July i, 1887.] iHE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
nitrogenous matter of a clay subsoil is nitrifiable. 
The quantity of nitrates produced in the subsoil is 
smaller in every case than in the surface soils, but 
the proportion of the original nitrogen of the soil 
which was nitrified is on the whole quite as large in 
the case of the subsoils as in that of the surface soils. 
Another new " food for cattle " has been discovered, 
as if the world were not just now suffering from an 
excess of food materials. But such a food. It con- 
sists of sawdust mixed with certain chemicals by 
way of spice, and " other matter." The composi- 
tion is said to form a very wholesome and nourish- 
ing food for pigs, horses, and c* tie. — Australasian, 
April 9th. 
PLANTING COMPANIES IN JAVA. 
The Deli-Batavia Company. 
T>e Jnduche Mereuur learns that on a meeting of 
shareholders of the Deli-Batavia Company, held at 
Batavia on April !8th, it was agreed to fix, according 
to a proposal of the Dutch shareholders, a sum amount- 
ing to f.1,000,000, and to discuss later on tbe emission 
of bonds. Likely there will be afforded to the share- 
holders in the run of the year another share of f.250 
for auy share of 1,000 guilders, at 125 per cent. 
Thh AVkst Java Cinchona Agricultural Company. 
"We (1 ndiscKe Mereuur) are enabled to record respect- 
ing this company the following particulars The com- 
pany intend to bring about three very effective 
raising plantations, viz., Panjarau, large, 038 bouws ; 
Tjiseureuh, large, 741 bouws; and Bajabang, large, 
579 bouws; respectively situated in tbe Assistant Re- 
sidence and Tjandjoer of the Preanger Districts. We 
are informed that all the above plantations are pro- 
ducing both coffee and cinchona, and the crops of 
18S7 are, moreover, estimated yet at 92,970 kilo, cin- 
chona-barks and 200 piculs of coffee ; of 18SS at 
114,500 kilo, cinchona-barks and 300 piculs of coffee; 
and of 1889 at 107,000 cinchona barks and 250 piculs 
of coffee. Estimation of tbe next year's was considered 
to be not advisable. The cultivation of the plant- 
ations was, at January 1st, viz., 2,624,525 cinchona trees 
and 330,000 coffee trees, with a view to increase the 
number of cinchona trees with another 1,300,000 trees 
by extending the cultivation, seeds and cuttings 
being in store. The .social capital of tbe company is 
fixed at f.1,000,000. The plantations are bought at 
f.850,000. From the capital a sum of t. 725, 000 has 
been utgotiatod, and the remainder will be offered in 
sale a pari in a few days The directors will be com- 
posed, viz., Director, M. T. Boissevain, Esq ; Commis- 
sioners, E. Buuge, Esq., manager of the firm Bunge 
and Co., H. M. vau Egben, Esq., manager of the firm 
Crommelin and Co., and Mr. T. Krol, late chief director 
of tho Deli Company at Deli; Agents in India are 
Messrs. W. Rudolph and H. Gyselmau ; the Committee 
of .Superintendence in India, the Jhr. J. W. E. de 
Sturler, Esq., and Messrs. S.T. DunJopand J. Dizgertoz. 
A Loniion Botanical Collkctoh in Java. 
As recorded by Mr. P. J. \Vigman in tbe April issue 
of the Dutch Agricultural Horticultural and Forest 
Culture .Journal in Netherlands India, Mr. OurnoH was 
landing at Buitenzorg in March, intending to get a 
Collection of orchidees. He has. in view to collect 
10,000 phalounopsis grandiflora in the South Preanger 
Districts, at the same time another 5,000 orchidees, viz., 
vauda tricolor, rcuautheia coccinea, &c, will be received 
with pleasure. He told Mr. W. that the former way 
f. i. packing and despatching to London at once, after 
having collected a certain quantity of orchidees, was 
not more of use. Now a certain quantity is collected 
and transferred by tho collector himself." By this way 
be i< enabled to unpack and examine the plants, and 
there is u good chance more to have same alive at home. 
The Urdu,/,, nmijs Mr. \V. f. i. a large deal of dendro- 
blumi vanda'a and renantheras may be despatched 
very well, but tin- pbalieuop.sis grandiflora, kn >wn in 
India under the uaniu of Angrek Boclan, are suffering 
very much un the passage. There are already teu 
years that Mr Curnou has been travelling for Messrs. 
Hugh Low and Co. During that time he was vvoifcin^ 
in South and Central America, Madagascar, J3i itisb 
India and Burmih. 
The Pagottan Auiuculxukal Company. 
According to the Indische Mereuur the Pagottan 
Agricultural Company is istab.ished at Batavia, h Wing 
in viuw to purchase the sugar manufactory Ooteran, 
situated in the Kesidence. of Madioeu. When tl e 
acquisition does nut succeed the company will be con- 
sidered as never having existed. The capital of t- e 
company is fixed at f. 200,000. — L. C. Expr, si. 
(Tianslated .from the Netherlands-Indian papers.) 
AVe learn from the Batnviaaseh Nicusblad. that the 
Soekabo. mi Associitiou has petitioned the Nether- 
lands-Indian Government te prottot insect-eating birds, 
to introduce a tax on firearms and sp^mmtans (blow- 
pipes) and to prohibit the disturbance of nests and 
destruction of eggs. The Government, however, has 
replied that it does not see the use of such protection 
as suggested. This reminds us of our Ordinance for 
the Protection of Wil . Birds, which, from what we 
see', seems to be a dead letter. 
Several pro c ecutions have recently been instituted 
by tbe Netherlands-Indian Government against Europ- 
ean Managers of estates in East Sumatra for the 
treatment of coolies, the last one being against Mr. 
E. W. F. Kearns, Manager of Ludwigsburg estate, 
Langkat. It is gratifying to see the Netherlands Indian 
Government using its utmost endeavours to secure the 
good treatment of coolies on the tobacco estates in 
East Sumatra, and we would direct the attention of 
those who are or ly too read}' to spread false reports 
regarding the condition of labourers there to this fact. 
— Siifgappre Free J'ress, May 21st. 
(Translated for tile Straits Times, May 25th.) 
In the district of Natal on tbe West Coast of Su 
matra the Controlk r has disc vercd coal lieMs stretch 
ing over wide areas. The coal has betn found by 
experiment to be of supirior quality. 
At Samarang, so sajs the Locon otief, \ soap factory 
is now in f nil swing, every preparation ha3 bem made, 
and all the raw materials for the purpose are at hand. 
It is well-known that of all animal ancl vegetable fats, 
coconut oil is the best for manufacturing certain kinds 
of soap in great demand in Europe. Mr. Steenberg 
who bas started this particular enterprise is confident 
that ho can turn out soaps equal iu every way to t he 
imported article, at moderate but remunerative rates. 
It is indeed absurd that coconut, oil must first travel 
to Eur. pe to return to Java iu the form of soap. 
Telegrams intimating improved sugar quotations in 
Europe have gi?en a much needed impetus to trans- 
actions iu that article at Sourabaya, prices at one 
time reaching 9 guilders a picul. Coffee too has been 
dealt in at very high rates indeed. Offers for whole 
crops of parchment coffee at forty-five guilders a 
picul have, been rejected. Planters iu Java are con- 
fident of still brighter prospects. No wonder need 
be felt at this. News has come of short crops and 
disease among coffee especially in Brazil. In Java, 
however, leaf disease is prevalent which in the end 
must lead to lessened yields and a further rise of 
prices. The island has one advantage over Ceylon in 
this respect. Leaf disease has so far not wrought such 
havoc as in the latter country. 
It is intended to hold at Batavia in September next, 
in tbe Botanical and Zoological Garden there, an 
exhibition of articles manufactured in Netherlands 
India from wood, rattan, hum, fibres, leaves, and 
feathers. 
Sugar growing iu Java which proved so prosperous 
in bygone years, that, in 1881, the yield t italkd uearly 
six-and-a-half million of piculs offers no prospect ol < x- 
Sensiou within the next few year.-, now th.u qu itatious 
riule so low. Grower.-, there, are. in. a bad wayiudied, 
, There seems to be some prospect of a railway being 
oonftructed on tho West Coast ot Sumatra, to tap • >.■ 
tinsive coalfields iu the valley of the Om' ili n rive 
X Bill has been brought iuto the Netherlands States 
