THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April 2, 1888. 
bark, however. In a Florida nursery catalogue, 
which we have just received, it is stated of A. 
decurrem that in California it has grown over 50 
feet in eight years and is useful as a wind-break 
besides being very rich in tannin and furnishing a 
gum which exudes copiously wberever a branch is 
cut, equal to gum arabic. Wood valuable for fuel 
and coopers' work. Of A. dealbata, which closely 
resembles A. decurrem only that its whiter foliage 
has obtained for it the name of " silver wattle," 
we learn that it reaches a height of 150 feet in 
Australia and yields a valuable tough wood : this 
species also might, therefore, be grown as a 
timber tree or as a fuel supplier, or for both purposes. 
For fuel yielding, however, experience is strongly in 
favour of the "black wattle," A. decurrens, and so, on 
their poor and waste places, or to replace pieces of 
forest cut down, planters ought to go ahead with its. 
cultivation. Gryptomeria japonica, the Japan pine, the 
timber of which is so valuable for tea boxes, is 
being extensively cultivated in Ceylon. Our ex- 
perience with some planted out near the Bund in 
Nuwara Eliya is that rats, which did not touch 
the toon trees, bit off the tops of cryptomerias. This 
did not kill them, however. Dr. Trimen doubts if 
our moist climate will suit this pine. The young 
plants look well, however, and the tree has been 
a success in Darjiling. The Himalayan station 
is much wetter, judged by rainfall, than Nuwara 
Eliya, but we suppose its northern latitude tells 
in favour of the pines ? Even if cryptomeria 
succeeds here, we fancy it will grow slowly in com- 
parison with the exotics of Australian origin. 
COOLY EMIGRATION FROM INDIA TO 
DUTCH COLONIES. 
The Pioneer of 18th Feb, has the following: — 
"During the last week two officials, Mr. Lavino, 
Consul-General for the Netherlands at Singapore, 
and Mr. Van Ryn von Alkemade, of the Nether- 
lands Indian Civil Service, have been engaged in 
negotiating at Calcutta the extension of the Indian 
Emigration Act to the Dutch Colonies in the East. 
This recently developed desire of the Dutch authori- 
ties to obtain Indian coolies ought to be grate- 
fully received by Sir Edward Buck, who wrote in 
strong terms three years ago in favour of opening 
out these extensive labour-fields to the surplus 
population of South India, and pointed out the 
danger of their being otherwise absorbed by the 
Chinese, We published at the time the paper to 
which we allude, read before the Society of Arts in 
January 1885 ; and now reproduce in another column 
that portion of it relating to emigration. Another 
paper read before the same Society by Mr. Trendell, 
c.m.g., on the Netherlands India Colonies, has just 
reached India and entirely oonfirms the account given 
by Sir Edward Buck of the great agricultural wealth 
of the India of the Dutch. The area of the eastern 
islands is materially over 700,000 square miles, 
figures which can perhaps be better grasped if it is 
stated that this area is equivalent to 350 or 400 
average districts of these Provinces ; or by com- 
paring it with the area of British India which is, 
excluding Native States, 760,000 square miles, of 
which one-sixth is unculturable land. The land 
held by the Dutch is much of it rich and nearly 
all culturable, while forests abound. Capital is 
pouring into it and only labour is wanting. Chinese 
are being already sent in ship-loads by eooly- 
contractors at Hongkong and Singapore. But John 
Chinaman likes working for No. 1 better than for 
his master No. 2 ; and planters in Sumatara, whence 
the loudest cry has come for Indian coolies, 
prefer the more docile and manageable Madrasi. 
The application which the Netherlands India 
Government have now made for the extension of 
the Indian Emigration Act to their colonies is 
stated to be partly due to the measures which 
Sir Edward Buck, when at Singapore four years 
ago, arranged with the Straits Government for 
the prevention of illicit emigration to Sumatra 
at the same time that emigration to the Straits 
Colony itself was relieved of many of the restric- 
tions which had hitherto hampered it. The diffi- 
culty of obtaining coolies and the demand for 
them on the Dutch plantations have, since 1884, 
simultaneously increased. Hence probably the 
mission to Calcutta to which we have already re- 
ferred." 
In this case as in that of emigration to French 
colonies careful protection must be afforded to the 
coolies. The French treated them as slaves. Wo 
hope better things of the Dutch, but they also 
have been accustomed to compulsory labour. We 
have marked for the Tropical Ayricidturbst the 
extracts from Sir Edward Buck's paper and Sir 
Hugh Low's remarks, about extra Indian " moist 
equatorial lands" which are not liable to drought 
and famine, but which need Indian labour for 
agricultural purposes. The Chinese prefer mining 
and similar pursuits. 
THE MEECHANDISE MARKS ACT. 
Planters' Association of Ceylon, 
Kandy, 25th Feb. 1888. 
The Editor, Ceylon Observer. 
Sib, — I beg to enclose copy of letter from Mr 
Delmege, London, on the subject of the Merchan- 
dize Marks Act 1887.— Yours faithfully, 
A. PHILIP, Secretary. 
17, St. Helen's Place, London, E. C, 
3rd Feb. 1888. 
The Secretary, Planters' Association, Kandy. 
Dear Sir, — As Director of a Company engaged in 
selling Ceylon tea in England, it is cuustantly brought 
to my notice, that China rubbish is sold as (Jeylou 
tea. I estimate the consumption of Ceylon tea at 
over 5 per cent in excess of the production. A grocer, 
in Manchester, is at this moment sending the finest 
Ceylon tea retail at Is 4d a lb. The most important 
point that can possibly engage the attention of your 
Association is to put a stop to this. The London Cham- 
ber of Commerce, of which we are members, held a 
meeting yesterday, to consider the Merchandize Marks 
Act. I enclose copy of a letter I wrote the Secretary 
London Chamber of Commerce, and copy of his reply, 
and draft of proposed Association. Here is a simple 
remedy. Let your Association become members of tne 
proposed Association, which latter will conduct prose- 
cutions. Then your Association engage any good man to 
represent them here. He should not be engaged in sell- 
ing tea. It will give rise to jealousies. If you have not 
got the money to pay a man, get up a special 
collection, say each estate R15. If this is done with- 
out delay, it will soon put a stop to unscrupulous 
grocers adulterating our tea, and the price will be 
benefited at least 2d a lb. all round. — Yours faithfully 
(Signed) E. T. Delmege. 
1st February 1888. 
Kenrie B Murray, Esq., Secretary, London Chamber 
of Commerce, Eastcheap, E.O. 
The Merchandize Marks Act 1887. 
Dear Sir,— As I will be unable to attend the meeting 
of the Chamber of Commerce tomorrow to consider 
the present effect of the above Act, I would draw 
your particular atteution to what appears to me to 
be an omission in the Act and suggest a remedy. 
The Act is for the purpose of compelling traders 
to disclose the real country of origin of their goods. 
In the case of tea it fails to meet the requirements 
of the trade. 
