JuNR 1, 1899. J 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
851 
UNITED PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION OF 
THE FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
From the report of this Association for 1898 99 
we take tlie f<)llo\vin<i; : - 
ExPKRiMEN'TAi, Gaudkno. — TIlis matter has hud 
attention, but only lately has 8ufficier<t information 
boconio available to enable your Committee to imrsue 
this subject. They are now advocatiiif,' the form- 
ation of an ARricultuinI Department tor the benefit 
of the Federated Malay States. 
The Rates of Pay in P W D Selaxgor and Cost 
OP Importing Immigrants by the Pkrak State 
Railway have been the subject of correspondence 
duiing the 11 months under review. It cannot fail to 
bo a matter of congratulation to the members of this 
Association, that the State Railway Department, 
Petak, and the State of Negri Senibilan liRve imported 
labour for their requirements, and the results have 
in both instances been reported as satisfactory. Your 
outgoing Committee call your attention to the desir- 
ability of this Association continuing to press upon 
the various Governments and Sanitary Boards the 
urgency and equity of their importing labour in pro- 
portion to their public works requirements. 
Schemes for Raising the Standard of Malat 
Plantation ' 'oFFKE, — This matter has received close 
attention during the year. No authentic data of 
large quantities of coffee produced elsewhere, of the 
Jjiberian variety, having fetched higher prices have 
become available to your Committee. There appears 
to be little doubt that the flavour of well matured 
IVIalay Peninsula Coffee entitlesit to a frout rank, and 
that the development of a demand for it will have to 
be a matter for individual enterprise, much having 
already been done and is being done to this end. 
The Cheap Ticket System.— It is a matter for 
congratulation, that this system has been extended 
for another 12 month?, and it is to be hoped that it 
will be availed of by the planters and the Govern- 
ment to increase the labour supply. The system has 
proved simple, efficient, and satisfactory, more parti- 
cularly towards the end of 1898, since when it was better 
understood, and the thanks of many members of this 
Association are due to Dr. Hardaker, the Emigration 
agent at Negapatam, for the trouble he lias taken to 
explain to manv immigrants and emigrants how they 
can comply with all regulations and j'et be entirely 
free in their coming and going. 
The thanks of the Planting Community are due to 
he High Commissioner, the Resident-General, and 
the Residents for the system of free immigration now 
prevailing in the Federated Miilay States, alike to 
the advantage of employers and employed, and 
which may be said now to be working satisfactorily. 
MINOR PRODI CTS REHOFvT. 
Cinchona. — In auction good Hiiauoco crown bark. 
Bound, sold at 7d to lid per lb; good Loxa lOd : 
damages 7d and S.Jd ; Huiinoco and Loxa, part 
mixed 6d to 7d ; and thin Guayaquil 4d to CJd for 
hold. The stock in fust hand on April 12th in 
Amsterdam, consisted of 2, lH;i packages Government 
and 3,7>U packages private bark, including the 
qnantity which will bo offered in the next 'luctions, 
viz., 1,272 pai-kage^ drug(;ist'3 bark, 'd.'Mil manufac- 
turing and :! F.uHt Indian. 
The arrivals in Amsterdam from Java last week 
amounted to 902 pac kages. As indicating tho spirit 
witii which .lav, I March shipments aio regarded in 
Amsterdam, wo nolo lint a K-ading broker ihere re- 
mark.,: — "Tho .lava planters should prolit by their n'- 
cent experif-nce, and loinenibcr th.it, while w lli a lilllo 
n> inagemi-n'j the value of their product u ill increase 
eouHlderably , injudiciuiis shipments of bai k are bound 
to cause a slump in the umrkel." 
Coca Leaver. — Rrokcn Truxillo sold without re- 
■etvo at 9Ad, another lot at lOd nnd Ceylon at 
6d perlb. Privately Quanocoa are scarce, and Js 
per lb. is wanted. 
106 
Croton Seed.— Fair bright Ceylon sold at 658 to 
563, subject. 
Vanilla.— Only a small supply was offered, con- 
sisting of Seychelles, Mauritius, and Tahiti bean?, 
and the rates p.iid for fine beana were Is to 28 
dearer. The following prices were paid : — Seychelles: 
fine bold beans, 8 to 8.V inch 253 to 273 M; 7 to 
74 inch 23s to 243; 6 to 6* inch 21.s to 22s 6d ; 
5 to 5J inch 17s to 21=! Gd and various sizes, slightly, 
mouldy, 8s to 83 3d. Mauritius : 8 to 8.^ inch 28s ; 
74 to 8 inch, 253 to 203 ; 7 to 7i inch, 2l3 to 243 
Gd; 6 to G.i inch, 23s to 24s; 5 to 5| inch, 23s; 
and .S.i to 5 inch, 233, Tahiti were practically all 
bought in. — Chemist and Drurjyist, April 15. 
INDUSTRIES IN THE EASTERN 
Fll'.'VINCE. 
(1) The manufacture of cloth is an old industry in 
this district, but the cotton from which it is made is 
all imported now, instead of being locally grown as 
before. The usual kind made for trade is the ordi- 
nary " comboy " in all sizes and colours, and is much 
sought after for its strength and lasting qualities. 
A ready market is found for it at Colombo, Galle, 
and some upcountry towns. I find there are in the 
villages of KoJdaimunai, Koddaikkallar, liattankudi, 
and Palamunai, over 5C0 compounds or girdens, 
each containing from four to twelve looms, The in- 
dustry is deserving of some encouragement by the 
reduction of duty on imported cotton thread, as the 
staple article is very little grown in Ceylon now. 
(2) Fish-curing.— Some encouragement has been 
given to this industry by the sale of salt for cuiing 
purposes at the reduced rate of a rupee a hundred- 
weight, Annexed is a return of the quantity of fish 
caught and cured along the five miles of coast in the 
neighbourhood of Kalkuda, where the experiment is 
tried. It is yet too early to j idga of results, but the 
concession is already attracting more fishermen to 
that locality ; and there is some difficulty in settling 
conflicting claims to fishing right.s. 
I have not yet succeeded in inducing some ons to try 
the tinning process. Perhaps the want of experience 
and knowledge- is the chief difilculty, but this could 
easily be overcome by engaging the services of a 
trained curer for a short time until local men picked 
up the woik. 
Statement of fish cured in Kalkuda, Punnaikkuda, 
and Pasikkuda, for shipment to outstations, during the 
year 1898, out of salt issued at Rl per cwt. 
Name of Company Quantity cured. 
cwt. lb. 
S T Fernando . . . . 711 ,^5 
C P Fernando . , . . t)32 00 
Meera Muhaiyatin .. .. 39 28 
A E Byrde 38 28 
Total ... 1,120 91 
(3) The paddy-hubking industry carried on at the 
new factory gives every promise of success. All the 
rice is sent upcountry, and so great is the demand 
that it is contemplated to enlarge the premises and 
add new machinery with a view of increasing the 
snpply. The original intention was to husk local 
paddy only but the sharp rise in prices in unfavour- 
able seisons has iiidurea the manager to turn to 
other countries for his supplies. When local crops 
are good and prices low, he will bnv up all that is 
available, but when the reverse is the cose foreign 
paddy is to bj imp .rtcd. With easy and cheap sea 
transport, the llitlic.iloa Jlill should receive ."support 
from all the paddy-grnaing distiii-ts along ti e sea- 
roast. Ha nbantola has set the ex imp'e by sendiiif; 
800 bushels of piuldy, which was proiiuniiced excel- 
1 nt, being huge in grain and easily liu-ked. li w*s 
gro\-,n in fields under the VValavse Ir"irg.iti,.ii Works. 
(I) Paouy Cultivation in Bintfnna.— As already 
sla'.e.t endeavours nio bcii g made to induce the 
scattered Sinhalese pnpiilation of this district lo take 
np paddy caltivalion more than thuy have liitherto 
