March i, 1892.] THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURIST. 625 
(From \he Straits Times, Jau. lilth.) 
Drought' and scarcity prevailed so badly in some parts 
of Java latterly, tbat, lu the province of Japara, the 
people have been driven to eat their seed paddy, so 
that when the time came for sowing there were no 
seedlings. The resident at once supplied the diatresaed 
cultivators with paddy in hundreds of piculs. Had 
they bonowed money tor the putpoie from usurers, 
they would have to pay about one thousand per cent 
in kind for the luan. In othtr provinces the ecarcity 
of rice and the resulting high prices have compelled 
the people to have recourse to inferior articles cf food. 
The distress is such that robbery and theft are said to 
be eetting common in that quarter. 
The drought has also reauuedin great dearth of coffee 
Bcedliugs on many estates in Java. Large quantities 
of the available stocks perished owing to the dryness 
of the season, during wliich several rivers ceased to run 
for months. 'I'his has proved very bard npon tho planters 
as in consequence of expected high prices they 
had cleared larf{e areas for coffee growing. Hence a 
heavy demand has risen Jor seedlings, with small 
supply, and rates have risen from 1^ to 5 guilder cents 
apiece. 
The coffee crop on the west coast ot Sumatra, last 
year, is estimated at about 49,000 piculs. 
A Government medical officer hasmnde the discovery 
that at Cheribon there are six tea factories. This 
industry seeks to manipulate Java tea to pass for 
China tea. 
THE MILDURA. IRRIGATION COLONY. 
MiLDUBA, Jan. 4. — The older orchards, although the 
trees are still btbies, the majority of them being only 
two years old, have had a most boantilul harvest 
of early frnita, Apricots have been marvelloni-ly 
prolific, the better kinds being Morpark and OuUians, 
the early varieties. The local demand is purticu- 
larly brisk, many growers disposing of the whole 
crop to the retail fruiterers. Ohaffey Brothers' ex- 
perts are busily engaged drying apricots, the fumi- 
gating and enlphuriug process being employed. The 
flavour is pronounced to be delicious by competent 
judges, and equal to that of the Oaliforniau pro- 
ducts. The vine harvest vifill be very extentive, most 
of ttio vineyards planted two years ago being of 
mBrvellous growth. Some wine will be made, but 
the tjreater part of the produce will be converted 
into raisins and sultanas. The more forward of the 
apriuot-trees averaged from 50 lb. to 70 lb. of fruit 
per tree. Many visitors came during the holidays, 
and all were deeply impressed with the progress and 
development of the settlement, Several invested in 
blocks. An influx of English investors is expected 
within the next few months. Table grapes are 
already ripe. 
^ . 
NOTES FROM OUR LONDON LETTER. 
London, Jan. 8th. 
Last Wednesday saw a goodly gathering as- 
Bembled at Winohester House to listen to mattera- 
baving important connexion with Oeylon. The 
oooasion was an extraordinary general meeting of 
the shareholders of tha Ceylon Tea Plantations 
Company, summoned partly to oonsider the pro- 
posals made by its directors that extra capital 
should bo raised for the purpose of tnabling the 
Company to oommenoe ;Ool'fee planting in Perak. 
A former recent letter of mine gave you full details 
with respect to these proposals. 
The meeting was well attended, and the chair 
was taken by Mr. David Reid. Before the question 
of undertaking an enterprise in Perak came up, 
the busineas of oonsidt ring resolutions to authorize 
the directors to purchase cevtiin estatoj in Ceylon 
■was dealt with. The Chairman stated that the 
Board desired to obtain tea estatos at h\gh alti- 
tudes, and tho estates it was proposed to buy 
(uUilled tbat oondilion. Altbuugh the^ had paid 
£18,000 for the Yoxford estate, which included 
the highest price they had yet given per acre for 
tea-planted land, it would, the directors believed, 
easily return 15 per cent on its purchase money. 
Begelly was a small estate which its owner had 
found too small to work profitably, and as 
it adjoined Tangakelle, they had bought it 
cheaply for £1,080. As he was personally inter- 
ested in the Glenlyon and Stair estates, the Chair- 
man said he would ask his fellow-direotor, Mr. 
Rutherford, to speak about them, and he would 
conclude by moving the resolutions Mr. Rutherford, 
when seconding these, said that the possession 
of Glenlyon and Stair would complete the chain 
of connection between all the Company's Dimbula 
estates ; so that in the event of a factory being 
burnt down, or a breakdown of machinery, or a 
pressure of work in any particular factory, relief 
might at once be given. Mr. Reid was one of the 
Company's best customers, and if they purchased 
these estates from him, they would retain the 
manufacture of the tea from Mr. Reid's other 
estates. They had had two most competent and 
independent valuations made of the properties — one 
of these being by Mr. William Mackenzie, one of 
the oldei.t planters in Ceylon. Mr. Reid asked 
£17,000 in cash and 250 fully paid-up ordinary 
shares in the Company, and he agreed to plant 
up with tea all unplanted land at his own expense. 
Mr. Mackenzie's valuation was £21,290. Afl,er these 
explanations the purchases were unanimously ap- 
proved by the meeting. 
The question of entering upon coffee planting 
in the Straits Settlements was then taken up by 
the Chairman. He said the directors believed there 
was money to be made out of it. They had 
brought forward no cut-and-dried proposition, 
but they thought it desirable to recommend the 
enterprise to their shareholders. The directors 
had in no way, he assured them, committed 
themselves to the scheme. The soil and climate 
of the Straits were well-suited to coffee growing, 
and this had been proved to an extent that 
would remove their venture, if made, from being 
a pioneer one. He admitted there were difficulties 
in connexion with labour, supervision, and un- 
healthiness of climate at the time ot felling the 
forest ; but all these, he thought, might be sue- 
cesstully overcome, and they had a large labour 
force in Ceylon and men in touch with the 
districts on the coast ot India from which that 
supply was drawn. At the worst, supposing the 
scheme did not answer full expectation, they would 
but have some £6,000 badly invested, for two years 
would suffice to make all the needful results appa- 
rent. He had himself have interested in coffee 
planting in Perak for three years, and from bia 
own experience he would recommend his fellow- 
share boldersjto enter upon the venture. The last 
issue of preference stock made— £40,000 — had 
been placed at 15 per cent premium, so they 
had £G,000 to start with. 
A very full discussion followed, details of which 
cannot be sent you by this mail. Very divergent 
opinions were expressed, but the major balance of 
these inclined to the view that tho enterprise was 
too speculative to be wisely undertaken, and the 
evident sense of the shareholders was opposed 
to the directors' proposals. The Chairman then 
baid that, as it was evident his audience was 
not by any means unanimous as to supporting 
tho scheme, it certainly should not be pressed; 
but ho might confidently contradict the view 
expressed that it would bo of a speculative character. 
He niight say that there was every profpeot of 
their next report fulfilling all the expectations hold 
out by the prospectus circular of las< Juno in 
