Aug.  I,  1895. J 
THE  TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
127 
THE  MALAYAN  LENINSLLA  AND 
ITS  MINERAL  AND  PLANTING 
ENTERPRISES. 
Mineral  statistics  of  the  world,  show  the  im- 
portant position  held  by  the  Malayan  Peninsula 
in  respect  of  mineral  resources.  We  ask  our- 
selves what  the  relative  (londition  of  Ceylon  u ould 
be  were  she  as  highly  favoured  as  to  mineral  de- 
)K)sits  as  is  the  country  of  wliicli  the  Straits  Set- 
tlements form  a chief  division.  Our  own  outiuit 
of  minerals  is  almost  entirely  conllned  to  plum- 
bago, with  a certain  proportion  of  gems  in  rubies, 
sapphires,  N'c. , and  the  exjjort  value  of  the  wliole 
is  insignificant  as  (romiiared  with  that  of  the  exports 
of  the  Malayan  Peninsula.  Since  J888  tlie  ont[)ut 
of  tin  alone  from  the  latter  has  heen  3ft, ObO  tons, 
being  more  tlian  half  of  the  tcital  production  of 
the  worhl  in  the  tin  c mentioned.  Tlie  balance 
is  made  up  of  the  lu'oductiou  of  England,  stated 
at  9,000  tons  ; that  of  Australia  at  (i,.‘)00  tons; 
and  a residue  from  America,  Tasmania,  and 
some  European  countries,  at  13,090  tons.  What 
coal  is  to  Great  Rritain,  tin  must  be  to  Singa- 
pore and  surrounding  States.  It  is  a never- 
failing  source  of  revenue  and  we  are  only  sur- 
prized that,  as  the  Straits  Settlements  com- 
mand the  whole  of  the  trade,  thej'  have 
not  long  ago  surpassed  in  tlie  race  for 
wealth  every  other  Colony  possessed  by  Great 
Britain.  As  the  great  wheat  production  of  India 
and  Canada  has  almost  wijred  out  the  culti- 
vation of  the  staple  at  home,  so  has  the  tin 
industry  of  the  Malay  Peninsula  operated  upon 
the  output  of  the  tin  mines  of  Cornwall.  Cor- 
nish enterprise  has  had  to  compete  witli  the  al- 
mosc  entirely  surface  yield  of  the  same  metal 
in  the  highly  favoured  peninsula. 
If,  in  the  future,  our  Eastern  neighbour  can 
be  made  in  addition  to  rival  the  planting  in- 
dustries of  Ceylon,  it  must  attain  a pre-emi- 
nence in  prosperity.  With  its  enormous  na- 
tural advantages  it  is  hard  to  see  how  its  pro- 
gress towards  tliis  pre-eminence  can  he  checked. 
Already  many  Ceylon  planters  have  become  the 
Sioneers.  of  tea  and  coffee  cultivation  both  in  tlie 
ritish  Provinces  and  in  the  Protected  States.  A 
wise  policy  has  for  years  been  )uirsued  towards 
the  latter,  and  their  Malayan  rulers  seem  to  have 
cordially  availed  themselves  of  it.  Among  these 
none  have  shown  themselves  more  cajiable  than 
our  past  frequent  visitor,  the  late  Sultan  of 
•Johore.  Should  his  siutcessor  continue  steadfast  to 
the  policy  of  progress  inaugurated  by  the  deceased 
Prince,  and  tliat])olicy  be  followed  by  other  natix  e 
rulers,  the  day  must  soon  come  when  the  Malayan 
Peninsula  will  be  one  of  the  most  progressive  and 
wealthiest  corners  of  the  globe. 
TEA  SHIPMENTS  PROxM  CULUMRO  TO 
THE  UNITED  KINGDOM. 
The  ligures,  month  by  month,  and  the  ollicial 
estimates,  are  respectively  as  follows 
Sh  ipme  Hts.  Estimate. 
181)1.  1895.  1895. 
January 
February 
March 
April 
May 
June 
C,‘25r,,140  8,-252,117  7,500,(X)0 
4,91‘2,(;02  5,903,189  8,.500,00t) 
7,208,470  8,752,570  7,250,000 
7,008,095  7,080,228  7,800,000 
8,104,.3.33  10,527,182  9,500,000 
9,225,7-10  8,255,000*  9,250,000 
Total  - 42,712,380  48,770,298  47,800,000 
* About. 
The  above  shews  that  the  estimates  have  generally 
been  liberal  and  yet  wonderfully  correct,  seeing  that 
for  the  six  mouths,  they  are  less  than  one  million  lb. 
excess. 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
(■Koi’S  JN  India. — Says  the  Pioneer  of  .lune  30  : — 
The  latest  season  report  shows  that  the  crops  in 
every  part  of  India  are  doing  well,  and  1895  may 
prove  a most  prosperous  year  for  the  cultivators. 
The  cattle  are  in  good  condition,  and  fodder  is  re- 
ported sufficient  from  every  province. 
Wantkl)  a Nkw  Oil. — As  regards  essential 
oils,  a letter  fro>n  Mr.  Geo.  Piesse,  of  the  jier- 
fumery  firm  of  Pies.se  and  Luliin,  says  “if  as  a 
result  of  distillation,  you  can  find  an  essential 
oil  wliich  is  .soluble  in  spirit  and  if  odourless, 
it  will  be  of  much  commercial  value,  as  such  an 
oil  would  be  used  for  the  reaction  of  strength 
of  ottos  without  destroying  their  bouquet.  The 
odour  of  some  woods,  ilowers,  plants  et(!. , is  so 
intense  and  so  small  in  hulk,  that  they  liave  to 
be  reduced  in  perfume  and  increased  in  bulk,  for 
ordinary  trade  and  manipulative  j)urj)oses.  This 
is  at  present  done  with  spirit  or  castor  oil,  both 
of  which  are  imperfect.” 
Thk  Impoktation  of  Baxana.s  in'ix)  America. 
— In  a recent  Consular  report  from  Baltimore, 
it  is  stated  that  of  all  the  tro))ical  fruit  now 
imported  into  the  Loiited  States,  the  Banana 
reaches  there  in  the  largest  quantities.  Its  cul- 
tivation for  the  foreign  market  in  Jamaica  only 
dates  back  about  twenty  years,  and  it  is  from 
that  colony  that  fully  eighty-five  jier  cent,  of 
those  consumed  iu  the  Atlantic  States  are  now 
derived.  There  are  at  present  four  steamships 
exclusively  employed  in  the  Banana  trade  with  the 
port  of  Baltimore,  and  which  can  land  their 
fruit  from  Port  Antonio  in  a little,  over  five 
days,  and  almost  as  fresh  and  green  as  when  cut. 
A iiroportion  of  each  cargo  is  disposed  of  in  the 
city  of  Baltimore,  but  the  largest  part  is  trans- 
ferred to  heated  or  refrigerated  cars  according 
to  season,  and  sentliy  rail  as  tar  west  as  Chicago. 
In  (mnnection  with  the  orange  culture  in  Florida, 
it  is  stated  that  the  crop  which  is  the  cfhief  .source 
of  sujiply  for  the  eastern  States  was  completely 
destroyeil  by  the  severe  weather,  and  that  the 
growers  are  actually  buying  oranges  in  California 
to  meet  their  engagements.— G-'niyAmow’  Chronicle. 
The  IxcREASEi)  Production  of  Te.\. At 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  Dooaivs  Pea  Comjiany 
the  Chairman  specially  referred  to  the  question 
of  the  enormous  increase  in  the  production  of 
tea  both  in  India  and  Ceylon,  and  said  this 
would  lie  one  of  the  dangers  they  would  have 
to  meet,  unless  they  could  open  up  new  markets 
abroad  : — 
He  feared  that  without  some  sueh  relief  it  would 
be  a case  of  “ the  survival  of  the  fittest,”  but  ho 
was  pleased  to  say  that  the  Dooars  Tea  Company 
were  strong  enough  to  stand  the  test  and  that  they 
would  be  found  among  the  fittest.  It  was  certainly 
a matter  of  congratulation  to  observe  how  by  degrees 
they  wore  olrtaining  new  markets.  Probably  there 
wns  nothing  that  required  the  attention  of  all  who 
took  a keen  interest  in  the  welfare  of  the  tea  indus- 
try more  than  this  question  of  new  markets.  Dur- 
rng  the  past  year  he  had  been  on  the  American  com- 
mittee which  was  endeavouring  to  push  the  con- 
sumption of  Indian  teas  there  and  ho  was  quite 
certain  that  Indran  tea  was  getting  better  known 
and  appreciated  in  America.  The  danger,  however 
in  this  country  in  their  having  a larger  supply  than 
they  could  get  rid  of  was  great,  and  to  show  them 
how  they  had  to  guard  against  tliis  he  would  point 
out  that  the  tea  crop  for  India  last  year  was 
I25.W0,()00  11).  of  tea,  and,  according  to  the  latest 
estimates,  this  year’s  crop  would  be  140,(XX),000  • while 
the  crop  for  Ceylon  last  year  was  84,000.000  lb  and 
this  year  it  was  estimated  to  be  91,000,000  lb.  show- 
ing altogether  an  increase  of  some  21,000,000  lb 
over  last  year.  In  this  country  the  normal  increase 
was  only  2,000,000  lb.  so  it  would  be  seen  that  it  was 
of  vital  importance  that  the  exports  to  other  couQ- 
tries  should  be  increased, 
