492 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
[Jan,  I,  1896 
NORTH  BORNEO  NEWS  OF  1ST  OEC. 
Mr.  E.  Walker,  who  lately  wont  to  prosjjcct  the 
land  in  North  Borneo,  has  taken  up  laud  in  IMaj  uda 
Bay  and  has  been  engaged  to  trace  the  road  from 
Little  Brighton  towards  the  tobacco  estates. 
Progress  is  being  nnide  by  our  old  Ceylon  friend,  Mr. 
H.  Walker,  Commissioner  of  Land,  with  a new  road 
he  is  making  in  Province  Dent.  It  is  now  rideablo 
for  18  miles.  British  North  Borneo  is  prepared  to  give 
the  grants  of  lauds  for  tapioca  np  to  500  acres. 
UVA:  PLANTING  NOTES  BY 
AN  ‘M)LD  HAND.” 
The  I’.W.L).  seems  to  ha\ e abamloned  llie  cart 
road  bet w'een  the  GinigatnaGap  and  Kitulgalhina 
Restlion.se.  If  some  of  the  money  likely  to  be 
wasted  on  costly  impi'o\  ement.s  to  tliis  resthon.se 
was  spent  on  the  npkee|)  of  the  road,  po.sse.s.sors 
of  valnable  liorses  would  feel  in  better  temper 
with  this  dci)artnient.  How  innch  (le])ends  on 
the  Provincial  head  of  a department  ! Tlie  roads 
in  the  Central  Province  are  so  innch  better  looked 
after  than  those  in  the  North-We.stern. 
Tma. — The  minds  of  the  Editors  of  the 
and  “Times”  seem  now’  to  be  e.xercised  at  the 
prospects  of  increasing  exjiorts,  now  that  the 
1 00, 000, 000  lb.  of  tea  are  likely  to  be  reached. 
Some  of  ns  remember  the  fuss  that  was  made 
aliont  the  1,000, oiio  ewt.  of  collee.  Cnrionsly 
enough  after  tluit  llgnre  was  remdied  tin'  annual 
exports  began  to  Inmliie  down,  .\hsif  oiiirv. 
If  manuring  tea  was  carried  out  extensividy,  1 
believe  in  3 years  onr  exports  would  run  to  JO 
per  cent  more  than  at  present. 
There  can  be  no  gainsaying  tlie  fact  that  IS'J't 
has  been  an  exceedingly  gooil  year  for  the  Ceylon 
tea  farmer.  His  Indian  brother  has  not  been  so 
fortunate. 
Vai.uino  E.statks. — S years’  imrchase  seems 
now  to  be  the  ruling  lignre  for  good  lowconnlry, 
.and  10  years  for  good  npconntry,  estates.  Does 
it  ever  strike  the  buyer  at  these  lignres  whether 
the  estate  he  pni chases  will  be  worth  the  same 
amount  of  money  at  the  end  of  that  perioib' 
L.MtoUR. — It  seems  to  be  taken  for  granted 
t,hat  the  Tamil  labourer  of  today  is  not  the 
man,  woman,  or  child  he  or  she  was  some  b") 
years  .ago— and  the  writm-  of  the  “ Paptw  on 
the  Labour  (,>nestion”  ’ ])iinted  at  the  Ohsernr 
Ollice,  has,  in  some  arguments  he  advances,  like 
“ Ilomocea”  tomdied  the  ^pots. 
LAitci't  Coast  Aii\'AN(i:s. — l\’ithh(dding  of 
monthly  payments,  no  doubt  at  the  instigation 
of  intere.steii  k.anganies,  and  the  h.abit  onr  assist- 
ants ha\e  got  into  of  jmtting  their  labourers  A 
(lay  inste.ad  of  remaining  in  the  Hold  and  m.aking 
the  labourers  do  their  work — this  last  iierni- 
cions  habit  reduces  the  balance  due  to  coolies 
on  pay-day,  and,  as  the  wiiter  of  the  iiamphlet 
.say.s,  “the'  coolies  have  become  regardless  in  res- 
jie’ct  to  their  balance  wages.” 
THE  COFFEE  TRADE. 
I’hc  coffee  market  has  developed  several 
features  of  interest  during  this  month.  The  Brazi- 
lians, who  for  months— I might  say  years— have 
shown  unflinching  firmness,  have  at  last  changed 
this  attitude,  and  have  accepted  reductions  in  the 
cost  and  freight  price  of  good  average  Santos, 
amounting  to  5s.  per  cw't.  Operators  in  the  “Term” 
markets,  who  for  months  have  been  content  to  look 
on,  are  beginning  to  move  by  cautiously  putting 
out  a few  “bears.”  The  weather  for  the  next  crop  has 
been  all  that  could  be  desired,  and  the  combined 
receipts  at  Rio  and  Santos  from  the  present  crop 
during  the  first  three  weeks  of  the  month  have 
come  fully  up  to  those  for  the  same  time  last 
year. 
I now  propose  to  examine  briefly  the  position  of 
coffee  in  Brazil,  in  Euro])C,  and  in  the  United  States. 
In  Brazil  the  great  feature  is  the  immense  crop  to 
be  expected  next  season.  The  trees  are  loaded  as 
they  never  have  been  loaded  before,  but  I think  it  is 
utterly  impossible  to  find  labour  sufficient  to  cure  and 
prepare  this  abimdance  for  market.  This  applies 
specially  to  the  province  of  Rio  de  Janeiro.  In  Sao 
Paulo,  however,  I believe  that  planters  may  be  abb; 
to  handle  and  deal  with  5 million  bags.  The  districts 
tributary  to  Victoria  and  Bahia  likewise  promise  an 
exceptionally  laige  crop.  That  a good  deal  of  coffee 
will  from  various  cau.scs  be  wasted  is  unavoidable  ; 
but  this,  or  even  a short  spell  of  unfavourable  weather 
cannot  now'  ]>revent  Brazil  from  producing  next 
season  far  away  the  hugest  crop  she  ever  has 
raised.  There  can  now  be  no  question  of  disappoint- 
ments, such  as  we  have  seen  before.  The  favour- 
able weather  which  has  continued  throughout  Novem- 
ber is  a guarantee  against  that. 
This  splendid  crop  outlook  is  the  cause  of  the 
changed  attitude  of  the  Brazilians.  It  has  induced 
them  to  make  concessions,  and  the  extremely  low- 
rate  of  exchange  (1)  .5-lGJ  per  milreis)  has  given  them 
some  compensation  in  the  currency  price  they  ha\e 
received  for  their  c flee.  That  they  will  have  to 
make  further  concessions  in  cost  and  freight  prices 
seems  unavoidable,  if  they  do  not  want  tosc  estock.s 
acc.mnulate,  and  such  will  no  doubt  be  made.  But 
I do  not  believe  that  they  will  stop  there.  T'he 
Brazilians  are  .a  shrewd  people,  and  I shall  not  be 
surprised  if  we  shoi  tly  hear  of  them  as  large  sellers 
of  “Futures”  in  ti  e “Term”  markets,  principally  in 
New  Y^ork  and  in  Havic,  for  the  pinpose  of  pre- 
tecting  coffee  fhey  hold,  and  what  they  expect  to 
raise. 
In  Eurc)'c  the  pcsilion  of  coffee  is  an  easy  one. 
The  stocks  at  the  hading  ports  make  a respectable 
total,  and  when  the  heavy  shipments  on  the  way 
(brought  about  by  the  concessions)  niri\e,  it  will  be- 
come still  easier,  lea\ing  large  stocks  not  only  at 
the  poits,  but  also  with  dealers  in  the  interior.  In 
fact,  quite  a ies-pect;ible  invisible  supply  is  being 
gradually  created,  which  will  leave  distributors  in 
the  interior  in  quite  an  independerrt  position,  and 
enable  them  to  watch  the  progiess  of  eveirts.  IMany 
operators  who  for  nmiiths  have  practically  abstained 
from  business  in  the  “ I'erm”  markets  will  now  re- 
sume busincs.s,  and  some  rrray  seriously  consider 
whether  it  might  not  be  policy  to  anticipate  the 
action  likely  to  bo  adopted  by  the  Brazilians. 
In  the  Ilnitcd  States,  the  war  of  rates  which  has 
been  going  on  between  the  leading  roa.sters  of  New 
York  and  Chicago  has  had  the  effect  of  stocking  up 
the  retail  dealers  in  most  of  the  Wester n Slates.  It 
has  occurred  to  lire  that  the  large  Now  Yoikroaster. 
by  initiating  this  carnpaigrr,  has  seen  his  way  to  ac- 
cornplich  two  ends — one  to  danrage  his  o})poncnts, 
the  other  to  force  off  large  stocks  of  roasted  cc  ffee 
before  the  irrqortaut  declirre  takes  phice  which  he 
scarcely  could  help  anticipating.  The  visible  supply 
of  coffee  for  Anrerica  is  large,  the  stocks  whr.ir 
fornr  part  of  it  beirrg  about  100,000  bags  larger  than 
last  year.  Altogether,  the  positiorr  of  ceffee  itr  the 
United  States  is  also  air  easy  oire  Local  operators 
have  up  to  irow  showir  little  disposition  to  take  sides, 
but  I think  that  we  rirust  be  prepared  to  see  a change 
in  this  respect  ere  long. 
The  prospects  of  the  market  are  distinctly  in  favour 
of  a decline  irr  the  value  of  coffee.  Whether  this 
will  take  place  slowly,  or  proceed  at  a rapid  pa<  e, 
the  future  will  show. 
A price  will,  after  a time,  be  reached  when  rrrer- 
chants  will  stock  uj).  What  that  price  may  be  wi  1 
be  the  subject  of  great  difference  of  opinion.  Fur 
my  part,  I believe  that  we  must  lirst  see  a re- 
ductioir  of  cents  per  pound  from  the  picscnt  price  of 
Rio  coffee  No.  7.  Anton  MvisTKxnAiu.. 
— Nov.  80. 
