98 
THe TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [August i, 1890. 
not on level ground. There are other striking dif- 
ferences in the systems pursued in rearing other crops 
in the West and in the Bast Indies. The e.stablish- 
ment of a plantation on the West Indian model in 
this country could not, I think, fail to improve the 
cultivation of all tropical products, and to instruct the 
people in methods of which they have no idea at 
present. Some of the return coolies from the West 
Indies and the Mauritius might also be induced to take 
service in such plantation.s, and by instructing their 
countrymen would be of use to the manager in 
starting the work. 
I might usefully recapitulate the above remarks 
as follows : — The improvement of Sugar production 
in India is not possible under existing conditions of 
scattered cultivation by numerous small cultivators, 
and in view of the fact that it is nowhere a staple 
but merely a subsidiary crop. I have further en- 
deavoured to show — 
(1) That_ cultivation on a large scale is essential, 
if the requisite supervision in growing the Oaue and 
the necessary machinery for manufacturing Sugar are 
to be provided. 
(2) That such a change cannot be brought about 
unless an adequate area of irrigable laud in a healthy 
and well-populated country with cheap labour is first 
secured. 
(3) That private effort and enterprise are probably 
Unequal to the task of securing the conditions necessary 
for successfully starting the work. 
(4) That it will therefore be expedient, in the first 
instance at all events, for Government to take the 
initiative, and to establish a model Sugar plantation. 
(3) That the best method of working such a planta- 
tion would be to interest the manager in the success 
of the scheme by leaving the profits to him. Govern- 
ment assisting by finding the land and giving it rent- 
free or at a low rent, on certain conditions ; and, if 
necessary by a subvention, to aid in the constructing of 
the necessary buildings, and in supplying the machinery 
needed. 
(0) That in the event of no properly qualified person 
being willing to undertake the establishment of a 
Sugar plantation on the above terms, Government 
should itself arrange for the working of the scheme 
by a paid agency. 
(7) That it would be absolutely essential for the 
success of any scheme of this kind, that the manager 
should be a successful and practical Sugar-planter, pre- 
ferably from the West Indies or the Mauritius, and 
accustomed to deal with the Indian coolie. 
(8) That the establishment of such a model plan- 
tation would not only prove the superiority of the 
West Indian over the Indian system of Sugar pro- 
duction, but would bring to the notice of Indian agri- 
culturists the advantages of other modes of cultivatin, 
many tropical crops, which, though of great value, 
have hitherto been much neglected in this country. 
— Produce Markets’ Review. 
♦ 
TOBACCO LONDON BORNEO CO. (LTD). 
The first yearly general meeting of the shareholders 
of the above company was held at Cannon-street Hotel, 
on the 23rd Dec. 1889. The Hon. Charles Hedley Strutt, 
chairman of the company, presided. There were also 
jiresent Mr. Thos. Palmer Chapman, Mr. Wm. M. 
Crocker, Mr. Henry Devitt, and Mr. Wm. Henry 
Head. 
The Secretary having read the notice convening the 
meeting, the Chairman said : — Gentlemen, f hope that 
none of the shareholders have been disappointed or 
discouraged by the nature of the report which the 
directors felt it their duty to place before them at this 
meeting. We did hope that we should not have ex- 
perienced the difficulties and troubles which always 
beset every tobacco planter. We hoped so because we 
adjoin the prosperous estate of Ranow, and the ex- 
perience gained there by our managing director would, 
we thought, have entitled us to avoid the usual difiBcul- 
ties, troubles, and delays, and have placed us in a 
very favourable position. Things did not, however, 
quite turn out as we expected, and the reasons for it 
are given in our report. The chief one is the amount 
of sickness which seems inevitable in opening out these 
fresh plantations. We have been specially unfortunate 
in the- loss of our head manager by death, and the 
sickness of one or two of the sub-managers ; and I 
believe at one time that Count Charles de Geloes 
d’Elsloo, our managing director, was the only European 
left, and upon that occasion he manifested the greatest 
energy, taking the whole management on his own 
shoulders, and even went so far as to sleep out in 
the jungle to prevent the desertion of the coolies. 
(Cheers.) Although our first year’s operations have 
not been so successful as we could have wished, we 
are extremely desirous that the shareholders should bear 
this in mind — that we are only in the same position 
as every tobacco company that has ever been started 
on the same lines as ours. Even those flourishing 
companies in Sumatra which now are paying their 50 
and 100 per ceut., every one of them had .the same 
opening difficulties which we have passed thiough, 
and I do not believe that any one of the«e successful 
companies ever paid a dividend on the first year’s 
working ; the truth is this, that those who invest their 
money in tobacco plantations, although they most 
likely will receive most satisfactory results in the long 
run, must always be prepared to exercise great patience 
at the start, and if they do so, and courageously 
hold their shares, I tell them that in the end they 
will be glad that they were not frightened at the 
first temporary troubles. Perhaps some of you may 
think, from my remarks, that our particular part of 
the country is more insalubrious than elsewhere. That 
is not the case. I believe Mr. Crocker will tell you 
that our plantations are in the healthiest part of 
Borneo — (cheers) — and that this is simply the initial 
sickness that always comes when opening out fresh 
land in that part of the world. Now, I have in my 
hand a report which is made by a medical officer out 
in Borneo — made for the Government — as to the health 
on the plantations, giving details about the health of 
the coolies on the different estates. The report to the 
Government deals with the health of the coolies on 
eighteen estates scattered over the whole east coast. 
Tue writer says ; — “ It will be seen that the Maruda Bay 
estates head the list for healthiness, Ranow coming out 
absolutely best, the London North Borneo Company 
being No. 7 on the list.” Again be says ; — “ The Maruda 
Bay at an averaee come out first. In looking for 
the reasons for this state of things the following facts 
are apparent. In Maruda Bay the ground is recent 
paddy fields for one thing, and, secondly, there is a 
large supply of meat food at low prices.” Again, in 
the memorandum jutst issued by the North Borneo 
Company, I read the following ; — “ All the reports 
which have reached us hitherto are most encouraging. 
It is true several estates have suffered severely from 
sickness amongst the coolies, which seems inseparable 
from opening new estates in tropical countries ; but 
it is encouraging to find by the returns that plantations 
which have been established the longest have suffered 
the least. Later reports speak of a general improve- 
ment in the health of the coolies on almost every 
estate, and the crop prospects are good everywhere.” 
I should also like to read you the latest news as to 
the Ranow estate ; it gives a very favourable account 
as to the crop on the estate. It is as follows : — 
“ The Ranow estate, when I saw it a few days ago 
was a wonderful sight. Tobacco stretching away for 
nearly a mile — all as level as a regiment of soldiers. 
There is hardly any sickness on the estate. It i.s 
expected the crop will average ten piculs per field.” 
Now our crop, I am afraid, owing to the dfficulties, 
will not yield so well. At present we cannot tell for 
certain what it will yield. We had hoped to have 
bad the accounts to-day from our managing director 
and to have told you exactly what the yield was. 
As I said, the difficulties we have had will affect the 
crop this year, owing almost entirely to the deser- 
tion and the sickness of the coolies, which prevented 
the land being got into proper order until too late. 
The early crops are always better, and this year our 
crop was not planted until very late. I mention the 
Ranow estate, a.s it is only simply divided from our 
