K)2 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[August i, i88»« 
scatter them far and wide, and already the neigh- 
bourhood of Sydney possesses a considerable growth 
of the unwelcome stranger. It appears to have been 
imported from France as a garden flower, and, if it 
could be confined to the garden, it would be an orna- 
ment instead of a nuisance. But in New Caledonia it 
has already covered valleys and mountain slopes with a 
luxuriant growth o£ almost impenetrable scrub, render- 
ing a large extent of country utterly valueless until it 
has been rooted up and burnt. So many runs have been 
seriously prejudiced in value by neglect in coping with 
burr and thistle, and latterly with prickly pear, that it 
is to be hoped that this new vegetable pest will not be 
allowed to make head-way. The lantana might with 
advantage be included amongst the noxious plants to 
provide for the destruction of which Mi-. Davenport's 
Bill was brought into the Legislative Assembly of 
Queensland last autumn.— Colonies and India. 
PLANTING IN SUMATRA. 
Now that affairs are beginning to settle down a little 
in Acheen, attention is being directed to the other 
parts of Sumatra under Dutch rule, and especially to 
that portion which is the site of the tobacco planta- 
tions. As our readers are aware, the progress in 
tobacco cultivation has been very rapid, and the list of 
estates which we published a short time back gives a 
good idea of the extent to which the enterprise has been 
brought. Thousands of acres are under cultivation, and 
the returns have already reached a very large figure. The 
advantage to the Netherlands India Government Prom 
such a large influx of capital as is expended on the estates 
is very great, and Deli, Langkat, Serdang, and all such 
places ought to receive something more than a mere 
passing thought by the officials. According to all 
accounts, however, little else falls to the lot of the 
planters, who are making complaints as to tbe way they 
are treated. First and foremost it is said that not a 
single road has ever been made by the Government, not- 
withstanding the fact that the planters have to pay 
considerable taxes on income, imports, exports, and 
coolies. This is a peculiar state of things, because, 
if there is one thing more important than another 
with regard to the successful opening up of a new country 
it is a systematic means of communication. So far as 
the estates themselves are concerned, of course all the 
roads are made by the planters, but outside the limits of 
the estates they have a right, to expect that the Govern- 
ment will open up communication with the sea coast 
for the purpose of conveying the produce, and also 
to the centres where the officials reside, for the 
purpose of protection. As to the conveyance of pro- 
duce, most of the estates have water carriage, and 
as to that the authorities would not have much to 
do ; but the intersecting the country itself with, 
at any rate decent roads, is a matter which ought 
to be performed by the Government. It must always 
be remembered that an estate is like a little 
world in itself, and the management of it involves a 
serious amouut of trouble on those who have to per- 
form that duty. In Sumatra the planters have no 
authority to act in the capacity of justices of the peace, 
and in the event of a disturbance with their coolies 
(a thing which does occasionally occur), the planter can 
take no steps to arrest the ringleaders until the 
officials arrive. Owing to the few police stations, the 
distances beetween each, and the difficulty of commu- 
nication, their arrival is, as a rule, not for a long 
time after the trouble, and in the meantime the riot- 
ers can do almost what they like. Under such cir- 
cumstances it is no wonder that the planters are loud 
in their complaints. They are, of course, obliged to 
take steps for their own protection ; but with no 
powers of arrest they can do nothing in the absence of 
the police to enforce order. It is always desirable, when 
there i I a Government force within easy reach, to limit 
the powers of those not holding office, and in all cases 
the manager alone ought to be able to act as a justice 
of the peace, but it is also very necessary for tbe 
planter to be able to call in Government aid with as 
short a delay as possible. If he cannot do so, his powers 
ought to be more extended, and he should be recog- 
nised by the Government by means of a commission 
of the peace. It is not likely that any one who 
was so recognised would abuse his authority, 
because every act would be done with the ulterior 
object of maintaining peace, and thereby securing suc- 
cess. The authority granted would not confer immunity 
in cases of wrong doing, but it would materi- 
ally assist the officials in the performance of their 
duties. The necessity for protection is well known in 
Sumatra, for the Battaks and Gayoos are far from well 
disposed towards the Dutch, and take every opportunity 
to create disturbances. The system of coolie work 
is also one which always lays the employer open to 
severe losses from the evil disposed, and the sums of 
money lost in the way of advances would cause surprise 
if they were made known. The fact is, the planters 
in Sumatra have" little to thank the Netherlands-India 
Government for, except easy grants of land. This was 
certainly a great inducement, and one which the officials 
in the Malay States might well follow. But at the same 
time, as the planters have so energetically entered into 
the opening up of the country they have a right to expect 
that the Government will do all they can to secure pro- 
tection to life and property. This can only be attained 
by a well constituted police force, a just though strong 
administration, and easy means of communication. Two 
at any rate of these the districts of Sumatra lack, and 
they should be at once conferred. — L. <$r C. Express. 
Coffee in Australia. — An experimental growth of 
Liberian coffee, made by a Mr. Wickham, at his planta- 
tion at Maragen, on the Lower Herbert River, has 
proved successful. The young plants, from seed sup- 
plied from Kew by Sir J. D. Hooker, have just 
ripened their maiden crop, and are described as 
looking very promising for the future. It is prob- 
able that coffee planting on a large scale may take 
place in Northern Australia. The soil is fertile, and 
the climate well adapted to the European constitu- 
tion. Land can be taken up for os an acre, and 
the payment can be spread over a period of ten years. 
— Home and Colonial Mail. 
Linnban Society.— June 2nd.— Sir J. Lubbock, Bart., 
in the chair. Mr. Elwes exhibited samples of quinine 
made by a new process, without expensive chemical appa- 
ratus, by Mr. Gammie, superintendent of the Govern- 
ment chinchona plantations of Sikkim. — Mr T. Christy 
drew attention to living rubber plants from West frica, 
viz., Urostigma Vogdli Tabernaemontana crassa, and 
he showed products of Pislacia terebinthus, viz., the 
nuts, the resin, and the so-called butter separated from 
the resin, and used for sweetmeats in the East, also 
Chian turpentine from the same tree. — Sir J. Lubbock 
read a paper 'On the Habits of Ants.' — Mr. S. O. 
Ridley read a paper 'On the Genus Plocamia of Schmidt,' 
and some other echinonematous sponges. With refer- 
ence to the genus mentioned, for which he accepted 
Prof. Duncan's name of Dirrhopalum, he enumerated 
three species already described, but assigned to other 
genera, which must be added to it; the distribution 
is thus extended from the tropical Atlantic to the 
British, Portuguese, and Ceylon seas. He described 
a New Zealand species, which proves to be new to 
science, and appears to decide a point which has been 
disputed, viz., the existence of ceratinous material in 
the skelton. Geological facts were brought forward 
showing the existence of the genus in the Eocene, 
upper chalk, and greensaud formations. A new genus 
of the same order was described, based on a species 
of Lamarck and two other species ; it is closely allied 
to Dictyocylindus. — Athenaeum. 
