July 1, 1900.1 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
55 
of immature trees than any other method yet 
tried, but it is not liliely to put an entire stop 
to the practice. Though saplings still exist in 
large numbers, there are very few fully matured 
trees. In fact, up to the present time, I have 
not met anyone who can show me one auywliere, 
except in the very remotest parts of the State. 
If these are felle"d and the younger trees cut 
down before they are old enough to bear seed, 
the jungle will, in a few years, become entirely 
denuded of these valuable trees, and the greatest 
care will have to be taken to prevent this. In 
an earlier paragraph of this report I have alluded 
to the probable necessity of prohibiting, for a 
term of years, the collection of gutta, after the 
expiration of the present Gutta Farms in July 
next; but, though such prohibition is liliely to 
be desirable, it may prove quite impossible to 
enforce, except at very great expense. 
The above facts all point to the necessity of 
opening large plantations of " taban " trees. 
Unfortunately, owing to the tree being such a 
very slow-growing one, it is not a form of plant- 
ing that could be profitably pursued by private 
individuals or firms. It must, therefore, if it is 
to be done at all, be undertaken by the Govern- 
ment. Gutta from Pahang commands a higher 
price in the Singapore market than that from any 
other part of the Peninsula or elsewhere. The 
climatic conditions and nature of the soil in 
Pahang appear to be more favourable to its 
frowth than are those of the Western States, 
t would, therefore, most probably be the best 
State in which to commence planting gutta percha 
on an extensive scale. As Pahang does not 
possess the funds requisite for this, it might 
with advantage be made a Federal charge, each 
State sharing, in proportion to the amount of 
its contributions, in such profits as might even- 
tually accrue. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
The Tea Trade of Japax.— The tea trade of 
Japan cannot be considered as flourishing. Mr. 
• A. H. Lay, the British Assistant-Consul at Tokio, 
in his report on the trade of Japan, gives some 
i nteresting information in regard to the tea in- 
dustry. The quantity of tea exported from Japan 
daring 1899, he says, exceeded that shipped 
abroad during 1898; but all the same the tea busi- 
ness in .Japan is becoming more and more un- 
satisfactory each, year, and, for the foreign 
merchant, at any rate, there is, little or nothing 
to be made out of it. In quality the tea of 1899 
compared unfavourably with the crop of 1898. 
The practice of picking the young leaves in the 
«arly spring before they are properly matured, 
lor the sake of sobtaining exorbitant prices for 
small quantities, =is undoubtedlv having a very in- 
jurious eflfect on the plants, and it is surprising 
that Japanese tea growers do not realise this fact. 
But it is not only from the effects of the in- 
judicious system of picking that the .Japanese 
tea industry is suffering. The trade with Canada, 
Mr. Lay points out, is .appreciably affected by the 
competition of the Ceylon and India growers, who, 
by extensive advertising and other methods, are 
bringing their produce prominently before the 
public. The .Japanese, on the other hand, are mak- 
ing no efforts whatever to advance the sale of 
their teas, and as Ceylon green teas are now mak- 
ing their appearance in Canada, where their sale 
wul be vigorously pushed, the future of Japanese 
tea in that market cannot be regarded as bright. 
The Tea Trade ob' Ichang.— A Consular re- 
port states that the trade of Ichang, China, is en- 
tirely with native treaty ports. There is no direct 
foreign trade. Exports include tea, which is pre- 
pared for export at the place of production, Ta-ch'i- 
k'ou, about ahundred miles west of Ichang; 74,8001b. 
of this tea were exported to Hankow, but resulted 
in a financial loss. The advent of steamers to run 
between Ichang and Chung-king is expected to 
increase exports from and ultimately imports to 
Chungking, and thereby increase imports into and 
re-exports from Ichang.—^. C. Mail, June I. 
SCIENTIFIC MANURING. 
Four years ago we wrote as follows on 
this subject : — 
There is, perliaps, no direction in which money 
can be more easily wasted in connection with 
the cultivation of tropical products, than in the 
purchase and application of manures. Not only 
should the fertiliser purchased be tested by the 
analyst ; but also the soil to which manure is 
to be applied. Not only does the soil of one 
district differ from another ; but it may be that 
adjacent plantations require very different treat- 
ment. But there is the great temptation among 
planters to follow some one particular lead ; or 
there is the feeling that for Ceylon tea bushes. 
" bones and castor-cake or fish manure " can- 
not fail to do good. Possibly not ; but it is 
equally certain that a previous examination of 
the soil might supply information which would 
lead to considerable economy or to a great deal 
more lasting benefit from the application of 
fertilizers. 
At that time, the supply of fertilizers accord- 
ing to scientific investigation was in its 
infancy amongst lis and we believe not 
more than four distinct substances were in 
use. The great advance made in the interval 
will be best understood from a perusal of an 
account of a visit to the Hulfsdorf Manure 
Establishment and Laboratory, which is given 
on page 50, and which, we feel sure, will be 
perused with interest, especially by planters. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Gutta Percha.— The Straits authorities 
are awaking to a sense of the need of pro- 
tecting their very profitable gutta yielding 
tree (Dichopsls gutta) and also of putting 
out trees on special plantations of the same. 
We refer to interesting remarks on the sub- 
ject from the Administration Report on 
Pahang, given on page 54. 
RuBBKR IN Sumatra.— Gutta plantations have 
largely been started on the East Coast of Sumatra. 
The Russi.Tn American India Rubber Company 
have just bejrnn operations there. The Tanah Priok 
Cultivation Company now follows .suit. It pro- 
poses to grow rubber on a .scale sufficient to 
admit of 240.000 trees being available in seven 
year's time. Rubber }>ro\vs wild in large quan- 
ities in East Sumatra — Straits Times. 
SUN-FLOWKR Oil. — We have at times drawn h^t 
attention of our readers to the commercial valne 
of the cultivated Sun-flower, and have advocated 
its beinc; planted out on waste plots. We now 
learn from a Russian chemist that the plant is ex- 
tensively cultivated iti Russia, which produces 
nearly "300,000.000 pounds of seed from 216,000 
acres. The seed yield— oil and seed cake — is good 
fooil for poultry, and the flower produces a yellow- 
dye, honey and wax. Potash is derived from the 
stalks, which are also used as fuel. Cigars are 
made from the leaves, and it is claimed that the 
plant is a preventive of fevers, and is at the same 
time a good cattle food. The oil is pale yellow 
in colour, thicker than henipseed oil, flavourless 
bur. palatable. Mr. Machalske obtained from 
1,300 lb. of seed kernels 34 pei- cent, of raw oil hav- 
ing the appearance of the best qualities of relinked 
cotton seed oil. — Indian Planters' Gasette, J aae 2, 
