THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July i, 1895. 
epfed with ■which large art as can be gone ever 
viilb them are eo great, that, we are told, this 
method of treatmtnt is generally preferred to 
dry fipriijkliDg. It is likely to prove both 
cheaper end more effective in the locg run, 
though tberu ie tome prejadice against it ou account 
of the initisl co6t of tlie foicc pumps. The value cf 
this treatment is eo well recognised in Eufjland that 
componods of soap and eulphnr are already being sold 
by some of tLe chief soap manufactarers ready made 
up for use. The possbility of applying insecticides by 
means of spraying apparatus over wide areas at a 
paying rate, Las been recognised for a long time in 
America, and tlie demand which has sprung up for tbin 
cladB of apparatus is now said to be enormous. In 
England prejudice was so strong that it is only witbin 
the last few years that the system has been at all 
widely adopteo, and only io the case of such vala'<blo 
orcps as bops aud fruit. la India the system is still 
in Its iufancyi and there is nu enormoua amount to be 
done in the way of experiment before it caa be placed 
upon a practical fooling, though in view of the expe- 
rience of the United States there can be little doubt 
that It will ultimately be taken np. Such valaable 
crops as tea and coffee seem to be peculiarly suited to 
this method of treatment- Mr. Playfair's experim'-nts 
with red spider are a valuable contribution to the 
Bubjuct, and the importauce ot eliminating the uncer- 
tainty of yield bo otten induced by red spider will be 
appreciated by all who are interested iu the tea industry. 
MoBqaito blight, which is an even greater evil, still 
defies treatment, but the fact that it has been found 
possible to overcome the one raises bopea that the otber 
may likewise be suocetf? fully dealt ■wiib.—Engliihman. 
THE GOLD IN THE COFFEE. 
In the good old times (so long ego as eight or 
(en yeare) men planted coSee in Malaya and said 
that at $15 per picul they could easily pay back the 
tuoney lent them on the security of favourable fore- 
oastB. For iu thote ancient dajs the hearts of mtn 
were young, and their hopes were high ; and bankers 
beeonght their customers to borrow. Now coffee is 
at 836 per picul, and those of the planteis who are 
not dead or bankrupt are beginning- to think tlmt 
they may yet be able to " look the whole world in 
the face," And to this journal ihere comes a 
wondrous tale. Upon one estate in the Peninsula, 
the Javanese labourers have, at tbeir own 
desire, entered into piece work contracts which 
appear to ensure to the estate a large profit. 
J?he estate is in full bearing and its average pro- 
duction is probably 4 piijaU per acre — which is by no 
means a large production. The Javanese have offered 
to maintain the estate in order ; to tend and pluck 
the coflee ; and to dehver it ready lor the market 
lor a payment of per pioul, or SIO5 if certain 
machinery be provided. Beyond ttat the pitnter 
has only to supply the manure ; to maintain the 
buildings ; to run the coffee machinery ; and to pro- 
vide the cost of superintendence, wbich mtaus 
his own cost of Jiving or the tquivalect in selaiy. 
The value of the manure to be supplied maybe taken 
as $10 per acre ; and if §8 per acre be regarded as 
BufticieLt allewance lor tlie other expenses named, and 
if the yield be taken at 4 piculs per acre it fol- 
lows ihat planter can put his cofite on the Sin- 
gapore market at a cost price of iSlS per picul. He 
seiiB it at §36 per picul. The difietence between §15 
and $36 consiiintes the profit earned by the capital 
sunk in the estate. It may be said lougtily speaking 
that to plant coffee and 10 tend it until it is in full 
bearing sboald cost §200 per acre. Many estates have 
cost more than that ; but it appears that the Javanese 
are willing to break ground and lend coffee for exten- 
sion purposes at a charge which brings the cost of 
coffee in bearing to under $200 per acre. The calcula- 
tions submitted then assume the following shape. A 
thousand acres of land may be put intotuil coffee bear- 
ing for §200,000. At the rate of four picuis per acre 
the estate will then yield four thousand piculs of ootfee 
yearly, Tlj^ (;08t of'produoing that coffee yearly and 
bringing it to market will be $lh per pica) ; and it 
will sell at $30. The margin is $21 per picul which, 
ou fcur thousand picule produced by 01 e thousand 
tcr(R, NhowB a net profit of $84,000, per aunom. The 
e6tate r< precents capital of $200,000, so that the prcfit ia 
at the rate tf 40 „ per annum. It is furtbi r pointed 
out that, according to Messrs. Uill and K«thourob'« 
returns, an ettate should yield much mote tl un four 
piculs per acre ; and that, on the contract syeleiii, the 
Javanese will have an eapetinl interest proiiudog a 
larger )ield than four piculs per acre. Therefore, 
still further possibilities of profit are suggeated. 
Further it is noted that by the piece work tyst«u 
It is the iutereat of the Javanese headmen to 
ree that the r kougsees work bard and regu- 
larly ; BO that iho planttr is suppoKci to be rflieied 
of all the most tedious aad disagreeable part of hi* 
work. By the change iu the labour (cbeme the 
planter, who was a bruken-hearted coolie driver, 
becomes a jolly Equire ; while at the came time the 
fields round which be is to canter become " vast 
poteutiulitiis of wealth beyond the dreams uf avarice." 
In marble halls, ccoled by plashing fountaiuf, the 
happy planter will pafs the sunlit hours in amorous 
dalliance or in smoke-wreathed ease; and in the cool 
of the evening be will ride forth to look at the work 
of that aell-guided labour which is laying the founda- 
tions of his Maylair palace or bis villa by the Lake of 
Como. !:o AiuBBchar dreamed. We adopt the Eastern 
habit. The laLd if vaio regret is lighted by the rays 
of facile hope. — Straits Timet, May 9. 
WEEDING OF ESTATES. 
With reference to the remarks oi oar Batiota 
planting oorreepondent in yesterday's Olierver, 
it may be well to republlEh the following from 
our " Planter's Vade .Vecum '' for the becpfit of 
young planters : — 
It will aho be ycur duty to see that the weeding 
oontractDrs do their work properly, and let me tell you 
there is no work on an estate more liable to be scamped 
tbau weeding, : ud generally it is the most expensiive. 
The estate you are going to, we will suppose is weeded 
once a month, still it is no^ clean and the contractors 
are niaking very little if any profit off tbeir contracts, 
Bo that much of tbe ansistant's time is spent having 
frequently to visit the different weeding contract 
gangs. I am quite aware this is often tie case, bet 
think the contractors should pay for tbeir own over- 
seer. Thus if your estate is 300 screp, and weeded by 
coiittact at so much per acre per mensem, it is an easy 
matter getting the rortractors to agree to a reduction 
of three or four cents per acre, and ycu appoint one of 
themselves on tbe sum obtained by tbe reduction, to be 
overseer of all tbe contracts. His duty will be to viiiit 
every conttaot, daily exsmire the previoua day's work, 
and make them do it over again if badly done. See 
that tbe coolies have the regulation weeding 
tool, whatever that may be, that etch of them 
have a cooty sack to put the weeds inte, and that one 
or mora large Backs are being used for receiving and 
Carrying the weeds from the cooty sacks to tbe weed 
depot, tbat none are missed, or allowed to lie amongst 
the tea or in heaps on the roads. The weeds ought 
to be transferred from the cooty sacks to the large 
sack and not thrown on the road in a heap, to be 
gathered Bf;erwards. At 4 p.m. tbe weeding overseer 
reports to ycu in the presence of the kanganies, and 
on the work generally the number employed on the 
various contrac:8, wbich statement you enter in your 
check-roll. If you find tbat with monthly weed- 
ing with the close supervision of an overeeer, and 
your own periodical visits that tbe estate is still 
tar from clean, then insist on the contractors weed- 
ing the same ground three times in two months for 
the same motey as allowed for weeding twice in 
two mcnths. It is only a matter of a few extra coolies 
the first mouth or two ; sftei wards tbe work becomes 
lighter and contractors will reap a profit where formerly 
they hftd 9t iosBi 
