76S 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, [May 1, 1903. 
drug.. This is a step in advance, and may perhaps 
go some distance to reconcile the Chinese Govern- 
ment to the loss of Formosa. The market is at 
present dependent chiefly upon the supply from 
Formosa, and in consequence the price is main- 
tained at a high figure. Camphor is not the only 
product that might be introduced into the eight- 
een provinces and the Viceroys mip'ht profitably 
institute enquiries as to what new products the 
soils and climates of their respective provinces are 
best calculated to reproduce. Now that tea has 
practically ceased to be an export except on a 
comparatively small scale, it would be well to 
endeavour to find out other articles of commerce 
that could be successfully and profitably raised 
to take its place as a paying export and to redress 
the balance of trade, now so largely against China. 
With the heavy indemnity to be paid to the 
Foreign Powers, it is a matter of vital import to 
China to find new articles of export. And unless 
sustained efforts be put forth in this direction, it 
is tolerably certain, spite of the foolish optimism 
of the opponents of a gold standard in China, that 
the exports of this great Enipire will remain 
stationary, or at any rate barely maintain their 
present position. 
Summary of manurial results :— 
PROTECTED PEPPEK. 
, Pepper from French Indo-China pays lower cnstoma 
"utiea on entering France. In other words the import 
duty on colonial pepper there is fifty per cent, less than 
on the foreign article. This protection has ao largely 
stimnlated pepper-growing in Cochin- China among 
Europeans and Chinese that the French market is 
glutted with that spice from the Colony. Growing 
the article there has become nnprofitable. The Eu- 
ropean plaijtera seek to ward off heavy loss by starting 
an agitation against Chinese pepper-planters being 
allowed to share in the preferential tariff rates. This 
simply means the ruin of the Chinese plunters- The 
prevalent opinion is that the planters should hang 
together, and should seek to meet the bad times by 
turning to other markets and by resorting to improved 
business methods. — Straits Times, April 2. 
CACAO. 
liXPERlMENT PLOTS AT GRENADA. 
The following summary is taken from the report 
of Mr M McNeill, Agricultural Instructor at 
Grenada, on the cacao experiment plots in 
that colony. The information given refers to the 
period from October 1st 1901 to September 30th 
1902. The report is published in full in a re- 
cent issue of the Grenada Government Gazette ; — 
The following is a comparative statement of 
the yields for 1900-01 and 1901 02 :— 
190001 1901-02 
lb wet cacao, lb wet cacao. 
Vendome (one acre) ... 421 1561 
Colombier ( do ) ... 564 117 
Vinoennes (half acre) ... 340 „879 
Nianganfoix (one acre) ... 3335 ^989 
Bellevue ( do ) ... 1611 ''087 
The yield for Vendome and Vincenues is three 
times greater than last year, about double for 
Colombier, with a decided improvement for Belle- 
vue aud Nianganfoix. 
Average cost of working per acre for 1901 02, 
inclnding cost of manures, cartage, etc., has been 
£5 179 Od. 
The average cost of production per cwt, allow- 
ing for wet cacao to give hall its weight in dry, 
on which, however, there is at present) wide dif- 
ferences of opinion has been 12s 9d. 
o .2 
a S 
(D a 
« o 
.S o 
Totals. 
> 
Basic fclag 
and sulph. 
potash 522 279 340 1109 561 2811 lb wet cacao 
Basic slag 
and sulph. 
ammo- 
nia 426 252 252 1202 613 2745 lb wet oacao 
Basic slag 
and ni- 
trate of 
soda 251 200 307 1021 420 2199 lb wet cftoao 
Sheep or 
pen ma- 
nure 362 148 218 657 193 1878 lb wet cacao 
Basic slag and sulphate of potash sections have 
taken first place in three plots and second place 
in two. 
Basic slag and sulphate of ammonia sections 
have taken first place in two plots, second in two, 
and third place in one. 
The total yield for the basic slag and nitrate 
of soda sections has been better than that for the 
sheep or pen manure s^ciwvs.— Agricultural 
News, Feb. 28. 
INDIAN TEA AND PPlOSPECTS. 
We call attention to the long and instructive 
Report of the leading Calcutta Tea broking 
house for the season 1902-3— see page 759. It 
will be observed how much importance is given 
to the restriction of crops by fine plucking, 
and to tiie need of supporting the Calcutta 
market as a check on that of London, and 
also to the value of encouraging green tea. 
For the coming season, the tea crop pros- 
pects are favourable ; but much depends on 
weather and labour supply ; and the ex- 
pectation on the whole, is of a prosperous 
year for producers, if due care is taken in 
the directions pointed out. 
ASSAM PLANTERS' PURCHASE IN THE 
NILGIRIS. 
A group of estates near Colacumbay has hist 
been sold to two tea planters from Assam. The 
properties consist of the Terramia, Pembroke 
and Carshalton estates, comprising about 600 acres 
of land, of which about 200 acres are under tea and 
100 acres under coffee. It is said that the purcha- 
sers intend to open out all the uncultivated land 
in tea and make a big concern. It is significant 
that planters long resident in that well-known tea- 
producing district should leave it to settle on the 
Nilgiris, and one is inclined to seek the reason. It 
must be that the labour difficulty in Assam is 
preventive of any profits being made in these times 
where large advances have to be made to the 
coolies. R75 per head and even nuue. and where 
Government interference is so irksome. The plant- 
ers here will no doubt hail tl\e advent of these 
wellcomer.a, as they will be sure to carry out eco- 
nomical methods and keep down vlie rates of pay, 
which have a tendency to rise of late yefy's, and 
could undoubtedly run iiigb l>ut for the fall in 
\oic6S,— Indian Planters' Gazette, April 11. 
