November i, 1S88.J TF.£ TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
3'3 
OOFEEJE IK INDIA: ASSESSMENT ON ESTATES. 
To a request of tbe Wynaad Planters' Association 
Unit the Government would afford some relief in the 
matter of assessment on cinchona estates, in the 
circumstances of ttie great depression prevailing in 
the hark market, the Government are said to have re- 
plied, that the assessment on the land represents 
so insignificant a portion of the outlay on such pro- 
perty, that no appreciable relief would be afforded 
by any relinquishment of revenue. The rejoinder 
exhibits so grave a misapprehension of the nature 
of the Government assessment on land, that we 
deem it necessary to call attention to the subject, 
alth lUgh it has frequently been most ably and ex- 
haustively treated by our contemporaries, especially 
by the Indian Agriculturist. As however the great 
majority of our planting readers arc colfee rather 
than cinchona planters, and as the same principles 
underlie the cultivation of both products, and, more- 
over, as a shrewd and successful native planter 
on the Nilgiris has furnished us with certain statis- 
tics and his experiences and views on the subject, 
we propose, on the present occasion, to discuss the 
Government .•e-scssnicnl on land in its relation 10 colic ■. 
The native gentleman to whom we are indebted 
for the materials for this article is of sulliciently 
advanced intelligence to understand the benefits de- 
rived from high cultivation and at the same time 
18 quite conservative enough to follow the rigid 
economies of his own countrymen 
Tho cultivation of Ooffee on the Nilgiris proper, 
at tho present time he estimates roughly at 10 000 
acres, mostly held under titles from natives— on which 
at tho recent Settlement, a uniform rate of 2 rupees 
an aero was imposed, a rate not professing to be 
fixed on any recognised classification, nor on the 
half nett produce principle adopted in revenue Settle- 
ments elsewhere. The extent under cultivation be 
apportions thus, :,()0 acres in the lunula*, 1500 in 
Todanad, 3000 in Mekanad and 5000 in Parunganad 
From ext. usive personal experience, and as the- 
result ot minute enquiries among coffee planters 
throughout the District, our informant reckons the 
average yield of eolfeo on the Nilgiris to have been, 
one year token with another, 2 cwt. per acre, and 
the value 30 rupees per cwt. lie believes that the 
accuracy r.t this estimato is borr.c out by tho export 
returns ot the presidency. Tho expenses of cultiva- 
tion per acre arC thus detailed :— 
0 Weediugs in the year at 3 Rupees ... 18 
Manuring .„ 20 
Panning g 
Handling ... ( j 
Draining and Heading \ 2 
Woking 1 5 
Preparing for Market 1 
Supervision 
Kepairs to Lines, &c 1 
Tools I 
Total R61 
If tho above figures are all reliable, we have ab- 
solutely an excess of expenditure over rcreipts, aud 
ie> margin for interest on capital, profits and the 
Government assessment. Tho exchange, it is believed, 
Coven tho cost of shipping, curing and similar charges' 
and at the favourable rates now prevailing, raain- 
tains thy industry from collapso. For a serios of 
y.-iirs, planters have had to contend with adverse 
UHuenoes including drought, leaf disease and bug, a 
railing market, over production in other parts of the 
World, where the land bears no Imrd-i.s or insigni- 
s These iniluonces have been and are still 
D active op. ration, and that they huve been 
rtlMstroiiH may be inferred from the abandon? 
nrat iu whole or in part of estates scatter, d over 
tin' Nilgiris. 
Moreover, it cannot fairly be urged that the planting 
industry IS in tlm hands of nov.c-, or ..peculators. 
"he* long , m.s,., | ,|„. Initial or experimental stage 
and is now engaged in by men of tried and leugtboood 
MpttfMM who devote much time and labor U> Hun 
work, and spend their money economically and in- 
telligently, with results however uniformly and continu- 
ously unsatisfactory. 
No further economies can be affected iu the ex- 
penses of upkeep, without prejudicing the safety of 
the capital outlay and resulting dertei ioration of tbe 
estates. Judged by the true principles which regu- 
late the question of assessing land to revenue, the 
rate of two rupees per acre is far from insignificant 
and if expenditure cannot be further reduced, it is' 
obvious that interest on capital and Government 
assessment cannot be paid out of profit which is tho 
legitimate source whenco such charges should be 
obtained. Moreover, many coffee estates are heavily 
encumbered, and it may be added are absolutely un- 
saleable at tho presont time, as the result of a 
succession of bad seasons, low prices, insect and 
fungoid diseases. Iuterest is therefore an item which 
cannot be ignored. By the late Settlement, the 
planters suddenly found their burdens considerably 
increased. These burdens by falling upon the un- 
productive waste in every holding, enhance tbe price of 
manure, which iu consequence is applied to the land iu 
quantities far from adequate to maintain its produc- 
tiveness. 
We trust we have fairly represented the views of 
our native friend, and that these views will be 
acceptable to his European confreres, if not as ab- 
solutely correct, at least as approximately represent- 
ing the truth, and establishing with some show of 
reason that the assessment is not such an insignificant 
factor in the question under discussion. 
We are aware that several planters, who feel the 
hardship of the times, have been deterred from 
uniting in a memorial to Government knowing that 
tho authorities have long entertained tbe views em- 
bodied in the reply to the Wynaad Planters' Asso- 
ciation, but it is possible that a more intimate 
acquaintance with the planters, their industry and 
their grievances may lead Government to consider in 
what way, apart from tho remission of assessment, 
really efficient relief cau be afforded'! Tbe planters 
themselves, however, must formulate their own re- 
quest and establish conclusively that the relief asked 
Will bo a substantial benefit. Government naturally 
believe that if coH'co planting is in extremis, the relin- 
quishment of a couple of rupees an acre is not likely 
to save it, and it must be confessed that this view 
has much in its favour.— South of India Observer 
COCONUT OIL PROSPECTS. 
There has beeu a belief for years that the price of 
tallow governs tho market for coconut oils, but impor- 
ters and dealers have about como to the conclusion 
that the articles bear no relation to each other, aud 
there appears to be abundant evideuco to that effect 
On occasions when tbe tallow market is low and de- 
pressed, buyers of soapstocks aro disposed to refer to 
the fact as an argument against ruling quotations for 
other articles iu their line', and are not willing to 
accipt the other side of the situation when the 
market is against them. The actual barometer of 
vulues is the position of stocks, irrespective of all 
other raw soap materials, and it makes no difference 
whether tallow is elevated in price or otherwise, 
coconut oil will command a figure according to tho de- 
mand and supply. Loudon quotations rule the pri- 
mary markets, and tho views entertained there regu- 
late values iu tho United Slates, while the whole 
system is based on the visible supply and probable 
demand. The latter is well determined, as the con- 
sumption has steadily increased for several years, and 
operators ai tbe place oi export are enabled to con- 
tract several months ahead Ironi bemg familiar with 
tho prospective outpu- and subsequeut moveuicut. 
The spot stock ol Ceylou coconut oil is placed at 6ix 
UUUdre t but it is claimed that part of this is 
held for a consumer, aud that not, more than hall of 
the .mount will oomo On the market. The compara- 
tively .united supply on spot i,. an important in- 
Queuee pa prices notwithstanding the libvial quantity 
oil the way to this port, Tho small available stock is 
