Dec. t, iSgy] THE tROPICAL 
AGRICULtURiSt. 
405 
the cultivation has constantly increased to a very 
considerable extent. A special feature of Jaffa oranges 
is that they will keep from 30 to 40 days, and, if 
properly packed, for two and even three months. 
New orange groves are continually being laid out, 
and the total number is now about 400, against 
200, 15 years ago. This, again, has affected the po- 
Eulatiou of Jaffa, which now contains 42,000 inha- 
itants, against 1.5,000 inhabitants 12 years ago. 
The exports for the last few years have averaged 
36,000 boxes per annum, and owing chiefly to this 
trade Jaffa ranks next to Beyrout in importance 
among Syrian coast towns. Orange growiug in Syria 
is conducted exclusively by natives. Each orange 
garden contains about 2,000 square feet of 
planted area, equal to about 1,300 trees to 2^ 
acres. The trees begin to bear the fourth 
jear after plautioK, but it is estimated that it takes 
seven and sometimes eight years before an orange 
orchard yields a remunerative crop. During iiU this 
time, and even afterwar.ts, the orohartis have to be 
watered continaally, and this irrigation is the most 
diffioult and laborious part of tho work, iuaamuch as 
the water has to be drawn by means of primitive 
water-wheels from wells dug ia the gardens 90ft. and 
even lOOEt. deep. Pumping by horse-power has been 
tried and in some rare cases steam, but both have 
failed to give eatisfsc'iion. Oa the Jewish Alliaooe 
farm an artesian well has been tried, but had to be 
abandoned after three years spent in fruitless eodeav- 
ours to strike water, although a depth o£ 700ft. had 
been reached and £2,400 hai been spent ia the tttempt. 
The wells are circular, 20ft, to 26ft in diameter, and 
have to be sunk in the sandy soil down to the rocky 
stratuu t)efore water can be found. That part of the 
wells which goes through the sand has to be facad 
with masonry during the proceaa of sinking. Tbi's 
waterlne; begins on May 1 and is carried on until 
November 1. Toe cost of irrigation alone represents 
from 45 to 47 per ceni of the first year's outlay, and 
during the second year it forms from 40 to 42 per cent 
of the working expenses. An improved and cheaper 
Bfstem of irrigation is therefore of paramount import- 
ance, and the need of it ha? been much felt for more 
than 10 years past, as it wonld tend to the extensive 
and fertile plains round Jaffa becoming in a short space 
of time extensive orange groves, would cheapen the 
production, and would enable the growers and ex- 
porters to compete with the oranges of other countries 
in tbe European markets. A scheme for utilizing the 
waters of the river Audja, which flows into the sea a 
few miles to the north ot Jaffa and for which a con- 
cession has been granted by tbe Forte, is thea described 
in detail. — London Times. 
^ ____ 
BRITISH NORTH BORNEO: LATEST 
NEWS. 
PLiNTING AND OlHEnWISB. 
Gold Mining. — It speaks well for the prospects 
that with an unsatisfactory rate of labour, the men 
make dollars \\, 2^, 3 and in some cases 4 per diem. 
The unsatisfactory rate arises from the fact that 
the men at work digging are tobacco estate labourers 
who have completed their contracts, and have been 
hired in small parties by various Chinese Tawkeys 
in Silam and Labadan who find them in food, tobacco 
and opium, and in return take over the gold they 
manage to secure. What is wanted to properly 
developo and follow up the recent gold discoveries 
is an influx of Chinese skilled miners to the country. 
M.\soNnv ia taking root in Borneo, for wo read of a 
successful " At Homes", &c., given by the Saudakan 
Lodge. 
Sarawak and BRi risn Nokth Borneo. — There is no 
truth, says tho Borneo Hirald, in the rumour that 
the authorities of the latter territory have been in 
negotiation with Rajah Brooke. If tbe territory 
ever changes hands wo fool convinced that tho Im- 
perial Govorninent and uouo other will be established 
\o, I^octh Bgiueo, 
Ground Nuts. — The ground nut is little known 
in England, but in all other parts of the world it 
has in one farm or another an immense sale : in 
the United States there are some thirty thousand 
acres under cultivation withMt, in Senegal 100,000, 
while in China it is chiefly used for cooking pur- 
poses, and the production is immense : Marseilles 
imports about 100,000 tons a year half of which 
without doubt makes its appearance as olive oil, 
and the residue is pressed into cake of which some 
60,000 tons were made in Marseilles alone in 1886. 
The Peanut sale farm in the Chicago exhibition is 
an item of no inconsiderable importance. Ground 
nuts are a four months crop, so that it would in 
good ground, or with manure be nearly possible to 
get three crops a year. The price of the oil has 
risen in China, and as there will also be a good 
market in San Francidco when freights across the 
Pacific are cheap the cultivation promises to be- 
come of importance to North Borneo in the future. 
The latest quotation in Marseilles shows a return 
of about 3j dollars per picul to the cultivator. 
The amount of land suitable for ground nuts in 
North Borneo is indefinite. 
Sago. — The cultivation of the Sago Palm on the 
river of the West Coast has always been an im- 
portant industry, while on the East Coast the 
valleys of the rivers Kinibatangan, Labuk, Segat, 
Segama, and others offer the greatest facilities for 
its growth, if only there were a suflicient population, 
while conversely its cultivation and manufacture hold 
out the promise of remunerative occupation to a nu- 
merous population. The demand for sago has steadily 
increased. Last year's exports from Singapore bulked 
over 100,000 tons. In 1887 they were under 60,000, 
while the price of sago fiour which for the years 
18S4 to 1888 averaged somewhere about 2 dollars 
per picul, is now hearly 2.50 and as the demand 
for it for adulterating, starch making and other 
purposes increases, the price gives every promise 
of remaining unchanged, if not rising for years 
to come. 
DRUG REPORT. 
(From the Chemist and Drugyist.) 
London, Nov. 2. 
Cinchona.— The fortnightly auctions, which fell on Tues- 
day last, were again very limited in extent, ouly five 
brokers offering barb, their catalogues totalling up to — 
Packages. Packages. 
Ceylon cinchona 2bi of which 22G were sold 
East ludiau cinchoua 662 „ 638 ,, 
American bark 133 ,, 53 ,, 
1,017 917 
There was a fairly steady demand throughout the auctiuna, 
one or two parcels of bark which were boufjhn ia at sale 
fiuding buyers immediately afterwards. The uuis remains 
unaltered at 3.I per lb. 
The following were the chief buyers :— 
Lb. 
Agents for the Mannheim and Amsterdam works ... 59,37S 
Messrs. Howards & Sons ... ... ... 39,460 
Agents for the Auerbach works ... ... 81,319 
Agents for tho Frankfort o/JI and Stuttgart works 20,220 
Agents for the Paris factory ... ... 9,145 
Agents for the Brunswick works ... ... 8 2S7 
Mr. Thos. Whiffen ... ... 7.120 
Sundry druggists . . .„ ... ... 47,984 
Total quantity of bark sold ... ... 213,933 
Bought in or withdrawn ... ... 29,520 
Total quantity of bark offered ... ... 242,453 
The following are the prices paid for sound bark : — 
CiiYLO.y Cinchona.— Original— Ked varieties : Ordinary 
dull to g' od bright quilly chips. Id to i\i per lb.; 
dull shavings Ijd ; ordmary dull root IJd to 1 Jd per 
lb. Grey varieties: Dull shavings ; id per lb.; dm-ty 
yellow chips 3id per lb. Fair hybrid chips Id to li'l 
per lb. 
CiNNAjto.y continues to sell well ; business being re- 
ported iu Ceylon quill, usual assortment, Ujiober-Novem- 
ber shipment at tijd per lb. c.i.f. terms. 
Vanii.la.— It is pointed out that more than three- 
fourths C7Sj per cent of the 656 tins of new crop boauj 
offered .it last Thursday's public salos consistoi ol 
" abort leugtba "'—i.e., pgda uudet G inuhf ^ in iv«»iiWr 
