October i, 1888.] THT. TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
221 
about double of wbat it costs them. Surely the chemists 
in our midst could suggest something tu mix with 
it to render it unfit for food. I would suggest pou- 
drette as this will encourage a new industry, other- 
wise some offensive smelling stuff like steamed bones 
or superphosphate of lime. I lately had occasion to 
use the former and could with difficulty induce my 
men to even carry the bags containing it. 1 doubt 
whether I convinced them effectually that the offen- 
sive smelling stuff was harmless bones, even though I 
handled it freely. The mixture eould be made under 
the supervision of a Government official and at the 
expense of the buyer, with the stuff for mixing sup- 
plied by him. 
On every estate there is a certain proportion of 
trees that seem unable to support their bunches and 
branches. The reason for this has so far as 1 am 
aware been only ha* irded. Tin y are supposed to be 
the result of immature seed nuts or seed nuts from 
immature trees. Whatever the cause for them, they 
present an unsight ly appearance, and it should be the 
aim of plauters tn cure them if possible of this 
pernicious habit. 1 have before said that to salt is 
attributed the property of being able to stiffen 
the straw of wheat. Is it unreasonable to sup- 
pose it will possess the same stiffening properties 
when applied to coconuts and will enable the trees 
[ have referred lo, to carry their fronds at the proper 
angle, and th;:s upport the buuehes that look for sup- 
port to them? Any way the experiment is worth atrial. 
This has been an extraordinary July with only 161 
inch i ( rain. Following as it does an exceptionally 
mild " burst," the effect on the cinnamon stools I 
transplanted is not of the pleasantest. Even what I 
planted towards the lal ter i nd of May, before the rains 
began are evidently succumbing to the combined effects 
of a fierce sun and a scorching wind. But this has 
been a glorious peeling -i -inn. I never km w cinnamon 
being cut cleaner, Hardly a coarse stick went to waste, 
when in previous years they were cut and thrown away 
as mipeelable and cumbering the bushes. Since the 
middle of the month wo have an abortive bud, now 
called " flush " I see, to complete I suppose the >imi- 
larity you and a correspondent of yours main! lined 
exists in the treatment of the cinnamon and tea bush. 
The bud is rendered abortive from want of rain, but in 
spite of the bud it peels very fairly with me. 
ROUGHING IT IN AUSTRALASIA. 
An ox-Travancore coffee planter, who pissed 
through Colombo for Fiji some eight or nine years 
ago, in writing to ua from Northern Queensland 
by last mail says: — 
I have been in Queensland ever since leaving Fiji 
and have had a very fair all round colonial experi- 
ence I can tell you. 1 was for a long time assisting 
in pioneering in the north among the Myall blacks 
aud the alligators. It was poor fare, poor pay, and 
generally a poor life, though it had its redeemiug 
features. 1 had intentions once of getting a selection 
suitable for sugar, coffee or other tropical products, but 
after a time I decided that the game was not worth the 
caudle. I was for a long time employed by surveyors 
north aud west, and actually studied the business 
up so that 1 was master of most of their formula-. 
I could uot, however, pass as a surveyor without 
serving an indenture, and this I was too old to do. 
I therefore gave that life up. I once worked along- 
Hido of a Ooylon planter in tho bush. I forget his 
name just now. He got drunk one day when we were 
camped near a puhlichouse, aud we had to leave 
him behind, and I have neither seen nor heard of 
him since. For the past three years 1 have been 
employed in clerical work chiclly m Brisbane upon 
a microscopic Hillary, but it was more congenial than 
tho bush, as I could choose my associates and I had 
good opportunities for study. 
ters looking to the United States for a market, 
Messrs. Somervillo & Co. have been good enough 
to report on these samples as follows : — 
Present Colombo 
Sample. Descrption. London Equivalent 
No. value, to exch. Is 44d. 
R. c. 
1 Oolong Is 7d to Is 8d 1 Ob a 
2 Do. Is 5d to Is 6d 0 94 b 
3 Do. Is 3d to 1h Id 0 82 c 
4 Hyson Is lOd to 2s 1 27 (I 
5 Gunpowder Is 3d to Is 4d 0 82 e 
Remahks. 
a Leaf blackish, greyish, rather irregular twisted. 
Liquor sharp flavory, good quality; pale straw 
colour. 
b Leaf same as above. 
Liquor pale straw colour; little thin; fair flavor 
and quality. 
c Leaf greyish, blackish, evon choppy, few ends. 
Liquor dark, fair strength. 
(I Leaf even well twisted ; good even colour. 
Liquor pale Btraw colour; pungent, flavory, good 
quality. 
e Leaf eveu shotty appearance. 
Liquor pale straw colour ; fresh, pungent. 
[qi. SOMERVILLB & Co., 
Sept. 6th. A. H. Thompson. 
It is impossible to give a correct values for these 
teas, as there are no standards to work by and no 
market for this class of tea locally, jjj). S. & Co. 
A. H. T. 
The samples can be seen at the Observer office by 
anyone interested. 
SVMl'LES OF TEA FROM AMERICA. 
Five samples of tea have been sent to us by Mr. 
McCombio Murrny to illustrate the descriptions ap- 
preciated iu America. I'or lie bcuolil of local plan- 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Mr. G. Klomp from Amsterdam arrived hi the 
'■ Will o' the Wisp" on the 24th July. Mr. Klomp 
intends to reside some few weeks, (or months if 
necessary) in North Borneo and prospect for tobacco 
land. 
Mr. S. P. J. Netscher arrived at Kudat by the S.S. 
" Paknam" on the 15th July, to open the land origi- 
nally conceded to Mr. H. van Sou in the name of the 
Marudu Bay Company. Mr. Netscher brought a 
steam launch in tow from Singapore which will be a 
great boon to the planters at that end of Marudu 
Bay. We hear that Count Geloes also intends 
to obtain a launch. 
Messre. Jan C. Teves and A. P. B. van Deldeu, 
left Sandakan in the S. S. " Paknam " on the 17th 
July. Mr. Teves has acquired some concessions of 
Land for himself and his friends and, in addition, 
Mr. Teves has bought a Suburban lot. We hope the 
time will come when he will take up his residency 
in Sandakan. Mr. van Delden has obtained a 
concession of land on the Kinabatangan. 
Mr. P. Persyn was a passenger from Kudat to 
Sandakan in tho S. S. "Paknam," arriving on the 
10th July, and left the next morning for the Brack- 
ing River to inspect a concession of land applied 
for by Count Geloes. Mr. Persyn informs us that 
his crop of Tobacco from Ranow estate of 1 12 
piculs (not Bales as printed by us in July num- 
ber) was obtained from 42 Holds, each tiold being 
64,000 fquaro feet, or about 14- acre. 
As the Tobacco only left Singapore in July it is 
not likely it will be auctioned before October ami 
the price to be obtained is looked forward to with 
great interest. 
Alterations in Land Rules are never satisfactory 
to all the public and just now a good deal of 
critical comment is made upon tho regulation just 
issued, viz. that no one interest shall receive more 
than 6,000 acres. A reference to tho Batatas 
Directory of Sumatra will show that tho average 
acreage of the 100 estates is 1,881 acres and a 
