January 2, 1882.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
603 
To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer. 
NO BEES : NO BERRIES. 
Dear Sir, — The end 
per may (if y 
bfl ol' interest to 
No 
noucl 
Sects 
last 
1 cutting from a home pa- 
room for it in the Observer) 
your readers. — Yours Iruly, 
JOHN PATERS ON. 
COP EKE LEAF FUNGUS ON OTHER TREES. 
Dear Sir, — I now send you some kitul, cinnamon, 
stuiyn, and other jungle loaves, eveu creeper, ferns, 
and grass, taken from a native man's garden 
(wliicli all show the piu-spots), in proof of my former 
statement — that leaf disease having left the coffee has 
taken up its quarters in a native mini's garden. I 
may call it jungle, as it is full of large trees as well 
as underwood and abandoned coflee. — Yours faithfully, 
J. H. 
[The leaves sent to us shew no signs of hemileia when 
8cienti!ie.illy examined : the spots are due to other 
canses.— Ed.] 
PLANTING ENTERPRIZE IN BORNEO: 
Sandakcn. North Borneo (via Labium), October 23rd. 
Dear Sir,— I promised, when leaving Ceylon, to 
let you know from time to time how planting mat- 
ters progressed in this part cf Borneo, but I am 
afraid I have nothing of much interest to tell you 
at present. 
I had a very pleasant voyage here, stopping a 
fortnight at Singapore, at which place I had the 
pleasure of meeting several old Ceylon planters, namely, 
Messrs. Parry, W. \V. Bailey, E. A. Watson, W. J. Gar- 
laud and C. II. Bagot, all of whom, I am glad to 
say, appeared in a flourishing condition, and were 
most kind in assisting me to see what I could of 
the country while there. During my stay, I visited 
the Johorc plantations ; as well as the tapioca, 
gambier, pepper, citronclla estates around Singapore, 
all of which were most interesting. I was borry to 
miss seeing the sugar estates at Province Wellceley, but 
our stay at Penang was too shoit. 
Since my arrival here I have been, and ttill am, 
travelling about the country, but I hopo to settle 
down in the course of another month. I have selected 
a p;eee of land for my oxperimmtal garden about 
25 miled from here and on the banks of one of the 
many rivers that How into this line harbour. All 
thee rivers are navigable for many miles and will bo 
BoH useful lor transport. In my travels, 1 came across 
Wine <.ld cocoa trees, bearing well, though in a much 
nugleeted condition. My garden will consist of coffee 
Arabia/, Liberian coffee, cocoa, citronella grass, pepper, 
yandia. tea, jute, tapioca, tobacco, sugar, cinnamon, 
ip nanho, nutmegs, cinchona, cardamoms, India- 
rubber, Manila hump, and several useful shade trees ; 
•o that 1 hope to be able to supply the want-, of any 
pUut. 1 . who may comu hero. 
1 had .1 very plo.i.sant trip to Sulu, a small island 
two days' journey from hero, and belonging half to 
the Sulu* and half to the Spaniards, and which is, 
as regards soil, a regular little gold mine, but un- 
fortunately has a very unsettled Government. I 
was told there was one European there who grew 
coffee, cocoa, tapioca etc., and whose plantation 
I was very anxious to see. It is only one 
hundred feet ab'ive the level of the sta, but never- 
theless what few coffee (Arabka) and cocoa trees he 
had were bearing a heavy crop. 1 sought anxiously 
for leaf-disea;e but could find no signs of it, though 
plants at Singapore, which came from this inland, had 
as bad an attack as I have seen anywhere. 
I am getting all my coffee and cocoa from Sulu, 
and thought of sending some of the former to Ceylon, 
but I remembered the fate of the Blue Mountain coffee 
nt Peradeniya and did not get any. If, however, any 
planter would like a very little seed, as an experiment, 
1 thall be happy to do my best to procure some. 
Our natives here prefer earning a living by the rich 
produce of the jungle, to agriculture, but Chinese labour 
can be procured easily and cheaply ; so that their serv- 
ices will not be required. I hope to finish my low- 
country garden about September, and then steer for 
the north of the island and start one "on the bills. 
The Tropical Agriculturist (or "Enquire Within") is 
much appreciated, as also is the Ceylon Observer. 
Mr. Pryer, the resident here, who has bad great ex- 
perience in China, pronounced the Ceylon tea, which 
I brought with me, as being of a most excellent quality, 
and does not wonder thnt "John Chinaman" has 
got to shut up shop in Ceylon. Has any one ever 
tried importing Ceylon tea into that country (China)? 
I anticipate a good deal will be grown here some 
day. Our climate and soil ought to suit its growth, 
the rainfall last year being 157 inches evenly dis- 
tributed throughout the year. I append rainfall, as 
it may be of interest to your readers : — 
Heat and Rainfall, Sandaken, 1880 and 1881. 
1880. 
1881. 
Rain- 
Rain- 
Max. 
Min. 
fall. 
Max. 
Min. 
fall. 
January 
72 
■>2- 73 
82 
::s 
14-21 
February 
86 
74 
5-17 
83 
,9-09 
March 
87 
74 
10-37 
84 
74 
1-54 
April 
74 
8-71 
83 
74 
4-47 
May 
90 
88 
71 
10-09 
June... 
88 
73 
87 
73 
11-23 
July 
73 
IM 
88 
6-66 
August 
00 
74 
17-88 
n 
4-91 
September 
89 
73 
11-60 
85 
72 
19-18 
October 
90 
73 
November 
71 
26-40 
December 
83 
71 
26-59 
Tot 
al ... 
157"04 
I am glad to see the old P. A. has had a very suc- 
cessful meeting and that the Haputale wound has been 
healed. 
Mr. Schrottky's experiments ou leaf-disease appear 
not to be thought successful, but I hope they will 
nevertheless throw somo further light on the subject. 
Messrs. Whittall & Co. certainly deserve the thanks 
of the P. A. for the plucky manner in which they 
gave up an entire property for Mr. Schrottky's ex- 
periments ; not to mention the heavy outlay they have 
incurred. I seo the Secretary of State for the Colo- 
nies has at last consented to allow the introduction 
of Indian cooly labour into the Native States, pro- 
vided the consent of the Iudian Government is ob- 
tained. This is, I think, a step in the right direc- 
tion, and I hope before lone to see some boat loads 
of them here, wuoro they will get a good climate, good 
wages, cheap rice, and every protection from au Eng- 
lish Government. 
Trusting ynu are all busy with crop,— I remain, 
dear sir, yours faithfully, L. B. YON DONOP, 
P. 8.— I hear an application for laud ('he first) has 
just been rec ived from a goutlemau in Chiua. 
