10^ 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Aug. 1, im. 
picnl ag against |20 80 in 1900. Moreover exchange 
fell from 2, (demand selling rate on London^ in Janu. 
ary to 1/10^- in December, but for which fact, dollar quo- 
tations would presumably have been lower still. A 
good deal of CoflEee has nevertheless been planted in 
1901, mostly in conjunction with Para rubber, and 
cultivation has been well maintained, whilst quality 
has improved, and complaints on this score have been 
much less frequent. Reports from Brazil go to show 
that the coming season's blossoms have to a %reat ex- 
tent failed, and there is a widespread belief that 
6,000,000 bags will be the limit of the crop actually 
gathered in Rio and Santos, though the unloading 
of heavy stocks may to a great extent counteract 
the hardening eiiect which such a phenomenally 
poor crop should exercise upon the marljet. It is a 
somewhat debatable point whether the failure of the 
blossoms in Brazil is to be attributed to the impover- 
ished condition of the trees, consequent upon inade- 
quate cultivation and a succession of abnormally heavy 
crop.', or whether the season has been unpropitious. 
If the former assumption be correct, then there can 
be little doubt that a steady and continued improve- 
ment may be confidently anticipated, but advices are 
so conflicting that it would be premature in the ex- 
treme at this stage to attempt any reliable forecast. 
CocoNDTS. — Owing to the ravages of beetle and the 
cost of keeping the trees clean, Oooonuts are not as 
much planted as their fine growth would lead one to 
suppose that they would be. Doubt has also been ex- 
pressed as to whether the soil, except that actually 
on the sea-board, is suitable. The Selangor Planters' 
Association Annual Report however states that, on a 
small holding in the Klanang District, trees from 10 
to 12 years old have yielded an average return of 
over 51 nuts per tree, although this plantation was 
opened by Malays and considerably neglected during 
tlie first eight years of its existence. Such a return 
is under the circumstances decidedly satisfactory, and 
your Committee are of opinion that the cultivation 
will always be a remunerative one as long as it re- 
mains possible to keep the beetles under without in- 
curring a prohibitive expenditure in doing so. 
Gdtta Rembong (Ficus Etastica). — The unsuita- 
bility of this tree for planting amongst Coffee, to 
some extent accounts no doubt for the preference 
shown to Para. Nevertheless when put out on soil 
which it likes, growth has been very fine, but it has 
shown itself to be a tree which will not flourish any- 
where and everywhere, and for it to make a vigorous 
start it appears essential that there should be a fairly 
rich surface humus or lots of ash after a recent burn. 
On rain-washed and impoverished hill-sides, it sulks 
from the day it is planted, but grows splendidly on 
practically bottomless peat, if well drained. Mr. Derry 
of Perak has interested himself more than anyone in 
this variety of Rubber, and is very sanguine of its 
eventual success, though he thinks that " perhaps eight 
years may have to elapse before the tree can be 
profitably tapped." In iMtalacca 4-5 years old trees 
are however being worked by a Chinaman who pro- 
fesses to be quite satisfied with the results, but his 
figures of yield and cost are considerablv involved 
and difficult to follow. In Perak two 19 year old 
trees each yielded 25 lb. in one year, and of these Mr, 
Derry reports " the tapping was far short of being 
exhaustive." The value of this rubber is slightly less 
than para, and the method of collecting differs, in that 
the latex of the "Ficus " appears to coagulate on the 
treea, wher'jas that of Para runs freely, down the cuts 
made in the baik into tins. 
J^Hevea Brazif.irnsis : Paea Ruuber.— With the de- 
cline in the price of coffee this product have been 
largely planted throughout the Pwderated Malay 
States, and when k(^pt clean of weeds bai everywhere 
come on in a fashion which cloarly indicates that soil 
and climate agree with it admirably. The wintering 
habit of the tree, which is almost universal, seems to 
afford a further proof of this country suiting it. Some 
experimental tapping of young trees, which has been 
undertaken, goes to show that in 4 to 5 years from 
planting about 6 oz. of dry rubber may be regarded 
as the average yield of the best grown trees, and 
some 6 years old trees have yielded over a pound 
at their first tapping. The coming year will undoubt. 
edly provide many returns of experiments for com- 
parison, but at the present juncture very few Estates 
have any large number of trees ready for tapping. 
Export op Coffee, F.M.S. 
1894 1895 1896 1897 
Selangor pkls. 2,586 4,532 7,046 12,491 
N. Sembilan ,, unknown unknown unknown 1,071 
Perak „ 1,662 1,937 2,209 2,759 
Total 
Selangor 
N. Sembilan 
Perak 
Total 
pkls. 
3,950 
1898 
22,948 
3,163 
2,837 
6,469 
1899 
26,407 
4,541 
932 
9,2,55 
1900 
34,295 
6,199 
4,269 
16,321 
1901 
37,664 
9,769 
3,806 
28,948 31,880 44,763 51,239 
INDIAN SALES OP CHEAP TEA 
BY LOTTERY. 
Yercaud, June 20.— It has lately come to 
my notice that small packets of tea, con- 
taining about an ounce, are being sold up 
here by the Postmaster of Nagalore, for the 
small sum of three pies each ! and he is 
allowed a commission of 10 per cent, on all 
he sells— from Messrs. Andrew Yule & Co., 
Calcutta. On the packet are the words 
" Indian Tea Markets Extension. "I'he World 
its Field. Andrew, Yule & Co., Calcutta." 
Bach envelope is marked with a letter and a 
number, the one with me now is G. i7,14:i, and 
it is stated that monthly prizes are awarded 
to any one holding the envelopes with the 
numbers drawn as prizes. There is one prize 
of fl50, five of R5 each, ten of R2 each, and 
fifty-five prizes of Rl each ; in all RloO a 
month is disbursed in prizes, or rather was 
disbursed in May, This is certainly a very 
sporting endeavour to push the sale of cheap 
tea. Those who are in authority, and have 
the interests of the coffee planting industry 
at heart, should bestir themselves with their 
product of coffee, and go and do likewise. 
—Madras Mail Cor., June 21. 
THE DRUMMOND DEANE GREEN TEA 
PROCESS. 
(Extract from a letter to Indian Gardening 
and Planting, June 19.) 
From the commencement of the process the 
Drummond Deane system has the advantage, for 
it is possible with the machines to treat the green 
leaf in large quantities at a time, and a whole 
roll of leaf can be prepared by the work of a 
single coolie attending the machine and be ready 
for tiie next process in two or three minutes. But 
so rapid is the process of preparing the 'leaf that 
most concerns prefer to take Green Tea machines 
of smaller capacity and find that they are able to 
keep pace with the rolling machinas in workiuf? 
off the leaf as the half hour or so required for 
rollini; gives ample time to pass sulficient leaf 
through the Green Tea machine to be ready for the 
next roll. There is also an absolute certainty 
that all the leaf that is put through the machines 
