June i, 1S95."] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
COFFKIi IX I'LU LANGAT, STRAITS SI4TTLK- 
mknts. — We copy from the March report of Mr. 
J. H. M. Kobson as follows: — 
The natives in the Ulu Langat District do not seem 
to be very deeply bitten yet with the coffee-plant- 
ing fever, but here and there one sees traces oC it. 
A Chinaman is making a good clearing on the road- 
side hill half a mile out from Semeuyih on the Bal in 
Koad ; a Tamil is ploughing up the lalaiig on a small 
portion of ground adjoining the Kelto Koad and 
has already planted coffee in the approved fashion ; 
whilst the Malays who are taking up land in 
the Ulu Langat Mukim talk of cultivating coffee, 
bananas and other fruit, an ancient inhabitant 
there telling me that the latter paid best because 
the profits came soc ner. The few patches of full 
grown coffee I have seen present a diversified appear- 
ance ; on the whole rather poor, I am afraid, but 
whether the result of cultivation or soil I don't know. 
New Products : Kola and Gubeijs. — We arc 
pleased to learn that Mr. Robson of Matale so 
honourably connected with early experiments with 
Kola, still keeps up the cultiv ation and has been 
getting a good deal of seed lately from his trees. 
Mr. Robson has also he t'rinks, g< t a hold at last 
of the proper Cubebs and is hopeful of the result. 
— A very complete little manual respecting "Kola" 
has just been published in America entitled : — 
" An illustrated Monograph on Kola ; Part I. — Phar- 
macognosy. 
Part ii. — Physiological! and Therapeutic Actions. 
Part III. — A Clinical Study of Kola. 
Part IV.— Bibliography. 
Published tinder the Direction of F. E. Stewart, M.D., 
i'H. tt. Director Scientific Department, F. Stearns & 
Co., formerly Demonstrator and Lectuieron .Materia 
Medica and Parmrcy, Jefferson Medical College, etc. 
We may quote some useful paragraphs from the 
Monograph later on. 
The Laboup Question" ix Selaxoor —We 
see that at a meeting of the Selangor Planters' As- 
sociation on the 'iTlh ult. the labour question was 
udder discussion and the following resolution 
passed :— That the Committee of the S.P.A. be 
empowered to find out from Government whether 
the proposed extension of the Selangor Railway 
System to the borders of Pahang he .1 fact ; and, 
(ii.) That if such is the case, it he duly pointed out 
to Government by the Committee of S.P.A. that 
such an undertaking must necessarily be a great 
strain on the local labour resources and there- 
fore detrimental to the existing planting inter- 
ests -, (iii.) That Government therefore he asked 
whether it is proposed to lake adequate steps 
during the present year to recruit from without 
Selangor a sufficient labour force, (iv.) That in 
the event of the work being given out 011 con- 
tract, Government would bind the contractors 
lo import their labour forces. The matter of 
crimping had also been under consideration, 
correspondence between Mr. E. V. Carey and 
the State Engineer being read in connection with 
that otlicial's refusal to dismiss from the Govern- 
ment Service an overseer and a luandor who 
had been convicted in the Selangor Courl of 
crimping Mr. Carey's coolies. Mr. Carey gave 
notice, thai, if the further endeavours he pro- 
posed to make to induce the Slate Engineer to 
reconsider his determination, were of no avail, 
he would at the next meeting move the follow- 
ing resolution: "That copies of the correspon- 
dence which ha- passed between Mr. E. V. Carey 
and 1 he State Engineer he forwarded to the 
Government ; and further, that the Government 
be informed that this Association strongly de- 
precates the action of the State Engineer in re- 
taining the services of Kiuuu Tambi, Overseer, 
and Sinna Tambi, Mandor, as bring altogether 
opposed, to the true interests of labour." 
The Colony ok Coffee Growers at Olaa, 
near Hilo — by the Planters' Monthly of Hono- 
lolu — is gradually extending the improvements 
in that district. New buildings are going up 
every month, and clearings of the forest are steadily 
extending back a mile or morefromthevolcanoroad, 
which, furnishes a most charming drive from 
Hilo to the crater of Kilauea. There is an 
abundance of land south of Olaa. in the direc- 
tion of Puna; but as it is covered with thick 
hushes and trees, and has no roads through it, the 
entire region is almost inaccessible. It is the 
purpose of the government to open new roads 
through, all districts that are suitable for settle- 
ments. Although Olaa and Puna are rainy 
districts, there are times when it is very 
dry, and water for drinking purposes becomes 
scarce. The only way to guard against these 
spells of drought is to provide water tanks. 
There are thousands of acres well adapted to 
growing coffee and oranges in the Hilo and 
Puna districts, but until roads are opened 
through them, it will he hazardous to locate 
there, 
Land for Tea ix the Kalutara District 
Origixaij.v Advertised fok K2o per Acre 
Upset Prick, and afterwards Raised 
to K100 !— We call attention to the extra- 
ordinary proceedings at the Government 
Kachcheri today. We were inclined to ask 
when we heard of it whether the Gov- 
ernment Agent had lost his head. He has not 
been successful in managing Arrack Rents' sales! 
but assuredly he will come to utter grief over 
Land Sales if his policy is to be represented by 
what occurred today. We have not the slightest 
interest in the sale— indeed we had not" per- 
sonally noted that there were these lots for sale 
today or we should have brought up the warn- 
ing which the experience of Sir Hercules Rob. 
inson offered to all his successors in Ceylon. When 
the Morowa Korale was first entered on, the idea 
got abroad of its being a first-class district for 
coffee, and the Agent of the day, persuaded the 
Governor to double the upset price, that is, make 
it R20 per acre. The result Mas a complete 
fiasco— the sale was altogether spoilt— merchants 
and planters who would have competed, stayed 
away ; and so (dear was this made, that Sir 
Hercules Robinson declared that it would he a 
blunder ever to depart in the case of plantation 
land from the RIO, although by thorough adver- 
tising, the Government and its servants should do 
all in their power to secure the fullest competi- 
tion. It would certainly be interesting to know 
on what authority the rate today was raised to 
R100, and whether this not being advertised at the 
very outset, the Government has not made itself 
liable for the expense, 0 f the gentlemen who 
travelled to Colombo on the faith of (fie ori- 
ginal advertisements; Another point is how 
Mr. Dawson delegates his most important work? 
Sir Charles Peter Layard, never, we believe, 
missed presiding at any Arrack Rents or Laud 
Sale, ever held in his time in the Colombo Kachcheri 
— nor ditl Mr. V. R, Saunders. [sMx.A. It. Dawson 
a greater or busier man than his predecessors ] 
—The advertisement at U'n \\rsi appeared on 
loth March; the notice raising v the rate to Kino 
on 11th April: I he sal,. took place today, 24th 
April. It h is frequently been Pointed, out to 
Government that lime ought to be allowed for 
planters ami others to communicate with agents 
in England. In this ease, the change JUT not 
allow ev en of a letter going and a telegram coming 
back ! The whole business has been miserably 
bungkil. tf 
