November i, 1889.I THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 359 
or two weeks at furthest from the date of the 
communications made to our Correspondent. There 
therefore appears to be good reason to expect that 
before the end of the year we may see investiga- 
tions, intelligently and scientifically directed, and 
backed up by fully adequate monetary resources 
commence within our gemming districts. 
That the promoters of this new enterprise have 
the courage of their convictions, is evidenced by the 
large speculative outlay they have thus consented 
to sanction, while the fact stated that lands 
proved to be gem-yielding 1 in a high degree 
have already been secured by agents of the Syndi- 
cate, proves that no time has been lost in 
placing the preliminaries of the proposed Company 
on a sound material basis. When the scheme 
was first broached at home, it would appear that 
it was of a far more modest character than that 
it is now likely to assume ; but when its pro- 
moters came into contact with the monied men 
of London whose aid had to be sought, they 
received advice to launch it on a far larger scale, 
the support necessary for doing so being, we are 
told, readily promised, should the verdict of an 
independent and qualified expert be favourable. It 
may be rather staggering to old-fashioned mercan- 
tile and other oolonists in Ceylon, who have hitherto 
been accustomed to small things only in the way 
of subscribed capital, to hear that the first digging- 
machine to be sent out — should the Company 
float — will cost £5,000 1 It augurs well for the 
extent of the operations contemplated that the 
services of a machine of that class should be from 
the first thought necessary. 
We do not care to " count our chickens 
before they are hatched," and we admit that 
all that has been placed before us is pros- 
pective only |in its character, and is further 
conditional upon certain ' preliminaries being 
satisfactorily established. But we hold the con- 
viction so strongly that all the conditions will be 
satisfied, that we confidently look forward to an 
era of greatly stimulated industry with regard to 
gem mining, and mining generally, in Cey- 
lon. Sir Samuel Baker's anticipations as to 
the subterranean wealth which Ceylon posses- 
ses may possibly ere long receive full justifi- 
cation, and if so, the Colony will be able 
to claim the most sincere congratulation and will 
not fail in the expression of gratitude to those 
by whom it has been earned. We must await 
further intelligence and the passing perhaps of a 
considerable period of time — say eight or nine 
months at least — before we can say whether the 
prospects which now seem to promise so well, are 
or are not to be realized. We have little doubt 
ourselves, however, that at the end of such a 
term, we shall be able to write of them as being 
assured, and of an impetus being given to the 
Mining industry of the Colony which must have 
for result a great increase to its present prosperity. 
SUGAB, COFFEE, AND TOBACCO IN JAVA. 
_, Amsterdam, June 19. 
I he annual reports have been issued of several agri- 
cultural companies connected with Java. According 
to the report of the Netherlands India Agricultural 
Company, the results of. last year do not show much 
difference compared with those of 1887. Generally 
speaking, all sugar manufactories in the Java trade 
are able, to work with profit at a marked value of f 8 <) 
per picul. This is considered as very satisfactory, aud 
has only been obtained by continued vigilance and the 
most rigid economy, and a more practical and scien- 
tific way of dealing with the produce. A discouraging 
tact, however, is the further extension of the serel 
disease, for which as yet no effective measures have 
been found to check it. If the cane is suffering to 
any extent from the sereh disease it is impossible 
,to produce sugar uni'er f. 10 to f. 11 per picul, and 
consequently a sale price of f- 8 to f . 9 gives an euor- 
mous loss. In the meantime the sereh disease has' not 
caused heavy losses to the company this year, and the 
prospects are not of such a serious nature that the 
financial position of the company" will be seriously 
prejudiced. The coffee cultivation has also been 
successful. The prospects of the Pamanoekan and 
Tjassem lands are very favourable. The company's 
own undertakings consist of the sugar manufactory 
Kalitandjong, situated in the district of Cheribou, a 
half-share in the sugar manufactory, Balapoelong, in 
Tegal, the sugar manufactory Reiljosarie, in Madioen, 
and the sugar manufactories Ngandjoek and Maritjan, 
both in Kedirie. According to the profit and lo=s ac- 
count, there is a net profit in India of f. 317,735, in 
addition to the commission obtained in Holland and 
the balance of the past year, making together a total 
of f. 329,308, which after writing off charges, &c. shows 
a net profit of f. 291,286. This amount allows the 
payment of a dividend of 3 23-100 per cent, against 2§ 
per cent, in 1887, whiie f . 586 is carried to new account. 
The report of the Internationale Crediet en Haudels 
Vereeniging Rotterdam has also been issued. The 
result of the year has not been unfavourable, but 
business on the company's own account was limited to 
tbe small amount of fl. 3,229 exported in cotton goods 
and other articles. On account of other parties, however, 
a good business was done, the company having connec- 
tions with 15 undertakings for coffee, 29 for indigo, and 
4 for tobacco, and be ides these 16 sugar manufacturers 
and 1 timber felling undertaking. These undertakings 
produced to the company 22,537 piculs of coffee, 447,523 
Amsterdam pounds of indigo, 3,422,941 Amsterdam 
pounds of tobacco, 428,600 piculs of sugar, as well as 
12,500 piculs of Jacatra sugar, and some lots of 
cinchona bark, arrack, and spices were consigned to 
the company's care for sale. Agriculture was not 
unfavourable during the year. In consequence of 
abundant rains the ravages of sereh disease are for- 
tunately not so serious, and the company has taken 
energetic measures to check the disease. Tbe Board 
of Directors was obliged to write off a total of 
f. 623,119. From the balance-sheet it appears that the 
profit is as follows: — Commission, f. 840,479 ; interest, 
f. 408,486; sundry revenues, f. 3^,275; agricultural 
undertakings at Sourabaya, f. 1 13,097 ; making a total 
profit of f. 1,402,384, of which was written off : — Sundry 
debtors, f. 204,096 ; sundry accounts, f . 2,371 ; agricul- 
tural undertakings, f. 623.119 ; so that the profit is 
reduced to f . 227,468, out of which f . 220,000 will be 
declared for payment of a dividend of 4 4-10 per cent, 
or f. 2.75 per share, while f. 7,468 is brought to new 
account. 
At the annual meeting of shareholders of the Siak 
Tobacco Company, Holland, a decision has been come 
to to liquidate the company; f. 750 will be returned 
provisionally to shareholders of each paid up share, and 
f. 50 against each share cn which 30 per cent, was paid. 
In connection with the reorganisation of the Batjan 
Company the Company Holland has reserved 1,500 
shares of f. 300 in the company, and many of tbe 
shareholders have taken advantage of the offer to 
accept three shares in the Batjan Company for each 
paid-up share in the Siak Tobacco Company. — London 
and China Express. 
LIBERIAN COFFEE CULTIVATION 
In the Protected Native States op the 
Malay Peninsula. 
This product has been attracting so much attention 
of late that we asked Messrs. Hill & Bathborne who 
have several Estates in different parts of the Peninsnla 
to supply us with some particulars of the crops they 
have gathered, of which we publish a statement. 
It is beyond question that Liboriau coffee cultivation 
in the Mtlay Peninsula is past the experimental stage, 
and what is most reassuring is the gradual and steady 
increase year by year as the coif eo gets older for : 
