THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. fOcT. r. 1894. 
COCONUT CROP PROSPECTS : 
IN NEGOMBO AND NORTH-WEST— THE SPREAD OF 
THE OPIUM HABIT— WANT OF QUININE. 
[By a Planter.) 
Negombo District, Aug. 25. 
The weather on thia side of the country is very 
dry and the ground hard. From Giriulla to 
Negombo and from Negombo to Chilaw the drought 
is severe and the coconut crops for next year are 
sure to be affeoted by it. Clouds drift over with 
an occasional drizzle, but except a local shower, 
here and there, there has beea no rain worth 
speaking about for two months, and June's fall 
was very much below the average. Paddy culti- 
vation and ohena sowing have suffored also. The 
natives of the Katugampola (Sat-Korale) tell me 
that for the past throe years the rainfall has 
been scanty, and paddy cultivation a comparative 
failure. . . 
Opium consumption seems to be gaming 
Ground among the villagers; passing along the 
road from Negombo to Chilaw 1 observed two 
white jars on a counter and hid the curiosity to 
inquire what they oontained when I was informed 
that it was opium. The seller, by the way is an 
officer under Government. There was a small crow J 
around ihe shop, and the offioer pointed out four 
persons who are habitual consumers of from three to 
ten cents worth a day. Ono man said that he had 
on three occasions made great efforts tj give up 
the habit but could not. All said that their 
reason for oommenoing the habit was to lelieve 
rheumatic and other aches, and that it was 
effeotual where other remedies failed. -they all 
quite admitted that the habit was a bad one, and 
spoke feelingly of the suffering they sometimes 
endured when from impeouniosity they were not 
able to purchase their usual allowanoe. I adviEed 
them to try quinine for their aches and pains. 
It is a pity the Ceylon Government does not, fol- 
lowing the example of India, in placing quinine at all 
the post offices so that it is thus within the reach 
of the people in even distant villages. 
COFFEE IN THE PHILIPPINES. 
The produotioo of coffee continues to be an unim- 
portant item in the agricultural industry of the Philip- 
Sine Islands. The province of Bataogas is the chiet 
district for the production of this article, but the coffee 
plantations there have been ravaged for some years 
by various destructive insects, one of which ot the 
denies of the Eylotrochus, calle 1 the Z7»i«, perforates 
the stem of the plants and so honeycombs them lq 
time that the plants are entirely destroyed. The 
Philippine Government has sent scientific mqu'rers 
down to the distriot to report on the ravages and 
to devise a remedy, and they have recommended 
the application to the plants of a vanish of mixed 
lime and water and other ingredients which it i 
said has checked in some measure the development 
of this insect, but the work of destruction hud been 
carried on too far for the plantations to recover and 
bring production back to the amount of a few years 
ago which was 100,000 piculs. There has been an im- 
mense lading off this very year in this produce, , for 
the export has sunk down to 4,910 p.culs (307 tons) 
from 21,247 pioals (1,322 tons) in the last year and 
45,303 piculs in the previous one ; the fa ling off for 
the year has been 1,015 tou«.-L. and C Express. 
TEA IN AFRICA. 
Theie is no ono caravan leavin? Tripoli f r t n e 
Soudan that does not carry at hast four cast* o 
China tea. The tea is put up in packets of about 
250 er. well wrapped in dines? paper and the t 
packed in a wooden ea«e envelope 1 with some kin 
of coarse cloth.— French Official Report. 
COFFEE PLANTING IN SKLANGOR. 
The Resident arrived at Jugra about 9 p.m. on the 
28'.h July in the G.8.Y. "Esmeralda.'' with the 
launch '"Enid" in company. Walking down the road, 
towards Klang, the Resident visited the 5"0 acres 
of coffee-land recently taken np by Mr. Borring and 
on which a bungalow ia rapidly approaching com- 
pletion, while the jungle has been felled over some 
ten acre i and drainage and nurseries commcuced. 
The land in this direction forms, apparently, a 
portion of the great Eiang alluvial flat, and the soil 
is to all appearance exactly similar to the magni- 
ficent soil in the Klang Muk'in, of which so much 
lnis of late been said and written. Towards Bandar 
the character of the soil changes and it ia leas rich. 
A considerable quantity of laud has recently been 
taken np on each side of the road by Javanese and 
natives, for Liberian coffee, and in one place it was 
noticed that well-grown coconut palms were being 
cut down to make way for coffee. It was also re- 
marked with regret that towards and past Elauang 
a numb r of planled-up boldic-gs had been abandoned 
by Javanese settlers. It is said that this was caused 
partly by some pressure having been put upon the 
settlers, a few years ago, to pay up Government 
advances and rents, and partly Dy the depredations 
of herds of wild elephants. It is probable that their 
holdings will be taken up again in no long time, 
fenced in and planted witn coffee.— Hdam/ui Gott la- 
ment (lazttle. 
TEA AND SUGAR TRADE 
Turkey. — Rwwitn suiar has entirely d sappea-e'V 
and the markets of Asia Mm r are now supplied 
by those Of France and Anetralia. Increase in tea by 
2 045 cwt«. (6,615'.) ia »o the he m fit of Great Britain. 
The beverage n fa«t b coming in vogue amonif all 
classes, even among the poorest in Anatolia. — BritUk 
Consul at Trebizond, Ma-ih 12 1894. 
TEA: INDIAN AND CEYLON V. CHINA 
(THE CHINA. VIEW ) 
An article dealing! with the Tea Industry has ap- 
peared in The Times, which, from a patriotic point of 
view, may be unexceptionable, but is otherwise in- 
exact in many particulars. We are told that as 
regards quality China has not a chance against its 
competitors, but this is entirely ignoring the medical 
evidence in the case. The home of the very finest 
class of tea remains in China; if the ordinary 
British pablic prefers something which will brew out 
stronger, and will stand plenty of water, let them 
use Indian and Ceylon, which at alow price certainly 
gives better quantity. But these coarse and acrid 
mixtures cannot compete with the fine Chinas ; or 
rather the Briti-h public prefers something that is 
cheap to the higher priced and more delicate 
flavoured. It is the Bin ordinaire of commerce against 
the Chateau wine. They cannot be compared. — L 
and C. Express, 
COPRA FROM THE PHILIPPINES. 
There was a falling-off iu the export of copra 
last year although tte business has begun to be very 
active »g'io in the beg nnins; of this year. The copra 
is the dried pulp of the roconnt and is expor'ed 
mostly to Europe, and in Europe chiefly to Marseilles, 
for the purpose of the extraction of oil for various 
purposes, among which it i< feared tho chief one is 
tbe adulteration of olive oil; a email portion gees 
to China, and a larger to Sini{»p ire and India. The 
export of copra for the year was 184,404 picul? a^aiiist 
259,539 piculs in 1892.— Ibid. 
Bananas and Plantains. — The Royal Gar- 
dens Kaw Bulletin for August (No. 92) is an 
excsptionilly useful on -1 , for it is devoted to a 
summary of information relating to " Bananas and 
Plantains," with descriptions of the species and 
principal varieties of Muaa grown for use and 
ornament. In addition, there are some 9 or 10 
engravings illustrating different varieties, 
