July  i,  1892.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
25 
PLANTING  NOTES  FROM  BRITISH 
NORTH  BORNEO. 
Mr.  J.  L,  Shand,  a Ceylon  planter,  has  been  visiting 
North  Borneo.  The  insight  thus  obtained  of  its  soil 
and  climate  impressed  Mr.  Shand  favourably  and  of  the 
cultivation  at  Kudat  by  the  Chinese  Mr.  Shimd  speaks 
with  enthusiasm.  He  considers  the  future  of  British 
North  Borneo  to  lie  in  the  development  of  coffee,  cocoa 
and  coconut  plantations  ; and  with  regard  to  the  crop 
on  the  coffee  trees  at  Kudat  he  says  he  never  saw  blos- 
soms set  better  nor  young  coffee  looking  more  promis- 
ing, and  he  looks  upon  Kudat  as  the  futuro  Kandy  of 
British  North  Borneo.  We  hear  that  the  Chinese  at 
Kudat  meditate  the  formation  of  a small  Company  to 
grow  sugarcane  and  to  erect  a sugar  mill. 
The  Segaliud  river  is  well  worth  a visit  at  present 
from  those  interested  in  the  agricultural  prospects  of 
the  oountry.  The  Liberian  coffee  on  the  Trading  and 
Planting  Company’s  estate  at  Loongmangis  is  in  excel- 
lent condition,  the  rows  of  handsome  plants  with  their 
large  dark  glossy  leaves,  and  the  branches  weighed 
down  with  masses  of  fruit  in  every  stage  of  development 
are  very  impresssive.  Alongside  these  is  a plantation 
Musa  textilis,  the  Manila  hemp  plant  from  which 
samples  recently  taken  have  been  valued  at  a high 
prioc  in  Hongkong.  A few  pepper,  cocoa,  tea  and 
other  plants  are  doing  extremely  well,  the  former,  grow- 
ing on  poles  like  hops  do  in  England,  are  smothered 
with  bunches  of  pepper;  one  tea  plant  was  over  seven 
feet  high,  and  very  bushy.  A good  many  cotton  plants 
of  true  Sea  Island  seed  were  scattered  about  the  place ; 
these  also  are  in  very  good  condition  and  in  heavy 
bearing,  and  are  suggestive  of  a large  export  in  the 
future. 
To  encourage  cultivation  in  these  provinces  over 
110,000  coffee  seedlings  have  been  issued.  As  no  person 
was  sent  there  to  instruct  in  mode  of  selection  of  seed- 
lings and  oi  seeds,  it  is  regrettable  that  so  many  youDg 
plants  should  have  been  grown  from  seeds  taken  from 
inferior  trees.  It  will  probably  discourage  coffee  grow- 
ers.— British  North  Borneo  Herald,  May  1st. 
SEMI-TROPICAL  FRUIT  CULTURE. 
The  census  bulletin  on  tropic  and  semi-tropic  fruits 
and  nuts  contains  a large  amouut  of  more  or  less 
valuable  information.  It  appears  that  there  were  in 
the  census  year  of  1890  the  following  areas  devoted 
to  the  cultivation  of  this  class  ot  products  : Almonds 
13,515  acres;  bananas,  677  acres;  citrons,  169  acres  ; 
coconuts,  9,86-1  acres  ; figs,  4,477  aores;  guavas,  550 ; 
kaki  (Japaneso  persimmons),  1,362;  lemons,  7,256; 
limes,  495;  Madeira,  nuts  (English  walnuts),  12.180; 
olives,  7,097;  oranges,  184,003;  pineapples,  2,189; 
pomelos,  171,  and  pecans,  27,419,  The  average  of 
non-bearing  trees  is  about  twice  that  of  the  bearing, 
go  that  only  about  a third  of  the  acreage  given  is 
at  present  producing  crops.  The  produot  of  this 
aoreage  at  the  time  the  returns  were  made  was  valued 
at  a total  of  814,116,226,  divided  as  follows  : Almonds, 
81,525,109;  bananas,  $280,653  ; coconuts,  $251,217  ; figs, 
$307,271;  lemons,  $988,099;  limes,  $62,496;  English 
walnuts, $1,266,958  ; ulives,  $386,368;  oranges, $6,602,099; 
pineapples,  $812,159;  pomelos,  $27,216,  and  pecans, 
$1,616,576.  On  the  basis  of  present  prices,  with  all 
the  non-bearing  trees  in  fruitage,  the  next  census 
ought  to  show  a product  worth  over  $50,000,000. 
The  production  of  the  fruits  and  nuts  imder  con- 
sideration is  confined  largely  to  the  states  of  Cali- 
fornia and  Florida,  but  figs,  oranges,  kaki  and  pecans 
were  found  growing  to  a considerable  extent  in  all 
states  bordering  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  While 
Louisiana  and  Arizona  have  each  a considerable  acreage 
in  oranges  the  trees  of  Arizona  are  nearly  all  young 
and  of  recent  planting. 
In  all  these  investigations  it  has  been  found  that  the 
great  march  of  progress  moving  in  other  lines  of  in- 
dustry has  not  left  these  behind  ; in  fact,  so  rapid  is 
now  the  increase  in  citrus  fruit  planting  and  so  favor- 
able are  the  conditions,  especially  in  California,  that 
there  are  many  well  informed  in  the  business  who 
4 
believe  that  within  another  decade  the  United  States 
will  not  only  produoe  its  full  supply  of  citrus  fruit?, 
but  also  export  them  quite  largely. 
The  aoreage,  of  oranges,  as  a matter  of  course, 
exceeds  that  of  all  the  other  products,  yet  the 
possibilities  of  pineapple  culture  on  the  southeast 
coast  of  Florida  and  for  100  miles  north  of  Key 
West,  on  the  gulf  coast,  are  such  as  to  give  promise 
of  a very  great  and  profitable  extension  of  the  culture 
of  this  delicious  fruit. 
Pecan  culture  in  northwest  Florida  and  all  the 
gulf  states  has  apparently  just  begun  to  develop 
some  of  its  wonderful  possibilities  as  a reliable  and 
profitable  crop,  while  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  within  a few  years  the  figs,  olives,  Madeira  nuts 
and  lemons  of  California  will  rival  in  value  of  her  won- 
drous crops  of  oranges,  and  yet  a comparison  of  the  tables 
of  bearing  and  nonbearing  trees  will  show  three  times 
as  many  nonbearing  as  bearing  orange  trees  in  the 
census  year,  and  as  planting  has  been  going  on  more 
rapidly  than  ever  since  the  census  was  taken  the 
number  of  orange  trees  now  growing  in  California 
must  be  nearly  double  that  of  eighteen  months  ago, 
all  of  which  means  an  output  of  at  least  10,000,000 
boxes  of  oranges  from  California  before  the  eud  of  the 
present  century. — Bradstreets,  April  9. 

INDIAN  TEA  AND  THE  CHICAGO 
EXHIBITION. 
We  have  more  than  once  recently  urged  upon  all 
connected  with  the  Indian  tea  industry  the  immense 
importance  of  making  a good  fight  for  the  American 
market  on  the  occasion  of  the  Chicago  Exhibition. 
It  is  gratifying,  therefore,  to  learn  that  the  leaders 
of  the  tea  interest  in  Calcutta  are  alive  to  the  nature 
of  the  opportunity,  and  are  resolved  to  make  the 
most  of  it.  The  Indiau  Tea  Association  is  publish- 
ing a paper  written  by  a well-known  Indian  planter, 
and  read  before  a meeting  of  the  Committee  of 
the  Indian  Tea  Districts  Association,  London.  It 
contains  practical  suggestions  with  regard  to  the 
financial  side  of  the  question,  aud  should  give  an 
impulse  to  the  movement.  Already,  it  seems,  Ceylon 
has  secured  a large  contral  space  at  the  Chicago  Exhi- 
bition, and  has  deputed  two  gentlemen  to  proceed  there 
at  once  to  superintend  the  necessary  preparations. 
A fund  of  112,00,000  is  to  be  raised,  of  which  the 
Government  has  given  1180,000.  the  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce  E35.000,  and  individuals  K20,000,  tbo  planters 
being  expected  to  raise  1165,000.  A Ceylon  Company 
in  America  with  a capital  of  a million  dollars,  and  with 
agencies  in  all  the  large  towns,  advertising  in  fifty 
newspapers,  is  to  aid  in  the  work  of  pushing  Ceylon 
tea,  so  that  their  efforts  will  not  be  confined  to  Chicago 
but  will  extend  all  over  the  United  States.  For  years 
past  Ceylon  has  shown  what  can  be  done  by  pushing 
and  advertising,  and  in  the  present  instance  she  is 
setting  an  example  that  will  not  be  lost  upon  India. 
Already  the  General  Committee  of  the  Indiau  Tea 
Association  has  appointed  a sub-Committeo  to  collect 
subscriptions,  which,  added  to  money  collected  in 
England  should  amount  to  a respectable  sura.  All 
gardens  are  invited  to  subscribe  two  annas  per  acre, 
which  should  bring  in  about  1125,000,  and  subscription 
lists  will  be  circula'ed  in  all  districts  among  agents, 
managers,  etc.  A good  beginoiDg  has  been  made  in  Cai- 
cutta,  the  following  firmshaving  put  down  their  names 
for  Rl, 000  eaoh Messrs.  Williamson,  Magor  & Co., 
Jardine,  Skinner  and  Co.,  Balmc-r,  Lrwrie  and  Co.,  J. 
Thomas  and  Co.,  Begg,  Dunlop  and  Co.,  Octavius 
Steel  and  Go.,  Finlay,  Muir  and  Co.,  Giiianders,Arbuth- 
not  and  Co.,  Kilburn  and  Co.,  and  Shaw,  Wallace  and 
Oo.  The  subscriptions  of  these  firms  make  a sub- 
stantial total  cf  1110,000  which  is  n good  guarantee 
for  the  collection  of  the  full  amount  that  may  be 
couuted  neoessary.  On  former  occasions  when  combined 
action  in  the  interest  of  the  Indian  tea  industry  has 
been  called  for,  the  matter  has  generally  been  left  to 
the  Calcutta  agents  and  brokers.  But  now  it  is 
hoped  that  the  whole  industry  will  be  fully  represented 
( and  that  all  connected  with  it  will  combine  to  ensur 
