April 2, 1900.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
able that the career of British New Guinea aa an 
Australasian colooy will commence simultaneously 
with the proclamation of the Australiin common- 
wealth. The new colony, it is claimed, possesses" 
many of the features on which the prosperity of 
I'eylon 13 based, and offers many advantages to the 
semi-tropical agriculturist, the general character of the 
climate being not unlike that of Northern Qaeens- 
land. When British New Guinea became part of 
the British Empire, European settlement other 
than at a few points of the coasts could not be 
attempted with safety on account of the savage 
character of the natives, who naturally regarded the 
white man as an intruder. But like the Maoris of 
New Zealand and the inhabitants of Fiji, they are 
a singularly intelligent people, an'', under the kindiy 
yet firm rule of Sir William Macgregor and his 
successor, have learned to respect and couti le in the 
sway of the white man. There is not the slightest 
risk incurred by a settler, unless he disregards offi- 
cial advice and seeks to penetrate the yet unexplored 
portions of the colony. The country is exceedingly 
mountainous, and as the more elevated regions be- 
come more and more accessible they will afford a 
ready means of escape from the summer heat of the 
low lying country. So far as can be ascertained, the 
country is one immense forest, abounding in valu- 
able timber, and broken in places by vast alluvial 
plains, formed by the deposits of rivers in flood. The 
natives are mostly of settled habits, having large vil- 
lages kept scrupulously clean. The native manufactur- 
ing industries include pottery and rope makiog, but the 
Papuans are an imitative race, and speedily acquire 
a knowledge of the use of tools and the simpler 
industrial arts. The Government of British New 
Guinea has for some time been engaged in securing 
places suitable for the beginning of European settle- 
ment, a large portion being bought from the natives. 
Each locality has the natural makings of a plantation 
— good soil, a plentiful supply of water, and access- 
ibility from the coast. Each lot will be sold at a 
nominal price, subject to conditions intended to pre- 
vent its being secured for purposes of speculation. 
At present it looks as if gold-mining, sugar-growing, 
and cattle-raising are destined to become the leading 
local industries, but there are many branch'^s of 
semi-tropical agriculture which can be successfully 
introduced, especially tea, coffee, and rice. Several 
varieties of sugar-cane indigenous to the colony are 
said to be disease-proof, while the ease with which 
luxuriant crops of bananas, yams, coconuts, mangoes, 
sweet potatoes, and other agricultural products are 
obtained by the natives fully illustrates the capa- 
bilities of the soil. There is a Customs tariff imposdd, 
■with numerous exemptions, for revenue purposes, but 
at present the wh'ile of the New Guinea trade is in 
the hands of Queensland firms As the development 
of the infant colony proceeds the. Solomon and other 
island groups will inevitably become more or less 
influenced.— if. & C. trail, Feb. 16. 
COOOS-KEELINa ISLANDS. 
ALL-BRITISH CABLE MAY BE LANDED 
ON UNE OF THE GROUP. 
The faiiyland in the Indian Ocean, wliich is 
known as the Cocos-Keeling Islands, and belonos 
to a Scottish chieftain of the name of Ross, third 
monarch of the name, is suddenly assuming quite 
a new importance in the world. 
The Cocos-Keeliugs are coral islands of the 
south-west coast of Java, which Clunies Ross the 
first found unoccupied three-quarters of a century 
ago, and colonised with a lew Scots and some 
coolies. According to a Colonial Office report 
issued on Saturday the islands shippe<l away last 
year 800 tons of copra, the produce of four and a 
halt million coconuts at £14 15-!. a ton. 
There are 615 people on the islands, and a school 
V/ith two pupils — " rather above the average 
attendance," remarks the Commissioner ; but 
the younger generation of the Ross family are 
taught English two hours daily by Miss' May 
Ross. There are no police, and ' there is no need 
for them. The natives seemed to the consul more 
like the laboring class of Kuropeans bereft of 
alcoholic liquors and released from the stru"g!e 
for existence than like natives without religTous 
restraint. " 
They build good European boats under tlie ins- 
truction of the Ross dynasty, and tliev do not 
undervalue themselves. They are surprised, 
imleed, why the British Government does not give 
them men-of-war to build. 
The home of this simple little community is 
likely to become a part in the " all-British cable " 
scheme via the Indian Ocean to Australia. I'he 
cables at present pass through Java, which is 
Dutch ; hut the Eastern Extension Australasia and 
China Telesirraph Company proposes to land a cable 
on one of the C'>cos Islands. The Commissioner, 
who is very enthusiastic about the scheme, says 
Mr. Ross, is prepared to grant the concession. He 
adds, urging the connection of Dhe Far East by an 
Indian Ocean rather than a Pacific cable : India 
would be connected by an all-British cable. Then, 
taking an even more ambitious view of the possibi- 
lities of the case, he adds : It is probable that 
even without a subsidy a cable connecting Zanzibar 
with India, Australia, and Java, by way of Sey- 
chelli's, Chagos, Cocos, and Christmas Islands, 
would become a commercial success if worked in 
conjunction with the African Trans continental 
line. If the tariff from Europe to Zanzibar was Is. 
3d. the rate to India might be lowered to 23. 3d. 
Morning Leader, Feb. 15. 
Mineral Vhcsphates Wanted in Austra- 
lia. — The Government of South Australia offers 
a reward for the discovery of payable deposits of 
mineral phosphafes. The amount is £500 if found 
on Crown lands, and £250 if on private property. 
The discoverer will be entitled to a lease of 21 
years of 648 acres of land. The conditions are 
that the dn>osits are readily accessible by rail or 
port ; that the deposit is sufficiently abundant, and 
is available to the farmers at a payalile price ; 
and that the product is of good, ' marketable 
quality, averaging not less than 4(1 pei- cent of 
phosphate of lime. Half the amount will he paid 
when 200 tons have been produced, .and the re- 
.inainder when the scond 200 tons have been pro- 
duced. — Melbourne Leader. 
Camphor is an infallible remedy for chicken 
lice. When you make your nest and put in your 
eggs, at the same time place in the nest with the 
eggs, one' camphorated ball, which is sufficient lor 
the entire incubation, and your hen and little 
chicks will leave the nest free from all kinds of 
veiinin. When you have placed the little ball iu 
the nest, you need not bother any more. It will 
evaporate and get to be very siiiall toward the 
latter part of the incubating, but never mind, it 
has done its work. It is a good idea to keep one 
of the balls in the nest where the hens lny, as it 
keeps them from having scaly legs as" well as 
keeping them free from vermin. The camphorated 
ball is a little white bail and can be had from al- 
most any drug store. I buy penny squares in 
Kingston, instead of the ball, and half a one is ef- 
fectivt" in the layers' nests, — Journal of flic Jamaica, 
Agricultural Society, 
