March  i,  1893.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
563 
coast,  the  coconut  palm  is  reported  to  grow  luxuri- 
antly’ From  there,  copra  was  first  exported  on  a 
large’ scale  in  1891.  In  the  Bargaai  group,  too,  this 
artio'e  is  prepared  in  large  quantities  and  is  bought 
up  by  Chinese  from  Gor  ntalo.  The  cultivation  of 
ooffee,  formerly  so  widespread  m the  island  of  Ternate, 
has  been  abandoned  owing  to  the  variable  climate  ham- 
pering the  fruiting  of  the  trees.  The  trees  show 
abundanoe  of  leaves  and  blossom  but  rain  prevents 
fruit  from  being  formed.  The  Sultans  of  Teranate  and 
Tn'ore  have  taken  stei  s at  the  prompting  of  Govern- 
ment to  encourage  coffee  growing  among  the  moun- 
taineers in  Halmaheira.  The  Government  has  under- 
taken to  supply  them  with  berries  for  the  purpose. 
In  the  island  of  Bechien,  the  growing  of  tobacco  has 
been  u>  successfully  tried  by  two  companies  started  iu 
the  Netherlands, 
In  Aoneen,  the  jear  has  closed  qin'etly,  as  the 
Achinese  proved  less  harassing  than  at  the  c’ese  of 
1891.  During  the  year  tracqnilbty  prevailed  with  the 
lines  hel  l by  the  army  of  occupation,  who  have  also 
sncccB^ful  y baulked  the  designs  of  the  Achinese.  On 
the  coast,  progress  has  been  made  iD  gaining  the 
pe>ple  over  through  the  shipping  regulation.— Straits 
Times. 
COFFEE  PLANTING  IN  COOEG. 
By  far  the  gi eater  number  of  European  estates  are 
equated  in  the  great  Bamboo  or  South  Coorg  Dis*rict, 
where  many  of  them  lie  contiguously  grouped  togelhar, 
so  much  so  in  parts  as  to  present  vast  sheets  of  con- 
tinuous coffee  extending  over  very  large  areas.  It  is 
this  which  lends  so  much  force  to  the  arguments 
in  favor  of  running  a railway  from  Mysore  through 
S.  Coorg  on  to  Telicberri.  The  distr’ct  con  Uts  for 
the  most  part  of  low  undulating  hills  cividod  by 
valleys  which  have  been  terraced  for  the  cultivation 
of  paddy.  These  paddy  fields  form  a beau'ifut  fea- 
ture in  the  landscape  all  over  Coorg.  The  coffee  is 
planted  on  flats  or  up  gende  slopes,  steep  laud  bting 
exceptional.  The  soil  is  exceedingly  rich  and  it  is 
altogether  a splendid  district,  for  coffee,  its  ouly  fault 
b f-ing  that  places  down  there  have  sometimes  a bad 
habit  of  giving  an  excessively  heavy  crop  one 
season  and  an  extremely  light  one  the  next.  The 
altitude  of  the  country  averages  about  3,000  feet 
above  sea  leve',  and  the  rainfall  to  about  70  inches 
a year.  Next  io  importance  oomes  the  Sun  iroppa 
District  of  North  Coorg,  which  resembles  the  Bamb'  o 
very  closely  in  the  undulating  character  of  the 
country,  the  nature  of  the  jungle,  soil,  climate  etc: 
but  diff-rs  in  regard  to  the  estates  not  b iog  so  closely 
grouped  and  the  crops  being  more  regular.  The  third 
di-triot  consists  of  some  large  properties  more  or 
less  scattered  further  North  towards  toe  Sow»rpette 
(Monday  B>zar)  side  of  the  country.  I believe  some 
of  them  are"  doing  excellently.  The  Perambadi  and 
Sampaji  Ghaut9  and  the  region  round  about  Mer- 
cara,  the  chief  town  in  the  country,  which,  onoe 
upon  a time,  were  fl  mrishing  districts,  have  long 
Bince  been  almost  entirely  abandoned,  and  overrun 
as  they  are  with  lantana,  present  a seme  of  the  most 
utter  desolation.  Some  pieces  of  ooffee  are,  I believe 
still  Kept  up  ou  the  Perambadi  Ghaut  and  three 
estates,  one  of  whioh  is  a Cinohona  estate,  are  still 
extant  on  the'Sampaji  Ghant.  Native  gardens  are 
to  be  met  with  almost  everywhere.  Having  given 
fl  short  description  of  the  planting  districts  of  Coorg, 
we  may  proceed  to  notice  the  position  of  the  industry 
during  recent  years,  and  as  it  is  at  present.  Its 
prospects  in  the  near  future  may  next  be  dealt  with. 
During  the  great  depression  in  the  Ooffee  Market 
some  years  ago,  which  is  still  fresh  in  the  memory 
of  all  of  us,  what  with  lf>«£  disease,  borer,  small  crops 
and  low  prices  the  positio.  of  the  Planter  had  become 
well  nigh  hopeless.  It  was  enough  to  make  the 
stoutest  lo’e  heart,  neverthe’ess  planters  managed  to 
keep  things  going  buoyed  up  by  the  hope  that 
better  times  were  ahead  ; they  came  at  last,  prices 
n^ouuted  higher  aud  higher,  exchange  went  on 
steadily  declining ; and  matters  assumed  quite  an 
altered  complexion  when  estates,  regaining  some 
of  their  pri  tine  vigour,  gave  the  bumper  crops  of 
1891  92.  These  crops  came  most  fortunately  for 
thu  Bamboo  as  they  bad  been  preceded  by  three  bad 
seasons,  ii  the  last  of  whioh  the  crops  were  so  short 
on  many  p'ac-s  as  not  to  pav  working  expenses.  Pro- 
bably the  rigor  us  economy  that  had  to  be  practised 
c uring  the  depression  all  ided  to  was  partly  accoun- 
table for  this  state  of  things.  Last  year  the  highest 
prioe  offe  ed  for  parchment  in  the  country  wasR14-8-0 
per  bushel  delivered  on  the  estate.  This  was  con. 
sider  cl  sufficient  inducement  by  some  to  sell,  with  the 
result  that  they  susiained  some  loss  as  compared  with 
those  who  sent  their  orops  home  to  England.  It  was 
an  ill-advised  thing  to  do  in  the  face  of  the  pros- 
pects  of  a continued  fall  in  exchange.  The  blos- 
som showers  of  the  present  season  were  not  en- 
tirely favorable.  Neveithelees  the  crops  whioh 
are  dow  being  picked  on  some  of  the  North  Coorg 
estates,  will  be  a decidi  d improvement  on  those 
of  last  season,  while  on  all  the  others  they  will  pay 
handsomely  enough.  The  same  cannot  be  said 
of  the  crups  in  the  Bamboo,  the  gathering  of 
which  is  probably  nearing  completion.  The  trees 
oould  harlly  be  expected  to  do  much  after  their 
supreme  eff.  rt  of  last  season.  However  it  is  satisfac- 
tory to  learn  that  no  losses  will  be  incurred.  The 
highest  price  offered  for  parchment  delivered  on  the 
es  ae  th.it  I have  heard  of  this  year,  is  R18  per 
bushel.  A very  goo  1 price  no  doubt,  but  general 
fe-ling  seems  to  be  in  favour  of  shipping  home,  the 
object  being  to  reap  the  benefit  of  any  further  de- 
cline in  exchange  that  there  may  be.  It  is  confi- 
dently predicted  by  people  in  Mercara  that  the  prioe 
of  native  ooffee,  pnunoed  and  cleaned  will  fetch 
R400  per  candy  or  El, 600  per  ton  ! If  this  be  the  oase 
the  question  may  well  be  asked — “Wouldn’t  it  pay 
planti  rs  to  strip  and  sell  their  crops  as  native  coffee  P 
A saving  would  be  effected  in  gathering  which 
con'd  be  done  at  2 annas  a bushel  and  a number 
of  other  ways ; and  any  apparent  loss  there  may 
be,  compared  with  prices  obtained  for  parchment, 
would  perhaps  be  more  than  made  up  for,  by  the 
increased  vigour  imparted  to  the  trees  which  would 
enable  them  to  bear  better  next  year  than  will  be  the 
case  with  the  present  crop  left  to  ripen  upon  them 
to  ibe  bitter  end.  It  remains  to  be  seen,  however, 
whether  these  predictions  will  be  verified.  The 
highest  price  realised  for  clean  native  ooffee  last 
season  was,  I believe,  R295  per  candy.  Owing  to  the 
high  prices  that  have  now  been  ruling  for  some  time, 
lands  which  would  otherwise  have  been  left  alone  have 
been  brought  under  cultivation.  Several  clearings 
were  opened  last  year  and  are  doing  excellently  ; 
olearirigs  that  are  well  looked  after  come  into  bear- 
ing iu  the  2nd  year.  One  estate  three  years 
ago,  gave  its  4 cwt.  an  acre  in  the  2nd 
year  ! Libor  in  S.  Coorg  has  been  quite  up 
to  requirements,  but  generally,  places  in  North 
Coorg  have  not  been  quite  so  well  off,  indeed  some 
places  are  shorthanded  for  crop,  but  I expect  matters 
iu  this  respect,  will  be  notified  by  the  influx  of  Pothur 
onolies  which  is  now  taking  place.  The  losses  from 
borer  during  the  season  just  past  have  been  very  great, 
and  the  Dumber  of  supplies  put  out  enormous,  amount- 
ing in  many  instances  to  100,000  on  places  of  250 
acres  or  so  in  extent.  Leaf  disease  has  also  been  very 
bad  in  parts,  bat  good  work  has  enabled  the  trees  to 
throw  it  off  and  recover  sufficiency  to  hold  out  fair 
promises  of  crop  for  the  next  season.  On  the  whole, 
coffee  iB  looking  exceedingly  well  for  crop  next  year, 
especially  in  the  Bamboo,  and  now  wa  await  with 
anxiety  the  blossom  showers  in,March,  upon  which  the 
realisation  of  our  expectations  almost  entirely  depend. 
— Nitgiri  News. 
NOTES  ON  PRODUCE  AND  FINANCE. 
Tea  in  1892. — Noth  withstanding  a lament  from 
I the  Darjeeling  district,  last  year  was  not  a bad  one 
I for  tea  plant-rs.  Prices,  it  is  true,  were  low,  but 
| that  very  feature  is  no  doubt  accountable  for  the  very 
1 large  home  consumption  of  207,000,000  lb.  and  was 
