March 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
625 
COTTON IN THE FAR EAST. 
Although the first Cotton Mill Company 
started in Ceylon had to be womid up, and 
although on the adjoining Continent mosfe 
of the once flourishing Cotton Mills are 
having a very trying time of it, yet there 
are places in which the cotton mill 
industry continues to yield fair returns. 
Indeed, it is in the very ability of Japan 
and China,— which were till lately the 
best market, if not for cotton goods gene- 
rally, at any rate for yarn,— to compete with 
the old centres of the mill industry, that a spe- 
cial danger now lies. Skilled labour is nowhere 
cheaper than among the Yellow Races ; and 
it may be doiibted whether apter learners 
and nimbler fingers for delicate work can 
be foiind anywhere in the wide world. It 
is in the readiness with which mechanical 
knowledge is acquired in the Far East, and 
in the conversion of the consumer into the 
producer that Lancashire has found its 
greatest drawback. The Indian mills were 
trouble enough with their command of cheap 
labour, and they undoubtedly compelled 
contentment with| sukaller profits than were 
at one time reaped; but so long as the 
millions in the Far East remained customers, 
there was no ground for alarm. Now, the 
spinning and weaving industry has made 
considerable strides in Japan which is be- 
coming less and less a purchaser of the cotton 
o-oods and yarn which it formerly absorbed 
m large quantities. It is, however, from 
China that experts apprehend the greatest 
danger. Foreign capital has done some- 
what to give the industry a start ; but now the 
local capitalist has begun to see prospects 
of profit in the industry ! And what wonder, 
if the three foreign-owned mills in Shang- 
hai are able to declare dividends varying 
from 34 to 7 per |cent, without working full 
time ? It may be that the work done is 
chiefly in the coarser yarns, but these are said 
to be superior to those turned out in both 
Bombay and Osaka, and the native capitalist 
in starting on his own account. The un- 
easiness of Bombay is, therefore, easily under- 
stood. 
SUGAR IN QUEENSLAND. 
The total quantity of sugar exported from 
Queensland for the seven months ended January 
•81, amounted to 96,82.5 tons as compared with 
119,668 tons in the corresponding period of last 
year.— Sydney Mail, Feb. 10. 
Dr. W Maxwell, a Honolulu sugar expert, ^ho 
has just completed his investigation of the sugar 
industry in Queensland, as well as a number of 
prominent gentlemen connected with the industry, 
were entertained at Parliament" House by the 
Premier and the members of the Ministry. — Ibid. 
PLANTIN(4 NOTES. 
Planting on the Johnstonk River, 
Western Australia.— A settler, writing on 
1st February, reports : — " We have both small 
patches of' coffee, hut not in bearing yet. 
Tkis district goes in for nothing but sugar and 
bananas ; rice, arrowroot, pines and lemons 
are being tried ; tobacco is a failure owing 
to blue mould on young plants." 
Frek Exploitation of Vanila, &c.— The 
official jouinal of Costa Rica publishes a decree 
autlioiising the free exploitation of siu-saparilla 
and vanilla, as well as of all other vegetable pro- 
ducts found in national forests, except timber. — 
B, and C. Druggist, Feb. 
Cheap Tka Wanted !- One of the leading 
Indian Tea Garden Companies in London re- 
cently received a eoninmnieation from a coun- 
try grocei-, with the followinf; modeft re- 
(juest : " Have you an Indian or Ceylon tea 
that you can put in for 5d or 6d duly paid ? If 
So," say.'; this ingenuous corre.-spondent, " send 
samples and price list." This would-be patron 
of Biiti.<h planting enterprise should try Hum- 
hm-^.^P/antn-, Feb. 24, 
Amazonia Rubber and Trading Company' 
(Limited). — The directors, in their annual repotl 
to December 31 last, subndtted at the generar 
meeting held yesterday, state that the net profif 
for the past year ar»jounted to £3,299. whereot 
£1,171 has been absorbed by the interim dividend 
|)aid on July 25. 1899. The directors now re-, 
conunend ^1,527 to be paid in completion of a 
dividend at the rate of 20 per cent, per annum 
on both preference and ordinary shares for the 
year ended December 31, 1899, £250 to be placed 
to reserve fund, and £349 to be carried forward. — 
London Times, Jan. 31. 
Tobacco Growing isr Ireland.— A prospect 
of a new industry for Ireland has been opened 
up by the Irish Agricultural Orgainsing Society, 
which has sliown that tobacco can be ]>ro(itably 
grown at Donaghpatrick, in County Meath. The 
experimental crop raised has been cured and 
manufactured, and is now being sold by an Irish 
newsnaper at 4-^d. per ounce through the post. 
Competent juds.'es have pronounced the Irish weed 
an excellent smoking tobacco, and the whole cost 
of pioduction wa^ but 4d. per lb. Allowing for 
duty at 2s. 8d., this tobacco, sold at 5s. per lb., 
would show a profit of no less than £264 per 
acre. The revenue authorities are strongly op- 
posed to the cultivation of tobacco in the Bri- 
tish Isles, and an experiment made some 
years a}>o on Mr. Faunce de Laune's estate, in 
Kent, was most unfavourably regarded. It would 
be a curious coincidence if the two chief importa- 
tions of Sir Walter Raleigh should combine for 
the benelit-of the distressful country. — Daily 
Chronicle, Feb. 9. 
Petroleum Export Statistics.— The export 
statistics of petroleum during the past three years 
show some notable change? in foreign requirements. 
The export movement reached its maxinnim in 
1897, with a total of 994,297,000 gallons, the suc- 
ceeding year showing a falling off of 7,817,000 gal- 
lons, and last year a further shrinkage of 35,456,000 
gallons. Foreign writers liave attributed this 
decrease entirely to the increased competition of 
Russian oil, but a closer study of the pioduction 
and movement from vaiious saurces of supply 
proves that the decrease in the exports of American 
petroleum are not due to direct competition with 
the Russian product. The production of petroleum 
in Sumatra, Konmania and Galicia has made 
rapid strides during the past few years anil the 
product of tbcse sections has displaced just so 
much oil which would otherwise have been sup- 
plied from America or Russia, or in part from 
both of these petroleum producing countries.-^ 
Oil Paint and Drug Reporter, 
