766 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [May 1, 1900. 
suits seem to demonstrate that applications of 
common salt to coconut estates, on the sea board 
at leasi;, are unnecessary. They also suggest that 
the rain-water near tlie sea may i)Ossibly supply a 
not inapi)recialde amount of potassium chloride 
and magnesium chloride. Sea-water, according to 
an iuiaiysis oi the water of the Irish Channel, con- 
tains betweerx a thirty-fifth and a tliirty-sixth as 
much i)otasaium chloride as sodium chloride ; and if 
it were borne on the sea-breeze in this pioportion, 
the rain would furnish about '184 lb. of potassium 
chloride per tree per annum. 
It does not follow, however, supposing potassium 
chloride to be present in the sea-breeze, that it 
is present in the same relative proportion to 
sodium chloride as in sea water : the proportion 
would probably be less, the weight of the molecule 
of potassium chloride being greater. 
M. COCHRAM. 
» 
COFFEE-COCONUTS— RUBBER : SELAN- 
GOR PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION. 
The annual general meeting was held in the 
Selangor Club, Kuala Lumpur, on Saturday, 
24bh Feb. 
Tiie Chairman informed the meeting that Mr. 
Carey had intimated that he was not prepared 
to accept office in either of the Associations for 
1990, and was sure the meeting would agree with 
him that this was a great loss--. Mr. Gibson, who 
had been their Honorary Secretary for a number 
of years, had also decided not to accept office 
again ; but he was glad to say that Mr. Hicks had 
allowed his name to be put forward in the event 
of no other being forthcoming. He thanked all 
the members for their indulgence during the past 
year and wished the Association continued success. 
Mr. ToYNBEE proposed, and Mr. Skinner 
seconded — that Mr. Carey take the chair Tpro tmn, 
which was carried unanimously. 
Mr. Carey said that, before proceeding with 
the next item on the agenda, which was to elect 
office- bearers for the new year, he should like 
to make a few remarks in the annual report 
which had been handed to them today. This; 
though nominally the Committee's report, was 
was in reality the work of tht Chairman and 
Secretary, who were to ^'e concratuiated in hand- 
ing them such a good one. He was sure they 
would all agree with him that it was most en- 
couraging to note that while coffee was 
selling at $18 in November and $20.50 in 
December last, it was now quoted at $25, and 
confidential reports from London and elsewhere 
were most encouraging. They had undergone a 
most hard and severe struggle during the last 
two years and it was most creditable to find that 
so few had gone under, and they had every 
reason to be proud that the acreage under coffee 
had not decreased. The low prices of coffee had 
induced many planters in Selangor and other 
States to plant up large areas with Para and 
other rubbers and this promised to be a most 
profitable investment, as he had reliable informa- 
tion that a Para rubber tree in a neighbouring 
State, which was tapped twice in 10 months, half 
the tree at each tapping had yielded the enormous 
quantity of 16 lb. of rubber and the tree in no 
way harmed. Now the most sanguine of men 
could not expect such a result all over, but even 
supposing they sot one-tenth of the above amount 
it would meat! a fortune. Another product, which 
was most deserving of consideration, was the 
coconut, which gave in their coast districts mar- 
vellous results — he had seen a tree in the Klang 
district which has been in bearing for over a year 
is now only five years' old and has over 70 nuts 
on it at present, and this tree was not at all 
singular. Altogether, he thought they would 
agree with him that the planters' prospects looked 
considerably brighter. Mr. Darby then proposed 
and Mr. Kendle seconded, a vote of thanks to 
the retiring otiice bearers, which was carried un- 
animously. Tom Gibson, Hon. Secy., S.P.A. 
TEA DUTY. 
On tea the extra duty is 2d per lb It seems clear 
here that the consumer will have to bear the addition. 
The opinion of the Blazawattee Tea Company's chair- 
man, which compauy, by the way, is advertising that 
it has paid the record duty cheque of £85,860, is that 
people will take a 23 tea where they have been ac- 
customed to pay Is lOd for the same qnality, that the 
cheapest tea (Is per lb.) will drop out, and that a 
better tea will be sold at Is 4d. All tea issued by 
this company is now advanced 2d per lb. in price. 
Lipton's have advanced iheir teas by the exact 
amount of the duty, their la quality being put up to 
Is 2d. Soma interesting remark.^ were made by the 
Chancellor of the Exchequer ou the subject of the tea 
tax, which are here reproduced : — 
At the time of the Crimean War the duty on tea 
was Is 6d in the pound. It was promptly raised by 33 
with practically, 1 think, no objection from anybody 
concerned. The duty on tea in 1889 was 6d pec pound, 
and my right hon. friend Mr. Goschen raised it by 
2d. At that time the average wholesale price per 
pound of tea w;i.s 10.79d, making, together with the 
()d duty, lt).79il per pound. Now, I am informed that 
the average wholesale price of tea is 8.87d per pound. 
If I were to add 2d to the duty that would make, to- 
gether with the duty, 14.87d per pound, or 21 per 
pound less than the price in 1889. I propose to add 
2d per pound to the duty on tea. (Ministerial 
cheers ) That will produce £1,800,000 in ths course 
of the 12 months. 
Mr. Laboucheie pointed out that the tea-drinker 
would now have to pay one-sixth more for his tea, 
while the beer-drinker would only have to pay one- 
thirty-sixth more, and the whisky-drinker one-fortieth 
more. 
Traders on the whole, with the exception of the 
produce brokers, are bearing the new duties with 
equanimity. True they made an unparalleled rush 
to escape the increases ou Saturday and Monday, 
on the latter day nearly £500,000 being paid in Lon- 
don into the Customs House, on dutiable goods. 
The Chancellor of the Exchequer made some allow- 
ance for this rush iii his calculations on what the 
duty would realise, but he was afraid afterwards that 
he had not allowed sufficient. The payments over 
the normal amount in the time were estimated at 
£1,000,000 sterling, and probably some £250,000 re- 
mained in the pockets of disappointed mei-chants who 
besieged the Customs ou Monday. Some surprise 
has been expressed that a duty was not placed on 
coffee and aerated waters, and Mr. Gibson Bowles 
suggested a 100 per cent tax on diamonds, furs, 
feathers, lace, musical instruments, and artificial 
flowers, but the Chancellor of the Exchequer has 
preferred to keep to orthodox methods. — British an I 
Colonial Druggist, March 9. 
^ 
Christy Agencies.— Messrs. Thos. Christy and 
Co. must surely have nearly the best — if not 
absolutely the best — claim to be the firm with the 
greatest number and variety of agencies, all 
suited to the drug trade. This is the reason why 
one can never call inopportunely at 25, Lime 
Street for notes on no\<'\t\Qs.— British and Colo- 
nial Druggist, March 2. 
