382 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec.  i,  1892. 
large  profits  is  a sure  indication  of  the  real  value  of 
the  local  staple  which  there  is  little  doubt  will  rea- 
lise much  better  prices  when  the  d fferer.t  companies 
establish  a better  reputation  for  even  marks  and 
sorting. 
PROGRESS  IN  PROVINCE  DENT. 
MONTHLY  REPORT  FOR  AUGUST. 
Province  Dent. 
1.  Trade. — The  following  figures  shew  a marked 
increase  as  compared  with  the  returns  for  l«st  year. 
Imports-  Exports. 
$ s 
August  1892  18,506  11 
„ 1891  7,503-07 
21.102  38 
6,828.44 
Increase  11,002  44  Increase  14,333  94 
The  returns  up  to  31st  August  as  compared  with 
last  year  are  : — 
Import?.  Exports 
15  » 
Up  lo  31st  August  1892  ...91,841  35 
„ 1891  ...37,21889 
124,133  45 
50,99095 
Vos  now  secured  a pulper  from  J.  M.  Lion  & Oo. 
of  Singapore.  The  other  day  the  first  free  Hahka 
children  labor  was  obtained  to  p ok  up  the  monkey 
coffee.  I discovered  a new  species  of  cherry  (?) 
which  might  te  described  as  Kidney  coffee.  The  tree 
was  amongst  others  but  distir  guished  by  long  pointed 
cherries.  I visited  Pitas  Estate  kst  month  and 
Taritip&n  Estate  once  and  was  several  times  at 
Victoria  Estate.  An  attempt  to  enter  Bongon  River 
wjb  frustrated  by  the  beacons  being  wrecked  by  the 
la*e  storms. 
EXPOriTS  OP  TIMBER  FROM  BORNEO. 
The  s.s.  “Ter -fa”  Captain  Slaker  left  Sandakan 
for  Hongkong  on  September  5th  fully  laden  with 
timber  for  the  China  markets  shipped  by  Messrs  Koh 
Heen  and  Company.  The  “Teresa”  will  probably 
return  here  for  another  cargo.  She  is  a s'eamer  of 
761  tons  register  and  1,500  tons  burdeD,  and  has  accom- 
modation fer  eight  saloon,  twelve  second,  and  over 
two  hundred  steerage  passengers. 
The  s.s.  “ Memnon  ” left  frr  Hongkong  on  Sep- 
tember 17th  having  on  board  as  passengers  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sturdee.  The  “ Memnon  ” had  on  board  a full 
loading  of  timber  consigned  to  China  by  various 
Sandakan  firms. 
Increase  54,622-46  Increase  73,142-50 
The  increaee  is  due  to  the  great  activity  in  the  sago 
trade.  As  compared  with  last  year’s  output  the  figures 
for  this  year  are  very  encouraging. 
Raw  Sago  Sago  Flour 
Exported.  Exported. 
Up  to  31st  August  1891  S17, 719. 28  $60,OS9.18 
„ „ „ „ 1S91  6,059.00  10.575.40 
Increase  $11,660.28  Increase  $49,513  78 
LIBERIAN  COFFEE  IN  BORNEO. 
In  commenting  upon  the  article  Liberica  v.  Arabica 
in  our  July  issue,  the  Madras  Times  questions  the 
statement  as  to  Liberian  bearing  as  soon  as  Arabian. 
We  can  assure  our  contemporary  that  in  the  third 
year  a first  though  somewhat  small  crop  is  obtained 
while  in  the  fourth  year  it  bears  continuously,  after 
a year  or  two  of  this  it,  settles  down  into  giving  its 
main  crop  about  November,  December  and  January 
although  picking  to  some  email  extent  is  possible  all 
the  year  round.  This  is  at  sea  level  no  doubt  the 
higher  the  elevation  the  longer  the  plant  takes  to  bear 
and  the  worse  ihe  crop  ; the  plantation  our  contem- 
porary bases  bis  statement  upon  was  wo  notice  situated 
at  an  elevation  of  from  £00  to  800  feet,  which  pro- 
bably accounts  for  the  time  the  trees  took  to  bear  ; 
Liberian  Coffee  should  be  planted  as  near  sea  level 
as  possible  as  long  as  the  laud  is  dry. 
LORD  BHASSRY  JOINS  THE  BOARD  OF  DIRECTOR?. 
The  Right  Honorable  Lord  Braeeey  k.c.b.  ha3  re- 
joined ihe  board  of  Directors  of  the  British  North 
JJorneo  Company  to  fi'lnpthe  vacancy  caused  by  the 
retirement  from  the  board  of  Sir  Julian  Goldsruid 
Bart.  The  vacancies  caused  by  the  death?  of  Admiral 
Mayue  c-b.  and  BIr.  Myburgk  q c.,  are  not  yet  filled  up. 
Retirement  of  Mr.  Callaghan  iate  of  Ceylon  from 
the  service  of  the  Government. 
Blr.F.  G.  Callaghan  Resident  L-.buan  and  Province 
Dent  resigned  tbs  . Civil  Service  cf  North  Borneo 
and  left  for  England  in  the  s s.  “Ranee  ” at  the  end  cf 
September.  BIr.  Callaghan  joined  in  1882  and  has 
been  some  ten  years  in  the  service  of  the  Company. 
Mr.  Callaghan  has  served  as  Rosidtnt  of  the  Darvel  Bay 
District,  and  the  West  coast;  and  latterly  as  Re- 
sident ot  Labuan  and  Mempakol.  We  hear  that  all 
Labuan  turned  out  to  give  the  popu'ar  departing 
Resident  a good  ‘kend  off.”  We  heartily  wish 
Mr.  Callaghan  a pleasant  voyage  home  and  every 
success  in  the  future. 
Coffee. — The  Manager  of  Taritipan  Eaiate,  Mr. 
Johnstone,  is  en  rgetic  and  has  considerably  im- 
proved the  aspect  of  the  place.  All  his  young  cocoa, 
shade  trees  and  seedlings  are  doiDg  remarkably  well 
at  alow  elevation.  A tongkang  (Small  Junk)  keeps 
up  communication  with  Kndat  at  regular  intervals. 
Victoria  Estate  in  Kudat  is  looking  up  agsin.  The 
trees  are  full  of  young  churits  and  Mr.  Christian 

CLOVE  CULTURE  IN  ZANZIBAR. 
REPORT  OF  CONSUL  PRATT. 
Zanzibar  is  noted  for  being  the  principal  source 
of  the  world's  supply  of  cloves,  and  a report  on  the 
cultivation  of  this  article  of  domestic  economy  may 
prove  of  interest. 
When  speaking  of  Zanzibar,  we  include  the  islands 
of  Zanzibar  and  Pemba,  three-fourths  of  the  entire 
ciop  of  cloves  being  produced  in  Pemba.  Those 
grown  on  the  island  of  Zanzibar  are  reckoned  of 
superior  quality  and  command  the  better  price,  but 
this  is  probably7  due  to  the  fact  that  the  owners  re- 
side here,  and  can  thus  give  their  affairs  the  benefit 
of  direct  supervision. 
Certainly  the  conditions  for  their  successful  culti- 
vation are  most  favourable  at  Pemba,  where  the 
rainfall  exceeds  that  of  Zanzibar,  but  the  manage- 
ment being  left  to  careless  overseers,  the  result  is 
the  cloves  are  imperfectly  cured  and  (but  little  care 
being  observed  in  handling)  are  frequently  marketed 
in  an  inferior  condition. 
The  clove-tree  was  first  introduced  into  this  country 
by  the  then  Sultan,  Seyed  Said  bin  Sultan,  about 
the  year  1S30,  since  which  time  its  cultivation  has 
gradually  extended,  until  it  is  now  the  chief  industry 
of  the  islands. 
The  industry  received  a check  in  1872,  the  date 
of  the  great  hurricane.  At  least  nine-tenths  of  the 
trees  were  destroyed  at  that  time,  so  the  larger  part 
of  those  now  standing  are  of  new  growth. 
A peculiarity  of  the  clove-tree  is  that  every  part 
is  aromatic,  but  the  greatest  strength  is  found  in 
the  bud,  which  is  the  “clove”  of  commerce.  The 
finest  quality  of  cloves  are  dark  brown  in  color,  with 
full,  perfect  heads,  free  from  moisture. 
In  the  cultivation  of  the  clove,  the  first  thing  to 
be  done  is  the  starting  of  the  shoot.  The  seeds  are 
planted  in  long  trenches  and  are  kept  well  watered 
until  after  sprouting.  In  the  course  of  forty  days  the 
shoots  appear  above  grouud.  They7  are  carefully 
watered  and  looked  after  for  the  space  of  two  years, 
when  they  should  be  about  3 feet  in  height.  They 
are  then  transplanted,  being  set  about  30  feet  apart, 
and  are  kept  wantered  till  they  become  well  rooted. 
From  this  time  on  the  young  trees  require  only 
ordinary  care,  though  the  best  results  are  obtained 
when  the  ground  about  the  trees  is  well  worked  over 
and  kept  free  from  weeds. 
The  growth  of  the  tree  is  very  slow,  and  five,  or 
six  years  are  required  for  it  to  come  into  bearing, 
at  which  time  it  is  about  the  size  of  an  ordinary 
pear-tree  and  is  usually  very  shapely.  It  is  a pretty- 
sight  to  see  a young  plantation  just  coming  into 
b aring.  The  leaves,  of  various  shades  of  green  tinged 
with  red,  serve  to  set  off  the  clusters  of  dull  re<^ 
clove  buds. 
