August  i,  1892.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
*49 
block  is  2,420  yards  long  and  200  yards  wide,  and  is 
bounded  by  drains  and  good  macamadised  roads  on 
each  side.  These  blocks  are  divided  into  sections 
200  yards  long  and  36  yards  wide,  consisting  of  about 
]i  acre.  A section  is  allotted  to  each  labourer ; 
and  it  is  the  labourer’s  task  to  fell,  clear,  prepare 
and  plant  the  land,  and  cultivate  and  take  care  of, 
top,  prune,  sucker  and  harvest  the  crop  : — viz.,  about 
10,500  plants,  planted  3 feet  by  2 feet  apart.  Road 
making — an  expensive  work  owing  to  the  scarcity  of 
stones — drawing,  cart  work,  &c.,  is  generally  done 
by  Filings,  or  Tamils,  the  other  work  alluded  to  is 
performed  by  Chinamen.  The  average  total  co-t  of 
labour  is  about  Is  6d,  (eighteen  pence)  per  diem ; 
and  large  advances  have  to  be  made  that  often  lead 
to  a loss.  The  labourers  are  often  a troublesome  and 
turbulent  lot,  and  incendiarism  is  very  frequent — 
setting  fire  to  the  tobacco  sheds,  with  the  tobacco  in 
them.  The  drying  sheds,  fermenting  house,  and 
ether  necessary  buildings,  form  the  chief  source  of 
expense.  The  drying  sheds  are  erected  at  conve- 
nient places  along  the  side  of  the  road  which  divides 
the  block,  being  opened  up  from  the  adjoining  one 
which  is  to  be  planted  the  following  year,  so  that 
they  may  serve  for  two  years  or  plantings.  These 
sheds  are  made  of  jungle  posts  and  sticks,  and  are 
thatched  in  the  same  way  as  a tibi  tibi  house  in  Fiji. 
The  only  difference  is  that,  instead  of  sugarcane  leaf, 
a wide  bladed,  coarse  kind  of  grass,  which  I have 
seen  growing  in  Fiji,  is  used.  These  sheds  are  180 
feet  long  and  66  feet  wide.  The  king  posts  are  28 
or  30  feet  high,  and  the  short  wall  posts  7 or  8 feet 
high.  They  have  thatched  walls  with  suitable  win- 
dows, doors,  venitlators,  Ac.,  and  posts  for  supporting 
the  rails  and  poles  for  hanging  the  tobacco — all  of 
which  are  of  course  jungle  timber.  The  cost  of 
thatching  a shed  of  this  size  is  generally  about  450 
or  500  Mexican  dollars  (a  Mexican  dollar  is  equal  to 
about  3s.  2Jd.)  The  procuring  and  erection  of  the 
timber  is  done  by  the  estate  or  other  workmen. 
The  thatching  is  done  by  contract.  A shed  of  these 
dimensions  suffices  for  nine  labourers’  tobacco,  or 
about  14  acres  or  about  94,500  plants.  I was  on  an 
estate  where  there  were  over  30  of  these  sheds,  be- 
sides fermenting  shed,  &c.  The  fermenting  shed  is 
a permanent,  and  generally  more  substantial  building 
although  thatched  fermenting  sheds  are  often  em- 
ployed on  some  of  the  largest  estates.  This  building, 
is  generally  erected  for  the  sake  of  convenience 
near  the  manager’s  bungalow.  On  an  estate  of  300 
acres  the  fermenting  shed  is  about  480  feet  long  and 
80  feet  wide.  The  kingposts  are  30  feet  high,  and  the 
wall  posts  8 or  9 feet  high.  The  building  has  a 
verandah  on  the  side  most  exposed  to  the  beating 
rain,  and  the  inside  suitably  fitted  up  with  raised 
board  platforms,  floors,  &c.,  to  serve  for  fermenting, 
sorting,  bulking,  &c.  When  the  tobacco  has  sufficient- 
ly dried  in  the  drying-shed,  it  is  brought  in  carts  to 
the  fermenting  shed  to  be  fermented,  assorted  and 
finally  packed  or  baled.  The  bales  contain  about 
180  lbs.  of  tobacco.  The  tobacco  is  transported  by 
rail  or  cart  to  the  nearest  shipping  place,  and  shipped 
via  Penang,  or  Singapore  to  Amsterdam  in  Holland. 
Here,  tobacco  manufacturers,  buyers  and  speculators, 
flock  from  London,  the  other  European  cities,  New 
York  and  elsewhere,  to  join  in  the  keen  competition 
which  generally  attends  the  periodical  sales.  In  re- 
gard to  the  yield,  it  is  somewhat  difficult  to  give 
an  estimate,  as  much  depends  on  the  locality,  state 
of  the  kind  also  will  find  most  congenial  homes  in 
Fiji ; and  only  require  a proper  preparation  of  the 
leaf  to  win  for  themselves  a favourable  position  and 
reputation  in  the  European  and  other  markets. 
All  new  industries  in  their  experimental  stage  are 
exposed  to  risks,  difficulties  and  disappointments, 
and  are  often  accompanied  by  much  loss  of  money 
and  time— especially  when  much  outlay  has  to  be 
incurred  in  the  initiation,  and  the  crop  oocupies  a 
long  time  to  give  returns.  In  the  present  instance, 
where  the  planter  possesses  good  land  lying 
idle,  and  is  perplexed  how  to  profitably  utilise  it ; 
stores  lying  empty  of  produce  and  other  convenient 
builcjmgs  that  can  inexpensively  be  fitted  up  to  serve 
the  purposes  of  curing  and  storage ; tools,  eligible 
labour  and  other  conveniences,  only  little  outlay 
will  be  incurred  in  making  the  experiment ; while, 
from  the  quick  returns  the  crop  gives,  should  any 
unforeseen  difficulties  be  encountered  and  disappoint- 
ment ensue,  no  very  great  loss  or  misdirection  of 
time  will  arise.  The  risk  is  therefore  only  small ; 
while,  with  the  exercise  of  care,  chances  of  success 
and  prospect  of  substantial  reward  is  comparatively 
very  great.  Difficulties  may  arise  at  the  onset. 
Sumatra  encountered  many  difficulties  and  disap- 
pointments at  the  beginning,  but  with  perseverance, 
care  and  experience — gained  from  accumulated  ex- 
periments— have  achieved,  there  is  every  reason  to 
believe  Fiji  can  do,  and  it  is  my  strong  conviction 
that  Fiji  possesses,  in  several  important  respects,  un- 
usual inducements  and  advantages  for  the  prosecution 
of  this  important  and  payable  industry.  I may  re- 
mark that  this  conclusion  has  not  been  gained 
through  any  narrow,  theoretical  and  careless  con- 
sideration of  the  subject,  but  through  the  most 
careful  researches,  closest  study,  and  careful  reflec- 
tion on  all  matters  having  any  practical  bearing  on 
the  question ; and  through  the  facilities  that  have 
been  lately  afforded  me  in  Sumatra  for  acquiring 
such  knowledge  as  was  essential  for  the  purpose — 
and  assisted  to  no  small  extent  by  my  long  residence 
in  Fiji,  and  local  knowledge  of  it  in  its  various 
surroundings.  The  object  of  this  article  is  not  to 
teach,  but  merely  to  point  out  a few  of  the  most 
salient  points,  associated  with  an  industry  in  which 
several  Fiji  planters  have  evinced  an  interest,  and 
to  direct  attention  to  and  excite  and  interest  in  a 
matter  which  promises  to  be  of  no  mean  importance 
to  the  welfare  of  the  Colony,  the  prosperity  of  the 
planters  and  all  classes  of  the  community.  There 
is  no  time  to  be  lost  in  making  the  experiment,  as 
from  the  conspicuously  payable  nature  of  the  indus- 
try at  the  present  time  ; other  competitors  will  soon 
be  in  the  field.  In  conclusion,  I cannot  refrain 
from  remarking  that,  if  Fiji  loses  this  chance  with- 
out making  an  effort  in  the  contest,  I feel  assured 
it  throws  away  the  best  chance  it  has  ever  had  and 
one  it  may  never  have  again— and  one  it  can  very 
ill  afford  to  waste  so  ruthlessly. 
P.S. — In  the  foregoing  article,  I have  omitted  to 
refer  to  Central  Curing  Establishments.  These  Estab- 
lishments are  under  European  supervision,  and  are 
formed  for  the  purpose  of  fermenting,  preparing  for 
mrket,  baling  and  shipping  leaf,  grown  and  dried  by 
natives  and  other  small  growers.  The  leaf  is  either 
bought  by  the  establishment,  or  cured  assorted,  baled 
and  shipped  for  a certain  charge.  In  some  cases  the 
leaf  comprises  that  which  is  grown  by  the  natives  for 
taxes  in  the  village  Government  gardens,  in  a similar 
manner  as  was  former  y adopted  in  Fiji  in  regard 
to  cotton.  In  this  case,  the  growers  are  supplied 
with  selected  seed  and  the  site  for  their  operations, 
and  the  maintenance  and  mode  of  culture,  erection 
of  drying  sheds,  drying,  &c.  are  under  the  guidance 
and  occasional  supervision  of  au  inspector.  The 
number  of  drying  sheds  required  in  each  village  of 
coarse  depends  upon  the  number  of  growers.  The 
tobacco,  when  sufficiently  dry,  is  tkaen  to  the  es- 
tablishment (fermenting-shed) — erected  at  the  most 
convenient  place — and  paid  for  according  to  qual- 
ity &c. — Fiji  Times. 
FROM  THE  METROPOLIS. 
London,  June  24tb,  1892, 
THE  CALEDONIAN  (CEYLON)  TEA  PLANTATIONS  COMPANY. 
The  Financial  News  this  week  oontains  the  Pros- 
pectus of  the  “ Caledonian  (Ceylon)  Tea  Planta- 
tions Company,  Limited” — Mr.  A.  Rosa’s  whioh  I 
have  already  allowed  to.  In  oase  it  should  not 
reach  you  otherwise,  I send  you  oopy.  Mr.  Sinolair 
is  not  on  the  Board  ; no  doubt  it  is  more  conve- 
nient to  have  London  residents  as  Directors,  and 
Messrs.  Paine  and  Williams  are  both  strong  men. 
Altogether,  the  prospeot  of  the  Company  floating 
is  a very  good  one  with  Mr.  Ross’s  guarantee  of 
six  per  oent  for  seven  years,  and  I should  infer  ftortt 
