May 1, 1902.] 
THE TROMCAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
739 
by a slender branch just when you thick they must 
certninly come to gi'ief on the gronnd. I had three 
hours' drive through a janj^'ls road in a bullock cart 
after daik, fiom Anuradhapura to Mihintfile, with two 
men who were able to tell me about most of the 
souuds we heard around us. 
Now that we are at sea again our hands will, I hope, 
be kept very full of work; but I shall try to write to 
you soon somethiug about the marine zoology of the 
Gulf of Manaar. — Yours &o. W. A. Hebdman. 
<S« 
' POOR ' COFFEE, RUBBER, COCO- 
NUTS, &C. 
(Extiacb from Selangor Planters' Association 
Annual Report for 1901.) 
Planting Puoducts : Coffee.— Prices ruling during 
the year have shown a decrease from those of 1900 
an average of $18.29 per piou!, or ^^'2'60 per picul less 
than the average for last year, which was |20'89. Not- 
withstanding these low prices, vv-hich necessitated the 
strictest economy, the estates are almost all in good 
order, and planters are showing great determination 
to tide over the present crisis which has lasted so 
long. The reports from coffee brokers are so con- 
flicting that we consider it best to quote from none 
of them : but the follov/ing is an extract from one 
of the leiding merchants ia Singapore in ansner to 
n letter written by one of your Committee : — '• I would 
be delighted to assist you with my views on the future 
of coffee in Brazil, if I had any, which, however, does 
not happen to be the case. I had a talk with the 
other day, and he told me that no fresh planting had 
been reporSed from Brazil for some years nov) : and 
that there was no doubt but that the trees were 
getting old and worn out, and that it was very 
improbiible that we should see such large crops again. 
The fact remains, however, that the visible supply is 
simply enormous, as you will see from the Circular I 
Bend you." The following ia an extract from a letter 
from Santos, in answer to some questions made by ore 
of your Committee, received on i;-)th February, 190?!. 
" Tf 11 that the coffee crop for next year is very poor, 
and will only be about half its usual size, so that prices 
ara sure to go up. I hope to get up to San Paulo next 
year," etc. It will be remembered by many of you that 
Ceylon's greatest crop was its last big one. Gahha in 
that year topped all estates by giving 17j cwt. per acre, 
but never gave 4 cwt. per acre again. There is at least 
something to hope for in all the above. Crops.— The 
crop realised for last year wns 19,365. and the estimate 
for 1902 is 27,146 piculs. Your Committee consider 
that the sample of your coffee has improved on almost 
every estate, and they urge on you ihe importance of 
doing everything in your power to continue to improve it. 
P.iEA Rubber, — We can now speak with great con- 
fidence to you, for during the year vast strides have 
been made in this cultivation, the acreage planted now 
being 7,487, 247,458 trees having been planted during 
1901. This is not bo much to the point as the fact that 
careful and detailed experiments have been made in 
tapping our trees of all ages, not only by such men as 
the Directors of the Botania Gardens of Singapore, 
Penang and Perak, but by many of the planters now 
present), who have proved their figures to be correct. 
" I have not seen any published accounts on Bevea 
(excepting Brazilian) where as good results are 
obtained as in Malaya, either in rate of growth, seed 
production, dimensions, yield and adaptability." The 
most casual observer must notice the magnifioent 
growth of nearly all the rubber planted in the Malay 
Peninsula, and especially that on the well-drained 
alluvial soil of which we have so much. During the 
year two well-known rubber experts from Ceylon 
visited Selangor and Sungei Ujong, and they stated 
that they had never seen a better growth, and they 
seemed astonished at the large returns per tree got 
by Mr Derry and others and at the free flow of latex 
from our young trees. "We think there oau be na 
doubt that a paying future is before the industry, 
and that ultim ttely the Malay Peninsula will oust 
IJiazil from her present position as the premier 
rnbber-pvoducing coitntry of the world. This is a 
bold forecast, but not an unreasonable one. Before 
it comes aboat there will, of course, be a heavy 
drop in the price of the product, and we would put 
bifore planters a few facts to enable them to judge our 
ability to hold our own in competition with Brazil. 
Eambong. — The planting of Ficus elastica has 
been consider.ibly extended during 1901, 34,804 trees 
having been planted, or equal to say 700 acres. 
Rambong is growing magnificently and promises to 
eive qaite as good returns as Para, the yield per tree 
being much larger, which makes up for the lesser price 
and a smaller number per acre. 
Coconuts. — The ar»a under coconuts is 3,008 acres. 
There is no doubt about ihe success of obis product 
if the ravages from beetle could be checked, and we 
think the matter so serious that we consider the 
Government should be strict in carrying out the 
powers they have under the Enactmenc. Somewhat 
pessimistic views have been expressed by men qualified 
to pass an opinion as to the crops which our coconuts 
on the rich alluvial are likely to yield. On a siftall 
holding in Klanang district, now about 10 to 12 years 
old, the average yield per tree amounted to 51*5 nuts 
in 1901, and for the first eight years of its existence 
this little clearing never had any sort of intelligent 
supervision. Your Committee, therefore, think that 
it is not unreasonable to hope that returns over a 
large acreage may be such as will astonish those 
who hold that the maximum yield will not amount 
to more than 20 to 30 nuts per tree. 
Minor Puoducts.— The planting of catch crops is 
chiefly done in the coast districts : but it his been 
found that the planting of small catch crops, such as 
pumpkins and kladi, do not pay, as it is almost 
impossible to make the Chinese keep the laud clean 
during their growth, and the whole of what is gained 
by the catch crops goes in what it co^t* to put the 
land in order after them — to say nothing of what the 
soil loses by them. 
It is generally recognised that coffee, even at the 
present low price, is the best catch crop, and » large 
acreage is likely to be planted up with Para rubber 
clearings next year. 
# 
SIR B. N. WALKER ON .JAMAICA. 
At the Society of Arts after the reading of a 
paper on Jamaica, our former Lieut. Governor 
said : — 
As it was more than 14 years since he severed his con» 
nection with Jamaica, he could not speak with authority 
on its present condition. Like Mr Thomas, he had beeu 
surprised that Jamaica fruit had not found a firmer 
and widsr hold in England. He had brought pines 
from Jamaica and distributed them in Devonshire 
amongst people who were accustomed to hot-houaa 
pines and the remarks they had made after the practi" 
cal experience of eating them were very favourable to 
the fruit. One thing in favour of the Jamaica pine- 
apple was that one never committed the offence of 
eating sugar with it and he thought that proved the 
superiority of the Jamaica pine. The enterprise of 
introducing the banana into this country had not 
reached the success which he thought it certainly 
deserved, owing to its excellent character. In ap- 
pearance it certainly did not compare favourably 
with its rival which was exported in large qnantitiea 
and in excellent condition from the Canary Islands. 
He thought the shippers had not yet hit off the 
precise condition of ripeness in which the fruit 
should be shipped. With a friend he had purchased 
in the City of London a Canary Island ban.ina and a 
Jamaica banana, and they were both of the opinion 
that the Jamiica banana had the better flavour. Un. 
fortunately it did not possess the fine, almost ^oldeq 
