JULV  I,  1895.] 
TH£  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
49 
TEA-GROWING  ON  THE  CAUCASUS. 
TUK  HUSSl.VX  COMMLSSIONKU  IN  CKVI.ON. 
Tlie  Mana<>erof  AUbotsford  itlautatioii,  writes: — 
I have  had  a very  pleasant  visit  from  the  Russian 
Commissioner  who  seems  to  be  a most  suitable  man 
as  Chief  of  such  an  Embassy. 
He  is  I should  say  a very  good  all  round  man, 
and  specially  strong  in  Botany  and  Agriculture.  As 
far  as  I can  see,  the  main  object  of  his  tour  is  to 
ascertain  what  tropical  and  subtropical  plants  arc 
suited  for  cultivation  in  the  Caucasus,  and  he  pays 
E articular  attention  to  everything  connected  with  tea, 
ut  I do  not  think  Ceylon  need  fear  competition 
from  that  quarter,  as  from  experiments  being  carried 
on  at  present  the  cost  of  production  would  be  from 
5 to  10  times  what  it  is  liere. 
The  soil  it  seems  is  good  though  the  features  of 
the  country  are  as  a rule  very  steep  or  even  precipitous 
and  though  the  climate  is  suited  to  the  growth  of 
tea,  I gather  that  they  suffer  from  severe  wind  storms 
from  the  fact  that  grevilleas  cannot  stand  their  gales. 
I hope  Mr.  Klingen  will  have  a very  pleasant 
time  of  it  in  Ceylon  and  that  he  will  take  a big 
shipment  of  our  teas  along  with  him  on  his  return 
to  Russia. 
He  paid  the  Colony  a splendid  compliment  when 
1 gave  him  a cup  of  it  here.  “This  is  excellent  tea 
it  is  like  China.’’  [He  meant  the  very  lest  China, 
doubtless  !“Ei>.  7’..  I .J 
NORTH  BORNEO  ESTATE  NOTES. 
Byte. — More  and  more  coffee  in  bearing,  and  plants 
growing  well,  topping  a few  as  high  as  9 feet.  Co- 
conuts growing  remarkably  well.  Put  in  80,000 
coffee  beelits. 
Kabeli. — Some  nice  flushes  have  seti  Coconuts 
growing  well,  some  of  them  will  want  little  further 
weeding  except  from  cattle  of  which  a few  have  been 
turned  in  amongst  them.  Felling  by  the  Develop- 
ment Corporation  for  the  Trading  and  Planting  Co. 
in  the  Boad  Creagh  district  for  coffee  is  in  progress. 
Loong  Piasow  Coffee,  a few  ripe  berries  showing 
heavy  rains  make  the  weeding  expensive.  Coconuts 
coming  up  nicely. — Hritiah  Xorth  Jlorneo  Herald. 
THE  AMSTERDAM  CINCHONA-AUCTIONS. 
May  9th. 
Our  'Amsterdam  correspondent  telegraphing  on 
Thursdaj"  evening,  states  that  at  today’s  auctions  of 
Java  cinchona-bark  in  Amsterdam  only  !i,95;-5  pack- 
ages out  of  the  6,178  offered  were  sold,  the  remainder 
being  mostly  very  firmly  held.  The  tone  at  the 
auctions  was  rather  more  quiet  than  had  been  ex- 
pected, and  during  the  sale  a slight  decline  occurred. 
The  unit,  nevertheless,  averaged  2'92c  per  half-kilo, 
which  was  about  O OSc  below  the  rates  paid  privately 
and  0'()7c  above  the  average  unit  of  the  last  April 
auctions.  The  following  equivalents  of  sulphate  of 
quinine  were  bought  by  the  manufacturers  : — Phila- 
delphia and  Paris  2,212  kilos;  Brunswick  1,941  kilos, 
Mannheim  and  Amsterdam  1,557  kilos;  Frankfort-on- 
Main  3,879  kilos  ; Auerbach  2,U81  kilos.  Druggists 
and  others  bought  2,721  kilos.  The  total  quantity 
of  quinine  offered  was  26,70.)  kilos ; Uiat  sold  17,394 
kilos.  The  prices  paid  for  manufacturing  bark  ranged 
from  60  to  53ic  (equal  to  Id  to  9^d  per  lb);  for 
druggists’  bark,  from  7^0  to  67c  (equal  to  IJd  to  Is 
per  lb). — Cheniitsi  and  l)ru<j<jist. 
JAVANESE  LABOUR  IN. BORNEO. 
At  the  latter  end  of  last  mouth  I visited  the  To- 
bacco Estates  of  The  New  Darvel  Bay  (Borneo I 
Tobacco  Plantations  Limited  to  enquire  into  the 
condition  of  Javanese  labour  on  these  plantations. 
I visited  Lahad  Datu,  Lamine  and  Segama  planta- 
tions. I found  very  little  sickness  existing  amongst 
this  race  of  people  and  their  average  of  sickness 
compares  very  favourably  with  the  Chinese  coolie. 
They  are  well  housed  and  contented  looking,  the 
nuinbei;  suffering  from  fever  were  iu  a very  small 
proportion  to  the  whole,  and  this  was  the  principle 
form  of  illness  affecting  these  people.  This  is  all 
the  more  satisfactory  considering  that  they  are  em- 
ployed in  building,  jungle  cutting,  and  making  roads 
and  drains,  &c.,  which  latter  is  not  the  healthiest 
form  of  occupation  generally  speaking.  Working  on 
this  Estate  at  the  present  time  the  numbers  are. 
.Javanese  243  men  .32  women  Banjerese  106  men  9 
w^men,  and  the  average  number  of  both  races  ein- 
ployed  during  1893  and  1894  was  130  and  270  respect- 
THua  ■ during  the  same  years 
18.)3  and  18.14  was  for  the  former  P7  per  cent  and 
for  the  latter  0 8 per  cent.-GEo.  W.  .Johnstoke. 
Acting  Principal  Medical  Officer,— Medical  Depart- 
ment, Sandakan,  March  15th  1893.— RnV.  Xorf/i  Borneo 
HcraUl. 
A CEYLON  TEA  TRUST. 
We  iea.1  in  Tnith  of  May  9tli:-It  is  announced 
that  the  (locuments  for  the  transfer  of  the  Rin- 
^uuooma  Tin  Mines  to  the  Company  have  arrived 
in  London,  and  the  subsidiary  Ct)iiii»any  which 
is  to  work  the  property  is  in  coiir.se  of  formation. 
Ibe  Directors  have  also  actinireil  the  Oolapane 
lea  estate  as  a going  concern,  for  working  wliicli 
the  f.eyloii  Tea  Irustj  Limited,  will  be  formed 
almost  immediatel  > 
SEYCHELLEH. 
The  auction  sales  of  the  damaged  goods  landed 
fiom  the  Messageries  Maritinies  ss.  “ Australien  ’’  havO 
already  realized  ‘Rs  63,000.  Every  shop  in  the 
place  is  crowded  with  “all  sorts  and  conditions’’  of 
cotton  goods  etc.  Never  within  the  memory  of  “ thO 
oldest  inhabitant  ” haVe  the  Seychellois  been  dressed 
in  such  gala  array-silks  artd  furbelows  galore  1 There 
will  be  no  necessity  for  importing  any  cotton  goods 
for  the  next  two  j'ears.  Pros))ects  of  a vanilla  crop 
very  poor.  Liberia  coffee  up.  It  is  estimated  thab 
niore  than  one  million  plants  have  been  put  into 
7,  tluringthe  last  three  years.  Mr.  f.  Risely 
Giittitb  has  left  for  St.  Kitts.  Everyone  looking 
forward  with  pleasurable  anticipation  to  the  arrival 
° 1 1 Stewart.  He  will  not  be  on  a 
“ bed  of  roses  ’’  at  the  commencement  of  his  regime, 
foi-  the  Exchequer  is  on  the  verge  of  bankruptcy ; 
but  he  will  be  “the  right  man  in  the  right  place’* 
and  will  pull  through  if  any  one  can.— J/erc/mn/a 
and  /‘Innters  Gazette. 
CEYLON  AND  ORIENTAL  E.STATES. 
To  the  Editor  of  tlie  Financial  Time--^. 
Sir,^  Being  a shareholder  in  the  Ceylon  and  Orien- 
till  Ijstates  (-lonipany,  Limited,  I have  received  a 
copy  of  the  report  of  its  directors  for  last  year,  and 
considering  the  way  the  undertaking  is  handicapped 
b\  heavy  paynients  for  interest  and  commission  on 
the  capital  borrowed  to  float  it  (the  public  having 
been  very  chary  111  applying  for  shares),  ahd  the 
nigli  cost  of  the  London  management,  I suppose  t 
may  congratulate  myself  on  getting  an  additional  2 
'7^*'  u*''^‘^®ud  for  the  year,  though  5 per  cent, 
m,  1 think,  no  great  thing  Out  of  a gross  profit  of 
oO  per  cent,  and  compares  badly  with  the  dividends 
ot  other  Ceylon  Companies.  The  repayments  for 
debentures  and  commission  on  their  issue  absofb 
about  .50  per  cent,  of  the  gross  profits,  and  the  cost 
of  London  nianagements  about  15  per  cent,  more 
Uie  tatter  being  double  the  average  of  any  other 
Ceylon  Estates  Company.  Hitherto  the  directors  have 
very  generously  surrendered  their  fees,  but  naturally 
v/ith  the  improved  results  of  the  year’s  workiuff  thev 
consider  themselves  entitled  to  remuneration,  which 
last  year  amounted  to  £700.  If  multiplicity  of  coun- 
sellors ensures  good  management,  this  Company  is 
admirably  managed,  for  there  are  seven  directors, 
five  of  whom  are  ornamental,  as  I do  not  suppose 
tliey  know  anything  about  tea  planting. 
The  directors  congratulate  themselves  upon  the 
yield  of  their  oatatea  duriug  au  aufavouxatbi^  seasou 
