AuniisT 1, 1890.3 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
tone which sounds well for Pahang. This ground 
possesses various kinds of metals and auriferous 
minerals and as it is required by a certain clause of the 
regulations, if all the mines are effectively and con- 
tinuously worked, this State will be the foremost in 
the Peninsula, and increase the Revenue of Govern- 
ment in abundance. 
June 1st. 
His Majesty the Kino of Siam is shortly 
expected at Pekan on his way from Bangkok, visiting 
Kelantau, Trenganu, Keta &c., Malay tributary States 
to Siam. His Majesty’s forerunners Phya Babanu- 
wanse and Phya Ohandrawangsa, have touched Pekan 
on their way down the coast of the Gulf of Siam 
reparing the way for their Siamese Majesty. 
A DISEASE OF THE COFFEE-PLANT. 
A report has been prepared by M. Adolf Vendrell, a 
member of Belgian and Spanish agricultural societies, 
by order of the Government, on a disease that J has at- 
tacked certain coffee plantations in the department of 
Am-titlan, Guatemala. The department of Amalitlan, 
consisting of some 200 square miles, has an elevation 
of some 3,990 feet, and in former years the principal 
industry was the cultivation of cochineal. On the de- 
cline of this industry it was succeeded to a great ex- 
tent by coffee. Owing to the impoverished state oi 
soil, defective cultivation (it not being the custom to 
manure the land), and, perhaps, the want of depth of 
soil, the coffee plantations of Amatitlan have not been 
famous, nor have these crops ever formed any great pro- 
portion of that product of Guatemala; and in 1880 to 1882 
a disease appeared on the coffee plants, to which the 
planters at the present time attribute an annual loss 
o fSO per cent, of their crops. M. Vendrell states that 
this disease is an insect, nothing more nor less than a 
new species of cochineal * that has adapted itself to a 
different existence. The insect, he states, is a stand- 
ing menace to the coffee industry, as at certain stages 
it is easily dispersed and transported by the wind to 
other plantations ; and he implies that, although the 
present species does not thrive on, or affect to any 
great extent, luxuriant and healthy plants, yet it may 
adapj. itself to other conditions. He recommends the 
intervention of Government to enforce the destruction 
of thg insect, and suggests the manuring of the land 
with nitrate. It is considered questionable whether 
the p reduction of coffee in Amatitlan would withstand 
the charges of a higher cultivation, should there be 
any considerable fall in the price this article at present 
controls ; and also whether, without Government inter- 
vention, the agriculturists of that department would 
take effective measures to prevent the spread of the 
disease. — Grocer. 
A New Indhbthy, the manufacturing of malt 
vinegar, has been started in Dunedin, where a 
firm have a plant of work capable of turning 
out 500 gallons a day. — Australasian. 
_ Tea in Maubitius. — On at least two occa- 
sions the authorities in Mauritius have asked that 
a Ceylon planter should be nominated to take 
charge of a Government experiment in the intro- 
duction of the growth and manufacture of tea. 
On both occasions gentlemen were recommended 
and appropriate salaries indicated and we believe 
that each case has been with curious discourtesy, 
left without reply from the sugar isle. Now we 
find the following paragraph in the proceedings of 
the Legislative Council- — 
Liyiup a report by the Chairman of tho Experi- 
mental Plantations Oommittee, relative to tho employ- 
luent of an experienced Tea curer for tho Experimntal 
Farm, and requo-tiug the L'ouncil to vote the sum 
necessary to permit of the temporary employment 
in that capacity, of Mr. J. Corson, on the terms 
recommended by the Expeiimental Plantation- Com- 
mittee. 
* That is, a scale insect or bug,— E d. T, A,) 
lOK 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA, 
“As I know them, the American citi’jens are the 
most ignorant people I have met. I refer to the New 
York citizens. ‘ ’Tis true, ’tis pity.’ I have known 
them now for six months.” 
Such is the opinion of an advocate of Ceylon tea, 
who dispensed samples from a “tea kiosk at the 
American Institnte Fair, from 10 a.m. nntil 10 p.m.” 
During the process the poor fellow was “in deep 
mental distress ; his nervous system overstrained, his 
emotions distorted. While he smiled pleasantly out- 
wardlv, he wept and — worse inwardly, and went 
through a most terrible ordeal.” 
All of this mental contortion, emotional dyspepsia 
and soul torture came from a dietetic discovery. The 
critic says — 
“ I had no conception that a people could be so 
woefully ignorant about a daily article of diet aa 
these people are of tea. ‘Oh, ’tis pitiful!’ Vast 
numbers think it is manufactured, and I dare say they 
are right, for your Yankee can manufacture anything. 
I must give him that credit. Let us ‘ give the devil 
his due,’ ” 
This Oeylon missionary interested in the Gospel 
of Tea. has come, to use his own words “to save, 
to teach, to educate, and to tell what tea is, to in. 
duce them to leave the ensilage, which they have 
been enjoying so long ( Oolong tea) — to drink really pure 
tea, quite an unknown quantity in this country.” The 
task is recognised as “herculean." Undoubtedly so to 
one who does not appreciate the relation of climate to 
beverages, and that the two national drinks are coffee 
and beer, the former being the most popular and 
enticing. But our critic is heroic, and undaunted by 
difficulties. He tells us “ the combat promises to be 
severe” hut the effort is well backed by “British pluck, 
enterprise and capital,” the latter indispei, sable and 
without which the Oeyb n effort will be “utterly hdp. 
less.’’ In order to keep the enterprise supplied with 
Ceylon gold, the tea planters are told in a letter to the 
Ceylon Observer about tbe efforts being made in this 
city to sell Ceylon teas and the difficulties to be over- 
come. This document is interesting, as it affords an 
opportunity to “ see ourselves as others see us.” Our 
critic, after describing the store that has been opened 
and its manager, proceedeth to fish for the golden- 
ducats of Ceylon, au island of which, he says, “ per- 
haps two-thirds of the citizens of New York never 
heard ; the remaining third probably from their hymn 
books,” in this manner : — American Grocer. [Then 
follows a long extract from our correspondence columns. 
—Ed. T.A.'] 
MADRAS TEA AND COFFEE CULTIVATION. 
During the year 1889 there were 110 Tea plantations 
in the Madras Presidency with an approximate area 
of 7,272 acres, which yielded a total of 881,916 lb. 
of tea. Ninety-eight of these plantations are in the 
Nilgivi District, 7 111 the Malabar Wynaad, two in 
the Madura District, and three in Bouanghi tauna of 
Sruuga varapukota Taluk of Vizagapatam District. 
Although about 8k acres have been planted in the 
last three estates there was no yield, in consequence 
of the crop not being harvested as the plant is not 
thriving. The average yield per acre of mature plants 
was 400 1b. in the Malabar Wynaad, 190 1b. in the Nil- 
girisand 101b. in Madura. 
The number of coffee plantations was 15,178, with 
au area of 184,1251 acres and an approximate yield 
of 12.382,580 lb. of ctffee. This industry was confined 
to the districts of Malabar, Madura, Nilgiris, Salem, 
Tiiiiievolly, Coimbatore, South Canara, Vizagapatam, 
aud Ananta|jur. Malabar beads tbe list with 10,471 
pi -ntatiou- with 90 6471 acres ; Madura has 4,183 plan- 
tations with 6,065 acres ; Nilgiris 69.5 plantations aud 
82,115 acres; Salem 49 plantatious in the Javadi aud 
Yilagiii hills with about 25 acre-; Tinuevelly 49 plan- 
tations with 2,650 acres; South Oaearii has 8 planta- 
tions with about 71 acres ; aud Coimbatore 18 plan- 
tations with 1,808 acres. As with tea the coffee plan- 
