388 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec.  i,  1892. 
upon  which  the  paper  is  pasted.  And  frequently 
enough  its  only  decoration  will  be  a simple,  boldly- 
drawn  spray  of  bamboo.  In  front  of  nearly  every 
tombstone  in  a Japanese  cemetery  may  be  seen  a 
short  length  of  bamboo,  forming  a very  simple  vase 
containing  a small  branch  of  green  leaves  or  a few 
flowers.  It  would  be  tedious  to  do  more  than  enu- 
merate such  miscellaneous  articles  which  bamboo 
enters  into  the  construction  of,  as  handles  for  pens, 
brushes,  and  agricultual  tools,  holders  for  pens  or 
joss  sticks,  fishing  rods,  water  pipes,  stems  for 
tobacco  pipes,  carved  tobacco  boxes,  mats,  sedan- 
chairs,  cages,  stools,  flutes,  shopkeepers’  measures, 
both  of  length  and  capacity,  and  a host  of  other  things 
literally  ‘ too  numerous  to  mention.’ 
Regarding  its  use  as  fuel  the  following  quaint  lines 
from  the  book  of  Messer  Marco  Polo,  the  Venetian, 
may  be  of  interest  as  a specimen  of  traveller’s  tales 
in  the  days  when  there  was  little  fear  of  contra- 
diction. 1 The  people  cut  the  green  canes,  of  which 
there  are  vast  numbers,  and  set  fire  to  a heap  of 
them  at  once.  After  they  have  been  awhile  burning 
they  burst  asunder,  and  this  makes  such  a loud 
report  that  you  might  hear  it  ten  miles  off.  In  fact, 
any  one  unused  to  this  noise,  who  should  hear  it 
unexpectedly,  might  easily  go  into  a swound  or  die 
of  fright.  But  those  who  are  used  to  it  care  nothing 
about  it.  Hence  those  who  are  not  used  to  it  stuff 
their  ears  well  with  cotton,  and  wrap  up  their  heads 
and  faces  with  all  the  clothes  they  can  muster  ; and 
so  they  get  along  until  they  have  become  used  to 
the  sound I tell  you  the  truth,  however, 
when  I say  that  the  first  time  you  hear  it  nothing 
can  be  more  alarming.’ 
In  those  climes  where  the  bamboo  does  not  flourish 
and  where  humanity  boasts  of  a higher  civilization, 
the  mathematician  proves  with  deep  abstrusities  of 
x and  y that  a cylinder  is  the  strongest  form  a 
material  can  take.  He  simply  recognises  in  the 
style  of  architecture  which  nature  adopts  not  only 
in  bamboos  but  in  bones,  a combination  of  strength 
and  lightness  which  he  clumsily  endeavours  to  imi- 
tate in  hollow  rods  for  his  clanking  machines.  But 
he  nevertheless  condescends  to  lean  upon  a yard 
of  bamboo  for  a walking-stick. 
Epsilon. 
— China,  Mail. 
COFFEE-PLANTING  IN  MADAGASCAR. 
Sin, — The  inclosed  are  extracts  from  a letter  which 
I have  just  received  from  a young  Swiss  whom  I 
knew  at  Maroantsettra,  and  who  is  beginning  a ooifee 
plantation  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Tamatave.  Did 
I not  know  him  to  be  of  unimpeachable  veracity,  I 
should  hesitate  to  believe  him.  However,  his  state- 
men's  are  oonfirmed  by  two  well-known  Bntirh  resident 
at  Tamatave — Messrs.  R.  and  B.,  of  the  New  Oriental 
Bank,  and  Mr.  W.,  a merchant.  Writing  under  date 
on  May  27,  my  informant  says  : 
I will  give  you  all  the  particulars  I know  about 
Liberia  coffee.  I have  planted  already  700  young 
plants,  which  I bought  from  Mons.  D.,  who  has  a 
small  coffee  and  cacao  plantation.  This  gentleman 
is  nearly  the  only  one  who  has  Liberia  coffee.  He 
has  only  about  eighteen  large  treeg,  and,  most  un- 
luckily, they  are  planted  too  close  together — 6ft. 
square ; so  only  the  outside  trees  are  in  properly 
good  order.  Everyone  who  sees  these  trees  is  as- 
tonished at  the  quantity  of  coffee  they  have  borne. 
The  trees  are  five  years  old;  from  8ft.  to  70ft.  high; 
branches  from  the  bottom  to  the  top  ; the  outside 
trees  over  5 ft.  in  diameter,  and  covered  with  coffee. 
The  proprietor  is  willing  to  bet  £10,  or  more,  that 
one  of  his  corner  trees  will  give  50  lb.  of  dry  coffee 
in  one  year’s  time.  And  I believe  it,  and  everyone 
who  sees  tbe  trees  does  the  same.  Messrs  W.  and  B. 
(alluded  to  above)  have  seen  the  trees,  last  Simday, 
the  day  before  yesterday,  and  you  can  ask  them.  . . . 
The  trees  are  planted  too  close.  They  ought  to  be  at 
least  8 ft.  by  10  ft.,  or,  better,  10  ft.  by  10  ft.  The  in. 
tide  trees  are  also  oovered  with  coffee  ; but,  as  they 
have  not  enough  air,  they  have  run  up  into  height, 
and  don't  look  as  well  as  the  outside  ones.  . . . He 
also  has  some  young  trees,  two  years  old  next  month; 
they  are  full  of  flowers  and  fruit,  and  will  at  least  give 
from  14  lb.  to  2 lb.  of  dry  coffee  this  year.  . . . 
Mr.  D.  has  already  sold,  from  his  few  trees,  over  £40 
worth  of  6eed.  . . . 
When  one  remembers  that  land  suitable  for  coffee 
and  cacao  can  be  got  very  cheap;  that  labour,  although 
not  plentiful,  does  not  cost  mote  than  16s  per  month 
at  tbe  worst  of  tines;  and  that  the  climate  of  the 
east  coast,  although  very  hot,  is  not  particularly  un- 
healthy, while  in  the  islands  of  the  interior  it  is  really 
enjoyable,  one  wonders  that  more  Euglishmen  do  not 
try  their  fortunes  out  here. 
The  political  situation  is  still,  and  likely  to  continue, 
tendue,  but  that  would  not  in  auy  way  affect  planters. 
While  this  was  being  written,  a friend  here  in- 
forms me  that,  some  time  ago,  “ he  sent  some  samples 
of  Malagasy  coffee  to  London,  to  be  reported  upon  ; 
and  that  he  has  just  heard  from  home  that  three 
separate  experts  Lave  valued  it  at  2s  a pound  1 ” 
As  he  says,  “ he  supposes  that  this  means  the  retail 
value  ; but,  even  so,  it  is  extraordinary.”  Of  course, 
we  all  drink  it  here,  and  find  it  delioiously  fragrant 
and  wholesome ; and  it  is  pretty  dear,  too.  1 have 
over  15,000  young  coffee  plants  in  my  garden  here ; 
but  they  are  all  sold  to  go  to  a new  plantation, 
about  two  days’  journey  east  of  this  capital,  the 
land  here  being  two  hard  as  a rule.  If  my  first  in- 
formant’s figures  are  correct,  and  there  6eems  to  be 
no  doubt  about  them,  a plantation  in  Madagascar 
should  give  extraordinary  returns.  Taking  500  trees 
per  acre,  before  the  end  of  three  years  we  should 
have  from  7501b.  to  1,000  1b.  per  acre;  while  at  the 
end  of  six  years  it  might  reach  nearly  25,000  lb.  per 
acre.  This,  at  only  8d  per  pound,  would  give  over 
£800  per  acre.  Surely  this  is  the  “ biggest  thing  ” 
in  coffee  planting  any  of  us  have  ever  heard  of? 
Probably  one  of  your  numerous  correspondents  may 
be  able  to  say  whether  it  “ beats  the  record  ” or 
cot.  F.  Cobnwalls  Maude, 
(Late  Colonel  Royal  Artillery), 
Antananarivo,  Waterloo  Day,  1892. 
— Field,  Aug.  6. 
In  a communication  to  the  Field  of  August  6th  last 
by  Col.  Cornwallis  Maude,  some  statements  are  made 
and  figures  given  in  relation  to  the  cultivation  of 
Liberian  coffee  in  Madagascar  that,  if  correct  (and 
there  would  se^m  no  valid  reason  fer  doubt  on  this 
poiut)  well  deserve  the  attention  of  coffee  planters  and 
capitalists  all  over  the  word. 
An  analysis  of  the  remarks  of  the  Colonel  himself 
and  those  of  his  ycuog  Swiss  friend  reveals  the  start- 
ling facts  that  au  acre  of  Liberian  coffee  in  the  island 
of  Madagascar,  planted  10  feet  by  10  feet  apart,  or  say 
500  plants  to  the  acre,  yields  at  two  and  a-half  years 
old  1,000  lb.,  or  over  9 cwt.  per  acre  of  dry  coffee  ; 
and  at  the  age  of  six  years  the  yield  per  acre  would 
be  223  cwt.,  or  over  11  tons  per  acre,'  This  at  8d 
per  lb.,  or  £74  13s  4d  per  ton — which  at  present  prices 
is  a low  quotation — means  a return  of  £821  6a  8d 
per  acre. 
Col.  Maude  makes  no  mention  of  the  probable  yearly 
amount  required  for  the  cultivation  of  an  acre  of  coffee 
in  Madagascar,  gathering  of  the  crop,  &c.;  but  judging 
from  my  experience  of  this  work  in  India,  1 should 
say  that  a sum  of  about  £35  per  acre  would  be  ample 
to  meet  all  expenditure  for  a twelvemonth.  This,  tbtn 
would  leave  us  a net  balance  of  £786  8s  8d  on  the 
year’s  working.  The  worthy  Colonel  may  well  exclaim 
Surely  this  is  the  ‘ biggest  thing’  in  coffee  planting 
any  of  us  have  ever  heard  of.” 
Having  au  intimate  acquaintance  with  nearly  all  the 
coffee-growing  districts  of  Southern  India,  the  follow- 
ing figures  may  be  relied  on  Clearing  and  planting 
a coffee  estate  costs  about  £10  per  acie  for  the  first 
twelvemonths,  and  for  the  following  five  years,  say, 
an  average  ot  £7  10s  per  acre  per  annum.  The  trees 
* If  clean  ooffee  is  meant,  the  statement  is  utterly 
incredible. — Ed.  T.A. 
