Sept.  2.  1895. | TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
163 
that  I am  the  sole  Agent  in  Russia  for  the  Ceylon 
Planters'  Association,  and  would  thank  yon  to  send  me 
a certificate  to  to  this  effect,  legalized  by  the  Russian 
Consul  in  Colombo. — I am,  etc. 
(Signed)  M.  Rotiivi:i:. 
PLANTERS’  DIFFICULTIES  IN  THE 
STRAITS,  SELANCOR. 
So  much  has  been  written  in  the  local  press  and 
elsewhere,  on  the  alleged  difficulties  and  restrictions 
connected  with  European  planting  enterprise  in  Se- 
langor, that  it  would  not  be  fair  to  the  State  to 
leave  the  subject  entirely  unnoticed  in  this  Report, 
although  I do  not  propose  to  deal  with  it  in  detail. 
I am  not  prepared  to  assert  that  difficulties  and  res- 
trictions do  not  exist,  although  their  extent  has 
been  somewhat  exaggerated,  but  such  of  them  as  are 
not  necessarily  incidental  to  the  conditions  of  the 
State  (c.;/.,  the  keen  competition  for  labour  between 
contractors,  miners  and  planters,  and  the  occasional 
clashing  of  planting  and  mining  interests  in  the  in- 
land district)  will,  I hope,  gradually  be  removed,  and 
planters  may  rest  assured  that  Government  is  as 
anxious  as  they  are  themselves  that  their  enter- 
prise should  be  rewarded  with  every  success.  Experi- 
ence, however,  has  shown  that  granting  concessions  of 
large  areas  of  land  for  planting  purposes,  without 
any  provision  for  actu  il  cultivation,  conduces  rather 
to  the  promotion  of  companies  than  the  encourage- 
ment of  agriculture,  and  I am  glad  to  be  able  to 
state,  from  personal  observation,  that  hona  /iile  plan- 
ters do  not  object  to  a fair  cultivation  clause,  and 
also  to  call  attention  to  the  fact  that  everj'  coffee 
estate  in  Selangor  is  now  being  cultivated  with 
success.  The  formation  of  a Planters’  Association, 
of  which  Mr.  E.  'V'.  Carey  is  the  energetic  Chairman, 
is  a matter  for  general  congratulation,  as  European 
planters  can  now  express  their  views  on  anj'  subject  with 
the  weight  attaching  to  conclusions  arrived  at  by  a 
representative  body,  and  the  Government  can  deal 
with  them  collectively,  instead  of  individually.  I 
hope  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when  a re- 
presentative of  the  planting  interest  will  be  invited 
to  become  a Member  of  the  State  Council.—./.  P. 
Itodijer,  Aclinf/  lifUish  Resident. 
PLANTING  IN  SELANGOR  (STRAITS)  1894. 
The  development  of  planting,  mainly  in  connec- 
tion with  the  cultivation  of  Liberian  coffee,  both  by 
Europeans  and  natives,  has  made  very  rapid  strides 
during  the  last  few  years,  and  is  one  of  the  most 
reassuring  features  connected  with  the  progressive 
development  of  the  State.  There  is  still,  of  course, 
a large  area  of  metalliferous  land,  unworked  or  only 
partially  worked,  for  mining  purposes,  hut  sooner  or 
later,  the  deposits  of  alluvial  tin  (and  no  true  lodes 
have  yet  been  discovered)  will  be  worked  out,  and  the 
continued  prosperity  of  the  State  will  then  depend 
upon  whether  or  not  tin  mining  has  been  replaced  by 
some  more  permanent  industry.  Fortunately,  the 
planting  of  Liberian  coffee  in  Selangor  has  now  pas- 
sed beyond  the  experimental  stage,  and  may  fairly 
be  considered  an  assured  success,  not  mei-ely  at 
Klang,  although  planters  have  recently  shown  a special 
predilection  for  that  district,  but  in  every  district  of 
the  State.  It  may  now  also  be  asserted,  without 
much  fear  of  contradiction,  that  contrary  to  the 
opinion  formerly  prevailing,  Ijiberian  coffee  grows  as 
well  as,  or  even  better,  in  rich,  low-lying  ground 
t i in  on  the  hills.  As  far  as  Sidangor  is  concerned, 
this  has  been  conclusively  proved  by  the  present 
condition  of  the  coffee  estate  planted  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Klang,  some  ten  years  ago,  by  the  Datoh 
Dagang,  as  the  coffee  on  this  estate,  notwithstanding 
the  somewhat  neglected  cultivation  of  native  land- 
holders, compares  favourably  with  the  most 
high-cultivated  hill-grown  coffee  in  any  part 
of  the  State.  The  importance  of  his  dis- 
covery can  scarcely  be  over-estimated,  »s  it  renders 
jBUuedifttely  Rvailable  for  profitable  cultivation  vast 
tracts  of  land  in  the  coast  districts,  where  metalli- 
ferous deposits  are  practically  unknown,  whilst  it 
leaves  the  inland  districts  fully  available  for  pur- 
poses of  mining.  Again,  although  the  high  price  of 
coffee  has  recently  attracted  the  special  attention  of 
planters  to  this  prrticular  form  of  cultivation,  the 
soil  and  climate  of  Selangor  are  well  adapted  for 
other  tropica.1  products — such,  for  example,  as  pepper, 
gambler,  indigo  and  sugar : possibly  also  cacoa  and 
tobacco  and  the  ffuctuation  of  prices  may  at  any 
time  cause  a rapid  change  in  the  relative  areas  of  land 
under  cultivation  for  one  product  rather  than  for 
another.  -J . V.  Rodtfci\  Acltiuj  Urilislt  Resident. 
THE  FLORA  OF  MOUNT  KINABALU. 
In  tlie  Tiniisnctions  of  tlie  Linnean  .Society, 
Ur.  Stapf  tie.ats  of  tlie  Mora  of  Mount  Kina- 
lialii,  drawing  his  conclusions  from  tlie  collec- 
tions of  Dr.  G.  D.  Haviland  in  1892,  and  also 
using  the  material  olitaineil  liy  Sir  Hugh  Low 
more  than  fortj’  years  .ago,  and  the  more 
recent  investigations  of  Mr.  F'.  W.  Burhidge. 
Dr.  Stajtf  distingui.shes  four  zones.  The  first, 
the  Hill  Zone,  extending  from  the  foot  of  the 
mountains  up  to  3,000  feet,  is  almost  entirely 
occupied  by  cultivated  land  and  young  jungle, 
in  xvliich  are  found  palms  of  the  genera  Areca, 
Rinanfin,  and  Ccdainus,  and  numerous  bamboos. 
In  the  cultivated  fields  grow  Cnladitun  eseu- 
lentcuni,  rice,  bananas,  tobabco,  and  vegetables. 
Next  comes  the  Lower  Mountain  Zone,  extend- 
ing up  to  0,000  feet,  occupied  for  the  most 
part  by  old  jungle  or  primeval  evergreen  forest, 
abounding  in  creepers,  epiphytes,  ami  shrubs. 
The  ground  is  covered  with  ferns  and  mos.ses, 
ami  bamboos  grow  in  thick  clumps.  In  the  Up- 
])er  Mountain  Zone  (6,000  to  10,000  feet)  two 
formations  occur,  namely,  evergeen  dwarf  forest 
and  bogs.  The  forest  consist  of  stunted,  tsvised, 
and  weather-beaten  trunks  thickly  droped 
with  dripping  moss  and  festoons  of  lichens. 
Only  conifers  grow’  into  line  trees  in  sheltered 
spots.  The  shrubs  blos.som  all  the  year  round. 
Nine  k'inds  of  rhododendrons  adorn  the  ridge, 
and  at  least  live  species  of  pitcher  jilants  are 
seen  climbing  the  trees  or  straggling  along  the 
ground.  Ferns  attain  their  most  luxuriant 
development  iu  this  zone.  The  bogs  are  con- 
lined  to  a few’  spots,  and  produce  a Dro-sem,  a 
U trie  id  aria,  and  some  interesting  1‘lants  of 
Australian  aHiiiity.  From  10,b00  feet  to  the 
summit  at  12,698  feet  most  of  the  ground  is 
bare  rock.  Shrubs  extend  to  12,0UU  feet,  and 
buttercups,  potentillas,  and  gentians  grow  in 
certain  boggy  spots. — Natural  Science. 
INDI.VN  TEA  FOR  TIBET. 
With  reference  to  the  necessity  of  extending  the 
markets  for  Indian  tea  our  correspondent  with 
the  Sikkim-Tibet  Boundary  Commission  makes  a 
suggestion  which  ought  to  commend  itself  to  the 
Tea  Association.  The  Tibetans,  he  says,  only  re- 
quire their  tea  to  possess  three  qualities— it  must  be 
Chinese,  it  must  be  coarse  and  strong,  and  it  must 
cost  from  R2  to  R2'8  per  seer.  They  are  also 
partial  to  receiving  it  in  the  form  of  bricks.  If 
supplied  in  the  ordinary  way  it  would  only  confuse 
them.  Our  correspondent  thinks  that,  bearing  these 
pre  lilections  in  minds,  Indian  tea  planters  might 
eisilv  produce  a tea  which  would  just  suit  the  palates 
of  our  Tibetan  neighbours.  But  it  must  he  (.'hinese, 
hints  some  objector.  Why  not '/  Ijet  it  be  made 
up  into  bi'icks  and  smuggled  .icross  the  frontier,  the 
merchants  taking  care  to  sell  it  at  fancy  prices  and 
calling  it  by  some  high-sounding  Chinese  name.  But 
would  that  not  be  cheating?  Well,  if  it  comes  to 
that,  'we  should  simply  be  deceiving  the  Tibetans  for 
