780 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[May  I,  1896, 
gate  into  the  next  basin.  Tlii.s  process  is  repeated 
until  the  entire  field  is  irrigated.  This  is  the  system 
practised  on  the  Nile,  where  the  basins  sometimes 
cover  several  square  miles  each,  while  in  tlie  West 
they  are  often  no  more  than  four  liundred  feet 
square  There  is  both  a crude  and  a skilful  way  to 
aceomplisli  tlie  operation  of  flooding,  and  there  is 
a wiile  diflerenee  in  the  results  obtained  by  tlie 
two  methods,  'klie  Indian  and  Mexican  irrigators, 
in  their  ignorance  and  laziness,  seldom  attempt 
to  grade  the  surface  of  the  ground.  They  permit 
water  to  remain  in  stagnant  pools  where  there 
are  depressions,  while  high  places  stand  out  as 
dusty  islands  for  generations.  All  excejit  very 
sandy  soils  bake  in  the  hot  snn.shine  after  being 
Hooded,  and  the  crude  way  to  remedy  the  matter 
is  to  turn  on  more  water.  Water  in  excess  is  an 
injury,  and  both  the  soil  and  the  crops  resent 
this  method  of  treatment.  The  skilful  irrigator 
grades  the  soil  to  an  even  slope  of  aliout  one 
inch  to  every  hundred  inches,  filling  depres- 
sions and  levelling  high  places.  He 
“rushes”  the  water  over  the  plot  as  rapiilly 
as  possible,  and  wlien  the  ground  has  dried 
sutliciently  cultivates  the  .soil  tlioronghly,  thus 
allowing  the  air  to  penetrate  it.  Tlie  best 
irrigators  have  abandoned  the  check  system 
altogether,  and  have  invented  better  methods  of 
flooding  the  crops.  Cereals  and  grasses  must 
always  be  irrigated  by  flooding,  but  the  check 
.system  seeiifs  likely  to  remain  only  in  the  land 
of  Spanish  speecli  and  tradition  wheie  it  w'as  born; 
In  Colorado  wheat  and  grass  are  generally  irri- 
gated by  a system  of  shallow  plow-furrows 
run  diagonally  across  a field.  The  water  is 
turned  from  these  upon  the  ground,  and 
permitted  to  spre.ad  out  into  a hundred  small 
rills,  following  the  contour  of  the  land. 
Some  farmers  bestow  great  pains  upon  this 
method,  and  succeed  in  wetting  the  ground 
very  thoroughly.  Another  method  of  flood- 
in"  fields  is  now  much  used  in  connection 
with  alfalfa,  a wonderful  forage-plant  extensi- 
vely cultivated  throughout  the  arid  region.  This 
produces  three  crops  a year  in  the  North  and 
six  crops  in  the  South,  and  is  not  only  eaten  by 
stock,  but  by  poultry  and  swine.  To  find  the 
best  method  of  watering  this  valuable  crop  lias 
been  the  object  of  careful  study  and  experiment 
in  the  West.  It  is  now  accomplished  by  means 
of  shallow  indentations  or  creases  which  are 
not  as  large  as  furrows,  but  accomplish  the 
same  purpose.  These  are  made  by  a simple  im- 
plement at  intervals  of  aliout  12  inches.  They 
eflect  a very  thorough  and  even  wetting  of  the 
"round. — Filblic  Opinion,  Marcli  27. 
TRADE  OF 
BRITISH  NORTH 
IN  1894-1895. 
BORNEO. 
As  a rule,  trade  returns  are  very  dry  reading 
but  the  comparative  statements  of  Imports  and  Ex 
ports  from  and  to  foreign  countries  which  we  an 
able  to  publish  are  of  great  value  to  all  who  talc 
- . 1.  *1...  Qfofo  r,t  XTro-fh  Eomeo.  Our 
an  interest  in  the  State  of  North  jjumeu.  uur  rt 
nuirements  and  products  are  shown  in  alphabetica 
order  under  the  five  different  stations,  Sandakui 
Silam,  Kudat,  Gaya  and  Padas.  The  increase 
each  heading.  This  is  don 
with  a four-si'ded  object,  viz.,  not  only  to  show  th 
and  downs,  but  to  enable  officers  to  explai 
and  if  possible  to  arrest  them.  Th 
as  follows: — 
189.5. 
Imports  ..  fl,0(!2,;mi9 
Exports  ..  »l,(i(i:i,90(!.(i4 
Yomme  of  Trade  fii,62(),25(>.83 
Increase 
decrease  is  gjven  for 
ups 
the  latter, 
figures  are 
1894. 
1,098,543.91 
1,329,0()().86 
3,027.(510.77 
Increas 
2(53,80(1.5 
334,839.7 
or  over 
#598,(>4C.( 
19  per  cei] 
Does  this  look  like  “declining  trade”  as  some  mis- 
informed correspondent  referred  to  in  our  last  issue 
stated  ? We  will  let  the  figures  speak  for  themselves. 
“ The  slight  correction”  which  we  gave  in  that  issue 
gave  the  increase  for  yandakan  alone  at  $323,000 
odd  dollars,  but  as  will  now  be  seen  from  the  Returns 
those  figures  were  under  the  mark  by  nearly  $20,00(5. 
The  increase  for  the  wliole  territory  is  $598,04(5,  but 
what  is  more  satisfactory  is  the  fact  that  every  station 
contributes  largely  to  make  it. 
The  imports  are  given  under  35  headings,  of  thes® 
25  show  an  increase. 
The  chief  imports  and  increases  are  lice,  grain  and 
Hour  $58,238,  cloth  $58,(583,  iron-ware  $23,400,  spirits 
and  wines,  $18,247,  treasure  $11,913,  kerosine  oil 
$9,0(52,  livestock  $0,172,  opium  820,580,  dainar  $21,481, 
fruits  and  vegetables  $90,80.75  and  sundries  $29,477. 
The  Exports  are  also  given  under  39  different 
headings  of  which  20  show  large  increases ; the  more 
important  being  under  tobacco  which  has  improved 
by  $132,007.  damar  $2(5,110,  cutch  $17,710,  gutta 
$1(5,187,  india-rubber  $13,(570,  coffee  $13,295,  rice  and 
paddy  $(5,205,  dry  fish  $5,181,  sundries  $3(5.398,  The 
most  remarkable  increase  is  in  coffee  which  has 
sprung  from  $1,559  in  1894  to  $14,851  in  1895.  It 
should  also  be  noted  that  this  is  exclusive  of  the 
local  consumption.  Coffee  is  indeed  coming  to  the 
front  as  one  of  our  most  successful  agricultural  pro- 
ducts. Gambier  is  also  very  promising  and  after  pro- 
viding for  local  consumption  $95(5  worth  was  exported. 
Cotton  has  made  a fair  start  and  before  long  we  hope 
to  see  this  and  other  fibres  largely  grown  and  ex- 
ported. The  Government  are  very  wisely  giving  every 
encouragement  to  the  pioneers  of  these  fibres  and 
sugar.  It  is  not  a case  of  experimenting  or  any  risk 
of  capital ; cotton  may  be  seen  thriving  under  the 
most  advance  circumstances  even  amongst  grass  2 
feet  high. 
North  Borneo  is  offered  as  a home  for  ramie  or 
China  grass  or  sisil.  As  for  sugar,  one  has  only  to 
look  at  the  luxuriant  growth  round  almost  every 
native  house  to  be  satisfied  as  to  its  future. 
For  young  men  with  a capital  of  not  less  than 
.£2,000  free  grants  of  .500  acres  for  the  cultivation  of 
these  products  which  have  been  proved  to  grow  with 
success  viz.,  coffee,  tea,  cinchona,  tapioca,  etc.  If 
any  reader  thinks  we  are  digressing — that  this  is 
not  trade — our  answer  is,  we  may  as  well  show  how 
trad-i  can  be  further  increased  Copra  has  increased 
by  $1,500  and  with  the  numerous  coconut  plantations 
coming  into  bearing  this  important  industry  is  pro- 
vided with  a permanent  yearly  increase.  The 
heavy  increases  shown  under  bees-wnx,  cam- 
phor, damar,  guttapercha,  and  India-rubber  go 
to  prove  that  our  jungle  produce  is  not  ex- 
hausted ; on  the  contrary.  Telegraph  roads  and  rail- 
ways are  being  made. 
It  is  true  that  there  is  a falling  off  of  $12,135  in 
rattans;  but  why?  is  easily  answered;  the  natives, 
especially  in  the  interior  stopped  cutting  them  in 
order  to  help  to  make  the  Telegraph.  There  ai’e 
other  decreases  which  we  will  try  to  explain. 
Blachan  that  curry  condiment  which  represents  in 
the  animal  kingdom  what  a preserved  durian  does  in 
the  vegetable  (we  always  like  to  be  a long  way  from 
both)  shows  a decrease  of  $910.  Here  there  seems 
to  have  been  a falling  off  as  the  Revenue  from  it, 
so  far  as  ascertained,  is  also  short  for  1895. 
Sago  and  sago  Hour  exports  have  fallen  off  by 
about  $12,(X)0;  this  is  also  due  to  the  Telegraph  and 
roads. 
The  sea  produce  under  seaweed,  seed-pearls  and 
trepang  show  a decrease  of  $8,852.13.  As  regards 
seed-pearls  the  season  had  not  arrived  but  the  people 
are  now  working  at  the  banks.  Under  trepang  the 
falling  off  is  due  to  Kudat,  and  if  we  mistake  not 
is  owing  to  want  of  proper  record,  tbe  collection  of 
the  export  duty  being  farmed  by  a Chinese  firm. 
The  few  headings  of  decreases  compared  with  those 
showing  such  largo  increases  when  compared  with 
1894  proves  that  the  progress  is  solid  at  every  station 
and  $598,(54(5  better  on  the  total, — British  North  Jlor^eg 
Herald,  March  1(5, 
