S86 
ThE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March i, 1889. 
sieve. The pods are dried perfectly dry in the sun, 
until the thiu skin which covers the seed can be broken 
by rubbing, when they can be stored. If they are 
not quite dry they shoot again, and are useless. Oil 
is pressed from grbund-nuts; and the tefuse made 
into ground-nut cakes; 401b. sown to an acre yield 
about 666 lb.— Consular Report. 
- ♦ 
The beitish ageicultueal eetuens 
FOE 1888. 
Nurseries, Woods, Plantations, &c. — In the " Edi- 
torial Summary" it is stated under this head that in land 
used by nurserymen for the growth of trees, shrubs, 
&c, the returns show a slight decrease from the 
acreage of 1887. The land used by nurserymen in 
England amounts to 10,496 acres compared with 10,669 
in 1887; Wales foots up 292 against 277 acres; and 
Scotland, 1,477 acres against 1,532 last year. Possibly 
that decrease is only temporary, owing to the rapid 
development of our larger cities and towns, and the 
rooting up of old concerns. Next year's figures will 
very likely tell a different tale. Of the average of 
woods and plantations a special return has been ob- 
tained for this year. The last return was made in 
1880, in which certain corrections, due to subsequent 
inquiries, were made and inserted in the returns 
published in 1881. Sinoe that date the acreage appears 
to have increased in Great Britain from 2,458,300 acres 
to 2,560,700 acres, or nearly 4'2 per cent. In many 
of the northern counties and in Scotland large additions 
arerecorded. The increase in England has been nearly 
62,300 acres ; in Wales, 4,800 acres ; and in Scotland 
45,400. The total increase in Great Britain has been 
about 102,400 acres. 
Small Fruit Culture. — Under this heading we note 
that the extent of land returned as under the 
culture of small fruit, such as Gooseberries, 
Currants, Strawberries, &c, whether in orchards 
or in market gardens, amounts this year to 36,700 
acres. In many countries the collecting officers report 
that the practice among farmers of appropriating land 
to the growth both of fruit and vegetables has fur- 
ther extended in order to meet the demand for them; 
and though the additional quantities of land may, 
as regards individual occupiers, be relatively small, 
in the aggregate they become considerable. It is 
stated in a report from the county of Norfolk that 
from only one small station on the Eastern and 
Midland Bailway nearly 100 tons of fruit are sent 
weekly to Manchester and other towns in the North 
of England at certain periods of the year ; and this 
is cited as a single illustration only of what is being 
done throughout that county. 
Orchards, Market Gardens, &c. — A decrease is re- 
corded this year of 3,056 acres in the area of orchards in 
Great Britian, it being now 199,178 acres ; but the smaller 
extent shown must be considered in connection with the 
newly ascertained acreage of small fruit, the apparent 
deficiency having doubtless arisen from part of the 
land which should last year have been returned as 
growing small fruit having then in some cases been 
placed in the orchard column of the schedule sent 
out to occupiers, &c. The acreage now returned, 
may, it is confidently believed, be taken to represent 
more accurately than in any preceding year, the actual 
area so covered; the land under grass, or upon which 
small fruit is grown, or which is left fallow in orchard, 
as may happen to be the case, being included under 
these several heads in the returns. — Gardeners' 
Chronicle* 
TOBACCO CULTUEE : DELI AND NOETH 
BOENEO. 
(ICxchavges to 17th Novemher.) 
The rising fortunes of British North Borneo, and the 
rapid advance of tobacco cultivation there, have 
naturally aroused keen interest in Deli, hitherto so pre- 
eminent in tbo supply of that article. The Deli 
Courata ban taken up the matter, and has sought to 
gain information at the fountain from a gentleman 
who knows both countries well, and can speak db- 
passionatefv and authoritatively on the merits of the 
question. He spent several months in British North 
Borneo, and noted down his obseivatiou in a journal. 
The following extracts will give the gist of his 
experiences. 
The Countr-. 
The territory of the B. N. B. Company takes in the 
north-east portion of Borneo with a coast line from 
Brunei Bay on the north to Santa Lucia or Sibuko 
Bay on the east. Its area is estimated at 31,000 
square miles, but the boundaries have nowhere been 
accurately marked out. The Dutch Government lays 
claim to the S. E. portion of the dominion in the 
hands of Ihe Company, and so far has made it good 
for tha time being. The whole territory "esembles a 
peninsula. It takes in the north-eastern mountain 
chain of Borneo with its branches ard spurs, and the 
alluvial land lying between. The huge mountain 
mass of Kina Balu rises in the midst, visible to a 
long distance at sea. These mountains, viewed from 
the coast, present, for the most part, a gloomy ap- 
pearance, slender trees with few leaves rise up from 
the steep, red, sandy hills. 
The Hills. 
Many hill tops are covered with lallang grass 
others with scrubby bush, some being quite bare 
Three to four ridges of hills \ stretch out to the north 
of Kina Balu. The alluvial plains are very few in 
number. Great trouble was met with in finding 
ground for half a dozen more or less promising 
estates in Maruda Bay. Many small rivers fall into 
the sea in this portion of the coast after a short 
course. They generally run north, and are almost 
unknown, but it is believed they run through very 
narrow valleys liable to heavy floods from the high 
mountains close by. The mouths of these rivers 
present difficu'ties to navigation for the greater part 
of the year. 
The East Territory. 
The easterly portion of the Company's territory is 
flatter. Four ridges of hills separate the valleys of 
the five principal rivers of the north, namely, the 
Paitan, Sugut, Labuk, KiDabatangan, and Segameh. 
All these rivers run east. The Paitan and Labuk fall 
into days bearing the same name. Further south is 
Sandakan Bay. South of the Segameh river, one comes 
upon Darvel Bay. The rest of the east coast down 
to Sibuko river is almost unknown. The Company- 
refuses to grant land in Santa Lucia Bay on the ground 
of the boundary difficulties with the Dutch Government. 
The Teachings of Experience. 
Experience gained in a whole range of estates has 
shown that the land on the Paitan river is too sandy and 
too liable to overflow for profitable cultivation. The 
land on the Sugut river is mostly of white clay mixed 
with white sand, a kind of soil which had yielded goo s 
results at Maruda Bay. The Sugut tobacco companie 
have thus a bright prospect before them. The Labuk 
soil seems to be good, judging from the specimens 
available. 
Sandakan Bat. 
A large portion of the country around Sandakan 
Bay consists of steep sandstone hills unsuitable for any 
kind of cultivation. The few alluvial flats are only a 
few thousands of acres in extent, and have mostly 
fallen into the hands of planters, timber dealers, or 
land speculators. The Kinabatangan soil mainly con- 
sists of soft white clay with a covering of humus. The 
same observation applies to the Segamah soil. Of two 
estates on Darvel Bay, one is said to be a total failure. 
It is asserted that the yield, though of good quality, 
amounted to only 100 piculs from upwards of 50 fields. 
The other estate, Lahat Datu by name, presented a 
promising appearance in September last. 
The Bainpall. 
Very little is known about the rainfall and its dis- 
tribution in B. N. Borneo, owing to the observations 
not extending over a sufficient number of years to 
admit of correct generalisation. The usual monsoon 
theories there did not hold good this ye&r.— Straits 
Times, 
