MaV  I,  1896.J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
119 
are  far  too  high  and  instead  of  being  raised,  ought 
to  be  distinctly  reduced!  but  as  long  as  they  are 
maintained  even  at  the  present  level,  the  only  chance 
of  competing  with  Japan  and  China  is  by  selling 
ocally,  and  getting  the  teas  to  the  countries  of  con- 
sumption, without  being  handicapped  by  having  to 
pay  the  heavy  impost  incurred  in  London  Dock  and 
Landiug  Charges. 
Apologizing  for  the  lengtlr  of  this  letter, — We  remain, 
yours  faithfully,  CEOBFIELD,  J AMPAKD  & Co. 
TRADE  IN  mUTISH  NOKTH  BOllNEO. 
Der  Sir, — It  will  interest  sucli  of  your  reader.? 
as  are  on  the  outlook  for  fresh  fields  to  invest 
money  in  to  hear  how  trade  progresses  in  British 
North  Borneo.  Trade  Statistics’  (Export  and  Im- 
port) are  very  cheering 
In  1895  tlie  Exports  show  an  increase  of 
$.384,815  over  1894. 
In  1895  the  Imports  show  an  increase  of 
$903,839,  overl894. 
Total  increase  $598,054,  which  is  fully  19  per  cent. 
The  exports  are  naturally  the  more  interesting. 
Tobacco  exports  have  increased  by  $132,060. 
Coll'ee  by  $13,295  (for  this  product  the  cultiva- 
tion is  young)  Copra  $15,000,  tlie  same  remark  aji- 
plies  to  this  as  to  Coll'ee,  Bice  and  Baddy  show 
an  increase  of  $0,205.  The  lintish  North  Borneo 
Herald  points  out  in  reference  to  Copra  “ that 
witli  the  numerous  Coconut  Plantations  coming 
into  bearing,  this  important  industry  is  provided 
witli  a permanent  yearly  increase.” 
The  construction  of  the  Telegrapli  Line  from 
the  East  Coast  to  West  Coast  is  making  good 
progress.  Seven  miles  of  Bailway  on  the  "SVest 
Coast  are  to  be  constructed  at  once.  Yours  truly, 
W.  D.  GIBBON. 
♦ 
iMCREASING  THE  CONSUMPTION  OF  BRAZILIAN 
Coffee. — The  Rio  News  of  the  10th  ultimo  has 
tlie  following  ; — 
The  recommendations  of  the  commission  appointed 
by  the  several  coffee-producing  States  to  report  on 
means  for  increasing  the  consumption  of  coffee,  will 
robably  be  approved  by  all  the  States  in  question. 
t is  a popular  fad  to  employ  commissions  and  arti- 
ficial means  to  settle  all  such  questions,  and  discus- 
sion therefore  may  be  hopeless.  We  shall  venture, 
however,  to  characterize  the  whole  proceeding,  from 
inception  to  conclusion,  as  a serious  mistake  and 
certain  failure.  It  is  not  the  first  official  propaganda  of 
this  character  which  Brazil  has  known,  but  no  lessons 
were  learned  from  them,  and  consequently  no  one  will  op- 
pose arepetition.  If  the  published  unofficial  report  ofthe 
commission’s  recommendations  is  correct,  fixed  com- 
missions are  to  be  sent  to  Europe  to  ask  people  to 
buy  and  drink  Brazilian  coffee,  and  2,000,000$  will 
be  expended  in  this  way  the  first  year.  After  that 
the  expenditure  will  be  reduced  to  1,000,000$  a year. 
Besides  this,  foreign  governments  are  to  bo  asked 
to  reduce  their  import  duties  on  Brazilian  coffee. 
In  view  of  the  11  per  cent  expert  duty  imposed 
here  on  this  same  coffee,  which  it  is  not  proposed 
to  change,  such  an  application  will  hardly  be  con- 
sidered seriously.  It  is  to  be  regretted  that  so  im- 
portant a question  is  treated  so  superficially.  There 
has  been  no  discussion  of  its  merits,  eveiyone  taking 
it  for  granted  that  it  is  wise  and  timely.  But  is 
it  wise  and  timely  ? Is  it  wise  to  encourage  the 
extension  of  this  one  industry,  particular^' at  a time 
when  production  is  being  everywhere  increased  and 
is  overtaking  consumption  ? Is  it  wise  “ to  keep 
all  our  eggs  in  one  basket,”  or  to  develop  one  in- 
dustry alone?  Would  it  not  be  wiser  to  encourage 
some  other  industry  and  leave  coffee  to  take  care 
of  itself?  Is  it  timely  to  incur  such  an  expense 
just  now  when  the  country  is  meeting  so  many 
financial  difficulties?  And  is  it  just  to  take  public 
money,  contributed  by  all  classes  and  occupations, 
for  the  benefit  of  one  particular  industry  ? A can- 
did answer  to  these  questions  will  probably  show 
tbat  a mistake  is  about  to  be  made, 
THE  ABT  OF  IRRIGATION. 
Century  Magazine. 
Irrigation  .as  a practical  art  is  generally  mis- 
understood in  localitie.s  where  it  is  never  ai>plied. 
Even  in  parts  of  the  West  where  it  is  sorely 
needed  tlie  iirejndice  again^t  it  was  fonnerlj'  sD 
strong  that  its  advocacy  wars  repre.ssccl  as  scar- 
cely better  than  a traitorous  “libel”  on  tbfe 
country.  Irrigation,  at  first  thought,  seems  like 
a somewhat  sorry  expedient  to  remedy  the  shott- 
comings  of  the  w eather  clerk,  and  is  quite  gene- 
rally regarded  as  a crude  Western  device  of 
merely  local  interest.  These  impressions  com- 
pletely reverse  the  facts  of  the  matter.  Irriga- 
tion is  a perfectly  natural  and  familiar  process. 
The  man  who  waxters  his  plot  of  gr.ass,  and  the 
woman  who  waters  her  dooryard  pansies,  are 
irrigators  in  a rude  and  humble  way.  The  citizen 
w'ho  grumbles  at  the  sight  of  withered  lawns  in 
a public  park  during  a dry  summer  yearns  fbr 
iitigation  without  knowing  it.  The  Western 
farmer  who  has  learned  to  irrigate  thinks  it 
would  be  quite  as  illogical  for  him  to  leave  the 
w'atering  of  his  potato-jiatch  to  the  caprice  of  the 
clouds  as  for  tlie  liousewife  to  defer  her  wash-day 
until  she  could  catch  rain-w'ater  in  her  tubs.  A 
generation  w'hich  has  harnesse'd  the  lightning 
should  see  nothing  incongruous  in  the  ancient 
inocess  of  storing  the  rain  and  distributing  it 
to  meet  the  varying  needs  of  plants  which 
nourish  human  life. 
But  although  irrigation  is  both  ancient  and 
nniver.sal,  the  Anglo-Saxon  never  dealt  with  it 
in  a large  way  until  the  last  half-century,  wdien 
he  found  it  to  be  the  indispensable  condition  of 
settlement  in  large  portions  of  w’estern  America, 
Austi’alia,  and  South  Africa.  Through  all  the 
centuries  of  the  past  the  art  has  been  the  ex- 
clusive possession  of  Indian,  Latin,  and  Mon- 
golian races.  Its  earliest  modern  traces  in  this 
country  are  found  in  the  small  gardens  of  the 
mission  fathers  of  southern  California.  They 
brought  the  method  from  Mexico  and  taught  it 
to  the  Indians.  But  the  re.al  cradle  of  American 
irrigation  as  a practicable  industry  is  Utah.  A 
treasured  historical  jiainting  in  Salt  Lake  City 
shows  the  pioneers  of  1847  in  the  act  of  turning 
the  waters  of  the  mountain  stream  now  knowm 
as  City  Creek  upon  the  alkaline  desert.  This 
picture  commemorates  the  ojiening  scene  in  the 
new  industrial  dram.a  of  .arid  America.  In  tlie 
hands  of  the  Indians  and  Mexicans  of  the  South- 
west irrigation  was  a stagn.ant  art,  but  the  white 
populaticn  has  studied  it  with  the  same  enthusiasm 
w'hicli  it  bestow's  upon  electricity  and  new  mining 
processes.  The  lower  races  merely  knew  that  if 
crops  were  expected  to  grow  on  dry  hand  they 
must  be  arbifici.ally  watered.  They  proceeded  to 
pour  on  the  water  by  the  rudest  method.  Tlie 
Anglo-Saxon  ilenianded  to  know  why  crops  re- 
quired water,  and  how  and  when  it  could  best 
be  supplied  to  meet  their  diverse  needs.  He 
h.as  sought  this  knowledge  through  the  medium 
of  agricultural  colleges,  experimental  farms,  and 
neighbourhood  associations.  He  has  thus  ap- 
pro.ached  hy  gradual  steps  true  scientific  methods, 
which  are  iiroducing  results  unknown  before  in 
any  part  of  the  world. 
The  earliest  methoil  of  irrigation  is  known  .as 
flooding,  and  is  generally  applied  by  means  of 
shallow  basins.  A plot  of  ground  near  the  river 
or  ditch  from  which  w'ater  is  to  be  drawn  is 
enclosed  by  low'  embankments  called  checks. 
These  checks  are  multiplied  until  the  whole  field 
is  covered.  The  waater  is  then  drawm  into  the 
liighest  basin,  permitted  to  stand  until  the  ground 
is  thorou  ;hly  soaked,  and  then  di'awnofl’by  a small 
