August i, 1891.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
97 
COFFEE IN EASTEEN JAVA. 
In taking over from the Singapore Free Press an 
interesting aocount of a trip to tlie eastern portion 
of Java, the scene far more o£ sugar than of 
oofi'ee cultivation, wo cannot help feeling surprise 
at the sanguine aooount given of coffee culture 
near Surabaya and the utter absence of any refer- 
ence to the existence of leaf-disease, although we 
know that only more slowly but not less surely 
^han in Ceylon end India the deadly fungus has 
lessened the production of. coffee generally in the 
great Dutch colony. We are also struck by the 
violent contrast in the production of coffee estates 
in immediately following years. For instance, 
Limburg fell from 1 705 pikuls in 1884 to 600 in 
1885, and from 5,700 in 1889 to 1,200 in 1890, 
and yet it was confideDtly anticipated that this 
place would give 11,000 pikuls this year. What, 
also, Ere we to sr>y to Miogiu's giving 5,620 pikuls 
in 1888, sinking to 532 in lt-89 and recovering to 
2.631 in 1890. But surely leaf disease, as well as 
over-bearing, was at work to account for such an 
enormous fall in the case of Kati Manis as from 
8,000 pikuls in 1888 to 3, ICO in 1889 and a miser- 
able 530 (not equal to 1 pikul per bouw) in 1890 1 
Crops varied greatly in good and bad years in 
Ceylon, but surely there never was such an ex- 
perience as thisi? Manure, it will be observed, 
was not a factor in producing the larger crops ; 
and as the volcanic soil could scarcely require 
time to recuperate, we must attribute the in- 
equalities to seasonal and meteorological influences, 
as leaf disease did not operate A bouw is about equal 
to If acre v.'e believe, and a pikul to 133J lb. 
In the case of Limburg, therefore, 11,000 pikuls would 
be equal to somewhat over 2 pikuls per acre. — The 
story of the python, 30 feet long, which allowed itself 
to be caught as described and which lived in water 
in its cage (certainly it must have been a big one), 
is rather more wonderful than the statements about 
coffee which rest on authentic figures. The author 
of the monkey flesh and monkey soup practical 
jokes, must have had original ideas of hospitality. 
The account is lively throughout. — Since writing 
this, we have seen the figures for the coffee exports 
from Java this season given two days ago, showing 
a woeful f alling-off. 
A PEEP AT OOSTHOOE (JAVA). • 
(From a Roving Correspondent.) 
CoFPEE IN East Java. 
There are three passages from Singapore to Java 
— the Banka Strait, tbe Gaspar Strait and the Oari- 
mata passage. Going by the former yon are in sight 
of land all the way ; and the passage is more or Icsa 
devious. For the last-named you go rigOT; out to sea 
and after passing Lingga ou the right and Oarimaia 
on the left you shape a course direct for Soeraba.ya 
and sight land no rcore en voyage. This waa the 
passage our captain chose as being the shortest. 
On Wednesdiiy we were told thnt Java mountains 
were in sight r.t 10 a. m. but we could see nothing 
till afternvo:!. It waa atrauge to notice when we 
got into shallow water the distinct line that sepfxrafed 
the very blue deep sea from the very yellow shallow 
water with a muddy bottom. As Soerabaya is ap- 
proached all sorts of stvange looking craft appear 
in tight. Soma bave a triangular sail that looks like 
» striped blanket, others bavo two tails which look 
13 
like broken butterflies' wings. Most of these belong 
to the island of Madura, just opposite to Soerabay* 
and which has a very large fishuig population. We 
approached Soerabaya by the Western passage between 
Java and Madura. This has only a depth of 18ft. 
to that large steamers have to circumnavigate Madur* 
and get to Soerabaya by the eastern passage, thus 
adding nearly 400 miles on to the run from Singapore. 
At 6 p. m. we were at Soerabaya, and before the 
anchors were down we were boarded and taken 
possession by a kind friend who would take no denial, 
and carried us off to his hospitible abode. 
Soerabaya is a " slummy " looking place — narrow 
streets — lots of raud and the roads rutty and bumpy 
enough to .shake the liver out of one ! To the stranger 
passing along the streets two thingsaro especially 
noticeable ; first the marked absence of Chinese (happy 
Soerabaya !) (ind secondly the happy, contented and 
intellifjent look of the natives of the place — from a 
cursory glance I should say a much superior type 
to the Javanese we get in the Straits. 
la Soerabaya I was given some coffee figures which 
fairly took my breath away, I have more to collect 
and will give the whole lot together. At present I 
am currente calamo and ciirrente jalano ! 
I was commissioned to take an invalid to the hilla; 
and on enquiring waa advised to go first to Prigin — ele- 
vation about 2 OOO ft. Prom a suburban station of Soera- 
baya we laileci to Forrong, leaving at 7-45 a. m., arriv- 
ing at 9-6 a. m. Thence in pony carriages a three 
hours' lirive to Prigin wliere we arrived in time for 
tiflin. It mined nearly the whole way, but cleared 
up just before our arrive! when we found the air to 
be just delicious. The railway fare, first oiaes, from 
Wonokumo (suburban statit^n) to Porrong /1.60 and 
tbe pony carriage to Prigin is /4.50 ; each carriage 
can tflke two paesengers and one smp.ll box or bag. 
The Hotel at Prigin ia araall, but clean and comfor- 
table ; and tbe food abundant and good. There is a 
fine swimming bath, abon'o 30ft. loDg and 15 broad, 
but after tbe water of the plains, the first plunge gives 
one ft decidi'd shock. There are always ponies at the 
hotel, and there are said to bo many pretty rides in 
tbe neighbdiirhoofi, but I had no tinio to explore. 
The road fiom Porrong to Prigin is lined 
on either side with paddy and cane fields. 
Both show a most luxuriant growth ; and the 
f-oil in appearance is wonderfully rich. Tbe only land 
1 can compare it with is the very best of the Pen 
country in England. 
Tbe country appears to be very tbickly populated, 
the markets that we passed being crowded with 
women buying and selling; in some cases I should 
say there were over 2,000 present in one market. It 
is a quaint sipht to see them riding along sitting 
astride their ponies, with a big pannier hung on 
either side. 
To show how these Javanese drivers rattle their 
ponies down hill, I give the following :— Prom Pro- 
rong to Prigin took us three hours. The return journey 
waa done in one hour and twenty minutes ! The steep 
portion of the ascent was done in one hour and three 
quarters, with much whipthong and bad language. 
The same on our return was done smiling in twenty, 
three minutes. 
Befoi o I forget it the etiquette of calling in Soera- 
baya seems curious. The correct hour is from 7 to 
8 p.m. and you have to give notice if you intend to 
visit for fe.^r of tinJing tbe ladies in sarong and 
kabayn. Thi.s last was told me iu a whisper, so please 
print aecoi diiigly. 
Prom Prigin my first point was the mountain 
called tl-e Kloet. I railed to Kediri, where I was met 
by a friend. Onr programme was to take what is by 
courtesy called a dog-cart for 8 miles, and then ride 
12 miles on to the coffee lands. Llmmne propose &o. ! 
It was the Jivanese New Year; and no dog-cart waa 
to be got. After a long wait a carriage was secured 
at double the le■^;ul.^^ fare. When we got to the 
end of onr wheel journey, one of the ponies waa 
m ssing, ho we had to sturt a " ride and tie." Dark 
h ll upon as in the densest jungle I have ever seen. 
It was pitchy black, and there were sounds in »he 
.1 angle all round us. Pigs were strongly in evideoot, 
