2So THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1888. 
Mr. Alfred Soovell thereupon wrote to the dylon Ob- 
server, asking why it should be the fashion amongst nu- 
merous firms in the tea trade to continually damn with 
faint praise and to do all they can to prevent Ceylon in* 
creasing its output, points to the one conclusion, that 
these firms must be largely interested in China tea, and 
unable to shake off their Hankow connections. The 
prayer of the whole circular is, — For goodness' sake 
don't interfere with our 3fd congous, or, if you do, the 
greater output will be the greater loss — not profit. If 
you oust our 3Jd congous, " there will be little profit 
to the planter, and precious little pleasure to the con- 
sumer." This is one admission that the present China 
congous afford precious little pleasure to the consumer. 
So far so good ; and the sooner these fifty millions per 
annum of Congou rubbish are ousted, the better. From 
beginning to end the circular is dead against quantity 
from Ceylon, and the conclusion is that the above- 
named firm must have a big thing in China Congous, 
which are admitted by them to be next door to rubbish. 
The Grocer commenting upon this says: — " While 
making every allowance for parties living at a 
considerable distance from the home markets, it 
must be evident to most persons who peruse this 
letter that the author of the letter could not have 
been very well acquainted with the position and 
standing of the London house on whom he tries to 
throw the greatest discredit." A correspondent of 
that paper in the same issue says: — "We would 
suggest that it would be greatly to the interest of the 
pure Ceylon tea trade if you could form a jury of (say) 
the five leading Ceylon brokers, to whom, through you; 
samples of the various brands of teas offered as Ceylon 
could be submitted ; and if the reports of this jury 
were published in your paper, we think a very serious 
check would be given to what we would call the spu- 
rious Ceylon trade. 
The rice planters of Louisiana are considerably 
disturbed in consequence of the formation of the 
American rice millers' " trust." It is urged that, under 
cover of protective duties the Louisiana rice planting 
industry is being extended very rapidly, and bids 
fair not only to rival the local sugar industry, but 
to produce sufficient to permit of a surplus for 
export. The rice millers, however, have now com- 
bined to maintain a fixed price for cleaning rice on 
account of the planters, and to dictate their own 
price for rice bought on their own account. This 
latter they are enabled to do by refusing to buy 
except through one appointed agent, who is thus 
made the sole customer to whom the planters can" 
sell. The planters apparently fail to realise that, 
under the protective system, being as yet unable to 
produce sufficient rice to supply fully the home 
consumption, they themselves practically constitute a 
combination which has hitherto had both consumers 
and millers at its mercy. Were the protective duties 
abolished, millers as well as planters would find such 
combinations impossible, as they would be compelled 
by foreign competition to allow prices to take their 
natural course. The millers' combination for the 
purpose of " squeezing " the planters is essentially the 
same in principle as the protectionist combination for 
the purpose of "squeezing" the consumers. 
The French Government is very ingenious in its 
diplomacy. Just now it is making a difficulty in the 
eagar bounties question in regard to the new English 
invention — saccharine, which it declares will undo all 
that the proposed Convention will assert. As a result, 
the British excise authorities are maintaining a very 
strong uttitude towards the product of tar which 
sweetens so powerfully, and are prohibiting its use 
wherever possible. 
Baron De Worms is quite sanguine as to the re- 
sult of his labour in connection with the sugar 
qounties. Writing to the Burton Trades Council, 
he says-: — "Your meeting appears to have been so 
unanimous that the bounties were unfair and 
unjust (0 British workmen, that I need hardly add 
a word to emphasise the obnoxious character of 
this system; but I should like very briefly to ask 
of you to keep well in view two special phases of 
this subject, viz., that in seeking to terminate the 
bounty system, we are aiding the removal of a serious 
impediment to free trade principles, which of course 
do not admit of bounties. In the next place, it is 
important to remember that foreign governments do 
not give these bounties out of philanthropic regard 
to the English consumer, or to make bis sugar cheaper. 
We would be lamentably shortsighted if we acted 
on this assumption. The bounties are paid to esta- 
blish in the several countries a sugar industry, and 
by so doing to crui-h out of existence the British 
branch of this industry. If that fhould be accom- 
plished, the foreign producer assuredly would raise 
the price of sugar. But I am hopeful we may avoid 
the calamity by a general agreement to abolish 
bounties in the interests of all concerned," 
LIBERTAN COFFEE CULTIVATION. 
{British North Borneo Herald, August 1.) 
The following reliable Estimates for a Liberian 
Coffee Estate have been kindly furnished us by our 
Ceylon Agent, Mr. W. D. Gibbcn, and which canilot fail 
to be of use to intending Planters in North Borneo. 
It should be noted the estimate; are calcu'ated in 
rupees, the currency of Ceylon. 
Estimate for Opening a Liberian Coffee Estate 
of 100 Aciif.s Exclusive of Cost of Land. 
1st 
2nd 
3rd 
4th 
Year 
Year 
Year 
Year 
R. 
R. 
R. 
R. 
Superintendence 
1,500 
1,500 
1,500 
1,500 
Allowance 1 cooly 
120 
120 
120 
120 
Conductor 6 months 
180 
Felling and clearing at 
R20 p. a. 
2,000 
Lining at R2 p. a. 
200 
Holing 18" by 18" 680 
holes per acre 12"by 12" 
544 
Filling in 
400 
Planting and supplying 
100 
50 
20 
Nursery, 5 bags 6eed 
cherry at R6 30") 
Beds & light sheds 200 ( 
Watering and at- f 
470 
120 
GO 
tendance 240 J 
Weeding at Rl per acre 1,200 
1,200 
1,200 
1,200 
Roads 6 miles at Rl-50 
900 
50 
20 
20 
Drains at RIO per acre 
30 feet apart 
1,000 
100 
100 
100 
Tools, alavangas, mamo- 
ties, &c. 
300 
20 
40a 
Building Lines 
300 
20J6 
Do Pungalow 
500 
1,500 
300c 
Contingenci' s, medical aid 
Stationery, &c. 
[300 
200 
200 
200 
Pruning, topping, &c. 
40 
iOd 
Picking and Curing 
...25 cwt at R8 
=200 
Total ... R10.014 3,340 4,780 4,920 
a For mats, &c. b For Pulper. c For Small store- 
d Fur handling. 
6th 
7th 
5th 
8th 
Year 
Year 
Year 
Year 
E. 
R. 
R. 
R. 
Superintendence 
1,500 
1,500 
2,000 
2,000 
Allowance 
120 
120 
. 120 
120 
Weeding 
1,200 
1,200 
1,200 
1,200 
Roads 
20 
20 
20 
20 
Drains upkeep 
100 
100 
100 
100 
Tools, mats, bags 
50 
50 
100 
100 
Building Pulphouse 
400 
bOa 
506 
Coolie Lines 
200 
Pruning (snckering) 
50 
60 
50 
50 
Picking and curing at 
R4 per cwt. 100 cwts. 400 
800c 
l,600d 
1,800c 
Contingencies 
200 
200 
300 
300 
Storekeeper and con- 
300 
ductor 7th year 
360 
Total ... R4.240 4,040 5,900 6,100 
a General repairs, b Repairs, c For 200 cwts. d For 
400 cwts. at R4. e For 600 cwts at R3. 
