Edible Products. 



78 



This I estimate a family of five persons would make in a year. They save it 

 almost entirely, as their food is practically raised by themselves on the land between 

 the trees. 



There are about 70 persons, labourers and dependents, employed to the 100 

 acres. The labourers work about 150 days for the planter and 150 on their own crops. 



There is very little suitable coffee land left unclaimed, except in the far 

 interior, where it is left untouched on account of unremunerative prices, the want 

 of railways and the incident of the Government planting tax. All estates are owned 

 by individuals. It is intended to extend the railways to the interior as soon as the 

 growing of coffee becomes profitable. The estates in Santos were mostly opened 

 from 10 to 12 years ago. The. trees have recently come into full bearing and 

 there has been much over-production, chiefly in the State of Sao Paulo. Some of 

 the estates show signs of exhaustion, owing to heavy crops and to lack of fertilisers. 

 The virgin soil gives enormous crops for the first year, but as nothing is put back 

 into the soil its powers become exhausted, The cultivation of bye-products, maize 

 and beans between the trees tends to still more exhaust the ground. The average 

 production has fallen off, and future crops promise to be smaller than former yields. 

 Owing to the planting tax no extension is going on, and there is some abandonment 

 of exhausted plantations. No new planting has taken place for three years. In Sao 

 Paulo the yield from the new vigorous lands has been very great. The best lands 

 yield 80 to 100 cwt. of clean coffee per 1,000 trees. (700 trees go to the acre.) 



The averasre yield for the whole country is, however, calculated to be not 

 more than about 15 cwt- The ground is only weeded, no digging being done : 

 neither is there any manuring. Pruning is done in a very primitive way. Topping 

 is not practised. Coffee is grown unshaded. The trees are about 12 to 10 feet high, 

 very thick and bushy. They are planted, three to a pit, at intervals of 4 yards. 

 They are nearly all of the Bourbon and what is known as cafe commun ; the 

 former gives a large bean. Brazilian trees have all been imported from other 

 coffee-producing countries, but have lost all their distinguishing characteristics. 

 The trees come into bearing at from 3 to 4 years old, and are at their best between 

 the ages of 10 and 15. When the coffee is being gathered the trees are stripped 

 of everything, ripe and unripe. A great deal of ripe coffee falls on the ground 

 and is gathered therefrom. The coffee is sometimes pulped, but is mostly sun- 

 dried on brick platforms. There is no disease, the trees being too new, and 

 pests are unknown. The estates, which are mainly owned by private individuals, 

 are financed by Commission Agents in the port, who! make loans for one year 

 against which they are secured by mortage on the crop and also by mortage on 

 the estate. The interest is high, 12 per cent, being the rule. The financial condition 

 of most of the estates is unsound, 95 per cent, of them being mortaged to above 

 their present value. The Government affords the planters no financial helpi 

 The opinion is expressed that the coffee planters of India cannot compete with 

 Brazil, owing chiefly to the large yield of Sao Paulo. There are good railways to 

 the coffee districts, but owing to excessively high railway rates, the cost of trans- 

 port is enormous. Exclusive of export duty, the cost of carriage from plantation 

 to steamers averages about 10s. per cwt. The export duty on coffee from Santos 

 is 11 per cent, ad valorem. There are heavy import duties exceeding sometimes 100 

 per cent, ad valorem. The freight to London is 30s. plus 5 per cent, per ton 

 of 1,000 kilos.— Madras Mail. 



SUGAR-MAKING IN SOUTH INDIA. 

 The attached letter should prove most interesting to everyone, be he native 

 or European, engaged in agricultural work. In fifty days of sixteen hours each Mr. 

 Krishna Iyengar, oi Ooraghally Estate, Mysore, crushed by means of a small 



