October i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURIST. 
359 
surert that I am told the only estate in existence in 
Perak (Waterloo) showed a profit on last vear’s work- 
ing, and its experienced Manager (Mr. Fraser) ex- 
presses a most decided opinion in favour of Perak as a 
coffee-growing country. As an independent and reliable 
opinion on a subject of much interest I quote Mr. 
Fraser’s words : — “ The cultivation of coffee promises 
well and, where land is judiciously selected and opened, 
it cannot tail, in my opinion, to be a success.” 
The sugar estates of Krian exported 69,763 piculs 
during the year, and as the price has improved on the 
very low figures of past years it may be hoped that there 
are fair pro.spects for cane growers. 
lam, however, specially pleased to be able to report 
that throughout the State (always excepting Krian Dis- 
trict) a larger area of padi (rice) has been planted this 
year than for many years past and so far the harvest 
prornises to be an unusually good one. I have had 
special opportunities for seeing this myself and the 
native headmen are all agreed on this point. I still 
think it would be an immense gain it we could introduce 
into Perak a number of Chinese rice growers loith 
their families, and, though the State does not grudge 
money voted to relieve the distressed agriculturalists 
in China it might benefit them as much, and Perak 
more, if a large sum were devoted to assisting them to 
settle in a country less liable to flood and famine. 
There are, however, great difficulties in the way of 
the emigration of Chinese with their families, and last 
year these difficulties seem to have greatly increased 
and even to a noticeable degree interfered with the 
usual exodus of the Chinese male population, a fact 
perhaps not altogether surprising considering the ex- 
traordinary reluctance of some to let the overflow of 
British Indian labour find a profitable field in these 
States ; but, failing the immigration of a foreign agri- 
cultural people, it is at least encouraging to find that the 
Malay rural population is giving more attention to 
agricultural pursuits. 
Piculs 235,651, or about 14,000 tons, of tin were ex- 
ported during the year, an iucrea.se of 16,812 piculs 
over the export of the previous year. The price of tin 
averaged S>34'93 per picul (about f 92 per ton), and the 
large production is extraordinary in the face of the 
tigUlnesa of the local money market and the remark- 
able falling off in the numbers of Chinese immigrants. 
Tho fact is that times being hard the miners worked 
better and for longer hours. 
This is much like the increased export of cinchona 
from Ceylon in the bad times. The report goeson : — 
The Government Geologist (Mr. L. Wray, jun.) under- 
a lengthened search for minerals in the neigh- 
bourhood of the Piah river, in Upper Perak, where he 
found numerous traces of gold, and the Magistrate of 
that district now writes to me that, having dug a pit 
12 feet deep in his garden, he began washing with a 
wooden tray and found gold at every trial. 
One hundred and twenty miles of cart-road and 254 
nnles of bridle-road were maintained, while 41 miles of 
new Cart-road and 13 miles of bridle-road were con- 
striicted, and 11 miles of bridle-road converted into 
cart road. Over 24 miles of unmetalled cart road were 
metalled, and a large number of bridges constructed 
and maintained. It is matter of public remark that the 
cart roads throughout the State, most of them main- 
tamed by contract are in excellent order. 
Iheestimi^ed receipts of the Larut railway were 
exceeded by §12,670, a satisfactory result, in view of 
the mot that some of the rates were considerably re- 
duced from the first January, 1889, and the year, as 
regards trade, has not been a particularly prosperous 
*°*‘*'^ receipts amounted to §82,670 against 
$45,,).)8 cost of working expenses, which left a profit of 
96^11 equivalent to 8’36 per cent on capital invested. 
Details of railway working and extensions are 
given, and Mr. Hanson, formerly of Ceylon, receives 
praise for his energy. 
The sanitation of the various townships in the State 
IS being improved, everywhere as to drainage and, 
where possible, in water supply, and the result, as 
might be expected, is better health. This is specially 
the case in Larut where, owing to better sanitation, the 
insidious beri-beri, which some years ago lilled the 
hospitals and beaded the list of fatal diseases, is no 
longer the dread scourge of Chinese miners and occupies 
a position of comparatively minor importance. 
As far as the Government of Perak is concerned, it 
in difficult to see what more can be done except to find 
cheap labour, without which no planting enterprise is 
likely to succeed. The native of the country works 
little for himself and absolutely refuses to hire himself 
out as a labourer on any terms that a planter could ac- 
cept. The mines absorb the attention of the Chinese, 
who prefer failure there to steady work and steady 
wages on an estate, and the planter’s only chance of 
a labour force on which he can rely depends on the 
natives of Southern India, whom he must import into 
the State on certain conditions for a term of months. 
There are many European employers of labour in the 
Native States who prefer to pay double the wages to an 
able-bodied free man who knows his work and will do it 
to whom wages are paid for labour performed, and who 
can be dismissed at an hour’s notice, rather than be 
saddled with all the trials attendant upon the employ- 
ment of the Statue Indian immigrant. Unfortunately 
planters are differently circumstanced, and it is ab- 
solutely necessary for their success that thev should 
always have a large labour force at command to take 
advantage of the propitious moment for planting, to 
turn the variations of weather to the best account, or to 
save a crop from ruin. Under such circumstances the 
planter cannot afford to pay the same rate of wages 
that is given in the open market for much harder work, 
aud he is therefore driven to engage his labour for a 
term of months and to accept all the responsibilties 
imposed upon him by special legislation. The interest 
that the State takes in his success or failure is due to 
the fact that he cultivates the soil, and for that reason 
it seems to me that he deserves all the assistance that 
can reasonably be given to him. 
A COMING TEA DISTRICT. 
“ Ex-Planter ” writes from Peermaad, Travancore 
to the Asian as follows : — ‘Tn your issue of July 18th 
‘ Smoothbore ’ remarks : ‘ Ceylon has a great future 
before her in her tea ; and India, Southern India 
at all events, cannot successfully compete with her.’ 
If this remark refers to the growth of tea, I beg 
to inform ‘ Smoothbore ’ that it he will undertake a 
journey of some twenty-four hours from Kodaikanal, viz., 
to Peermaad, in Travancore, he will find himself in a 
district which far surpasses most in Oeylon and can 
compete favourably with the best. My own experi- 
ence of Ceylon is limited to a thirty hours’ stay in 
Colombo. I make the above statement on the authority 
of Peermaad planters who have visited Ceylon, and of 
a leading Ceylon planter who has visited Peermaad. 
A fact, which speaks for itself, is that a Ceylon paper 
has begun to speak of Travancore as ‘ a promising 
off shoot of Oeylon,’ or something to that effect ! 
Should • Smoothbore ’ wish to see some really good 
tea I shall be happy to render him every assistance, 
and if I am still here, to put him up, if he will so 
far honor me.” — Madras Mail. 
♦ 
THE TEA-BLENDER BLENCHING. 
(A LETTEB FROM Mr. VeRDAUNT GrEENE TO DIS 
FRiENn Donne Browne in Ceylon.) 
London, July 25th, 1890. 
Dear B, 
There has been such a row in town 
As seems very likely quite soon to bring down 
Some of the houses at which you frown 
As an owner of tea plantations. 
For it seems that some of the ‘ upper crust’ 
Of the grocer class have got mixed with the dust 
Of their blended teas, through an indiscreet trust 
lu their own sophistications ! 
And one of their number, presented at Court 
Quite lately, has very despairingly sought 
To put himself right with the people who ’ve bought 
His teas and encouraged transgressions ; 
And it ’s quite on the cards that your courtier friend, 
Unless his mind and his manners shall mend, 
Will be affably asked his way to wend 
To the coming Quarter Sessions \ 
