536 
tHB  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
fPEB.  t,  1896. 
taken  by  the  Commissariat  for  the  British  Army, 
and  at  least  an  equal  quantity  must  be  consumed 
by  the  European  civil  population.  However,  the 
consumption  is  increasing  among  the  population  of 
the  larger  towns,  especially  the  Mahomedans  ; there 
is  room  for  great  expansion  iu  this  direction. 
TRICES. 
The  prices  of  tea  in  Calcutta  have  fluctuated 
greatly  since  1873.  Taking  the  price  iu  March, 
1873,  to  be  represented  by  100,  it  appears  that 
rintil  1884  the  level  was  well  above  that 
point,  varying  from  110  to  148.  Coiuci- 
dently  with  the  great  fall  in  exchange  and 
in  general  prices  in  1885,  the  level  fell  to  90,  and 
though  in  1886  it  rose  to  96,  a low  level  was  main- 
tained iu  the  following  years  untill  1894.  In  1895 
the  level  rose  to  97.  These  figures  all  represent 
the  course  of  prices  of  Fine  Pekoe  in  January  of 
each  year  as  given  by  the  Bengal  Chamber  of  Com- 
merce. 
In  the  Statistical  Bureau  the  average  prices  of 
the  various  descriptions  of  tea  sold  at  the  public 
sales  held  in  Calcutta  during  the  tea  season  have 
been  computed  of  some  years  past,  and  the  results 
are  regularly  published  in  the  review  of  the  trade  of 
India.  From  these  returns  of  prices  the  figures 
below  are  taken,  being  the  prices  per  pound  of  the 
three  descriptions  which  form  the  largest  propor- 
tion of  the  tea  sold : — 
Pekoe. 
Season. 
Broken 
Pekoe. 
Pekoe 
Souchong. 
As. 
Pie. 
As. 
Pie. 
As. 
Pie. 
1889 
..  9 
9 
7 
5 
5 
7 
1890 
..  8 
lOi 
7 
2 
5 
8i 
1891 
..  8 
7 
04 
5 
3i 
1892 
..  11 
34 
8 
9 
6 
5i 
1893 
..  9 
2 4-5th  7 
25 
5 
4 4- 5th 
1894 
..  11 
8 
9 
4 4-5th  7 
2 5-7 th 
prospects  of  BRITISH  NORTH 
BORNEO. 
Mr.  R.  8-  Duff  Tytler  writes  : — “ I received 
the  enclosed,  which  may  interest  you  and  otliers 
seekint'  Might’  on  Borneo.”  The  enclosure  is 
the  following  letter  from  Mr.  Henry  Walker 
Dec.  19th. 
Mv  dear  Tytler,— I have  just  come  across  your 
note  introducing to  me,  and  it  just  occurs  to  me 
that  you  would  be  glad  to  hear  what  he  has  done. 
He  "^was  very  pleased  with  all  the  coffee  he  saw 
in  North  Borneo.  I happened  to  meet  him  at 
Labuan  where  I was  a bit  seedy  and  was  taking  a 
change  to  Sandakan  so  we  travelled  together.  I 
advised  him  to  go  straight  on  to  Sandakan  and 
see  the  Goverror  fimt  before  doing  anything.  At 
Sandakan  he  saw  Pryer’s  coffee  which  is  very  prm 
mising  and  beginning  to  crop  wMl-^planted  in  1892 
labout  180  acres).  That  induced  him  to  see  the  Go- 
vernor and  he  got  a free  grant  of  500  acres  subject 
to  its  being  planted  and  then  he  -went  back  in  the 
same  steamer  with  me  to  Kudat,  and  saw  my  plant- 
ings also  about  180  but  wo  only  opened  27  acres  early 
in  ’l892  and  gradually  opened  ; the  last  32  now  being 
^'^r  ^soil  is  better  than  the  East  Coast,  besides  we 
have  some  labour,  not  much  but  still  it  is  a help. 
stayed  at  Toritipan  our  place  and  the  adjoining  4 
tobacco  estates  and  ifinally  took  up  land  on  the  Bay 
fo  the  North  of  Toritipan,  about  2 hours  by  boat. 
T had  told  him  he  would  find  good  soil,  but  he  must 
rnnke  sure  of  the  water  and  he  says  he  has  both 
with  a bic  village  near.  I hear  he  has  felled  70  acres 
nartlv  for^  Liberian  coffee  and  partly  for  coconuts. 
^ T think  that  coffee  in  North  Borneo  is  the  coming 
K hilt  I should  like  to  see  Arabian  coffee  grown. 
Tt‘  crows  and  fruits  well  in  many  villages  on  the 
West  coast  and  no  leaf  disease,  but  vyc  shall  get  leaf 
(hsease  so  I do  not  lay  any  particular  stress  on 
that  My  belief  is  we  always  had  it  m Ceylon. 
Oiir  hills  begin  at  the  sea-side  and  continue  for 
180  miles  7,000,  8,000,  14,000  Icet  high  in  he 
interior,  behind  the  coast  range,  there  are  open  plains 
S a lovely  climate.  I asked  the  Government  in 
1892  to  make  a road  through  the  hills  and  pointed 
out  a gorge  which  I thought  would  do,  but  the 
“ powers”  were  against  it  and  when  it  was  said  my 
road  scheme  was  impossible  they  said  ‘ we  thought 
so.’  However  in  1894  a change  was  made  in  the  Direc- 
torate and  Roads  were  wanted.  My  letters  were 
found  and  I got  orders  to  make  the  Roads,  and  I 
have  done  20  miles  since  March  and  shall  finisd 
35  miles,  I hope,  in  the  12  months — Bridle  track. 
The  gorge  slips  in  between  hills  of  3,400  feet  up 
to  a plain  at  600  feet  which  rises  steadily  and  ex- 
tends North  and  South  for  20  and  15  miles.  Hills 
all  round — and  bad  soil.  The  rainfall  resembles 
Uva,  about  70  in.  well  divided,  and  since  March 
I have  seen  the  sun  every  day.  A fruit  country 
and  the  jungle  is  full  of  wonderful  blossoms,  each 
iu  its  season.  I believe,  it  is  a grand  coffee  country. 
This  is  the  centre  of  our  chief  population.  And  there 
is  any  amount  of  yams.  The  directors  now  propose 
to  run  a railway  up  the  gorge  and  if  they  do  it 
will  make  this  country  go-ahead. 
I was  in  Sandakan  two  months  and  then  returned 
here  so  that  I have  had  a lot  of  rough  work  this 
year,  and  I shall  be  glad  to  get  back  to  Sandakan. 
I hope  to  go  to  England  in  March  or  April  and 
I should  like  to  see  the  Ceylon  men  on  my  way. 
They  ought  to  come  here.  We  have  our  troubles 
but  they  can  be  overcome,  only  we  want  men  with 
money — it’s  no  use  coming  here  for  a job.  My  road 
will  be  a capital  means  of  prospecting  from  sea- 
level  gradually  up  through  hilly  land  and  valleys 
until  the  hills  are  3,400  feet  which  in  point  of  temp, 
means  1,000  feet  more  than  in  Ceylon.  — With 
kind  regards,  yours  sincerely, 
Henry  Walker. 
«i 
BORNEO  CHIT-CHAT.  , 
Jan.  Ifltli. 
Oil  Motor  Launctiks  for  passenger  .and  goods 
traffic  in  the  hays  and  rivers  of  Nortli  Borneo 
are  advocated  by  tlie  North  Borneo  Herald  of 
December.  The  amount  of  petroleum  required  is 
exceedingly  small,  a pint  keei»ing  the  engine  going 
for  a considerable  time. 
Good  Bilian  Timber  Land  has  been  found  on 
the  east  coast  in  a locality  hitherto  untouched. 
Coals  are  now  being  exported  from  liabuan  weekly 
to  the  value  of  $11,000. 
A New  Coffee  Company  (Sandakan  Coffee 
Estate  Company,  Limited)  has  been  registered 
and  incorporated  in  London,  £25,000. 
Tobacco. — North  Borneo  tobacco  has  been  .sold 
in  Holland  in  1894  value  $588,000,  average  price 
.S7A  Am.  cents  per  Am.  lb.  Sumatra  tob.acco  has 
been  sold  in  Holland  in  1894  value  $14,000,000, 
average  price  43^  Am.  cents  per  am.  lb. — Cor. 
TEA  LAND  IN  SOUTHERN  INDIA. 
We  learn  that  Mr.  W.  S.  Shaw,  senior  part- 
ner of  Messrs.  Parry  & Co.  of  Madras,  and 
President  of  the  Bo.ard  of  Directors  of  the  Bank 
of  Madras,  will  arrive  in  Colombo  jier  ss. 
“Goorklia”  on  the  23rd  inst.  Mr.  Shaw’s  linn 
are  at  present  offering  suitable  blocks  of  land 
in  the  Wynaad  for  tea  uirfe  (advertisement).  The 
demand  for  the  land,  we  hear,  is  very  keen,  and 
intending  purchasers  should  make  up  their  minds 
at  once. 
^ 
TEA  IN  AMERICA. 
New  York,  Dec.  18th. 
The  pressure  to  sell  Greens  has  stopped  and  the 
result  is  a steady  market  for  Piugsueys.  High  grade 
Formosas  are  in  light  supply  and  firm,  with  low 
grades  steady  and  buyers  holding  off,  believing  they 
must  go  lower.  Japans  uhuhanged.  The  general 
market  is  quiet  and  dull ; the  only  activity  is  on  the 
