August i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
by far the smallest that has been known for 
many years. The quality of the crop is not so 
good as last season, but in the opinion of many 
of our best experts it was a crop suited to the 
London trade, in that it possessed greater 
strength than last season's teas. In spite of all 
this the London sales show the lowest range of prices 
ever witnessed for first arrivals. With the extra- 
ordinarily small supply of finest teas the prices paid 
arc not equal to what might have beeu expected, and 
if we look at the quotations for common teas, of 
which the crop chiefly consists, we shall not find much 
ground for hope or consolation. The opening prices 
for the past five years have been: — 
1887 18Sj 1885 1S81 18S3 
C£d. 8i a lOd. 8| a 8fd. 8-J-d. Hid. per lb. 
In 1884 the home brokers remarked that opening prices 
were 2d. a 3d. under the usual price for first teas. 
We now see a further fall of 2d. per lb. and say "it 
it not really so bad." Frivate advices today report 
the market weak and prices likely to decline. 
We will now look at prospects and to understand 
these it will be necessary first to look at home re- 
quirements. The deliveries of China, Oongou and 
Souchong for the four months from February to May 
this year amount 31 millions against 30 millions for 
the same four months last year, and we may safely 
take this to indicate that deliveries for the next twelve 
mouths will show an equal falling off or say 15 
millions less than last year. Thus we arrive at prob- 
able comsumption, say : — 
Deliveries from 1st June, 1S8C lb. 
to 31st May, 1887 112,000,000 
Less probable falling off 15,000,000 
Frobable consumption 1887-8S ... 97,000,000 
Our shipments last year from all Ohina to London 
were as nearly as possible 117,000,000 lb. or 20 millions 
over probable requirements. With the largest first 
crop on record from the North of China and a full 
first crop from the Southern Forts it is most im- 
probable (that we can bring our export this year down 
to a proper level ; especially as we must not ignore 
the heavy stock of good consumable Oongon and Sou- 
chong already in the London warehouses. 
If the present crop had been as fine as last season's 
tho decrease in consumption might have been arrested, 
but as the quality has already been condemned by 
home buyers, I do not think I am taking a pessimist 
view of things when I anticipate the smallest con- 
sumption for many years, and the lowest range of 
prices ever known in the annals of the China Tea 
Trade. — Hongkong Daily Press, July 7th. 
T013ACCO, KAPOK AND COFFEE IN 
NETHERLANDS INDIA. 
(Traiwlatedf for tin Strut/* Times.) 
The planting community in Java recently memorial- 
ised the Netherlands Iudi i Government to help them 
under present adverse circumstances by pecuniarily 
aiding the starting of experimental stations there, for 
the cultivation of produce articles. To their bitter 
disappointment, it has curtly declined to meet their 
wished at all without deigning to assign the reason why. 
A Java planter who has beeu over to British North 
Borneo to see for himself how matters really stand in 
that land of promise assures the Samarang LocomOtief 
that, though tobacco does thrive there so far, that 
branch of cultivation has uot made much progress 
FfblB the difficulties in the way. At present, so he 
says, Deli planters need not dread North Borneo 
competition. Tobacco growiug is no easy matter, 
liven in Deli, it took a good deal of hard work and 
toil at tho outset, before the pioneer settlers could make 
their ventures pay. But now business enterprise there 
i-> iu experienced hands. Chinese coolies are so dear 
nowadays that it will be no easy matter to secure 
suitable ones for work in North Borneo. The latter 
country has one advantage iu tho Government being 
helpful indeed. This circumstaucu undoubtedly gives a 
decided push to pbutiug outcrprisc. Ollieiul assistance 
was afforded to the visitors from Java even in the 
smallest matters. The gentleman in question and his 
associates were highly pleased with their reception by 
the Governor of British North Borneo. 
A silk cotton or Kapok factory, so says the Surabaya 
Courant, has been started in Kedirie in Java under 
European management, with every prospect of finan- 
cial success. AVithin the last two years, Kapok has 
been coming into greater prominence in the com- 
mercial world. Formerly it was deemed useful only 
for filling mattresses and for other unimportant pur- 
poses. Now means have been devised to spin Kapok 
with the result of establishing an almost unlimited 
demand for it in different parts of the world. The 
wasteful method of cleaning it by mauual labour has 
long been superseded by steam machinery being 
availed of for the purpose, thereby lessening working 
expenses considerably. From the seeds an oil has 
been extracted which answers admirably for lubricat- 
ing purposes, as proven by actual experiment. The 
resulting oilcake has turned out to be highly suitable 
for manure owing to its containing a heavy per- 
centage ef nitrogen. The husk of the fruit also proves 
serviceable as fuel. 
The Government coffee crop in Java this year is 
estimated at hardly half a million of piculs, nearly 
fifty per cent below the average. The private crop 
is equally short. This dismal lookout, arises from 
the spread of leaf disease. No wonder that 
prices steadily rise, and keep at figures gladdening in- 
deed to growers who have battled long enough with 
adverse fate. 
TOBACCO AND COFFEE IN DELI. 
(Translated for the Straits Times.) 
A correspondent of the Courant h: s. been touring in 
the Madras presidency especially in the tobacco dis- 
tricts, of which Trichinopoly enjoys a high reputation for 
cigars both in India and Ceylon. He says that the Tamils 
of Trichinopoly are preeminently tobacco growers. The 
article is planted and harvested iu the native fashion. 
Among them European landowuership does not exist. 
The letting of land on lease is also unknown. Europ- 
eans have no influence whatever on the method of 
cultivation, and have been unable to introduce the 
least improvement. All that European dealers 
can do is to buy up the tobacco. The leaf pro- 
duceel is fairly large and somewhat rough looking, but 
answers requirements iu colour, and yields white 
ashes. Of it, native workmen make cigars which are 
forwarded all over India from Madras. Aoxiteurs 
praise highly the aroma of these cigars. Owing 
however to tho inferior leaf used as cover they do not 
look well. The cousequence is that certain firms at 
Madras have struck out a new line for themselves, and 
have set to work turning out local cigars with cover- 
ings of Deli leaf. The Deli cigars of Oakes & Co., 
have already acquired a high reputation. There is 
hence, every prospect of Madras becoming an outlet for 
Deli tobacco on a small scale. 
The Deli Courant quotes from a French Eewspaper 
a paragraph drawing atteution to the fact that cotfee 
leaf disease only appears iu countries where the 
Arabian variety is grown, and that the Liberiau 
kind is proof against this disease. This im- 
munity is ascribed to tho roots of Liberiau 
coffee goiug deeper iuto the soil than those of 
the Arabian one. On this ground, he recommends 
partios desirous of embarking in coffee growing to go 
in heartily for Liberiau, and start extensive plantations 
of it in the Aialayan l'cniusula, where they will be 
sure to prove remunerative, when Ceylon, Java nud 
Brazil will all be handicapped by disease on colfee estates. 
THE PAMTOLA TEA COMPANY. LIMITED 
Capital paid up, £65,820. Area under cultivation, 1,1*1 
acres. 
Out-turn. — The crop estimate was for 608,000 lb. of 
tea, to cost £21,850, total expenditure. The uctua' out- 
turu was 013,511 lb., costiug £23,101 la 2.1, but with 
