February i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
529 
if auooeasful, it is not intended to enter into competi- 
tion upon the European market, but rather to export to 
Aden for the use o£ ships passing thitport. As soon as 
time permits, experiments ore likely to be made in the 
cultivation of spices, especially cloves, nutmegs, and 
pepper (the latter near the coast region), aa vfell as with 
gambier. The oil-palm does not seem to take kindly 
to the soil of German Bast Africa, though, if it should 
be found that its cultivation is possible there, the erec- 
tion of suitable modern oil-mills will become a matter 
of interest. The plant yielding the calumba of com- 
merce (Jateorrhtza cahmha) occurs only sporadically in 
German East Africa, and as the demand for it is subject 
to great fluctuations, ond is inconsiderable at the best, 
its propogation does uot hold out any inducements. 
Tamariiid trees do occur, but hitherto their fruit 
has not been gathered for export purposes. Ateoa- 
nuts have been exported from Tanga and 
Pangani in small quantities only, and beeswax 
has, up to the present, been ecaroely a com- 
mercial article. Among other articles of vegetable 
origin, copal takes the first place; it is traded in ex- 
cellent quality, especially in Kilwa and Lindi. Gum 
arable occurs in the various kinds, but mostly of very 
inferior quality, in the At usba region of the Kilima- 
njaro mountain.Two bales have recently been received 
in Germany from the colony, but they show an 
altogether insoluble gum, the viscosity of which was 
such that one part of gum to three parts of water 
produced a jelly-like mass. On the other hand, a sample 
received from the Aiusha district showed an almost 
soluble drug. There is, therefore, some hope that b 
suitable gum may be obtained as the result of closer 
investigation. The main difBculty in the way of suc- 
oeasful plantation in German East Africa is the one 
of cheap labour. Hence only the cultivation of high- 
priced articles holds out hopes of success. The system 
of forced cultures (which, for instance, still obtains to 
some extent in the Dutch colonies) has been frequently 
recommended as suitable for the production of large 
staple articles ; but the trouble is that it is impossible 
to force the natives by means of fines, as they poasess 
nothing, whereas physical force could hardly be em- 
ployed. Some time ago an attempt was made to place 
a tax upon palm-trees, but its only result was that 
the natives partly out down their trees, and one and 
all refused to extend their plantations. Attempts have 
been made to induce the natives to cultivate sesame- 
seed* to a greater extent than they do now by giving 
them free supplies of seed, but these have not been 
very successful. — 'chemist and Druggist. 
BRITISH NORTH BORNEO DEVELOP- 
MENT CORPORATION, LIMITED. 
A company under the above title has been registered 
with a capital of £300,000 in 500 founders' and 299,500 
ordinary shares of SI each respectively. The objects 
of the company are the acquisition of lands, timber, 
mines, furnaces, factories, businesses, or other real or 
personal property whatsoever, situate in the island of 
Borneo or elsewhere, and, with a view thereto, to carry 
into effect two agreements, the first expressed to be 
made between the British North Berneo Company of 
the one part and this company of the other part; 
the second, made Sept. 21st, 1891, between J. W. Oolmer 
of the one part and J. G. T. Hassell, on behalf of this 
company, of the other part ; to navigate and carry 
on trade along the river of Borneo or elsewhere, 
and to develop the resources of and turn to account 
the lauds, buildings, and rights for the time being of 
the company, in such manner as the company may 
think fit, in particular by clearing, reclaiming from 
the sea, draining, irrigating, fencing, planting, building 
upon, farming, mining, &o, ; also as miners and 
melters, ongiuecrs, merchants, bankers, exporters, 
and importers, &o. The first subscribers, who 
take ono share each, are : — Lord Watcrpark, Dove- 
ridge, Derby ; W.P. Pryer.ll, Harrington Koad, L.W. ; 
Sir K. «. Meado,C5, Queen's Gate, S.W. ; A. W. Jarvis, 
» (Jingoli.— Ed. T, ^i. 
M.P., 120, Mount Street, W. ; W. G. Brodie, Elm- 
bourne, Upper Tooting; 0. Ince, 102, Alexandra Koad, 
South Hampstead ; and J. A. Gedge, H, Abbeville, 
Road South, Clapbam Park. There shall not be less 
than three nor more than nine directors. The first 
are the Right Hon. Lord Waterpark, W. G. Brodie, 
A. W. Jarvis, M.P., Rear-Admiral R.c. Mayne, c.b., 
M.P., and General Sir Richard Meade, K.c.s.l., c.i.E. 
Qualification, £300. Bemuneration : Chairman, £400 ; 
ordinary directors, £200 per annum each, with an ad- 
ditional 10 per cent, on the net profits of the com- 
pany after payment of 15 per cent, dividend, such 
latter remuneration to be divisible.— Z7. ancl C, Mail. 
HORSE-POWER IN LIEU OP BULLOCK- 
POWER m INDIAN AGRICULTURE, &c. 
We copy from the Times of India a paper advo- 
cating the BupersesBion of bullooks and buffaloes 
by horses and espeoially mares in agricultural 
operations. If there is any force in the arguments 
used as regards India, they apply even more 
strongly to Ceylon, where the great diflfioulty in 
the use of improved ploughs and other agrioultural 
implements, is the small size and weakness of 
the native bullook. The remedy usually proposed 
is the use of the larger and stronger Indian oattle, 
but the first cost of such animals is high and the 
expense of their upkeep is in proportion. If we had 
an abundant supply of country-bred horses (and 
surely horses can be bred in Ceylon) we should 
not have proposals made to use bullock power 
even for street tramways. As civilization advanoea 
so will the use of meat as food in Ceylon; and it 
goes without saying that the beef from animals 
which have worked hard for many years must be 
far inferior to that of oattle bred specially for 
milk-giving, manure and the butcher. One great 
difEculty, no doubt, here, even more than in India, 
would be to get the cultivators to manage horses, 
As regards the Sinhalese, it is the rarest possible 
thing to find a Sinhalese horsekeeper. But this 
may be due mainly to the fact that the position of 
a horsekeeper is socially low, just as, in the eyea 
of the Sinhalese, is that of an ordinary oooly. 
All agricultural work, however, is deemed honourable, 
and it does not seem doubtful that in time Sinhalese 
would adapt themselves to the care and employ- 
ment of the horse in their farming operations. 
An experiment might be tried in the grounds 
attached to the Agricultural College. Mr. Hallen 
mentions what are rarely seen or mentioned in 
Ceylon— mules. We have never heard of one of 
these hybrids being bred in Ceylon, and it is surely 
curious that while mules were employed in all the 
carryieg work of plantations in the West Indies, they 
have never been so employed in this island. The 
bullook has been always our stand-by in Ceylon. 
The question is whether at least a partial change 
might not be advantageously made by the use of 
the horse ? 
» 
NOTES FROM OUR LONDON LETTER. 
PALAIS INDIEN COMPANY AND MR. LOUGH — TEAS 
IN LEAD PACKETS — THE ANDES EXPEDITION — 
CELLULOSE OF COCONUT. 
London, Deo 4 
A mail or two back my letter referred to the 
seemingly extraordinary course pursued by Mr. 
Lough at the meeting of the Palais Indien Com- 
pany, by which he seemed to endorse the desire 
of some of the shareholders that the sales of tea 
by that company should be confined entirely to 
the teas of Indian growth. It seemed to mo that 
support given by Mr. Lough to such proposals 
was quite inconsistent with the obligation ho had 
incurred in aooopting the poeitiou of your Ageat 
