May i, 1895.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
7S3 
We cannot venture to refer to all that interested 
Us in the vegetation and Mora on Pedro. In his 
Fernery — close under the rocks, — Capt Bayley has 
splendid specimens of New Zealand, Tasmania and 
Formosa tree ferns (one rising to 30 feet) inters- 
persed with the indigenous Alsophylla crinita 
and other kinds. Begonias are numerous and 
tacsonia runs rampant. In the flower gardens 
setting off the beds of roses and other flowers 
are some splendid araucarias, perhaps the finest 
trees of the species in Ceylon. Capt. Bayley 
has been instrumental in introducing several new 
flowers to Ceylon, and he is interested at present 
in a yellow arum lily which after threatened 
failures, is likely to succeed. Nor are fruit 
and vegetables neglected, as an inspection of 
strawberry-beds with wonderful crop prospects 
and select orange trees of several varieties, shews 
Pedro tea factory — 100 feet by 40 — close to the 
Kandapola main road, and with the estate mana- 
ger's (Mr. Clias. Bayley's) bungalow — at pre- 
sent temporarily occupied by Lieut, and Mrs. de 
Frisch — commanding it, is not the least interest- 
ing feature on the property. One peculiarity is 
that to resist the monsoon rains, Capt. Bayley 
lias had the Factory walls covered with cement, 
inside and out and all the way up. A Kuston anil 
Proctors steam engine drives two of "Brown s" 
large rollers, two desiccators, roll-breaker, sifter, 
saw-bench, &c. The arrangements are very 
convenient and well-finished, and for withering, 
t lie broad wooden "tats" — if we may so speak 
— seem particularly convenient, the timber for them 
being specially imported from Japan. Capt. Bayley 
is never happier than when exercising his 
mechanical ingenuity, as many contrivances 
and arrangements on Pedro indicate, and he 
proposes now adding to his steam power, a 
Pellaton-wheel turbine for which there is plenty 
of water. With tea yielding up to 500 lb. an 
acre and of the finest quality this island can 
produce, there can be no douOrt that when tha 
Pedro plantation is all in full bearing, it will 
tax its Factory resources, contrivances and 
arrangements, to the fullest extent. May there 
be rich harvests and good prices in store for the 
proprietor ; for no one in Ceylon merits such 
returns more than Capt. Bayley. 
COFFEE PLANTING IN N YASSAL AND. 
We learn that Mr. Percy Owen (of Wcvekelle) 
leaves Colombo for British Central Africa early 
next month to catch a German steamer sailing 
from Bombay on the 11th, and that Mr. Crabbe 
will accompany him, — although we have not 
definitely beard whether it lias been decided to 
send the latter. Mr. Owen goes on behalf of the 
Company. 
+ 
A FIRST PEEP INTO SUMATRA— II. 
liberian coffee in excelsis. 
In my last contribution to the "(il l " 1 stated 
that my friend in Medan promised to show me 
LtlJEKIAN COFFEE. 
He did so. But before touching the bush, let me 
give a few words as to the soil. It is a rich sandy 
loam with a top a or face of 12 inches or more of humus. 
To my mind it is perfection for coffee: aud the 
growth of jungle is stupendous. The general lay of 
land is undulating with occasional steep ravines. 
In Singapore, I had seen samples of Deli cofi'eo 
from four year old trees, and was prepared for some- 
thing good, lint what 1 haw situ In iv h.is fairly 
made me gasp! Do you remember the story of an 
experienced V.A. mistaking some young jak trees for 
Liberian coffee? Here the experience might be re- 
versed. I have seen coffee trees as big as a full- 
grown cherry tree ; and full of " cherry" too. I sat 
me down and mopped my streaming brow. The 
coffee here 18 months old is full of crop, and that 
of 14 months has just set a splendid blossom. The 
four year old trees have a comfortable 4 cwt. per 
acre on them ; aud if you want to fiud leaf-disease, 
you have to hunt for it. Mr. Sceptic of course says : 
••Will it last?" Step up Mr. Sceptic: only another 
100 yards. By the piper' that played before Moses ! 
you don't call those coffee bushes ? No, my lord : 
I call them coffee Trees. 
Seventeen years ago about 15,000 Liberian coffee 
plants were put out experimentally on a tobacco estate. 
The estate was abandoned; aud for 10 years the coffee 
was let up. It is now 17 years old, overgrown with 
lalang (illook) 6 feet high. The trees are as big as 
loquats, aud laden with crops. What potentialities 
are there not for coffee which can hold its own for 
10 years against lalang, and still be healthy and 
fruitful ? I am somewhat in the frame of mind of 
the Queeu of Sheba when she first visited Solomon, 
and T. J. G. when he first saw Abbotsford ! " The 
half " &c, &e. 
ABANDONED TOBACCO LAND. 
Abandoned tobacco estates ai - e to be got cheap : 
while if prospectors choose to go farther in towards 
the mountains, lam told that the Sultan of Serdang 
would probably give concessions for next to nothing: 
and as for communication, it would be no worse 
than in the days when the coffee had to be carried 
from Dikoya to Giuigathena on coolies' heads. 
Again Mr. Sceptic raises his eyebrow s and his voice. 
11 Abandoned tobacco land?" No, sir, abandoned tobacco 
estates. What is here called a "contract" ranges 
from 2,000 to 10,000 bouws ; and a bouw=ll a acres, 
so that iu many " contracts " there is still plenty 
of Virgin Forest to play with. It may be noted, 
en 2>assant, that Forest is the only thing that is 
virgin in Sumatra. Even old tobacco land may be 
cultivated in coffee after lying fallow for some years. 
And as the conditions aud requirements of coffee aud 
tobacco are about as dissimilar as those of coconuts 
and cabbages, it is the reverse of improbable that 
coffee should be a success where tobacco has 
failed. Indeed the facts related above go to prove 
this and the planters in this part of Sumatra are 
beginning to think of coffee as we in Ceylon did 
of tea some 12 years or so ago — " What fools we 
were not to have found it out before ! " 
" CREEPERS." 
You are always crying out that you are over- 
done with " creepers." Send some of them down here. 
But let them bring their cheque-books. There 
are no billets for impecunious S. D.'s : but there is 
a grand field for bona tide investors, and the betting 
is £5,000 to a hay-seed that coffee maintains it's price 
EXCHANGE. 
The currency of the country is the same as the 
Straits : the vanishing (no longer the almighty) dol- 
lar. This, however, is good for planters, who produce 
in silver and sell in gold. (Fancy Ceylon Tea at 7d 
and exchange at par ! Horresco referens.) 
LABOUR. 
Labour is $7 (seven dollars) per month for locally 
engaged coolies on a 1 to 3 years' contract ; and $t> 
per month and $3 per month for men and women 
respectively who are engaged in Java on a three years' 
contract. These Java engaged coolies receive a 
bonus of (10 guilders, half of which is recoverable.* But 
now conies the quaintest thing. The planters 
are actually satisfied with the Dutch Labour Ordi- 
nance ; and declare it to be excellent. Truly wonders 
will never cease. I have mrer heard of cny planter 
satisfied with any Labour Ordinance before : have you ? 
* Xole — Advances to Javanese coolies g. GO Sixty 
Guilders per head, as follows: — 
To each man g. 30 recoverable 
To passage and travelling V t 
expenses g. 10 .- vor ,ui, 
Xo commission to cooly broker g. 80 J L 1 0 
