THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIS'l . 
[March  2,  1896. 
6.U 
tiun  of  the  seiitum  (liviJiiijr  tho  two  seeds.  The 
seeds  are  darlc  hrowii  ia  eolouv  and  |da\io-convcx 
like  tlic  ordinary  eolleo  hearns  hut  liave  no  cleft 
on  tlic  Hat  side. — C -I. 
^ 
IT-ARTRCi  IN  FttUrilLTlN  INDIA. 
London  Leh.  Id. 
AUliou^i;li  the  iong'Ui  of  the  following  letter 
will  make  a heavy  demand  upon  y<mr  sjiace,  it 
seems  desirable  tliat  it  .should  liiid  place  here  in 
further  elnei  lation  of  a subject  which  lias  received 
discussion,  in  previous  letters  of  t'ds  series.  Its 
write!',  Mr.  i'aiiest  d'ye,  is  ;i  gentleman  \>'ell- 
known  to  all  tlmse  in  any  way  connected  with 
the  lea-growing  interests  in  India  and  Ceylon. 
What  he  writes  we  arc  all  sure  will  embody  the 
results  to  well-weighed  exfieriences;  and  from  his 
■position  as  Secretary  to  tlie  India  Tea  Associa- 
tion Mr.  d'ye  must  l>e  cxceptiimaliy  well  (lualified 
to  a|)preciate  tho  obstacles  ag.dnst  which  the 
Indiiii  tea  planters  have  to  contend.  What  he 
has  iio'.v  and  so  ably  written  may  be  well  taken 
into  consiileration  by  those  of  your  own  idant- 
i ig  community  who  contemplated  acijuiring  in- 
terests in  their  pursuit  in  the  South  liidiaa  dis- 
trict.s. 
TO  THE  EMTOK  01'  THE  “ TIMES.” 
Sir, — Your  article  of  yesterday  ou  tho  i bjCct  of 
the  planters  of  Southern  ludia  sets  belurc  tlic  pub- 
lic with  ubsolnto  cleiiniess  the  ditliculties  of  planters, 
irot  merely  in  the  south,  but  in  all  parts  ot  India. 
The  association  which  I have  the  liononr  to  re- 
present cannot  but  feel  thankful  to  you  for  the 
effective  w'ay  in  which  you  have,  in  your  columns 
for  sonic  months  past,  set  before  the  public  one  of 
the  ino,t  iniiiortaut  questi  ms  aJIocting  the  iudu.-ilrial 
development  of  13rili.sh  India.  1 refer  to  tho  per- 
sistent  divci'sion  of  provincial  funds  to  meet  the 
demands  of  tho  supreme  Government.  As  long  as 
the  supreme  Government  of  India  is  not  allowed  to 
raise  sufficient  revenue  to  meet  its  obligations  pro- 
vincial Governments  will  be  fleeced  again  and  again 
to  supply  its  I'lccessities,  and  will  be  I'eipiired  to  starve 
roads,  and  other  public  works. 
In  its  chaiv.ctcr  as  rcpre.senting  the  whole  of  tlio 
])lauters  of  India  my  association  is  liiglily  gratilicJ 
.to  ousel  VO  th.it  tho  Vici  loy  expressed  a willingness  to 
o.iisider  the  expedicary  of  issuing  a coimmssion  of 
inquiry  into  tho  giievancesof  the  planters  of  Southern 
iiutia,  but  possibly  tlio_  scope  of  inquiry  of  such 
commission  might  bo  extended  to  other  provinces  of 
liidi.i.  besides  Madras.  Good  I'oads,  good  means  ot 
communication,  improved  steamboat  and  luilway 
services  arc  in  crying  request  all  through  the  plant- 
ing districts. 
As  you  have  p inted  out,  the  condition  of  Assam 
has  greatly  improved  in  this  .md  similar  i expects, 
since 'by  its  convcr.-iion  into  a scpoiato  provincial 
Government  it  has  mot  '.vith  the  more  direct  atten- 
tion of  able  administrators,  but  even  in  Assam  there 
is  much  room  for  advance.  Without  the  hearty  co- 
pperation  of  Government  it  imist  bo  impossible  to 
make  those  improvements  in  obtaining  and  transjiovt- 
iin'  coolie  laljourcrs,  wliicli  arc  urgently  demaiulod, 
so"as  to  rcduc.o  Ih.e  enormous  expense.i  of  recruiting, 
and  promote  tiio  heal  111,  eoinfoi  L,  and  wellbeing  of 
llu!  hil.'Oiuers.  , r , , 
Other  planting  districts  Inavo  not  the  safeguards  of 
Assam.  It  was  only  as  late  as  December  last  your 
telegram  from  India  called  attention  to  the  neglect  of 
the  roads  in  the  Donars,  onepf  the  most  important 
tci  districts  ia  India.  The  qiaiticular  road  referred 
to  is  one  which  has  occupied  the  serious  attention 
of  tlio  Indian  Tea  Association  both  here  and  iii 
Calcutta.  It  is  clear  to  my  association  that  if  this 
road  is  allowed  to  decay  it  will  hs  hardly  possible  to 
obtain  any  help  for  less  urgent  claims  in  other  dis- 
tricts. Tlic  local  dDtrict  lioanl  lias  not  tho  nuans 
at  its  diiqu-'i-al,  and  the  pmviti''i.i.l  fund:;  have  been 
(lepb'.ted  ill  I be.  iireint  need  e.r  (be  Kiipieiiie.  ( .,iv- 
crnmeiil  for  |)i’cuniai  v assistiiiice  ; and  ihc  resii  t is 
that  tho  road,  which  has  hecu  a public  road  for  many 
years  and  on  which  depends  the  transport  of  million 
oi  pounds  of  tea  to  Calcutt:i.,  is,  it  is  rumoured,  to 
be  practically  nhaiidoncd.  The  vital  importance  of 
this  road  to  a small  but  increasing  community,  by 
whoso  exertions  wastes  have  been  converted  into 
gardens,  is  fairly  set  forth  in  the  following  resolu- 
tion passed  at  a mcciing  of  planters  held  on  the 
7tli  ult.  : — 
‘‘ That  the  Nagiak-rta  l oid  is  one  of  the  most  im- 
jiortaiit  ill  the  Dooars.  It  is  the  only  means  of  com- 
nuinication  with  tlie  railway  station  and  the  outside 
world  for  II  gnrJens,  witii  10,800  acres  under  tea, 
producing  over  70,000  maunds,  or  5A  million  pounds, 
of  tea  annually,  and  giving  employment  to  20,000 
coolies  living  on  the  estates  ; tho  road  lead.s  also  to 
a Goveniniciit  bazaar,  police-station,  and  several 
other  bazaars,  and  there  is  a lirge  community  of 
rosideut  native  cultivators,  shopkeepers,  and  otheis 
dependent  ou  this  road  for  coniimmication  and  food 
supplies.” 
The  snlistilutcs  proposed  are  to  maintain  it  as  a 
cold-weather  track  (Mio  pre.ssing  need  being  for  a 
ro.id  to  carry  the  tea  crop  to  the  market  dining 
tho  season  of  he:ivy  rains)  and  to  consti'ucc  a new 
and  distant  road  outside  the  distiict  and  at  the  other 
side  of  dangerous  rivers.  What  would  the  pecplc  of 
Novih  Surrey  say  if  their  main  road  aiongthc  Thames 
Were  to  be  dismantled  on  the  plea  that  a he' ter 
ro:id  could  bo  constrncied  on  liie  other  side  ot  tho 
Tiiamcs  ? ATt  North  Surrey  has  inaiiy  alternative 
rautes  both  by  load  and  rail. 
I am,  sir,  your  obedient  servant, 
iluxEST  Tye,  Secretary. 
Indian  Tea  Association  (Loudon),  14,  St.  Maiy  axe, 
Loudon,  E.C.,  Jan.  4. 
rOSITIOX  OF  COCONUT  OIL. 
It  appears  to  bi  the  almost  un-aniinous  opinion 
of  the  trade  that  the  general  situation  in  coconut 
oils  has  never  been  better,  and  the  outlook  seldom 
brighter,  from  holders’  standpoint,  than  it  is  at  tho 
present  time.  This  favorable  view  is  founded  par- 
tially upon  the  fact  that  the  outlet  for  these  oils  is 
not  only  a wide  one,  but  the  near  future  is  ex- 
]K‘ctcd  to  still  further  extend  the  demand.  In  ad- 
dition to  tins,  the  visililo  supply  of  both  kinds  is 
considered  small  for  this  time  of  the  year,  and  prices 
in  the  primary  markets  arc  steadily  hardening,  owing 
to  light  Hiipplic.s  there.  Tho  quantity  afloat  is  ap- 
iiroximalely  stated  to  be  iS.OUU  tons,  and  this  com- 
jiriiCH  all  the  slii[)meiiLs  that  may  he  uxiiected  to 
reach  Ihi.i  country  up  to  tho  first  of  next  July. 
Of  tills,  the  “ Marguci  itc  I'llise,”  with  700  tons,  and 
the  *•  Hervia,”  witli  (U)0  tons,  are  now  about  due, 
while  the  ‘'Fidmoiiton”  and  the  “Nova  Scotia,”  with 
1,10'.)  and  OOO  tons  icspcctivcly,  arc  expected  to 
a'l'iYo  during  the  iire.sent  month.  The  Luzon,  which 
ii  due  in  May  with  about  GOO  loiis,  will  comjilcte  the 
i .npurtatioiis  of  cocoamit  oils  for  the  (ir.st  half  of  189li. 
These  cargoes,  witli  an  estimated  stock  on  liaiid  in 
oar  iii;U'ke‘i<s  of  about  l,i00  tons,  constitutes  tho 
supply  ill  sight  up  to  July  1st.  How  far  this  will  go 
toward  satislying  the  requirements  of  consumers 
during  the  period  in  question  cannot,  of  course,  be 
accurately  stated,  but  it  is  within  bounds  to  say  tliat 
there  will  bo  no  surplus  oil  horoatlbcend  of  June, 
and  that  meanwhile  holders  will  have  the  advantage 
in  tho  matter  of  lu  icos. 
It  in  said  that  the  consuin|)tion  of  coconut  oil 
ill  tiio  United  Slates  has  reached  the  large  average 
of  botwoen  ten  and  twelve  thousand  tons  annual- 
ly, and  that  the  prospects  favoi-  a still  further  gra- 
dual increase.  Tlie  demand  for  Coehin  oil  has  made 
particularly  rapid  ju'ogrcss,  ami  it  is  a fact  Unit  its 
use  is  now  almost  as  extensive  as  is  that  of  Ceylon, 
wheroas,  np  to  within  a very  few  years  past,  tho 
former  cut  a rathu'  insignilicaiit  figuro.  Topularlaste 
has  called  for  a white  soaj',  whicli  nj  other  material 
seems  capable  of  supplying  so  well  as  Cochin  oil, 
ami  despite  its  high  price  the  consumiition  goes  ou 
with  ra.)}id  stiidos.  This  does  not  seem  to  be  tlio 
case  with  Ceylon  oil,  whieh  continues  to  find  em- 
ployment in  the  nsnii I qininl it iiM,  ami  thus  the  favor 
exteiulid  to  Coehin  h .u  mi!,  sueeeeded  in  displacing 
or  curtailing  tho  couoiunption  of  its  lival. 
