Dec.  x,  1892.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
Coimbatore,  10  in  Tmnevelly, 2 in  Triohinopoly  aod  1 
in  Kristna.  The  aggregate  quantity  of  cotton  cleaned 
and  pressed  into  bales  at  these  prpsses  for  export 
was  about  790,100  cwts.,  valued  ot  Rl, 75, 75, 000.  Next 
to  cotton  come  works  for  onring  coffee,  of  which 
28  works  were  maintained  during  the  year,  viz.,  15 
in  Malabar  and  South  Canard,  11  in  Msdura,  and 
2 in  Coimbatore  ; 125,400  cwts.  of  coffee  were  cured 
at  these  wrrks,  the  value  of  the  article  being  estimated 
at  R66, 00.000.  AmoDgst  the  other  large  works  in 
the  Presidency  are  the  four  Sugar  Factories  in  South 
Aroot  ownod  hy  Messrs.  Parry  and  Co.,  one  Hemp 
Factory  at  Chittivalsa,  in  the  Yizagapatam  district, 
owned  by  Messrs.  Arbuthnot  and  Co.,  and  a Cement 
Fsctory  at  Madras  owned  by  the  same  firm,  and  several 
Brick  and  Tile  Factories  in  South  Canara.  Of  the  last 
those  worked  by  the  Basel  Mission  have  earned  a 
name  for  themselves,  and 'the  demand  for  the  machine- 
made  tiles  manufactured  has  been  greatly  on  the 
increase  both  within  and  outside  the  district.  No 
statistics  are  available  of  the  quantities  exported  by 
land,  but  7,669,800,  valued  at  R3,21  800,  were  exported 
by  sea  during  the  year,  against  6,880,700,  valued  at 
R3,02,300  in  the  previous  year.  The  manufacture  of 
indigo  and  the  tanning  of  hides  and  skins  are  also 
carried  out  to  a large  extent  in  several  districts  of  the 
Presidency. — Madras  Times,  Nov.  14. 
♦- 
GOVERNMENT  ENCOURAGEMENT  OP  PLANT- 
ING IN  PROTECTED  NATIVE  STATES. 
A Proposal. 
We  copied  in  our  issue  of  the  3rd  instant  a 
“ Scheme  for  Government  Plantations  in  the  State 
of  Selangor,”  which  bears  the  signature  of  Mr.  E.  A. 
Watson,  and  is  “published  for  general  information, 
by  order,”  in  the  Government  Gazette  of  that  State 
for  the  28th  October.  The  argument  is  this  : — 
Selangor  contains  a very  large  area,  of  virgin  forest 
suited  for  cultivation  of  tropical  products  generally, 
and  coffee  in  particular.  The  planting  of  coffee 
would  bring  in  large  profits  to  the  planters  and 
steady  permanent  revenue  to  the  State  treasury.  The 
deduction  to  be  drawn  is  an  obvious  one— the 
Elan  ting  of  coffee  should  be  encouraged  and  fostered 
y the  Government  of  the  State  in  every  conceivable 
legitimate  way,  to  the  manifest  advantage  both  of 
the  individual  and  of  the  public  as  represented  by 
the  State. 
Should  it  be  thought  that  we  are  proceeding  too 
rapidly,  and  that  the  dictum  as  to  the  suitability  of 
Selangor  for  coffee  ha  s to  be  proved, we  may  at  once  point 
to  the  success  of  the  small  coffee  estates  already  opened 
in  Selangor  and  in  the  neighbouring  State  of  Perak ; 
to  the  example  of  Ceylon,  and  the  statements  of 
veteran  Ceylon  planters  that  the  climate  and  the 
soil  of  the  Malay  States  are,  if  anything,  more 
favorable  for  their  culture  than  those  of  the  Island. 
Hear  what  Sir  Graeme  Elphinstone  says,  speaking 
with  the  authority  of  years  of  practical  experience: 
“ The  quality  of  the  strong,  deep  soil  is  very  suitable  ; 
the  climate  is  superior  to  that  of  Ceylon,  being  free 
from  the  incessant  squalls  and  heavy  rainfall,  with 
a complete  absence  of  sunshine,  sometimes  for  ten 
days  or  a fortnight,  which  is  a frequent  experience 
in  Ceylon  in  both  monsoons,  and  has  a most  pre- 
judicial effect  upon  the  yield  and  the  vigour  of 
coffee  and  tea.” 
We  trust  we  have  carried  our  readers  so  far 
with  us,  and  now  proceed  to  examine  the  means 
proposed  by  Mr.  Watson  to  secure  the  desired 
object.  Stated  briefly,  his  proposal  is  that  Govern- 
ment should  establish,  not  experimental  gardens, 
but  one  or  more  bona  fide  coffee  estates — in  fact 
that  Government  should  play  the  part  which  have 
been  played  by  some  one  in  every  new  country,  of 
the  pioneer  and  the  experimentalist,  and  publish  for 
the  benefit  of  succeeding  planters  the  fall  results  of 
its  operations,  with  complete  records  of  expenditure 
and  returns.  In  the  old  country  and  in  Crown  Oo'o- 
nies  of  the  severe  type,  and  among  Government 
offio'ala  of  the  ancient  style  and  the  school  of  laisser 
405 
faire,  such  a proposal  for  Government  initiative— or 
interference  as  it  would  be  termed — would  ca  l forth 
howls  of  warning  and  deprecation ; but  there  are 
manifest  signs  that  the  views  as  to  the  part  whioh 
a Government  should  play  are  year  by  year  broaden- 
ing and  extending,  and  we  would  strongly  urge  on 
the  local  powers  that  be  the  advisability  of  giving 
serious  consideration  to  the  present  proposition,  and 
of  not  pushing  it  aside  ou  general  grounds  of  the  im- 
policy of  State  interference  and  initiative.  Surely 
such  a disposition  of  Government  surplus  balances  is 
preferable  to  investment  in  Indian  or  Ceylon  4 per 
cents?  The  capital  sum  required  is  not  large,  the 
risk  not  great,  and  the  returns,  with  ordinary  care 
and  prudence,  are  certain,  so  far  as  certainly  can  be 
predicated  in  such  matters,  to  be  remunerative,  if 
not  handsome,  directly,  while  the  agricultural  interests 
of  the  State — always  of  great  importance  and,  in  the 
long  run,  probably  ranking  above  mining — would  be 
stimulated,  encouraged  and  developed. 
Estate  estimates  are  strange  things,  and  we  have 
known  of  some  elaborate  and  detailed  schemes,  with 
full  allowances  for  unforeseen  contigencies,  death 
rates  and  so  forth,  which  on  paper  shewed  the  im- 
possibility of  avoiding  handsome  returns,  but  which 
when  put  to  the  practical  test  have  proved  fallacious. 
The  estimates  and  returns  accompanying  this  scheme 
have  been  prepared  by  an  expert,  and  most  certainly 
appear  to  be  drawn  ou  the  basis  of  liberal  expenditure 
and  moderate  returns.  They  shew  that  to  bring  into 
bearing  1,500  acres  of  Liberian  coffee  in  Seiaugor, 
$140,000  are  required;  that  by  the  end  of  the  eighth  year 
the  whole  expenditure  would  be  recovered  and  a profit 
of  $43,850  be  attained.  Ooce  the  experiment  is  proved 
and  results  published,  there  would  be  no  longer  neces- 
sity for  Government  to  pose  as  a planter;  and  Mr. 
Watson  calculates  that  successful  Government  estates 
could  bo  disposed  of  to  capitalists  at  '*  not  less  than 
25  per  cent  over  and  above  what  the  property  hns  cost 
to  plant  and  develop.” 
One  word  more.  Government  undertakings  are  not 
uniformly  successful  nor  economically  managed.  To 
work  such  a scheme  as  that  proposed  it  would  be  ne- 
cessary to  employ,  not  planters  who  have  proved  a fail- 
ure elsewhere,  or  gentlemanly  amateurs,  but  bona  fide 
planters,  with  youth,  energy  and,  above  all,  a good 
record  of  practical  experience. 
There  are  two  sides  to  every  question,  and  there 
maybe  stroDg  arguments  against  Mr.  Watson’s  pro- 
posal. All  we  maintain  is  that  it  deserves  considera- 
tion, and  we  shall  gladly  open  our  columns  to  corre- 
spondence on  the  subject. — Finang  Gazette,  Nov.  8. 
THE  FRUIT  GROWING  MOVEMENT. 
By  the  Apostle  of  Fruit  Culture. 
It  is  well  that  the  public  should  bear  in  mind  the 
following  facts  : — 
1.  That  the  Horticultural  Times  is  the  official 
organ  of  the  fruit-growing  movement. 
2.  That  after  ten  years  persistent  advocacy  by 
its  originator  it  has,  at  last,  the  gratification  of  seeing 
its  principles  attracting  the  attention  of  all  classes 
of  the  community. 
3 Th  at  our  ‘ 1 improved  System  of  Culture  for  Profit  ” 
— two  of  the  leading  features  of  which  were  the  substi- 
tution of  the  pyramid  for  the  standard  tree,  and  the 
cultivation  only  of  special  varieties — has  now  been 
adopted  by  the  horticultural  world  as  the  only 
system  by  which  fruit  cuHure  can  be  made  to  pay. 
4.  That  we  have  been  the  means  of  having  horti- 
cultural education  incorporated  in  Board  Schools  in 
rural  districts  by  the  County  Councils,  besides 
securing  the  first  government  grant  ever  made  in 
this  country  for  the  advancement  of  horticulture. 
5.  We  planned  and  established  the  first  horticul- 
tural college  in  England. 
About  Fruit  Trees. 
We  find  that  lime,  wood  ashes,  and  old  iron,  put 
round  the  roots  of  declining  trees,  have  a very  bene- 
ficial effect.  These  fertilizers  restore  the  trees  to  a 
healthy  condition,  and  also  greatly  improve  the  fruit 
