188 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



The imports of tea from China, India 

 and Ceylon during the year 1908 exceeded 

 all previous records. Of course, most of the 

 tea went to Russian possession in Central 

 Asia, and notwithstanding the troubles in 

 Persia a considerable quantity was forwarded 

 to towns in Northern Persia. Indian teas 

 were mostly sent to the province of Azer- 

 baidjian and to Tabriz. There were, in all, 

 eight Volunteer Fleet steamers that brought 

 Chinese teas to Batoum during the year 19u8. 

 Together these vessels landed over 130,000 half 

 chests of tea. 



Indian and Ceylon teas principally found 

 their way to Batoum by Austrian-Lloyd steamers 

 and by steamers of the Russian Steam Naviga- 

 tion Company, which took them over at either 

 Port Said or Alexandria from Peninsular and 

 Oriental Company's steamers and other British 

 vessels. 



The quantity of Indian and Ceylon teas im- 

 ported for consumption in the Caucasus was 

 <221 tons, and for passage through the Caucasus 

 to Persia and Central Asia was 10,072 tons. 

 Apparently, in course of time, this trade will 

 develop and assume even more extensive pro- 

 portions than it has hitherto done. The demand 

 in Northern Persia for these qualities of tea is 

 steadily increasing, and when the country be- 

 comes pacified there isevery likelihood of further 

 development in the trade. 



From t'ie Consular Report on the Trade and 

 Commerce at Batoum (Russia) Jor 1908, by Mr. 

 Consul P Stevens. — Indian Trade Journal, July 8. 



RUBBER PLANTING IN MALACCA. 



Interview With Mr S W Moorhoose. 

 In view of the rapid strides which rubber- 

 planting is making in the Straits, particularly in 

 Malacca, where the catch crops are such useful 

 products as tapioca and gambier, from which 

 the well-known gamboge dye is produced, an 

 interview which an Observer representative had 

 with Mr S W Moorhouse, who has had great 

 experience in that part _ of the world, is of es- 

 pecial interest. Mr Moorhouse, who has for 

 several years been on Diamond Jubilee estate 

 in the employ of the London Asiatic Rubber 

 Co. is so convinced of the prosperity which lies 

 before planters in that district that he has 



STARTED A NEW COMPANY ENTITLED 

 "PEGOH LIMITED." 



The estate of Pegoh which has an total area of 

 about 3,300 acres has 2,100 acres which have 

 been opened up by Chinesb and have upon them 

 rubber about six years old and in splendid condi- 

 tion. 



Price of Rubber : Setting Crops Forward. 



Asked as to how high they in the Malay 

 States expected the price of rubber to rise, Mr 

 Moorhouse said : When I left they were talking 

 about 7s. and 1 see it is up to that already. That 

 was about as far as they thought it would go 

 and the general opinion was that it was very 

 good at that. 



Is there much setting of crops ahead on 

 contract on the part of Companies?— I have 

 heard of about seven or eight companies setting 



their crops forward, mostly through Colombo. It 

 is nearly all done through Colombo ; very little 

 is done in Singapore. I have not heard of any 

 private proprietors setting their crops forward. 



Planting Generally. 

 To what extent is actual planting going for- 

 ward in the Malay t Straits ? — They are planting 

 practically everywhere. There was rather a 

 check two or three years ago when the prices 

 went down ; but now they are planting all over. 

 In Malacca there is a lot of planting, though 

 there is not so much in Selangor. On one 

 estate I know in Malacca they have planted 

 over 3,000 acres during the last two years. 

 Labour. 



How do you get on with regard to labour ? — 

 Where I am there is any amount and always 

 has been. We employ a great many Chinese in 

 addition to Tamils. The place to which I am 

 now going is to be worked entirely with Chinese 

 labour without any Tamils at all. There will be 

 no Europeans but myself, as my assistants 

 will be Chinese. One reason why we do not 

 employ Tamils is that Government restrictions 

 are so severe, and, also, they really cost more 

 than Chinese. A Chinaman is paid a few cents a 

 day more but it is not necessary to build hos- 

 pitals for him, or pay assessment, or do the 

 many other things which have to be done for 

 Tamils. 



How much do you pay him ? — Forty five to 

 fifty dollar cents a day on an average. It is 

 piece work and they reckon to make that. It 

 is all contract work. The Tamils get 30 cents 

 and they are generally employed on day labour. 

 Another great advantage of Chinese labour is 

 that there are no advances. You never lose any- 

 thing in advances to a Chinaman, If you know 

 how to work Chinamen they are very good labour. 

 They never give any trouble, or fight, or quarrel, 

 as the Tamils do, and they never seem to get 

 sick. All the time I have been on Diamond 

 Jubilee 1 have never known a cooly die. They 

 don't cost anything for medicine. 



The Northway Tapping System. 



What have you to say about the Northway 

 tapping system ?— It does not seem to have 

 caught on in Malacca and I don't think it will. 

 Tapping is done so cheaply and we get such 

 good yields that it does not seem worth while to 

 make any change. I have not seen it tried at 

 all. People are using just the ordinary old 

 knives, Farrier's knife, and the ordinary gouge. 

 Nobody knows anything about the Northway 

 system and they want to know more about it. 

 All 1 have heard is not very favourable towards it. 

 Weeds and Pests. 



Are you troubled much with weeds ? — No, 

 not particularly. I believe in clean weeding, 

 which is cheapest in the end. They are trying the 

 passion flower and crotalaria in Malacca and I 

 believe the former has been a great success in 

 many places. Crotalaria is not a weed killer but 

 a manure. For that it is very good but for to 

 plant it on a virgin soil is nonsense. 



Are you troubled with pests ? — Not very 

 greatly. Thero are a few white ants. The Pomes 

 Semitostus is confined to the coast and fiat 

 low lying land. 



