THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec.  2,  1895. 
coimti-y  is  the  pure  Souchong— Sir  Andrew  Clark’s 
favourite.* 
It  is  a “ tradition”  that  it  was  this  old  historic 
house  which  exported  to  America  those  celebra- 
ted chests  of  tea,  which,  being  sunk  in  Boston 
Harbour,  gave  rise  to  the  war  of  American  Inde- 
pendence— hence  our  previously  unexplained  heading. 
THE  DAUJEELINCJ-HIMALAVAN  AND 
OTHEl;  MOUNTAIN  HAILWAYS. 
llie  He])ort  of  the  Directors  of  the  Darjeeling 
Kailway  for  the  half-year  ending  30th  June  189o 
.show.s  that  the  revenue  of  tlie  line  continue.s  to 
increase,  .and  witli  the  expansion  of  the  tea  in- 
dustry the  receipts  must  go  on  iin]>roving,  says 
the  Pioneer,  which  takes  a ratlier  difi'erent  view 
of  the  situation  irom  Mr.  AVaring.  For  one  thing, 
the  Government  gets  the  half  of  any  i)rolits  above 
5 per  cent.  Our  contemporary  continues  : — 
As  mountain  lines  to  bimla  and  Mussoorie  h.ave 
already  been  projected,  and  others  are  in  con- 
templation, it  may  be  well  to  consider  the  causes 
to  which  tlie  success  of  the  Darjeeling  Kailw.ay 
is  attributable,  as  the  experience  gained  in  that 
concern  should  be  a valuable  guide  in  forming  a 
judgment  as  to  the  fe.asibility  of  other  schemes 
of  a similar  nature.  The  total  length  of  the 
D.arjeeling  Hallway  from  Siliguri  to  D.arjeeling  is 
51  miles,  of  wliicli  7 miles  in  the  Terai  .are  practi- 
cally level,  .ami  tlie  remainder  comprkses  the 
mountain  section.  The  gr.adients  of  this  latter 
vary  considerably  from  1 in  23,  which  is  the 
steepest,  to  1 in  3U,  or  more  ; and  the  sharpest 
curve  is  about  (10  feet  radius.  The  total  rise  from 
Siliguri  to  Ghoom  station  (3;^  miles  from  D.arjeeling) 
is  some  7,00(1  feet,  and  tlie  actual  lengtl’i  of  the 
ascent  from  the  foot  of  the  hills  is  40  miles. 
From  Ghoom  there  is  a fall  of  some  200  feet 
into  Darjeeling.  'I'he  cart-road,  which  is  utilised 
as  far  as  possible,  is  a good  metal  road  2.7  feet 
wide,  and  h.ad  the  lower  section  of  it  b<>en  as  well 
laid  out  as  the  upper,  there  would  have  been  con- 
siderable saving  in  the  cost  of  the  construction  of  the 
Kailw.ay.  * * * It  may  be  as  well  to  consiiler 
here  if  any  direct  advant.ages  accrue  to  Govern- 
ment from  conceding  the  use  of  an  important 
mountain  ro.ad  for  the  purjioses  of  a railway.  In 
the  case  of  the  Darjeeling  line  the  ag''eement 
between  Government  and  the  Company  is,  we 
understand,  as  follows : — The  upkeep  of  the 
ro.ad  is  to  be  paid  for  bj'  Government  and  the 
surplus  earnings  of  the  Hailway  over  5 per  cent 
are  to  be  divided  equally  between  the  two  jiariies. 
Hence  we  find  in  the  accounts  under  notice  a 
sum  of  1130,365  entered  .as  the  Government 
share  of  the  excess  profits.  This  may  be  reck- 
oned as  a pure  gain  to  the  .State.  Instead, 
therefore,  of  discour.aging  the  construction  of 
railways  on  mountain  roads,  it  would  appear  the 
Government  policy  sluuld  be  to  make  it  a con- 
dition th.at  such  roads  should  be  utilised  where 
possible.  Whether  a railw.ay  is  made  .alone'  them 
or  not,  such  ro.ads  must  be  kept  up  at  the  public 
expense,  but  if  it  becomes  profitable  to  utilise 
them  for  a line  of  railway,  the  .State  is  both  a 
direct  and  indirect  gainer.  It  is  argued  that  a 
good  road  may  thus  be  converted  into  a bail 
lailway,  but  such  is  not  the  experience  of  the 
Darjeeling  route.  It  is  true  the  ro.ad  is  hampered  to 
a certain  extent  by  the  existence  of  the  H.ailw.ay, 
but  as  the  rates  of  carri.age  on  the  latter  are  less 
than  h.alf  of  that  by  bullock-cart,  while  the 
speed  is  five  or  six  times  gre.ater,  it  follows  .as 
* The  utter  ignorance  shown  iii  speaking  of  pure 
“Souchongs” — a common  China  tea  brand — as  the 
" finest,”  can  only  make  real  authorities  on  tea 
smile. — En.  T.A. 
an.atural  consequence  that  the  ro.ad  tr.aftic  becomes 
insignificant  and  the  necessity  for  a first- class 
ro.ad  thus  disaiijiear.s. 
The  success  of  the  Darjeeling  line,  both  on 
account  of  its  public  utility  and  the  profitable 
returns  it  gives  to  the  shareholders  (and  it  m.ay 
be  sahl  to  Government),  should  result  in  more 
attention  being  directed  to  the  fc.asibilily  of 
other  schemes  of  a simibar  mature.  In  the  Doo.ars, 
where  the  tea  industry  is  exjianding  so  niar- 
vellously,  there  is  a great  opening  for  light 
railways : and  the  Bengal-Dooars  line,  which 
has  so  recently  been  ojiened,  is  already  showing 
signs  of  becoming  a highly  remunerative  enter- 
prise. A mountain  line  up  the  Teesta  Valley 
IS  discussed  as  a po.ssible  scheme  of  the  immediate 
future,  and  as  a good  metalled  road  exists  we 
believe  to  Kaiimpong  in  .Sikkim  there  should  be 
little  difficulty  in  promoting  a scheme  of  this 
kind.  There  is  a large  tea  area  to  be  served  ; 
besides  which  the  Tibetan  trade  follows  this 
route.  In  other  directions  there  are  jiromising 
schemes  to  which  promoters  of  light  railways 
might  well  direct  their  attention.  In  the  vici- 
nity of  Murree  there  are  12  or  13  depots  in 
which  British  troops  .are  located  for  8 months 
in  the  year,  and  the  cost  of  carriage  for  provi- 
sioning them  alone  must  be  a considerable  item. 
A light  railway  from  Hawalpindito  Murree  would 
serve  these  (leqiAts,  and  would  afford  Govern- 
ment the  mc.ans  of  transporting  troops  rapidly 
to  the  jilains  in  .an  emergency.  Simla  and  Mus- 
soorie must  also  sooner  or  later  be  pro\  ideil  with 
railway  facilities.  If  (he  same  concessions  were 
given  as  in  the  case  of  the  Darjeeling  line,  doubt- 
less conqianies  could  easily  be  formed  to  c.arry 
out  the  schemes.  It  is  inqierative  that  the  luiblic 
roads  should  be  utilised  for  all  these  mount.ain 
lines,  as  in  no  case  will  it  probably  be  found 
jiossible  to  build  a nailway  on  .a  separate  .align- 
ment exi-c])!  at  .a  prohibitive  outlay. 
THEE-FLANTING  I.\  SOUTH  AFHICA. 
The  regulations  for  a tree-planting  prize  cempeti- 
tion  are  as  under  : — Three  prizes  of  amounts  not 
exceeding  £500,  £300,  and  £200,  for  first,  second,  and 
third  prizes  respectively,  are  offered  by  the  Govern- 
meut  lor  the  best  plantation  of  forest  trees.  The 
award  will  be  made  in  May,  1901.  Persons  intend- 
ing to  compete  should  give  notice  in  writing  of  their 
iirtention  to  the  Secretary  for  Agriculture  not  later 
than  May  1st,  189(1.  The  plantation,  excluding  roads, 
lire-paihs  water-courses,  rocks,  and  other  ground  uu- 
smtable  for  planting,  shall  contain  not  less  than  100,000 
forest  timber  trees  planted  or  sown  in  one  block, 
which,  however,  must  be  subdivided  into  compartments 
by  fire-belts ; if  the  block  be  shaped  as  a band  or 
shelter  belt,  its  narrowest  part  shall  bo  not  less  than 
100  3airds.  The  trees  shall  be  spaced  at  an  average 
distance  of  not  less  than  3 ft.  by  3 ft.  (equal  4,810 
per  acre),  not  more  than  (1  ft.  by  7 ft.  (equal  1,037 
per  acre).  Trees  planted  sparser  than  1,000  per  acre, 
when  inspected  by  the  judge,  will  be  excluded  from 
the  competition.  The  plantation  must  be  clean  and  re- 
gular, the  trees  evenly  distributed,  and  efficiently  pro- 
tected against  danger  by  lire  or  grazing. — Home  paper. 
British  Centi’.al  Africa.— The  Gazette  of 
.Sept.  1st  is  to  liiind  by  the  French  mail,  but 
there  is  not  much  in  it  of  outside  interest,  .save 
that  lions  are  prowding  close  to  the  capital, 
Blantyre,  and  alarming  the  residents  with  their 
nightly  howling.  Here  is  a paragraph  referring 
to  <a  proposed  railway  : — 
Mr.  Grieve  Macronc  reports  very  satisfactorily  on 
the  progress  ho  is  making  with  his  railway  survey. 
He  hopes  to  have  his  work  completed  before  the  rains 
set  in,  and  we  shall  then  for  the  first  time  bo  able  to 
judge  of  the  feasibility  of  a line  to  be  brought  up 
from  Chiromo  to  Blantyre  along  the  Gholo  plateau. 
