MARCH 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 639 
rather to impress me with the present condition 
of your industry and to put forward such argu- 
ments as you have put forward against any 
increase of the taxation in the coming year. 
For reasons which everybody who understands 
the export trade in coal is acquainted with I felt 
it possible to depart from the unvarying rule of 
Chaneellors of the Exchequer, and gave to those 
who are interested in tliat trade a precise state- 
ment in regard to it. I cannot do so, and I think 
you will see it would he impossible for me to do 
so, with regad to any other forms of taxa- 
tion. That must wait until the introduction of the 
Budget. I do not think you have sliown that the 
increase of the tax two years ago did you any real 
harm. It no doubt was partly paid by the pro- 
ducing industry rather than by the consumers, 
from the extraordinary amount of over-production 
which in the same way, I think, has lessened the 
burden of the sugar duty on the consumers of 
sugar. But you have certainly put before me 
today some reasons which are injportant reasons 
against any further increase in the duty on tea. 
You, I think, anticipate that the over-production 
which naturally cheapened it— so that practically 
the tax had no effect whatever in decreasing con- 
sumption- may have ceased ; that, in fact, those 
whom you represent have learned their own inter- 
ests a little better than they had known them 
before, and that they will take care to send 
us in future rather a better article than was 
sent in 1900 or 1901. It is obvious, I think, 
that if these anticipations are realised a further 
increase in the duty on tea would have an effect 
in checking consuiiiption which certainly we have 
not seen in regard to the last increase, and 
that would mean undoubtedly a burden upon 
great masses of our population and an increased 
cost on an article which, as you have pointed 
out, is already very highly taxed in proportion 
to its value — a point which any Chancellor of the 
Exchequer would be bound to consider. You 
have reminded me of what I said last year 
on this subject. I think I showed that I ap- 
preciated your difficulties, as well as the fact 
of the high existing duty on tea. I cnn only 
say today that I shall be glad to consider all 
you have put belore me, with a full appreciation 
of the great interests that you represent. 
Sir H Seymour King having thanked Sir Michael 
Hicks-Beach, the deputation withdrew. 
THE PBODUCTION OP COCOA IN 
AFRICA. 
A West Indian merchant writes to say 
that in a few years' time Africa seems likely 
to prove a formidable rival to South America 
and the "West Indies as a pjoducer and 
exporter of cocoa, and those interested in 
the West Indian possessions of the United 
Kingdom and anxious to see the islands 
more prosperous, will do well to watch 
how the cultivation of cocoa is being 
pushed on with satisfactory results 
throughout the continent of Africa. This 
year the German colony of the Came- 
roons hopes to ship 3,000 bags of cocoa, to 
be increased, it is estimated, to 10,OuO bags 
in 1906. Our correspondent adds :— " Mr 
McClounie, heac^ of the scientific depart- 
ment of British Central Africa, reports the 
successful shipments from Kew and receipt 
at Lomba of 210 plants, which had been 
planted out and were doing well. Lagos is 
also going in for cocoa, and one of her 
planters is now travelling in the West Indies 
to see howthe estates are managed in Trinidad 
and Grenada." He also says that the little 
Portuguese island of St. Thome has greatly 
increased its exports of cocoa in ten yeerrs, 
the shipments in 1891 being under 4,000 tons, 
whilst last year very nearly 16,000 tons of 
cocoa were exported.— London Times, Feb. 11. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
A Soil Map-— The United States Department 
of Agriculture is making a " soil map." The 
map is to cover the whole of the United 
States, and the scale (13 acres) to be represented 
by one-eigth of an inch square. Each farmer, 
however, will be able to procure a chart of his 
own neighbourhood on a larger scale, so that 
he can arrange his planting in accMclance with 
the suggestions which it conveys, in the fiist 
place, the soil map will show what kind of 
agricultural industry any given locality is best 
adapted for. It will make clear to the farmer 
in one locality, for instance, that he has the 
same soil that is used advantageously for certain 
purposes in other localities, assuming similar 
climatic conditions. The map will call attention 
to certain troubles of soils wliicli have been in- 
vestigated through chemical analysis. — Fastora- 
lists' Revieiv. 
Resources OB' the Straits Settlements. — 
According to a recent number of Nature, Mr H 
N Ridley, Director of the Botanic Gardens, Sin- 
gapore, delivered a lecture at the Imperial Insti- 
tute recently, entitled "The Economic Resour- 
ces of the Straits Settlements and the Malay 
Peninsula." He remarked that the forests, which 
originally covered the whole peninsula, contain 
many valuable products, such as timbers, wood- 
oil, benzoin, gutta-percha, and rattans. Owing to 
the felling oJ trees by the Malays, eutta-percha, so 
indispensable for electric work, has been nearly 
exterminated. Fortunately, however, the product 
can now be extracted from the leaves and the twio-a 
without injury to the trees, which are beinw 
planted by the Government. A very large area ol 
the Federated States is under Coffee, but on 
account of the present glut of the market, and the 
consequent lovv prices, most of the planters fiie 
adding Para-rubber to their estates — a tree which 
thrives marvellously well, and produces a very 
satisfactory amount of rubber of the first quality. 
India-rubber from the "FicuselasLica"also promises 
well ; but although it is being planted, its product 
is less highly valued. Accounts were given of the 
cultivation and preparation of Sago (one of the 
Sago-Palm gives as nuich nourishment as 163 acres 
of Wheal), Tapioca, Gambia, Mangrove-Cutch 
Pepper, Nutmegs, Cloves, Indigo, and Pineapples'. 
The greater part of the preserved Pines of com- 
merce come from Singapore where the price of ilie 
fiuit varies from a farthing to a penny each ; and 
the lecturer remembered a time when tliey had been 
as cheap as sixteen a penny ! The mineral resour- 
ces of the colony include gold and tin, the latter 
being found in great abundance.— Ga/cZeners' 
Chronicle, Feb. I. 
