THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
January i, iSgi.] 
EUBIES AND SAPPIIIBES IN SIAM. 
We (Bangkok Times) hear from London that the 
Rub 68 and Sapphires of Siam Company have 
appointed a Mr. G-ibbons as their gen ral agent in 
this country and ihat ho has already started 
for Bangkok. Mr. Gibbons, it is said, will also 
act as local agent for the Gold Fields of Siam, 
Ltd. From a reliable quarter we hear that the 
Rubies Company has been saGsfao'orily floated in 
London with a capital of i^300 000, and that from 
the prrlimmarv arrangements already made at Krat 
and Chant ihoon, the shareholders will probably 
make a good thing out of it. 
MAURITIUS. 
P RT Louis, Nov. 8th.— S ugar, the Weather and the 
Oil ,p; — Xbe season is very f-ivoni-ub'e for manipulation, 
an ! the mills are working with g-e»t aoti/ity. In 
certain quarters the yield is far superior to that, of 
lasr year, whereas in others, the contrary is the case. 
We believe that we are in a r sition today to predict 
that the general production will be below that of last 
cron. 
Vanilla. — There has been a good demand for fine 
qualities. We have to qno"e the sa'e of a fee. 1 ts first 
quality at RIG to R17 p r kilo above 6 inches 2nd 
quality at R14 to R15 per kilo above G inches. We 
fully con5rm our v Inations as regards the outturn of 
the coming orop which will not exceed 14,000 kilos. 
Aloe Pirke. — Remain nominally quoted from R240 
to E250 the ton for first qualities. But very few 
factories continue at work. 
Oofeee. — Owing to sacoesaive arrivals, market for 
this article closes dull and good qu lity of Ceylon is 
selling at R56 to R60 per 50 kilos. Reunion may be 
quoted nominally at R60 and mixed triage qualities R35 
to RfiO per 50 kilos, according to quality. — 3ferchants 
and Planters Gazette. 
CARP FISH FOR, AND IN, CEYLON. 
Mr. W. R, Tringham of Nuwara Ellya. deputed 
by the Assistant Government Agent, came down 
to Colombo on a speoial mission to meet the 
S. S. “ Ma'da. ” and take charge of a consignment 
of Carp ova of a n -w speoirs sent from Madras— 
the Nilgherries doub.less. But when Mr. Tringham 
got on board, it was to find that all were d^ad, 
to judge by the putrid stinking water in the 
receptaoles. Had they been in n-der this consign- 
ment was to be taken to the lakelet in the 
Pavilion ground, Kandy. 
However, Mr Tringham’s trip to Colombo was 
not quite wasted, for he brought down with him 
som lively specimens of our Ceylon '‘'arp to place 
in the fountain basins in Gor lon Gardens. This 
his been done successfully; but today Mr. Tring- 
h ra f iund one of them had been attacked and 
damaged cons derihlv. pessihly by a crab. However 
the others seem all right. 
♦ 
THE JAMAICA BLUE BOOK. 
THE governor’s MtNUTE ON THE DEPARTMENTAL 
reports. 
We (Jamaica Gleaner) have received the Depart- 
mental U*port8ofthe Colony for the year 1888-89. 
1,1 Ru iim ng UP his report on these. His Excellency 
the Governor remarks : — 
The year 1887 -88 in rks the end of a period of Oepres- 
sisp. It op“ued 'Viili a deficit in Public R venue of 
£12,G23 an 1 close I with a snrplua of £30 054. i his 
surp u- ii id increasedby the cud of the year under review 
to £50,538. The growth of prosperity thus indioated has 
64 
So5 
been maintained, and promises to contix,ue. The pre- 
ceding prdcis of the reports of the various Depart- 
ments, whicli treat iu detail "f the different subjects 
under which the busines' of the Island is classed show 
how steady an improvement is maintained in every 
Department. The number of Schools has increased 
Irom 771 iu 1888 to 826, and Industrial Schools are 
bout to be erected, at Hope B tauioal Gardens for 
boys, and at fehurtwood Female Training College for 
girls. The establishment of these schools will obviate 
the upco sitj of f^ending more waifs and strays to bo 
brought up in the Boys or Girls Reformatories where they 
are exposed to the contaminating effects of ass oiation 
with vici us and criminal children. This Government 
Savings Bank shows an inornasa of 185 iu the number of 
Depositors, and of £14, 9G3 in the total amount of de- 
posits. 
The Fruit Trade and the Abandonment of 
Sugar. — The fruit trade, especially that in bananas, U 
daily expanding and to meet the wants of the local 
growers the telegraph system is being rapidly extended. 
The cultivation of sugar shows a decrease as steady ae 
that of bananas shows an increase, end there seems 
every probability that theoulMvation may be further 
restricted. The cause of the abandonment of the estates 
is attributed to the low price of sugar, and iu some cases 
to the difficulty of obtaining labour. No doubt heavily 
incumbered sugar estates belonging to absentee owners 
do not pay under the present system of cultivation o£ 
the canes and manufacture of sugar and rum. But 
with the separation of the business of manufacture 
from that of cultivatiou, and the concentration of the 
planters’ attention cu the improvement in the culti- 
vation, and the quality of the cane, sugar growing would 
be a safe and profitable investment. It is much to be 
regretted that the cultivation of sugar estates should 
decrease for the sugar cane, unlike the banana, cannot 
be destroyed by a hurricane, and this offers a steady field 
for labour in the event of such a calamity. The diffi- 
culty of obtaining labour is no doubt serious. That 
there is difficulty is not to be attributed to the laziness 
of the population but rather to their detrrminat'oB 
to invest iu land, and to work upon it for their own pro- 
fit The consequence of this determination is a 
gradual migration from the plains to the hills, 
where land can more readily be secured, and 
where a very thriving peasant proprietary has sprung 
into existence, and these owners have become the princi- 
pal producers of ruit, 
The Capabilities of the Island. — But however 
satisfactory are the statistics of the Blue Bo,-k, they 
can give no idea of the value of Jamaica as a whole 
or of the exireme beauty and great capabilities of the 
Island. Of the area of 4,193 square miles, but 646 
square miles are flat. The remainder is mountainous, 
and in the East the Blue Blountains attain the height 
of 7,000 feet. The mountains are composed of white 
and yellow limestone, carbonaceous shales, granitic 
and conglomerate rooks, with alluvial valleys. The 
climate is particularly healthy it ordinary precautions 
necessary in the tropics are observed, and while m the 
mountainous interior the temperature rang* a from 60 
deg. to 75 deg., even the tropical temperature of 80 
deg. to 85 deg. near the sea level, is assuaged by the 
sea breeze during the day, and the cool land oreezo 
that at night flows down from the hills. 
With such variety of temperature, aspect and soil, 
the range of production is very wide ani tfie l-liind 
offers excellent investments for agriculturisls with com- 
paratively small capital. 
COCONUTS AND CINNAMON IN CEYLON. 
Kadirana, Deo. Glh.— Nice showers since the 1st, and 
promise of more ; a little over 2 inches have fallen 
already this month. Almost bef re one bud on the 
cinnamon bushes has matured, another fias made ies 
appearance, and promises ro l e a pre-tv hoavj. one. 
i bis is rather roi gh upon those who we te I lill the 
fi at bud matured bei<ro commrnoing pv liug; while 
tuose who workeil tl rough the bud lav, scor d. 
Coconut crops continue to be good, but n t 'ear must 
see a great falLng-off in yield. Mr. J. D’ S, Raja- 
