December i, 2887.] THE TROPI-CAL AGRICULTURIST. 
3G7 
The cost of cultivating Ramio has been placed at 
£3 per aero after the first year, but this calculation 
would be too high for Jamaica, for the rates of 
wages supposed, women to get Is Gil, and men 2s bd 
a day. 
Dr. Phillippo in his Lecture at tho Jamaica Institute 
on Ramie, puts down tho produce of an aero as over 
one ton of fibre. 
It is a question for business men to consider whether 
it is worth while to risk the expense of purchasing 
a machine. No doubt many have correspondents in 
New York who would bo able to give an opinion on 
the working of the machine. If it really answers 
tho purpose, it would be an immense boon to the 
Island to introduce one, for Jamaica can produco 
enormous quantities of Ramie, and if the Fibre can 
be extracted at a cost which will allow of competition 
with Max, the demand for it will be practically un- 
limited.— I am, Sir, Your obedient Servant, W. FAWCETT, 
Director, Public Hardens and Plantations. 
Botanical Department, 2nd Sept. 1887. 
IRRIGATION IN VICTORIA. 
The leading features of the Irrigation Bill which 
the Government havo just introduced, and which is 
one of the most important measures that have yet 
been brought before the Legislature of this colony, 
were unfolded in the Legislative Assembly on Thurs- 
day last, the 24th inst, by the Minister for Water 
Supply. The first half of Mr. Deakiu's speech, which 
occupied nearly four hours in delivery, consisted of a 
retrospect, of the water legislation of the colony, and 
it was shown how first Melbourne and tin: larger 
centres of population, then the country towns, and 
finally the residents of rural district were supplied. 
Under the Water Conservation Act of 1881 tho 
Government had advanced £178,000 to 23 water trusts, 
and had expeuded £57,000 in head works. Eleven 
of those trusts were now paying interest ; ten others 
had either struck rates or were about to do so, and 
only two had given no indication that they would meet 
their obligations. For this expenditure of a little 
more than half a million the farm lauds of Victoria 
had been increased in value to the amount of a 
million and a half. The principle of our water legis- 
lation in the past had been for the State to advance 
money for works, for local bodies to carry out those 
works, and for the consumers to rate themselves to 
pay tho interest. That principle is to be continued in 
the Irrigation Bill. The present measure, Mr. Deakta 
pointed out, is the outcome of the growth of know- 
ledge as to the capabilities of tho colony in regard 
to irrigation, mainly attributable to the labours of 
the Water Commission during the past two years. 
Three yearn ago il was considered that there were 
only 700,000 acres of irrigable land in the colony. 
Now we have the knowledge that north of the Divid- 
tag Range, aud without reference to the Werribee 
Valley, to (Jipps Land, or to the Western district, we 
havo M.22 1,000 acros of irrigable land. The experience 
from lH7."> up to the present date had bceti that dry 
cultivation had been a miserable failure, notwith- 
standing the richness of the soil, and without irri- 
gation the population of the northern plains must be 
swept away, and the lauds go back to sheep farming. 
The Government proposition is to borrow £1,00<>,000 
of money to carry out 10 scheme-', which will deal 
wiili the nnthorn plains, from tin- malleo to the 1'pper 
Murray. A scheme for each district is set out. Local 
Unit* matt be formed to execute the works and to 
rate tho land for the payment of the interest en 
tb. capital to bo advanced by the state. The State 
in to assist in "joint works";" it is, tinder special 
circumstances, to make '-free grants " to tho txusts: 
ami where Micro are lar^e works which are '• keys 
of tho position," the Oovernment will tront those 
work* as •• nationa', " will eoii-truot them, and will 
take control of Ih ifterwards, charging the local 
bodies, however, for the water supplied from them. 
It la l.chl that only the state cau sic fair play 
betweon conflicting interests. The etate is to find 
the money, lay down the schemes, construct the 
headworke see to the diversion of the water, and 
leave to the trusts merely the execution of the 
works and the raising of the revenue. The money 
which the state borrows at 4 per cent is to bo 
lent at 0 per cent so that there may be a surplus 
for expenses and for a sinking f and. For five years 
thero may be no payment of interest. The olriect 
ot this concession is to provide that until the far- 
mer actually enjoys the use of the water ho shall 
not, be rated. The interest payable during the 
period ot construction is to be presented to him as 
a. gilt from the State. The amount of money to 
be voted to each district is to be fixed by Parlia- 
ment, and each trust will be elected by its resnectivo 
district Such are to be the leading features of the 
bill The average cost of water to the farmers, takon 
all the year round, is expected to be something under 
lis. per acre per annum, aud it is believed that this 
amount will gladly be paid for the benefits of irriga- 
tion W ith regard to the vexed question of riparian 
rights, the principle adopted in the bill is to ho that 
a riparian owner shall have a right to as much water 
as is necessary for domestic and stock supply and 
no more. All the waters of the colony are to bo 
declared to be the property of the state, and shall 
be held by the state unless specifically parted with 
In conclusion, Mr. Deakiu referred to the results' 
already achieved upon irrigated land in Victoria and 
declared that if the colony had to expend the 'four 
millions of money absolutely, the improvement of our 
northern areas, and attendant benefits to the whole 
colony, would soon show that the investment had 
been justifiable. Mr. Deakin was very attentively 
listened to throughout his exhaustive address and 
there is little doubt that, with more or less amend- 
ment in various directions, the bill will be carried 
into law.— Melbourne Argus. 
GENERAL PLANTING IN BRITISH NORTH 
BORNEO. 
To the Editor of the " British Xorth Borneo Herald." 
Sir —It is uo doubt difficult to overestimate tho 
probable importance to tho country, as pointed 
out in your last two issues of the tobacco plant- 
ing industry; but, whilst drawing atteutiou to to- 
bacco, let us not undervalue other agricultural products 
Some people there are, indeed, who say, that 
however great tho results from tobacco planting 
may be, general planting will ultimately prove to 
be a still more ■ important factor in the future 
prosperity of the couutry. 
Be that as it may, it is a fact that au experi- 
enced Ceylon planter, the first one that visited the 
couutry, Mr. T. S. Dobree, said that in his opi- 
nion the climate and general conditions were so favour- 
able to the successful growth of Liberiau Cotfee that 
he expected to see British North Borneo one of the 
chief producing countries in the world for it, when 
once its cultivation was properly started. This opin- 
ion was based upon observations made on tho 
Segaliud river. 
Cotfee has lately seen some violeut fluctuations, 
but the price now has apparently settled down at 
a very much higher rutc than it was formerly, and 
one which leaves no doubt of its paying well to 
the planter, provided no untoward events happen 
to it : and in the case of Liberiau Coffee in this 
country, nothing untoward is likely to happen as 
even leaf disease, which almost annihilated Coffee 
Arabics in Ceylon, and is slowly but surely working 
havoc iu Brazil acid Java, is thrown off by Liberiau 
Coffee, not only here, but in the St.-aits, Jolmre, 
ami Sumatra also, 1 believe. 
Several estates I have sceu that would have I n 
deserted iu Ceylon as destroyed by Hemileia Vastn- 
trix have tpiitc recovered, in some eases the euro 
having been accelerated by tho aid of u litth 
duug ut> manure ; while in other*, uo uiauurc at 
