Jan. 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
489 
per 1,000 plants. The followiug year H to 2 arro- 
ha.^. This is far uuder the Suuiaii-au yifild. 
KuBBKK.— rianted 14' s 14' will cost to biint,' 
into bearing (i.e. full 8th year) ami if regularly 
weeded §150 the acre. 
Yield 8th year lib. per tree cost per acre iiielud- 
ing gathering $95. 
Yield 9th year 215. per tree, cost per acre includ- 
ing gatlieriiig §150. 
Yield lOih and following year ;! lb. jier tree, co-st 
per acre including gathering $20\ 
Cacao. — Will cost to bring into bearing $250 
the acre. Yield in full bearing S c^^'ts. the acre 
cost .$100 per acre. 
Sugar and Aguardiente.— It is generally 
calculated that in this part the same held will 
go on yielding from 10 to 22 years (a jtreity wide 
margin) and the profits range from 1600 to $8'i0the 
" hectara " (22 acres). In niy opinion, as I know 
nothing of sugar, a good deal of salt would mix 
well here. 
Kick Dry. -This is a crop that for years to 
come will pay, I believe, better than any other. 
Very little labour is required. There is a large 
local demand and pric s are good. Rice costs us 
here 12 cents the pound. 
Vanilla. — This is its home, bufc I can gatlier 
no information about it. It grows wild in the 
' forests here, as does rubber. On the Tobacco lands, 
crops of Maize and Beans are raised, but 
I do not approve of tliis mode. Tliere is 
a largo local demand for Cacao, Mexico 
even i'uporling it, hence the local high prices which 
Mr. Darley correctly quotes. There is also a good 
local demand for sugar, maize, beans, tobacco. 
The local demand for Aguardiente is enormous as 
tlie Mexican niozo or jieon cannot do without his 
one, two or tliree ■' copitas " (glasses) a day, and 
Ihey begin drinking as children and gulp it down 
almost raw without a wink. It is their one remedy 
for almost every ill. When, however, thislocil de- 
mand is met, and the planter has to compete in 
the open markets against countries with cheaper 
and better labour, cheaper transport and light 
taxes, how will he fare? Time alone will tell. In 
the meantime he has magniilcent soil in his favour 
and a large and close market in the United States 
and Canada. It is true Americans are rushing in 
and taking up large tracts of lands. Tlsere area 
few exceptions, but the majtn'ity are buying only 
for a deal. They will dispose of these lands in 
small blocks to would-be planters, and I prophesy 
that these will be " left." What Company can 
deal with 10.),0"0 acres of land and over ; certainly 
not open it themselves ? In my immediate vicinity 
there are 588,000 acres of mai^niticent land for sale. 
The truth is there is still a large land boom on in 
Mexican tro()ical lands and, what goes hand in hand 
with land boop.is, a plethora of exaggerated esti- 
mates like the one you published on page 36 of the 
July T. A. 
Life on a Plantation. — As I have said pre- 
viously, living, even of the plainest, is very ex- 
pensive, unless one lives like a Mexican on dry 
beef, chickens, heaus, rice and tortillas and coffee. 
If you offer a Mexican tea, he will decline saying 
that he is not ill. Such a thing as a good cook or 
house servant is not to be found in Mexico, taking 
the standard of upcountry in Ceylon or in the Malay 
Peninsula. A plain cook, generally Chinese, 
will demand 130 to 140 a month and food and 
a house servant of the same nationality $20 to 
t30 and food and get it too. Mexican cooks 
^woinen) get tl2 to |15 and food and house ser- 
vants $15 to $ 20 and food. The Mexican servant 
is the most hopeless, lazy, ignorant ami dirty brute 
I have ever come across. He has no idea of waiting, 
or general house work, and tiie cook is of the same 
class. Their worst point is that they will not 
learn, they have too much self-conceit ; and if 
j'ou get one who is v;illing to learn, they will 
not stay long enough to be taught, and if they 
do, will only learn up to a ccrlain point, I an- 
swered a cook's advertisement in the Mexican 
Herald and enclose his reply, $100 a month 
and food is not bad fur a " Mussleman from Con- 
pore" calling himself '■ Charles Sherman." 
The other delights consist of insects called 
" rodadores" that torment and bite one all the 
day and all the year round, sandflies that do the 
same at night during tiie wet season, and mos- 
quitoes (these only bad in some places). During 
the dry season one cannot walk through the 
grass without getting covered more or less with 
ticks and lice. Of sport of any kind there is 
none, nor recreation nor society. If one is sur- 
rounded only by Mexicans, all idea of civilized 
society and sociability has to be given up. To 
compensate for the life one would have to lead, 
would requite larger prolits than I am alraid any 
estate would yield. 
For rubber and coconuts, Mexico and adjoining 
countries will have a formidable rival in the Malay 
States where labour is from 100 to 125 per cent 
cheaper and far and away better, trarjsport better 
and cheaper by at least 100 per cent, taxes 2h per 
cent ad valorem duty on produce. Any one 
thinking of investing in Mexico, I should advise 
iirst of all to visit British Honduras. I see no 
reason why British Honduras should be worse than 
Mexico as regards soil and climate. It is a British 
colony and labour can be got from India under a 
five years' agreement and for 50 cts. a day without 
food, cost landed £10 a head, but irrecoverable. 
" PLANTER.." 
CASSAVA OR MANIOC. 
Matale, Nov. 26. 
Sir, —With reference to the poison of the 
cassava or manioc referred to in your issue of the 
25th, the natives hereabouts believe that some 
of the poison in the cassava is communicated by 
snakes who arc said to be very fond of this vege- 
table and nibble at the roots whenever oppor- 
tunity olfers. Further as the manioc is planted 
as a fence tree along with the "endaru'' which is 
supposed to be poisonous, the "endaru" is said to 
have infected the manioc with its poison. All care- 
ful housewives as previously stated, cut out the 
poisonous part of the cassava before they begin 
cooking I understand that manioc is very ex- 
tensively eaten in the Eastern Province and 
doubtless some of your correspondents there will be 
able to give valuable tips ab{)Ut the way to avoid 
the bad kinds. S. 
IMPERIAL FISCAL FEDERATION— FOR 
COFFEE AND TEA. 
United Planters' Association of Southern India, 
Incorporated. 
Madras, Nov. 29. 
Dear Sir, — I beg to enclose for your informa- 
tion and for the favour of such comment 
as you may deem lit, a copy of a letter that 
has' been despatched to a very large numbei; ot 
