Oct. 1, 1900.] THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 263 
will afford the consumer every induoement to purchase 
through us, as he will see exactly what h^ is going 
to buy— an imnortant point — and know that he is 
buying at first hand — a condition under which, it is 
interesting to note, he ia often prepared, from a 
sentimental point of view to bid more freely th«n if 
he thinks he is paying somebody else a profif. The 
concentration of bidding thus obtained should show 
favourable results for producers. We would credit 
the producer with the actual price thus obtained, 
forwarding oflocial voucher if necessary. For doing 
this, that is, circularising [ rior to sale, selling, ship- 
ping to bnyc, and, if necessary, giving the latter 
credit, we would make an inclusive charge to producer 
of 5 per cent, paying out of this any brokerages or 
agents' commission we may incur for the better sale 
of the goods. The above, we think, would offer a 
means by which the producer should get better prices 
for his staple than by any other method. But, if 
we are to make this successful, it is absolutely essen- 
tial that we have the confidence and support of the 
producers. It would be of no use our endeavouring 
to concentrate all the buying of plumbsgo into one 
channel, if sales are at the same time being en- 
couraf^ed elsewhere. The assortment which we offer 
for sale must be sufficiently varied and tempting to 
compel the buyers in all parts to come and bid up in 
the sale for their requirements, and the sale would 
then come to be regarded as the recognised channel of 
supply. If the producers of plumbago in your island 
would only take the trouble to investigate the present 
modus operandi of disposing of their consignments, 
we feel sure they wo'.ild be anxious to at once effect 
a radical and sweeping change. The market is largely 
controlled by one or two brokers, whose interest it is 
to befriend the manufacturer to the [detriment 
of the unfortunate consignor whose goods must 
be sold. There is no proper organisation or 
concentration of the buying element, as in tea, and 
we kno/o cf many cases where plumbago owned by 
natives and others has been sold much below its 
value, merely from the fact that buyers on the Con- 
nent and in the States have not been thoroughly 
advised before the sale. 
We shall be glad to receive communications from 
any producer on this important subject, and give them 
any information they may require.— Yours, &c., 
CHAPMAN, ANTHONY & CO. 
15, Philpot Lane, E 0, London, 2-lth Aug., 1900. 
Coconut Pl.\nting and Native Enter- 
prise. — We are interested to learn of the 
success of a retired native gentleman in the 
cultivation of a coconut property of rather 
more than 100 acres in extent. Wlien it was 
acquired by him, over tliree years ago, it was 
bearing an annual crop of 73,000 nuts. By 
judicious and liberal manuring the present 
proprietor, who is dealing with his soil in 
a bold and enterprising manner, has succeeded 
in raising the crop to 12:3,000 nuts per annum 
— but hitlierto lie has consistently .allowed liis 
expenditure to exceed hi.'5 income. He spent 
more tlian R5,000 last year on the cultivation 
of the estate and next year expects the 
income exactly to cover his expenses. Sub- 
sequently, he expects to reaj) a handsome 
profit and is fully conlident that the yield in a 
few years more will reach the high figure 
of 600,000 nuts. The planter in question, as 
may be guessed, is a gentleman of original 
ideas and fond of experimental work. We 
shall watch witli interest the results of the 
present expeiimeut in the " high cultivation" 
with our great palm staple. Old Mr. Lainont 
has said there is scarcely a limit to what the 
coconut tree will utilise of manure and that for 
every rupee spent ou fertilisers, two cj^ 
least should be got back. 
AEBORICULTURAL OPERATIONS 
IN INDIA. 
We have received a copy of the Report 
on the Arboricultural Operations in the 
N.-W. Provinces and Oudh, for the year 
ending March 31st, 1800, of which Mr. W. H. 
Moreland, Director of Land Records and 
Agriculture, is the author. 
We learn from the Report that 2,213 of the 
total 2,919 miles of metalled roads, and 4,872 
out of 23.220 miles of unmetalled roads, have 
now been provided with avenues of trees. 
In 1898 special instructions, intended to en- 
courage the planting of trees by piivate 
individuals were issued by Government ; but 
these were issued too late for results to be 
apparent in the figures for last vear, though 
the Report luentions several instances where 
private persons have started avenues from 
one to four miles long. It is expected that 
arboriculture can be materially extended in 
this way, through the personal influence of 
the District Officer. It would appear that 
it is possible to maintain nurseries in that 
special expenditure, namely by putting them 
in charge of road coolies and those in charge 
of road bungalows. 
As regards supervision, operations on Pro- 
vincuil roads remain in charge of officers of 
the P. W. D., while those on local roads are 
as a rule, supervised by officials of the 
District .Statf representing the executive of 
the District Boards. 
The financial results of last year show the 
aggregate receipts as R84,988 or R500 in excess 
of the previous year's income : on the other 
hand the expenditure rose by nearly R8,000 
and amounted to 89,190. The Provincial 
roads show a handsome profit, while there 
is a deficit on the roads managed by the 
District Board. This result is due to the 
administration of the former being closer, 
while the established avenues are consider- 
abh' larger ; so that while there is little 
expenditure, there is at the same time au 
income drawn from them. 
TEA CULTIVATION IN INDIA. 
The Director-General of Statistics publishes 
a paper in which he shows all India to have 
.516,732 acres under tea ; but Mr. O'Conor 
confesses that his figures are imperfect and 
defective, information being withheld in 
some cases. We shall give the details later • 
but meantime we may mention that 33,279 
acres of tea are put down for Travancore and 
the Madras Presidency, and it is estimated 
that m all India 1.5,0.52 additional acres of 
tea were planted in 1899 ; 31 561 in 
1898, and .36,838 in lS97-thus showing how 
the higher rupee checked extension. It is 
stated that last year gave a wonderful in 
crease (2:34 million lb.) in production, but 
this IS not borne out by the exports ? Mr. 
O'Conor gives the consumption of tea in 
India on the average of five vears at .5,169,000 
lb. of Indian tea and 2,72.3,000 lb. of foreign 
tea (chiefly Ceylon). Of course, this could be 
largely increased if once the millions of 
India (aa in China) tuok to drinking tea, 
