86 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [August i, 1R93. 
It may interest you »o rev-ew the rrsult of ench 
(lietriot which are in followB : — 
AsMin — Depreciati'in nt 20 per cent, B17,45,585, 
profits 1891-92, R10,08,488, Dr. 117,37,097. 
Cachar nnd Sylhet — Deprecist on .it 20 per c.nt 
R13,46,974, profit 1891-92, R10,0J,fi7o, Or. K3,41,999. 
DarjiliDg — Depreciation at 20 per n ut Rl'J 07,246, 
ptofitu 1881-92, B8,08,846 ; Dr. R7,98,400. 
JJunre— Depreciation at 20 pn cent R4,72,400, profits 
1891-92, R10,72.327. Cr. K5,99;9^i7. 
Total— DepreciAtion »t 20 per cmt, R.'')8,72,20(;, 
pro'its 1891-92, R38,94,636, Dr. R12. 77,570. 
Am I right in drawini; the crnfilncion from these 
figures that Mr. Bell and the other Darjilinij Plan- 
ters with him were dcc^ivcl in the notion that low 
Exchange waa a benefit to capitalists having iuvrst- 
ments in tea ? 
The avera;e value per lb. of tia yon will observe 
was R2 higher than that of the previous year. 
But I find that the value of tea across in London 
I etween the months of August and Janaary was 
2d per lb. above the quotatidns of the previous 
year, which seems to go far to a-count for the 
better profits. Ocean freights, too, were abnormally 
low, as you know.— /'joweer. 
[The position here maintained has been successfully 
overthrown by writers on the other side.— Ed. T.A.\ 
COFFEE PLANTING IN THE STRAITS 
SETTLEMENTS. 
News of Old Ceylon Residents. 
{From an Ex-Ceylon Planter's Letter.) 
Euala Lumpor, Selaugor, June 3rd, 1893. 
I send you a list of the Liberian coffee estates 
which I have taken from our "Government Gazette." 
The planters seem to be having a good lime of it 
with no difficulties to contend with. I wish however 
there were more of them. 
The chief difficulty here is for young men to 
find a home to learn planting previous to invest- 
ing their capital. In Ceylon of course it is 
different, and every new arrival has someone to go 
to. The British Resident (Mr. W. H. Tr- acher, 
c.M.G.,) as you are aware visited the coffee districts 
of Ceylon some years ago and takes a great interest 
in all matters connected with agriculture. 
My own opinion as an old planter is that there is 
not a safer investment in the Straits now that 
the pioneering difficulties are over, than coffee, In 
looking through the Singapore Share List there 
appear very few investments worth having. Of course 
people say that coffee is at a very high price now, 
but what would it be by the time a new estate came 
into bearing. 
That is a question nobody can answer, but one can 
fairly say there will always be a heavy demand for 
tea and coffee. 
The railway is being gradually extended into the 
interior and will shortly be finished to within easy 
distance of our future sanitarium, not quite a Nuwara 
Eliya, but that we no doubt shall discover as the 
extension proceeds. 
Ex-Ceylon residents here, jou will be glad to 
learn are well and flourishing, our State Engineer 
(Mr. C. E. Spooner) is busy — Mrs. Spooner leave 
for England shortly on a visit to her family. 
Mr. and Mrs. Vane and Miss Watson from Sungei 
TJgong have been welcome additions to our small 
community. 
Mr. E. A. Watson has returned from the jungle 
very seedy but is now much better. 
Mrs. Venning returns from Europe at the end of 
the year. 
Messrs. French, West, Carey, Cuming, Gatehouse 
and Ohristoffelsz seemed to have settled down in 
their new home. 
Our first Agri-Horticultural Show is arranged 
for next year and we all hope it will be a success 
and benefit the country. 
I notice the Sarawak Government are erecting a 
permanent orchid house. It is an excellent idea as 
ii^m^9 is the b^me pf Qicbids aud the hunting 
ground of all European orchid collectors. I forget 
if Dr. Trimen has anything of the kind at Peradenija 
or Hakgala. 
A good deal of interest is being displayed in the 
expected arrival of the Australian griflftna. The 
system in force here in connection with them ia 
briefly this. A number of residents subscribe S'iOJ 
each and a batch of horses are sent for from 
Australia. On arrival each horse is numbered and 
drawn for by the subscribers. The Selaugor Turf 
Club give a prize at their meeting which greatly 
adds to the interest of the thing. 
Coffee Estates. 
The following return may be accepted in evidence 
of the bona Jiries of the planting community in the 
Euala Lumpur District: — 
I ill!? 
a 3 « 
2 8 
§f2 
5* ? 
a a 
01 e9 
es CD 
a 
a « 
J3 
u u 
a 3 
aw 
WW 
o 
a 
o 
oils 
"aj 
SI 
S 3 
a 
.2 ^ 
0'3 
o 
5 
CO 
< 
12; 
bo 
a 
a 
< 
Oi 
m 3 
O O 
8 £ 
2f= -s 
t3 !3 e 
a. Oi c 
<A & 
o 030)© ®w,:cco> 
Further applications by Messrs. Toynbee & Co. 
for 500 acres, and by Messrs. Murray Campbell and 
M. A. Stonor for 200 acres each, have been granted 
during the past year. The land applied for is in 
each case adjoining the present estates of the re- 
spective applicants. 
The road through Ulu Gombak now in course of 
construction will open up land worth inspection by 
intending planters. 
* Returns not to hand. Kent estate is cewly 
opened. Weld's Hill is fully cultivated. 
