Oct. 1, 1903.J THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
243 
Bituatioa arising from the over-prodaction of coffee in 
Brazil. After the enormous orop of 1901 of 15J miilioa 
bags, leaving the world's visible supply at June 30, 
1902. at 673,150 tons, came the unexpected crop of last 
year of 12 1-3 million bags, against an estimated crop 
of 7 to 8 millions, and this left the world's visible 
supply at 707,700 tons, or an increase of 31,550 tons. 
Under such a weight it was impossible for markets to 
improve. So much now depends on the output of the 
current crop that it is being studied with the utmost 
anxiety by all who have interests in coffee. In many 
quarters it is predicted it will fall considerably short 
of the previous year, for the following reason. Ofer 
a large area severe frosts last August are said to have 
destroyed either temporarily or permanently many 
millions of trees. Farther, the low price to which 
coffee has fallen, the dif&cnUy of obtaining the means, 
not only to carry on the cultivation, but the 
harvesting of the crop, the handing over the 
growing crops to the colonists in lieu of arrears of 
wages, the exodus of labourers from the country and 
the prohibition of the Italian Government to allow 
further emigration to the coffee districts, unless under 
special conditions, and the failure of many local district 
banks, must all tend to diminish production. The 
State Congress at San Paulo passed a measure 
providing for the destruction of 20 per cent of the 
lower grades of coffee, but the other States not 
agreeing, it has not been put into force. A tax, how- 
ever, has been placed on the opening out of any new 
coffee lands, sufficiently heavy to make it prohibitory 
to do so, and the latest information we have is that the 
San Paulo Government are seriously considering 
making advances to planters to the extent of £1,200,000, 
if they can find means of raising the money. I mention 
these things to bring home to you the difiiculties of the 
situation in Brazil. I do not, however, believe any of 
these artificial means of bolstering the industry will 
succeed in remedying the evils of over-production, and 
the future position will have to be fought out by the law 
of the survival of the fittest." Mr Kutherford went 
on to say, referring to the position of the company : " I 
think there can be no reasonable doubt if this com- 
pany can keep afloat during these trying times, and 
it comes about that considerable areas of coffee 
have to be abandoned in Brazil during this crisis, the 
Dnmont Company, with its plantations, buildings, rail- 
way and machinery, all well cared for and up-to-date, 
may yet reap the fruit of its long patient waiting for 
the turn of the tide." 
At the same meeting 
MH OTCKEE, 
the broker of the Company, gave the following parti- 
cnlara about the supply and demand. He said in the 
course of his remarks : " Last year there was not any 
very great adverse divergency between the amount of 
coffee grown and the amount of coffee consumed. 
About 17,200,000 bags of coffee came into the United 
States and into Europe, and about 16,300,000 b igs were 
delivered to the consumers. At the end of the season 
just over we found our visible supply only 575.000 bags 
bigger than at the commencement of the season. That 
is nothing, because if you calculate the percentage out 
on 16,300,000 bags, it is a mere adverse plus of 3i per 
cent. Neither do I think that this season — of course, 
that is more uncertain, but from what I hear and know 
I do not myself think there will be any very great 
adverse divergency between the amount of coffee 
grown and the amount of coffee consumed. 
But then, you will ask me why are things so 
bad ? Why are prices at the lowest point ever known ? 
Well, I can embody the answer in two phrases — 
visible supply and fear. 1895-6 was an epoch-making 
year in the history of coffee. Previously to that we 
had had ten years of unexampled prosperity. Coffee, 
which is worth today 2l3 and which averaged last 
season some 26s 8d, was worth then and was con- 
sidered to be low at 50s. It had been up in the 
seventies ; it had been as high as 84s. Now, what was 
our visible supply in 1895-6 ? It was 2,500,000 bags. 
Xbe visible supply is oar barometer; It is the weather 
gauge of the coffee market, and what do you think it 
is today? This shows the over-prodaction. It is 
11,800,000 bags. Every day 11,800,000 bags of coffee 
have to be carried, to be warehoused and to be 
financed, and that is a great weight round the throat 
of the coffee trade. But even that fact does not 
explain the present low prices. In order to explain 
that thoroughly yon have to look at the word ' fear '. 
Two years ago the Brazils produced the huge crop of 
15,500,000 bags, and possibly as much as 17,000,000 
bags on the trees, and the trade fears that what the 
Brazils have done once they may do again. Now, a 
great deal has happened since that bumper crop. As 
you have heard from your chairman, there has been a 
drought and there has been frost, and my experience 
of life is that those things which are foreseen and 
generally expected very rarely happen in their entirety. 
It does not alarm me tremendously this fear of another 
huge crop. I doubt very much whether we will ever 
get it; bat, of course, we may." Referring to the 
question of consumption he said ; " Last year we 
delivered to the trade 16,300.000 bags of coffee. What 
do you think we delivered in 1895-9t)? 11,000,000 bags 
only. Just fancy what a tremendous increasei in 
consumption ; that is at the comoound rate of 6 per 
cent per annum ; and if you carry that ordinary 
calculation on for another five years, in that time, 
unless prices advance enormously — because, after all, 
this increased consumption is not owing only to 
low prices, but greatly owing to the increase in 
population in coffee-consuming countries — 1 say that 
if you carry that calculation on you will find that 
we shall require 22,000,000 bags of coffea in five years' 
time, against 11,000,000 bags in 1895-1896,— i?. and C. 
Mail. 
^ 
COTrON GROWING. 
It should be remembered that to obtain the best 
results from cotton, as indeed from any cultivation 
in these days, it is necessary to choose suitable land 
and maintain it in a high state of cultivation. No 
other crop should be planted with cotton. As the 
plants grow up, close attention should be given to 
the appeirance of insect and fungoid pests. These 
require to be dealt witli immediately or the crop 
may be reduced to one-half or even lost altogether. 
—Agricultural News. 
EUBBER PLANTING IN CEYLON AND THE 
STRAITS. 
(From Mr. Z>, Mackay.) 
Aug, 19. 
Your Observer of the 1st instant, giving a leading 
article on Rubber, is most interesting and in- 
structive. The world's trade in 
"waste" and "scrap" rubber 
is quite an eye-opener. It shows that nothing goes 
to waste, that it pays to work up all that has 
had its day of use in order to be used again. 
The elastic nature of the article is well exem- 
plified in the manner in which it lends itself to 
be recreated for renewed use in the varied pur- 
poses to which it is applied. I had no idea the 
KELANI VALLEY 
had gone in so largely for interplanting tea 
with rubber. Low prices induce planters every- 
where, and especially of the Ceylon breed, to 
go in for anything that offers a better prospect. 
Neither tea nor coffee, but the former especially, 
can thrive in conjunction with rubber or coco- 
nuts, or for the matter of that with any other 
production. One or the other must hold the field. 
It cauaob be held by two and give full yields 
