S8o 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [March i, 1889. 
You say Ceylon cannot afford it. We have spent 
R25,000 quite in pushing tea in Great Britain. 
R10,000 would not be a large sum to push tea 
in America. 
[We meant both schemes : most certainly Dr. 
Duke's proposal has a first claim, provided special 
attention is given by Mr. Murray to the Central 
and Western States. — Ed.] 
4 
PADDY CULTIVATION. 
Your remarks upon the impolicy of continuing 
to treat paddy cultivation as if it afforded the most 
profitable, instead of its being one of the least remune- 
rative, of any agricultural pursuit in Ceylon have 
been read with much appreciation. It is, of course, 
most difficult to change the customs of a people 
which have prevailed from time immemorial ; but 
what you have written is likely, we believe, to 
awaken the Colonial Office to a sense of there being 
something more than weak in the representations 
by which it has hitherto been induced to acquiesce 
in the large expenditure annually incurred to foster 
the extension of what is, or ought to be, a stationery 
industry in Ceylon. Except in a few remote districts 
to which the cost of carriage of coast rice would 
make its consumption almost prohibitory, there ex- 
ists no raison d'etre for further endeavor to misdirect 
the energies of the natives of Ceylon. You lay 
much stress on the cultivation of the palmyra 
palm among the industries which you think might be 
usefully added to that of paddy growing. The chief 
difficulty as to the adoption of this cultivation 
seems to myself — who, for many years, resided among 
groves of such palms— to be the length of time 
required for them to come into profitable bearing. 
The man who plants them must do so for a suc- 
ceeding generation.* The virtue of self-denial, of 
thought for those who have to come afterwards, 
was, it is to be feared, much more inculcated and 
practised in days gone by than it is likely to be 
now, when the growth of population and facilities 
for ready movement to other fields of settlement 
have broken up the old conservative attachment to 
locality of birth. But the palmyra palm is a tree 
of so many useful purposes that it would be a 
thousand pities if it were allowed to die out in 
Ceylon. Your Forest Department might, we think, 
usefully direct its attention to the planting of wide 
areas of these trees, and it is certain that the Govern- 
ment of a future day would reap vast benefits 
from the adoption of such a course, for it — the 
Government — "goes on for ever, ever," while 
family ties and associations daily grow less strong 
and less binding to the soil. " Let posterity take 
care of itself" is now the universal motto, and 
the tendency now is rather to obtain the price 
for the palms as timber rather than to preserve 
them or extend their growth for the benefit of 
successors. — London Cor. 
NORTH BORNEO NEWS. 
(From the North Borneo Herald, Jan. 1st.) 
Planting.— The great feature of the year is the 
wonderful impetus given to tobacco planting in the 
Territory, and the consequent rush of applications 
in the Land Department. The whole of the 
available land in Marudu Bay has been taken 
*Not at all: where well cultivated, 10 years should 
see a return ; but we spoke of official encouragement. 
-En. 
up by various companies while large acre- 
ages have been located on the Sugut, Labuk, 
Kinabatangan and Segama Bivers, as also in the 
vicinity of Lahad Dato in Darvel Bay. So far, 
with two exceptions the Tobacco industry is in the 
hands of Dutch planters attracted to this Colony by 
the excellence of its climate and soil and the ex- 
treme facilities for the acqusition of land, facili- 
ties unknown in the countries administered by the 
Netherlands India authorities, fco far the planting 
industry is almost entirely confined to Tobacco, 
with the exception of Mr. Christian's Liberian 
Coffee Estate near Kudat ; but we understand it 
is the intention of the East Borneo Company to 
experiment in pepper planting on their estates on 
the Kinabatangan River. Mr. Mitchelson well known 
as a pepper planter in Johore is managing for the 
Company up the Kinabatangan in conjunction with 
Mr. Schuit late of the Rotterdam Borneo Company 
in Marudu Bay. Splendid specimens of leaf are re- 
ported from Banguey, Ranow. Mr. Stephen's estate in 
Darvel Bay and other places. One of the largest Com- 
panies floated during the year is the London Borneo 
Company inaugurated in London by Count Geloes 
d'Elsloo which bids fair to be one of the most 
powerful planting Companies in the Territory. 
Timbeh. — Messrs. E. E. Abrahamson and Company 
have formed their timber business into a company 
entitled the China-Borneo Company Limited. Mr. 
E. E. Abrahamson will be the resident Manager in 
Sandakan. The Company was formed in Hongkong 
with a powerful Directorate and the Shares were 
most rapidly taken up. An event during the year 
was the opening of the large Saw Mill and plant 
belonging to the British Borneo Trading and Plant- 
ing Company, a full account of which was given 
in our July number. The Resident Manager is Mr. 
F. R. Boultbee, M.I.C.E. The Company possess one 
steam launch for towing purposes. 
Coal. — Thanks to the energy of Mr. Henry Walker, 
the Commissioner of Lands, it seems probable we 
are about to develop a payable Coal seam within 
two miles of the town of Sandakan. Samples of 
this coal have been brought to tpwn and com- 
pared with Muara Coal, the experts unanimously 
giving the Sandakan specimens the preference. 
Communication. — Facilities for communication 
with Singapore have increased wonderfully. Mr. 
Bogaart on behalf of Messrs. W. Mansfield and 
Company has contracted with the Company for a 
coastal service and a through steamer from Singa- 
pore via North Borneo ports to Hongkong and 
back. The large steamer " Memnon " is at present 
running the Hongkong route and the "Mercury" 
which is commanded by Captain C. Griffin is 
running the coast trade. The Hongkong direct 
route has already proved a great boon to the 
country and will greatly facilitate the supply of 
coolies for the tobacco estates. In addition to 
these steamers we still have the " Paknam," 
" Hong Ann," " Spaniel" and " Royalist " running 
while Messrs. Behn Meyer and Company have 
sent two steamers on occasional trips, the " Parana" 
and " Provineia." 
Immigration. — The number of Immigrants arriv- 
ing in the Colony was 4,930 against 1,756, during 
1887. The number of Departures 1,703 against 
1,098, in 1887, 
Shipping. — The aggregate Tonnage inwards and 
outwards from Sandakan amounts to 85,398 tons, 
against 63,987 in 1887. 
Progress. — The following return of the 
Revenue and Expp nditure and Trade of the Terri- 
tory since 1883, with an Estimate for 1899 will w« 
truBt be considered satisfactory by our readers 
whom in conclusion we wish a Happy and 
Prosperous New Year ; — 
