1^6 THE TBOPICAL 
cotton-gkowjng in the west indies. 
The Imperial Department of Agricullure for the 
West Indies has issued a pamphlet on this sub- 
ject, detailing the experiences and recommenda- 
dations of Dr. Morris. From this publication we 
take the following extracts ; — 
" Where it is clearly evident that sugar cannot 
be produced at a profit, the cultivation ot Cotton 
would offer employment to a large section of the 
community ; and if careful attention were devoted 
to growing the varieties ot Cotton best suited to 
the soil and climate and these happen, as in the 
case of ' Sea Island ' Cotton, to command rela- 
tively high prices, the industry would have a rea- 
sonable chance of success. 
A few of the points in favour of re-establishing 
a Cotton industry in the West Indies may be 
mentioned. There are large stretches of cleared 
land, formerly under cultivation in Sugar cane, 
well adapted for the cultivation of Cotton. The 
soil and climate have, long ago, been proved to be 
favourable, and the present labour supply, espe- 
cially in such Islands as Barbados, Montserrat, 
Antigua, and St. Kitts is likely to be equal to 
the demand, and available at a lower cost than 
anywhere in the United States. 
The variety of cotton suitable for cultivation in 
the West Indies is the ' Sea Island ' Cotton. This 
is a special kind almost identical with Egyptian 
Cotton, and usually commands the highest price, 
It may be added that the planters regard favour- 
ably the prospect of at least a partial return to 
Cotcon planting in these Colonies. It will readily 
fall into line with the estate routine with which 
they are already familiar, and it will require almost 
identically the same kind of field preparation as 
sugar. Irrigation and the use of expensive artifi- 
cial manures will be unnecessary. If the whole of 
the Cotton-seed that is produced were converted 
into meal, and this were consumed by animals, 
and the resultant manure applied to the land, it 
is probable that no otiier fertilisers would be re- 
quired. 
It is also in favour of a cotton industry that ex- 
pensive machinery and buildings are not required, 
and that the crop could be grown and exported 
within a period of six to eight months from the 
time of planting. It is probable that a central gin- 
ning factory, costing a few hundred pounds, would 
be capable of dealing with the crop produced on a 
comparatively large avea "— Gardeners' Chronicle, 
.June 6. 
KUBBER AND COCONUTS IN SELANGOR. 
The expectations of our planters are centred in 
the first place upon Para rubber and secondly upon 
coconuts. The rubber trees have generally deve- 
loped magnificently, and I have been personally 
much struck with the growth during my sixteen 
months" absence of those which I have seen since 
my return. Reports of coconuts continue to be 
encouraging, and I note with satisfaction the ap- 
pointment of a special officer with the requisite 
Btafl to carry out the provisions of the ' Coconut 
Trees Preservation Enactment.' It is now to be 
hoped that the ravages of the coconut beetle, 
Ori/ctes rhinoceros and Rhyncophorus ferrugi- 
TTbeus, may be systematically checked. — Latest 
Administration Report. 
AGEICULTURIST. (Sept. 1, 1903. 
THE FIRST CUP OF TEA. 
According to a recent authority the first cup of 
tea in this country was drunk at Arlington House, 
which stood on the site now occupied by Bucking- 
ham Palace. This pioneer cup of tea was drunk 
by Lord Arlington, and the price per pound w;i.s 
exactly £3, which is equal to about ^8 of our pre 
sent currency. It was many years before the 
beverage became generally popular, though ever 
since its introduction into En-^land it has been 
largely consumed by the wealthier classes. — Tatter. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Para Kubber — is going to have a great 
future in the Malay peninsula and Burmah, 
according Mr. C. E. T. Baxendale whose 
letter to a relative will be found on 
another page. Just as fast, however, as 
rubber may be planted, are the areas of 
original forest being used up or frittered 
away ; while the demand in new and ex- 
tended uses in steadily increasing in Europe 
and America. 
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which 
were laid out as long ago as 1831 by the late 
John Claudius Loudon when on his wedding- 
tour with the authoress of "The Mummy." is 
about to lose its veteran curator, Mr W B 
Latham. He, in conjunction with Professor 
W Hillbouse, constructed the much-admired 
Hugh Nettlefold Rock-garden, which is the best 
Alpine garden in the provinces. — Chemist and 
Druggist, July 11. 
Cloves. — Zanzibar seems to have the sole 
monopoly of supplying the world's markets 
with cloves : its crops and that of Pemba 
reaching in 1899 to 17 milli on lb. ; but in 
1900 and next year 11 millions— the average 
of four years being about 13 millions ; and 
this seems to be quite enough foi the world's 
demands. Like Ceylon cinnamon, there is 
no encouragement to in'jrease the clove crop. 
Progress of the Federated Malay Ktatks. 
— Notice is hereby given that, with a view to 
encouraging the introduction of agricultural pro- 
ducts not undergeneral cultivation in theFederated 
Malay States and neighbouring countries, the 
Government is prepared to grant to any bona 
fide planter who can satisfy the Government 
that he is the pioneer in the introduction as a 
business operation, of a new and commercially 
valuable product, freedom from payment of ex- 
port duty in respect to such product for a period 
of five years from a date to be fixed by Goveru- 
nient in each case. The period of freedom from 
payment of export duty may be increased to ten 
years in the case of such new product in regard 
to which the planter can prove, to the satis- 
faction of Government, that he has introduced 
or been instrumental in introducing into the 
Federated Malay States the use of special 
machinery necessary for the preparation of such 
product for the market, and th i practical utility 
of which machinery shall be demonstrated to the 
satisfaction of Government. Each application 
under the notification will be dealt with on its 
merits, and the Government reserves to itself 
the right of granting, or refusing any application 
without assigning reasons for its action. — Straits 
Times, 
