572 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[February >, 1892. 
Borneo aud every part of the Bast and they have 
tapped Africa in different regions with the view of 
fiudinf a suitable soli and climate The latest enter, 
prise is the expedition of Sir Alfrou Dent, organized 
in London, to explore the Peruvian Andes vfith (he 
same object, tbe Peruvian Govorumeut having given 
extensive tracts of land and conce-'sions on account of 
their failure to meet their engagements towards their 
bond-holders. In these wild regions, without any 
roads or good Government, there is of course no 
labour, but that is no object where such mighty 
interests are concerned. These entcrprizing planters 
dropose to introduce Chin- ae. Should not this open 
our eyes to the bright future cofft-e cffera us in our 
fertile island (?) whtre we have a stable Government 
aud Iftbour in abundance ? 
Another very important cnnsideration for coffee 
growers here IS the recent discovery of rich phosphatic 
deposits (organic) at Gasparillo. Some specimens 
recently examined have proved to contain no less 
than 90 per cent., and in its present condition (without 
being treated chLmically) it has proved valuable as a 
maunre to garden vegetables. — Trinidad Agricultural 
Record. 
J. F. Keller, of Licking county, Ohio, in an 
article communicated to the National Stockman, 
correctly remarks that experience teaches that all 
farm crops are highly benefitted by being planted 
in a compact soil, though the degree of com- 
paolion depends to some extent on the nature 
of the Boil. Very heavy clay soils need less 
compacting than some others of a lighter nature, 
as there is some danger of heavy soils becoming 
(in case of much ram) too hard if compacted 
to the extent that light Boila will always require. 
On the writer's farm (which is clay loam) no 
crop is planted until the soil is first compacted 
by rolling once, and in some instances twice, 
with a heavy cast-iron roller, — Indian Agriculturist. 
The Nilgibi Planters. — It has been a frequent 
source of annoyance to planters on the Nilgiris 
that they have been grouped with ordinery 
native ryats and land-holders, and made to pay 
their revenue or kistbandi in four equal instal- 
ments annually. The inconvenience of this system 
was often represented by the planters individually, 
and also by the Eotagiri Planters' Association ; 
but their proposal to pay their revenue in one 
lump sum has hitherto not met with the approval 
of the Revenue authorities. Their chief objection 
to broken payments were (a) that a single pay- 
ment in March was already sanctioned in the 
case of mixed puttahs ; and (b) that few planters 
kept any large amount of cash in hand, but 
drew funds from the Banks as occasion required, 
and therefore felt it inconvenient to pay the 
Government demand in small sums. As a rule, 
the payment of land revenue by instalments is 
utterly unsuited to the conditions of planter life, 
and as planters are unable to adapt their financial 
arrangements to the kistbandi system, the repe- 
tition of small demands causes much irritation 
and friction. Taking these circumstances into 
consideration, and the almost general desire of 
all the European planters for a lump payment 
annually, it is under contemplation, as an ex- 
perimental measure, to allow pattahdars who 
pay a land revenue of not less than B50 per 
annum, to pay the amount of their kistbandi 
in one sum on the 10th March, tbe concession 
being liable to be withdrawn if default is made 
in any year,— ili. ^/at^, Dec- 29. 
TiiK half-yearly meeting of the British North 
Borneo Company passed off with more unanimity 
than has been the eahie at similar gatherings during 
the last two years. As no criticisms were offered 
PjpoQ the very oompletc mi interesting statc-mout 
which the Chairman made, it may be assumed that 
the shareholders were satisfitd the directors had 
done tbe best ;hat was possible in the circum- 
stances, and that their general policy meets with i 
approval. The retirement of Sir Butherford Alcook < 
from tbe chair for reasons of health was not the ! 
least important incident of the meeting, and we 
believe every one connected with the company will \ 
regret that Sir Butherford has been compelled i 
through advancing years to vacate his position as 
Chairman at a time when it may be said the I 
undertaking he has devoted so much of his time 
aud attention to has weathered the hard times 
a company of this nature has to contend with in 
its early days, but which has an assured future 
before it. The expressions of regret with which ■ 
Mr. Eiohard B, Martin, his Buocessor in the ' 
chair, accompanied his announcement of the 1 
fact met with a ready response on the part of all i 
present. It will be gathered from the report of 
the proceedings that the directors, while curtailing ' 
the expenditure as far as possible, are fully alive ] 
to the importance of pursuing a bold and pro- 1 
gressive policy in the administration of the com- 
pany's affairs. The Chairman struck the right note ■ 
when he deprecated a cheese-paring policy which i 
for the sake of securing a temporary profit might i 
retard the proper development of the country. j 
The advice, too, which he gave the shareholders ' 
to support, as far as was in their power, the 
subsidiary companies as likely to promote the success 
of their own undertaking was practical, and will 
not, we hope, have been given in vain. We are 
glad to note that amongst other projects the estab- i 
lishment of a bank— long contemplated— is taking i 
shape, and the Chairman was also in a position ' 
to announce that the railway matter is progressing 1 
well. The biggest cloud at the present time is, I 
of course, the disturbance of the tobacco market. ' 
But there is every reason to think that the crisis ■ 
is only temporary ; and, as it is now fully demon- i 
strated the Borneo can grow the class of tobacco ■. 
which is most in demand for " covers," when the ' 
American buyers come into the market again the | 
prospects in this direction will undoubtedly '■ 
improve —L. and C. Express, Deo. 18. ! 
Sib Samuel Davenpobt, k.c.m.g., gave an address i 
on the " Olive," in the cultivation of which he has % 
taken great pains, and in the value of which he is i 
a great believer. The whole address was very i 
interesting and instructive. Ho said the wealth of \ 
a country depended on its produce of an exchange- ' 
able value. The natural home of the olive, he said I 
was the home of the vine, and (.South Australia was 1 
peculiarly adapted for its growth. He quoted figures ; 
to show how well olives had paid. In 1890 olives 
from 1000 trees weighed 26^ tons, about | cwt. per i 
trfe. Some were young trees. The olives realised i 
£212 9s, or 4s 3d a tree. The total working expenses 
were £104 13s lOd, the net return being £107 ISs 
2d. Planted 27ft. apart sixty ;trees could be put ' 
to the acre, and 100 would take sixteen and one- ' 
third acres, and the net profit would (be ^6 12s per i 
acre and 2s 2d per tree. The returns compared well ' 
with returns from French and Italian vineyards. ' 
South Australian oil brought more than any other i 
because of its purity and richness, and gave an i 
eight times better return than wheat. Olive ; 
cultivation was equally profitable to the growing of j 
good vines. South Australian olive oil was the i 
purest and richest obtainable. There were several ' 
excellent varieties of European olives cultivated in 
South Australia. He had thirty- four varieties. The 
olive required technical knowledge and care. Few ' 
countries were so well off as South Australia with 
regard to sun and natural richness of soil. More i 
technical knowledge was wanted,— Z«^((i« Am- i 
