst the smaller fry, through 

 the absence of hurricanes prevailing for the last 

 few years, are generally contented with their 

 smaller share of the loaves and fishes.... Unlike in 

 former years, the Garden of Fiji now supports 

 its dignity by the production of copra and beef 



alone. ... I am located on the plantation 



belonging to Mr. , making what I can out 



of the manufacture of 6cents, perfumed and 

 other soap, and perfumed — and other oils — for 

 the local market. I am just at present making 

 arrangements for trying to enlarge my opera- 

 tions and think there are some possibilities 

 attending my plans. Mr. has about 



THEEE ACRES OF LAND PLANTED WITH PAR A 

 RUBBER, 



The plants are now about 13 months old. They 

 were raised from stumps obtained from Wil- 

 liams, Ceylon. The stumps were somewhat small 

 with a paucity of lateral roots and spongioles 

 — as if they had been cramped and stunted. 

 Holes (18") were dug for them on new land. A 

 little shade at time of planting, and a few 

 months following was employed. The stumps 

 were planted 15 by 15— with Fiji kava and to- 

 bacco as a catch crop. They encountered a mild 

 blow in March, but, being staked, did not ap- 

 parently, suffer any injury. The plants are 

 somewhat irregular in size and growth, owing, 

 I think, to the irregularity of the size of the 

 stumps used for planting. The best of them are 

 now about 10 feet high and 2| inches in girth 3 

 feet high from the ground. It is proposed they 

 shall be topped at 12 feet. What do you think 

 about the growth they have attained— and 

 prospect of the cultivation in fciji ? 



You will remember how strongly you advised 

 me many years ago to plant rubber in Fiji. I am 

 now sometimes inclined to think 1 should have 

 considered the matter more seriously. Had I 

 done so my fortune might perhaps have been 

 changed. The great difficulty has been the 

 scarcity and dearness of the seed. I suppose 

 this is now disappearing. As I have been partly 



instrumental in making the experiment, 



and am watching it with much interest, any sug- 

 gestions or wrinkles you can offer me in regard 

 to the cultivation or best and cheapest way of 

 procuring seed will be much valued. 



