8i8 
THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June 2, 1890. 
by means of reservoirs placed on a level with the 
highest terrace, and fed by the deviation of a spring 
or neighbouring stream. The plants are generally 
supplied from nui series, and are obtained from seed. 
The seeds, before being used, receive a certain pre- 
paration which consists in the removal of the pulp, and 
the submission of the seeds to a slight drying in a 
layer of ashes. They are sown from October to Decem- 
ber, in borders of good soil, enriched by cow or sheep 
dung. The seedlings are shaded from the extreme 
heat of the sun by a covering of boughs, and are 
watered at least onoe a week. At the end of six or 
seven weeks the young plants are oarefully picked out 
and removed, wrapped in mats, to the prepared plateaux. 
The Coffee shrubs are planted in lines about 30 to 40 
inches apart, they are watered once a fortnight, and 
the soil is manured when necessary. From two to four 
years must elapse before the shrubs begin to bear. 
In Haraz, some growers consider that plants obtained 
from natural seed-plots are more vigorous than those 
germinating from seeds submitted to the process above 
desoribed. 
The natural seed-plot is managed thus : — Many of 
the berries, when fully ripe, are attacked by birds, 
which eat the fleshy part of the pericarp (the pulp). 
The stone covering the seeds is thus laid bare, becomes 
detached from the plant, and falls to the ground. The 
cultivator examines the plantations every day, and 
hastens to lightly cover over these seeds on the place 
where they have fallen. They do not germinate for 
two or three months, but the young plants are said to 
grow to a height of from 12 to 15 inches in the first 
year, and to continue to develop rapidly. It is known 
that the pulpy portions of the fruits, dried in the 
sun and pounded, constitute a material used for the 
preparation of a stimulating beverage, possessing 
analogous properties to an infusion of tea. This warm 
draught has a very pleasant flavour when it is properly 
prepared. Scented with ginger or some other spice it 
is, with "Qat" (leaves of Oatha edulis), a favourite 
stimulant with the Arabs of Yemen, who do not use 
Coffee, as do the Turks and Europeans. Everywhere, 
in the sandy solitudes of Tehama as well as on the 
steep summits in the Gebeli district, is raised the 
" Mikaye ; " this is a hut made of branches, or a shanty 
of rough stones, often far away from any populated 
centre, where is sold, in default of any more substantial 
fare, the decoction of gische, known as " gaf.il," which 
is always to be had fresh, from earthen jars with long 
necks and large rounded bases. 
The fruits of the Coffee trees, dried in the sun, arrive 
from the interior in their natural condition, in bags of 
matting- In the centres of exportation, the most im- 
portant of which is the port of Hodeidah, the gafal is 
submitted to a process which is intended to separate 
the seed from the pulp. The operation is conducted 
by means of millstones moved by hand, which is very 
fatigueing work, and must neoessarily be replaoed by 
perfeoted machinery as soon as ever hand labour 
becomes dear. For some time past, mortars of English 
manufacture have been used at Aden. The material 
thus pounded is estimated to consist of 50 per cent, of 
the seeds proper, 35 per cent, of pounded pulp, 12§ 
percent, of powder yielded by the stones, and 12J per 
cent, of waste produce. The commercial value of the 
prepared seed is at the quay of Hodeidah from about 
£7 to £8 for 220 lb.— Translated from " Voyage au 
Yemen," by A. Deflers. — Gardeners' Chronicle. 
♦ 
PLANTING IN NORTH BORNEO. 
Yesterday, I accompanied Mr. Resident Davies to the 
Hakka settlement, which was opened in 1883, about 
three miles to the north of Kudat. This is the only 
surviving evidence of the large sums of money spent in 
1882 and 1883 on Chinese immigration. I was then 
stationed at Kudat, and it fell to my duty to supnrin- 
tf-nd the clearing of the jungle, and to mark out the 
allotments of land given to some ninet>-six Chinese 
men, women, and children who were sent down by Sir 
Walter Medhurst, from Hongkong. The first care of 
these settlers was to grow a orop of vegetables, and 
-when I left Kudat in September, 1883, the Kudat resi. 
dents were already supplied with fresh vegetables from 
the Hakka settlement. Some Liberian coffee and tea 
plants were obtained from the Silam-gardens. and the 
coffee soon showed that the situation was suited to Its 
growth. Pressed by Mr. Resident Divies, the Ohioese 
planted more coffee, and yesterday I was much struck 
with the appearance of the trees. The few trees, about 
fifty, planted in 1883. are magnificent. Then follow a few 
hundreds planted about 1887, from seed obtained from 
the older trees, and now the planting of coffee appears to 
be in favour with all the Chinese settlers, old and new. 
The large new clearings near Kudat— about 100 acres- 
are oarefully planted with Liberian coffee, at about 
eight feet apart, while between the rows an interim 
crop of bananas, or pineapple, or vegetables, is planted to 
supply the settler with present means of subsistence. 
On our way we passed through the Victorian Coffee 
E'tate, opened bv Mr. Christian in 1888, and noted 
with satisfaction the heavy crops and general blossom 
on the trees. This estate is about to be handed over 
to a company now being formed bv Mr T. W. Rich- 
ardson, of Swatow, who has obtained a gift of laid 
— 1,500 acres — from the Government, .and a promise 
of 3.500 acres, at one dollar per acre, for a coffee plao- 
tation. The new company will start with everv pros- 
pect of success. I never saw Liberian coffee thrive 
in Ceylon, as it does here, and the price of ooffee is 
likely to be high for years; I expect the Government 
will derive great benefit from this production, which 
is one that both Chinese, Natives, or Europeans can 
take up in small or large quantities, and, as I learn 
from Mr. Davies, that Chinese settlers are coming 
down bv eaoh steamer, and that they already number 
nearly 1,000, 1 am led to believe that coffee-planting 
near Kudat will be prosecuted on a large scale, and 
will hereafter afford means of living to a large im- 
migrant population. The Chinese can only be con- 
vinced by success, «s Mr. Davies remarked ; thev have 
been selling a little crop for some years, and have 
found by experience that coffee yields a most profit- 
able return, and they want more of it. H. W 
March 2nd, 1890 
MAURITIUS. 
Port-Lonis, April 9th. 
Sugar: The Weather and the Crop.— The plant- 
taion shave been well watered by rain during the|month, 
and vegetation is exuberant throughout the island. 
The season for cyclones having passed for the present 
year, it i s probable that the production will nearly 
reach that of the last two years. 
Vanilla.— Transactions have been very limited. We 
have to quote the sale of a few small lots at R22 to 
R23 per kilo for best quality, above 6 inches. A lot 
of about 150 kilos was offered for sale last week and 
wi thdrawn at R15-50 per kilo, (including vanilloes. 
As we mention in our last the outturn of the present 
orop will not exoeed 12,000. 
Aloe Fibre.— The market is dull and we have no 
important sales to record. Prices are therefore nomi- 
nal from R360 to R370 per ton for 1st quality and 
R330 to 340 for seoond quality.— Merchants and Planters 
Gazette, April 10 th. 
♦ 
Dr. Voeloker, acoompanied by Mr. W. B. 
Wishart, President of the Cawnpore Chamber of 
Commerce, has been making a short tour through 
the indigo districts visiting the leading concerns in 
Tirhoot and Chumparum.— Indian Planters' Gazette. 
" Kew Bulletin."— The last number of the Kew 
Bulletin is devoted to a list of seeds of hardv herbat 
ceous plants, shrubs, and trees which may be had by 
way of exchange from the Royal Gardens at Kew. 
The list occupies no fewer thatrtthirty-three pages in 
double oolumns.— Gardeners' Chronicle, March, 8th. 
