May 1, 1902.J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
765 
PROSPECT OP PEARL FISHERIES. 
It is reassuring to learn that Capt. Donnan 
with his great experience has found no 
reason during his recent visit, to alter his 
expectation of a series of three or four 
successful Pearl oyster fisheries beginning, 
say in 1805. Of course, it is impossible to 
make sure until the oysters are oldei-— 
indeed until the very season of the fishery— 
but it is very much in accordance with 
the past history of our Fisheries that there 
should now be a successful resumption 
after so many blank years. 
This is, of course, entirely apart from 
what may come of Professor Herdman's 
Inquiry and experiments. One proposal 
arising out of the latter is the transplanting of 
young oysters from a fully occupied, or even 
overcrowded Bank, to another Bank not far 
ofl: where the ground is quite clear. But 
the difficulties in the way of successful 
transplanting and culture in this way are 
we believe, considered by Sir Wm. Twynam 
and Uapt. Donnan to be very great indeedl 
Still, there can be no harm in a trial, 
native divers and their boats being utilised. 
As bv 1905, the Colombo Harbor and Dock 
works should be all completed and with a Port 
Trust in full sway, the Master Attendant 
or Port Offijer will be one of the busiest 
officials in the place— not likely to be spared 
to go after the superintendence of a Pearl 
Fishery, however important. It may, there- 
fore, be a question to be considered when the 
day approaches as to whether Capt. Donnan 
should not be induced to re-visit tiie East 
and give two months' special service to the 
first Pearl Oyster Fishery since 1891 ? 
THE EXPERIMENTAL FARM AND 
GARDEN AT GANGAROOWA. 
We are pleased to learn that this latest 
experiment on the part of the Government 
is now fully entered upon. The purchase 
Avas effected (through the good offices of 
Mr. T. H. Huxley) to the satisfaction of all 
concerned :— the Horsford family, Mr. E. 
Jeffries (who is shortly leaving the island) 
and Government. Mr. Herbert Wright, as As- 
sistant to Mr. Willis, has entered on the charge 
of Gangaroowa ; and we are glad to learn 
that this hard-working officer has made a 
specially good impression on all planters with 
whom he has come into contact, for his prac- 
tical good sense, as well as scientific knowledge 
and personal energy. We trust Gangaroowa 
Experimental Station will prove a great 
success. 
RICE LANDS AS INVESTMENT, 
[What do Ceylon experts say to this ? — Ed. T.A ] 
The splendid crops of the past few years have 
drawn a considerable amount of attention to the 
vahie of rice lands in Texas and Louisiana. Many 
years ago rice was cultivated on tiie great prairie 
stretching between St. Mary and the Texas line; 
but a.s it was treated entirely by Oriental me- 
thods, the returns were so poor that the crop 
was considered hardly worthy of attention, lu 
year.s oi drought, especially, 'the cultivation was 
liable to total loss, and after a few dry seasons 
the area under rice fell to al.uost iniignifieant 
propoition.s. 
Some tifieen years ago farmers'froni the North- 
We.~t began to pay more serious attention to 
rice, and more scientific and modern methods 
weie adopted. Irrigation was properly undertaken 
and proper plant and machinery erected. The 
expeiimeutal stage has now long been passed, and 
toilay there is something like S20,0(JG,000 in- 
vested in the cultivation of 400,000 acres. 
Careful comparative tests have proved that a 
grower can raise a laiger yield in Louisiana and 
Texas than in any other part of the world, even 
China and Japan, noted as these countries are 
for rice-growing. It is an actual fact that where 
the Japanese grower can cultivate half an acre at 
a cost of from $10 to ?J!8 per year, the planter 
HI South-Western Louisiana or Texas can raise 
a crop of 80 acres ac a cost of from .?180 to #216 
per year; consequently, he can rai.se 160 times the 
pro -.net of a J.ipanese grower, even though he 
pays from eighteen to twenty times the amount 
for labour. 
The cost per acre of the various operations con- 
nected with the raising of the cereal in Texas 
has been carefully estimated as follow.s :— 
Ploughing sod 
Discing twice 
Harrowing twice... 
Seeding 
Constructing levees 
Seed 
Tendering levees 
Per acre. 
$2 00 
1-00 
1-00 
0-50 
0-50 
3-30 
0-25 
Brought forward 
Water 
Cutting 
Shocliing 
Sacks 
Threshing 
Hauling to warehouse. 0 50 
Per acre. 
J8-25 
6-00 
200 
050 
100 
1-00 
Carried forward ... $8.25 $19'25 
An average rice crop produces 10 sacks per 
acre. A sack contains from 160 1b. to 210 1b., 
averaging about 180 lb. or about 11 barrels to 
the acre. 
Average market price per barrel ,. l|;3-25 
Eleven barrels, at $3'23 
Less cost of produGtiou 
$35-75 
§19-25 
Net income per acre , . . . §16-50 
Assuming the cost of land (improved) at $30 to 
$35 per acre, interest on the investment works out 
at 50 per cent. The crop is a very certain one, 
the cereal being easier to raise than oats or wheat. 
It! should also be remembered that the rice itself 
IS but one product of the crop. Taking an average 
barrel of Texas rice, it is found that it will pro- 
duce 40 lb. of the highest grade, 25 lb. of head 
nee (the second quality,) 25 lb. of screenings, and 
10 lb. of gram suitable for brewers' use. Every 
portion of it is available, even the chaff, which is 
burned as fuel in the mill.— and C Mail, 
March 2S, ' 
BRAZIL AJND ITS AGRICULTURAL CRISIS. 
The Rev Joseph Orton writes to us from the 
province of Rio de Janeiro on the subject of British 
trade la Brazil. We give the following extracts 
from his letter :— " It is true that at the present 
time the country is in the throes of the most 
serious agricultural and commercial crisis it has 
ever known, due to the fall of prices in the coffee, 
sugar, and india-rubber markets ; but this is a 
temporary state of things, and the country will 
soon resume its true nature as an earthly paradise. 
With this preliminary I will point out three 
methods by which British trade can beneat itself, 
