612 
THE TROPICAL 
AGllICULTURIST. [IVIarch I, 1900. 
A Syndicate of Lomlon capitalists liave sent 
out Messrs Swinnoy and Eiiti, who liave pie- 
viously made considerable explorations in Pa- 
hang, witli a view of obtaining land for mining 
purposes. These gentlemen have applied for 
concessions in more than one district of that State. 
They are also trying to obtain land in the indepen- 
dent State of Kelantan. — PemkPioiicer, Feb. 14. 
Farming in the Thansvaal.— Says the Syd- 
nei/ Mail: — lb is popularly supposed in Australia 
that the Transvaal and adjacent territories will 
otter a wide and profitable field for the exertions 
of enterprising men after the war is over. In some 
respects this supposition will doubtless be realised. 
But we must not forget that, so far as business 
was concerned, there were better opportunities for 
pushing men in Johannesburg than in any other 
■part of the world before the war. Also, wages 
of good, willing men were very high, and the 
average earnings of the white population weie 
such as wouhl be considered sumptuous even by 
Australians, Competition will i)robably be keen 
when tlie war is ended, and it is iloubtful in- 
deed if the commercial opportunities of the man 
without the capital will be as great as before. 
In another direction there may be good openings 
for experienced agriculturists. There are sound 
local markets, and Boer methods are not advanced. 
For the matter of that, there are not so many ad- 
vancedfarmers in Australiathat we can afford atrek 
to Boerland. The Boer may be a ragged farmer, 
but he probably works on very cheap lines, and 
cheap production, however slovenly it may be, 
is a tough opponent. These are yioints that 
could be considered with advantage by Australian 
settlers later on. 
India-Kubber (Mexico) (LIx\iited). — A meet- 
ing of shareholders was held yesterday at Win- 
chester-house to consider what conserted action 
should be taken to recover the money invested by 
them in the company. The Chairnian entered 
at considerable length into the pijsition of tiie 
company since its incorppration in 1897. He 
reminded them that the prospectus estimated that 
the profits for the first year's working would be 
£70,000, and in the second and third year £80,000 
and £120,000 respectively. The fact that during 
those three years only £275 had been derived 
from the estates in Mexico seemed to show that 
there was no foundation for such statements. At 
the recent action against Mr. Clough at Leeds 
Assizes the jury found that the statements con- 
tained in the prospectus were untrue, and that 
the defendant had no reasonable ground for believ- 
ing them to be true in fact. The jury further 
found that Mr. Clough had been guilty of false 
and fraudulent representation to the plaintiff. 
In fairness he had to state that Mr. Clough was 
prosecuting an appeal, the liearing of which might 
possibly come on within the next six months. 
Replying to a question, the chairman said that 
there were 961 shareholders, representing 80,000 
shares. Mr. Burton asked if the persons respon- 
sible for the prospectus were possessed of ade- 
quate means to recoup the shareholders. The 
chairman said that there was evidence that they 
were men of ample means. Eventually, on the 
motion of Mr. J Hess, seconded by Mr. Horner, 
a resc/lution was passed appointing a committee 
toco-operate with that elected at the Newcastle 
meeting, to consult ^nth Messrs. Simpson and 
Simpson, and counsel, if necessary, as to the 
best way of enforcing liability against the 
directors, or others, responsible for the prospectus, 
^London Times, Jan, 20. 
Jamaica Toijacco.— At ^lontpelier, the i>ro- 
porty of the Hon. Evelyn Ellis, an extensive 
factory for the manufacture of cigars is now in 
full working, the entire cigar being the product 
of Jamaica soil. Mi*. Ellis lias planted out sixty 
acres exclusively with seedlings of the famous 
Vuelta Abajo tobacco, obtained from the Botanical 
Department. The tobacco, cured on the spot, 
realized high prices in New York. — British Trade 
Journal, Feb. 1. 
The Advance in Rubber.— .1 correction, 
which arrived too late for insertion, in the ad- 
vertisemeut of Messrs. Lynch and Co., (Ltd.), 
Aldersgate Street, B.C., in last week's issue, 
slightly alters the reading in reference to india- 
rubber water-bottles. Instead of "No advance" 
being made in the price of the.se articles an 
advance of five per cent should have been 
notified. This is occasioned by the increase 
in cost of the raw material, but Messrs. Lynch 
intimate that no uniform advance will be 
made. Each article will be dealt with on its 
own merits, and th.ey will make reductions 
and revert to old prices as soon as opportunity 
arises. — Chemist and Diiiggist, Feb. 3. 
Queensland : Department of Agriculture. 
— A great deal of useful information is contained 
in the Annual Report of ihis Department, just 
received. Meantime we quote what is said in the 
chief report about our old staple : — 
Coffee. — Though this, like rice, is grown upon the 
coast side of the main range from Cooktowa to the 
Tweed Heads, the tendency is towards cultivation in 
the tropics, where plantiitiocs are now being culti- 
vated upon a commercial scale. It has only been 
within the last three years that the interest shown in 
this product has demanded the attention of the 
Registrar-General from a statistical point of view, 
but from that time the increase in area has each year 
shown a fair advance. Taking the last two years for 
an example, it will be found that in 1837 there were 
l''Oi acres of productive coffee trees and 130J of 
non-productive, and in 1898, 199 acres and 233 acres 
respectively. The figures show an evident advance 
in the area planted, and the information to hand 
points to the statistics of the present year being 
yet more favourable. The imports for 1898 were 
170,886 lb., and upon that basis there is room for 
the use of 602 acres before we overtake our consump- 
tion, which, upon the pres»;nt population of 498,523, 
is at the rate cf '456 lb. of coffee per head each year. 
The market in Europe, hovsever, is good, and though 
we may not yet have leamjed how to ciJer our goods 
in the most attractive manner, the opinion ex- 
pressed by the trade in I;ondon upon Queensland 
coffee is very favourable, an d by the time we are in a 
position to place a fair quantity for export that 
method of preparing our cc ffee will have been at- 
attained, and we shall be aiOle to compete with those 
eountries wherein cuffee-groTving has been prosecuted 
for centuries. The appomtrment of Mr. Newport as 
instructor in coffee cultui.'e has given an impetus to 
this branch of tropical :igr iculture, and as he haa 
also an intimate knowled ge of what may be termed 
allied products, such as spices, the benefits to the 
farmers of the North wi 11 be greater than was anti- 
cipated. The death of Mr. E, Cowley, and the 
exigencies of the Diseaf.es in Plants Act at Cairns 
has precluded Mr. Newp ort, up to the present, from 
giving that attention to- instruction he would nave 
wished, for the reason th; bt he was retained in Cairns to 
supervise the nursery, a ad to p^ttend to the inspection 
of fruit. Arrangements have, however, now been 
made to release him f;:om that detention, and his 
services will henceforth be at the command of the 
coffee-grower, A report from him upon this subject \% 
attached herewith, ^ 
