November i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
317 
made up largely of decayed vegetable remains. Many 
of the clay beds of this deposit are suitable for brick- 
making, while the bluish-clay below the soil, when 
burnt, is applied for the purposes of road-making. 
Contrasted with the mud deposits are the grand 
features of the new red sandstone formations : — 
The most distinctive of the natural features of the 
colony, are found in connection with the various con- 
ditions of this formation ; and denudation of a most 
active kind has been at work during vast ages to 
produce conformations as strange as they are magni- 
ficent, instanced best in those extreme examples, the 
perpendicular mountain, Roraima, on the inner con- 
fines of the colony, and the unique Kaieteur water- 
fall on the Potaro. 
In the granitic rocks gold is widely and plentifully 
distributed and we should not be surprised to hear 
some day of a rush to the Demerara diggings. 
Small diamonds have been found in connection 
with the gold, as also impure graphite. There is 
an interesting account, by a Government surveyor, 
of three of the many rivers of this well-watered 
region. — In a fragment of Berbice history, evidence 
of our Dutch predecessors in the colony appears in 
the shape of notices of the " Burgher " militia 
and officers employed mainly to repress ri- 
sings amongst the slaves. The Dutch Gov- 
ernor of " New Amsterdam " in 1799 was His 
Excellency A. J. Van Imbyze Van Battenburg, 
The scare about leprosy has spread to the South 
American colony and with good reason, for the 
late Superintendent of the Leper Asylums states that 
this horrible disease is so prevalent and so largely 
on the increase that at the present time one person 
in each 250 of the population is a leper. The 
disease was introduced by slaves from Africa. The 
remedy is strict isolation : the only tribe of Indians 
among whom cases appeared had mixed freely 
with negro lepers. There is an exciting account 
of a fight between the British ship "Peacock" 
and the American " Hornet " in 1813 off Demerara, 
the result being the destruction of the British 
ship and the death of her commander and most 
of the crew. The details of the desperate contest 
are most sickening, and such as we trust may 
never be repeated. In regard to the celebrated 
fight between the "Shannon" and the "Chesa- 
peake," in which the British were victors, our 
readers will be astonished to learn that the Nova 
Scotian Second Lieut. Walhs, who carried the 
American vessel into Halifax, yet lives as Sir 
Provo William Parry Wallis, g: c. b., Admiral of 
the Fleet. He is in bis 99th year. There is 
a most interesting account of a trip up the 
Essequebo and Potaro to the great falls, from 
which we should like to quote if we had space. 
British Guiana is still a land for exploration and 
description, rich in woodland, river and mountain 
scenery, and in natural history, while the rocks are 
full of varied and valuable minerals. The colony 
has held its own through the sugar crisis, the 
energies of the colonists being aided by science; and 
it seems beyond question that there is a great 
future before the British possession in South 
America, which in slavery discussions was often 
referred to as "one of the fine islands in the "West 
Indies." 
PLANTING IN TAVOY, BURMA. 
Mr. J. D. Watson writes under date Sept. 13 th:- 
" Coffee here A 1, now out in a splendid blossom again, 
and it will be in full bloom by i.ext month. Liberiau 
oofflei simply splendid,great trees and are to bear heavily. 
Tea Hushing well, a great strong vigorous leaf. Vanilla 
growing well and will succeed. Oubeb pepper of much 
value, I have been fortunate to get and have it growiug, 
and it is also to do well. Cacao will do splendidly with 
proper shade. I am now planting the rain tree and Iuga. 
I have plauted a large acreage in Hevea rubber and 
have it up already from seed and planted out as well 
as planted at stake; 20 trees in Mergui gave 1J viss. 
Coconut do well and also betelnut trees and fruit trees. I 
have of all sorts doing splendidly : Penay jak and Ralah 
jak and orange trees and limes bearing very heavily. 
Annatto is splendid and the price not so bad consider- 
ing the little attention it requires. I am putting up 
a new store and rupees are scarce at present." 
THE COFFEE CROP IN COORG. 
From the returns furnished from the principal firms 
on the west coast as well as at Bangalore and My- 
sore, it appears that the aggregate export of plan- 
tation coffee from Ooorg to the curing firms on the 
coast and at Bangalore, &c, for the season of 1888- 
89 is shown to be 1,694 tons distributed as follows: — 
Tons. 
Exported to west coast ... ... 1,098| 
„ eastward ... ... 595J 
Total ... 1,694 
The above figures do not include the bulk of the native 
coffee, which, by reference to the Toll-gate returns, 
may be taken at 1,0672 tons, making" an aggregate 
export of 2,76H tons. The statistics collected at the 
several Toll-gates show the foilowiuer results : — 
Exported Westward. 1888-89 
Watekolli (Perambady) ... 1,393J 
Sampaji ... • 857-J 
Exported Eastwaed. 
Anechowkur ... 228" 
Siddeshwara ... 171 I 
Fraserpet ... 8| | 
Kodlipet ... 103, 
Tons. 
2,251 
510| 
Total ... 2,761^ 
The area of European Estates actually planted is re- 
turned as '28,636 acres. The corresponding area of na- 
tive holdings is computed at 31,393 acres. 
The forecast of the coffee crops for 1889-90 stands 
as follows ; — 
Forecast of yield as obtained 
from Planters' returns Europeans 2,034 
Forecast estimated for area ( Europeans 1,542 
for which no returns have -J 
been furnished. (.Natives 3,139 
Total forecast for 1889-90. 
Tons 6,715 
4| cwts. 
Estimated average yield per 
acre of ordinarity well-cul- 
tivated coffee in full bear- 
ing for 1S89-90. 
Return of export of coffee 
from Ooorg List year, 1888- 
1889, taken from the toll- 
gate returns. 2,761 h tons. 
Return of export of coffee for f 42,527 tons or 4,253 
10 previous years ( tons annual average 
Taking the average or 1 rupee crop at 4,253 tons per 
annum, the forecast of 6,715 tons for the coming sea- 
son represents Rli or 24 annas crop, the anna equi- 
valent being 6,715-7-24 or nearly 280 tons. — Madras 
Times, September 26th. 
Enemy of the Cotton Plant. — An Udapussellawa 
planter sends us "cotton plant leaves, Sea Island 
jat," eaten b< some insect, and asks " What is the 
poochie? ' But he will require to catch some 
specimens of the latter and send them for 
identification say in a match-box. 
Royal Uahdens, Kew. — The Bulletin of Miscel- 
laneous Inlormation for September contains : — 
" Flowers of Calligonum as an article of food in 
N. W. India. — Earliest notice of Coca. — Buazu fibre. 
Vegetable Productions, Central China. — Vine culti- 
vation in the Gironde. — Phylloxera in South Africa. 
— Erroneous Report of Phylloxera in Greece." 
