604 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[March 1, 1900. 
COCOA. 
Loiulon, E.G., Feb', 2. 
Dear SlR,"-Lettei's received this :i)ail from 
Trinidad, dated 18th January, still complain of 
the lateness of the crops, and the stores say it hn..-; 
caused them to have a very poor Christmas. 
Those, however, who were fortunate enougli to 
have any cocoa ohtiiined good prices, fine estate 
marks selling as hif,di as .$16 75 locaiiy = 84s in 
London. The weather in most quarters is still too 
dry, Porb of Spain itself seems to be having more 
rain than the country, The Island liad only 
shipped 3,276 basrs to the 18th January (2,508 to 
Europe, 768 to U.S-A.) against 9,672 bags at the 
same time last year. 
The cocoa sales went off this week very 
irregularly, the Government being again buyeis, 
however, gave some growths especially Triniclads 
a very much firmer tone than would otherwise 
have been the case, but even they were cut out in 
several lots. This caused Grenadas and Dominicas 
also to sell well. The demand for Ceylon was the 
most iiTegular perhaps; but on the whole, especially 
■as sellers were firm, the lots sold were fully up 
to valuations. Since the sales the news ihat 
.some 2,000 bags Java offered on the 31st at 
Amsterdam had all sold const ferably above 
valuations, also no doubt helped the market, for 
I was shown a lot of fair red native, mixed 
break, for which only 70s was bid at the sale, but 
had now been sold at 73s. 
Judging from prices obtained at and after the 
sale I quote the following rates today for 
Ceylon's : — Common to fair native 67s to 73s, 
small fair to good 61s to 69s, mid red 75s 6d to 
77s, fair red 78s to 80s, good red 83s 6d to 87s 6d, 
fine 95s. About 1,400 bags in have changed hands 
this week. Of other growths Trinidads went 
steady to Is higher selling from 79s to 84s. The 
principal feature in this growth was the sale of 
some 400 bags good middling to good red 82s, 
which vv'as only valued at 80-i to 81s, Grenadas 
sold from 69s for fair red to 7 s for fine marks. 
The Guayaquils were nearly all bought in but 
since the sales about 1,000 bags have been sold at 
72s 6d for 73s for Caraquez. 
During the week ending 27th, 2,042 bags of 
Ceylon and Java were landed, and 1,562 bags 
were delivered, leaving a stock of 8,363 bags." As 
far as I can see about 800 bags will be offered up 
next week, when about 5,000 bags, of all growths, 
principally Grenadas, will be offered— as well as 
110 tons of Cadbury's cocoa butter, and 100 tons 
of Shells. 
I hear the Mazzawatte Tea Company are begin- 
ning to move into their new warehouses near 
New Cross, alse that they have paid the Customs 
a cheque for £85,000 odd as duty on some six 
million lb. of tea. — Yours very truly, 
HAIK^LD HAMEL SMITH. 
A PLANTER'S ADVICE TO PLANTERS : 
CONCENTRATE AND CULTIVATE ONLY 
THE BEST LAND, 
Ooonoor, Nilgiri Hills, Feb. 9th, 1900. 
Dear Sir, — I find that here and in Mysore 
the advice contained in the long letter you 
did me the honor to publish, has been acted 
on. Poor lands are being abandoned, and 
the waste of labourer!? has been reduced. I 
had a long talk with one of the leading 
merchants of Bombay (largely concerned in 
the cotton industry at that city), and find 
that they are setting to work— either to 
reduce wages, or to get more work be done 
for those at present paid, and the movement 
has spread to the North of India. I only 
hoi)e that the action of the Indian planters 
has s.oread to Ceylon. If they cultivate 
highly, and only the best land, they will, 
of course, economise all along the line ; and 
the key of the whole position, in other 
words, is the restriction of cultivation to the 
best land. What often happeiis here, and 
at home, is that money is made on the good, 
to be thrown away on the bad land. 
The President of one of our Mysore Planters' 
Associations tells me that my views have 
been almost uaiversally accepted, except by 
a few who are entirely in the agents' hands. 
— Very truly yours, 
ROBERT H. ELLIOT. 
[We cannot speak of much abandonment 
of land in Ceylon as yet by our te.a planters 
— "coffee" here is practically a thing of the 
past altogether — a few corners and a few 
fields of plantations may have been given 
up, but that is about all. On the other 
liand, there is little or no extension in 
fresh planting for this year; l)ut in re- 
gard to "manuring" a good deal is being 
done, where there is labour, and as it is cal- 
culated that, if "judiciously" carried out, such 
manuring means an addition of 200 lb. tea 
pev acre to the crop, we have to face the 
contingency of heavy additions to our exports, 
though no doubt a good deal of allowance 
has been made in the P A. estimate for 1900 
which is 188, fX)0, 0001b. against 129,894,156 lb. 
actually shipped in 1899. Mr. Elliot, we be- 
lieve, however, is chiefly interested in coffee 
and cardamoms ? Of the latter, there is not 
much prospect of extended planting in 
Ceylon, suitable soil well sheltered being 
scarce.— Ed. T.A.\ 
COCONUTS IN FIJI AND ME4T 
TINNING. 
Feb. 10, 
Dear Sir, — Enclosed are cuttings from Fiji 
Times Editorial of 6tli Jan. I cannot help thinking 
that tlse estimate of 10,000 acres being planted 
annually in coconuts by the natives is a gross 
exaggera ion. It is worth enquiring about. The 
fact that Fiji has started meat tinning shews that 
cattle have wonderfully increased in nnmbprs 
during recent years, far in excess of local re- 
quirements. The country is well adapted for 
cattle as I have often told jou and they thrive 
and breed well there. 
A large stock-owner in Fiji has just written 
to me saying he is very glad the tinning busi- 
ness has started and complaining that his tine 
fat cattle only fetch £5 a head at present time. 
They expect a heavier copra crop this than last 
year.— Yours truly, PLANTER, 
While the larger portion of the Windward Islands 
is almost solely devoted to the raisins of coconuts, 
where something! like 10,000 acres are being planted 
annually by the natives, and every tree preserved 
and taken care of, the main island, Viti Le^u, com- 
prising 2,.^00,000 acres, is devoted to the raising of 
sufjar cane and fruit. 
Another industry to be initiated for the first time 
in Fi.ii early this year is the tinning of meat. This 
would appear to be a step in the right direction an^ 
Bbould largely assist stockowaey a to realise A better 
