i86 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept,  i,  1896. 
Mr.  Webster  is  also  the  pioneer  coffee  planter  of 
Australia,  where  he  started  the  first  coffee  planta- 
tion in  Queensland,  in  ISO.'l,  where  climatic  condi- 
tion* are  favourable  to  the  growth  of  Coffee  Arabica 
fctid  where  his  experiments  for  the  past  four  years 
have  been  very  promising. — American  Grocer,  July  15. 
[The  above  article  is  accompanied  by  an 
excellent  portnait  of  Mr.  Webster  seatetl  in 
a drawing-room  and  enjoying  a cup  of  tea. — 
Ed.  T.a.} 
« 
OUK  NEW  CEYLON. 
It  is  most  satisfactory  to  note  that  the  Ceylon 
papers  seem  satisfied  that  British  North  Borneo 
will,  before  long,  become  a coffee-growing 
country,  and  are  no\v  willing  to  give  it 
the  advertisement  of  favourable  notice  in  this 
respect.  This  is  no  doubt  owing  to  the  fact  that 
two  of  our  coffee  growers,  Messrs.  Henry  and  E.  R. 
Walker — unconnected  by  relationship,  but  having 
the  common  bond  being  e.x-Ceylon  planters — have 
both  been  successful.  Their  reports  have  so  tho- 
roughly confirmed  the  reality  of  the  results  ob- 
tained on  the  Development  Company’s  estates 
that  any  lingering  doubts  seem  to  have  dis- 
appeared ; and  the  wi.se  policy  of  the  Court  in  the 
matter  of  free  grants  for  experimental  purposes— 
if  indeed  500  acres  can  be  termed  only  an  experi- 
ment-will, it  may  be  confidently  anticipated,  pro- 
duce before  long  most  satisfactory  results. 
Mr.  H.  Walker  drew  the  attention  of  his 
Ceylon  friends  to  one  important  point — the  ab- 
sence of  those  hit'll  winds  in  British  North  Bor- 
neo which  prevail  during  the  monsoon  in  the 
Spicy  Island.  But  he  might  have  alluded  to 
another  matter  of  not  inferior  importance--the 
non-appearance  of  any  fatal  form  of  blig.'it. 
Here  and  tliere,  at  the  Byte  for  instance,  an  oc- 
casional tree  will  be  found  with  a few  of  the 
lower  leaves  showing  somethin"  like  the  black 
siiotted  appearance  so  dreaded  by  coffee  planters. 
But,  oddly  enough,  the.se  appear  not  only  to 
have  had  no  effect  upon  the  bearing  of  the  in- 
dividual trees  but  have  never  spre.ad.  The 
general  opinion  therefore  is  that  this  is  not  the 
bliglit  which  lias  occasionally  proved  so  disas- 
trous elsewhere.  Such  trees,  moreover,  have  to 
be  looked  for  and  do  not  catch  the  eye  of  the 
casual  observer.  After  some  ye.ars’  experience, 
therefore,  the  manager  of  the  est.ate  in  question 
considers  himself  justified  in  stating  that  bli"ht 
is  unknown.  , . , 
Considering  the  success  that  has  been  achieved 
by  the  adoption  of  hand-pulpin"  only,  the  intro- 
duction of  proper  maciiinery  will  probably  give  a 
vigorous  spur  to  the  industry.  Mr.  AValker  does 
not,  we  observe,  allude  to  this.  He  lays  much 
stress  upon  the  necessity  of  roads  to  and  through 
the  coffee-growing  districts,  and  with  this  opi- 
nion everymne  muH  concur.  But  it  would 
b®  impossible,  with  the  .small  staff  at  the  dis- 
posal of  the  Government,  for  it  to  undertake 
•uch  work  in  isolated  localities.  The  solution 
of  the  local  question- the  Government  making 
and  up-keeping  the  trunk  roads— will  probably  lie 
in  some  form  of  assistance  being  given  to  plant- 
ers whose  selections  are  outside  the  main  routes, 
either  by  additional  grants  of  land  or  otherwise. 
Mr  Walker  states  that  Dusun  labour  can  be  ob- 
tained in  Membakad  district  at  about  16  cents  a 
day— a boon  for  which  Sandakanites  would  be 
devoutly  thankful  ! At  this  figure,  at  all  events, 
road-making  would  not  be  a very  expensive  un- 
dertakin".  The  Dusun  is  undoubtedly  impatient 
of  fixed  hours  for  labour.  He  likes  to  go  to 
worH  wd  leave  off  at  his  own  time,  but  will  work 
well  enough  when  disposed  to  accept  employ- 
ment. The  best  way  is  to  contract  with  respon- 
•sible  head  men,  taking  care  never  to  let  the  con- 
tract be  broken  without  the  exaction  of  an  ample 
penalty.  The  bane  of  the  labour  market  hitherto 
— especially^  amongst  wood-cutters — has  been  the 
payment  of  large  advances  to  the  labourers. 
Tills  can  be  avoided  when  they  are  recruited  upon 
the  spot,  and  have  not  to  be  induced  to  leave  a 
settlement  for  the  jungle.  One  reason  for  the  suc- 
cess of  the  Byte,  for  instance,  has  been  the  fact 
that  the  employes  are  free  settlers  on  the  ground 
around  the  plantation. 
Mr.  Walker’s  estimate  for  bringing  coffee  into 
bearing  is  ten  pounds  sterling  (say  $90  roughly) 
per  acre  and  the  estate  seems  a fair  one 
if  it  includes  all  expenses  of  management. 
Mr.  Fryer’s  estimate  for  400  acres  up  to  36 
months  (when  a fair  crop  may  be  expected),  was 
$35,965  which  also  gives  between  .$89  and  $90 
(these  figures  appeared  in  the  i/emfrf  of  1st  Dec., 
1894)  so  that  the  estimate  is  probably  as  near  the 
mark  as  estimates  are  likely  to  be.  But  the 
latter  gentleman  is  most  careful  to  explain  that 
this  result  can  only  be  looked  for  if  a supply  of 
cheap  labour  can  be  relied  on.  Weather,  too, 
has  an  important  effect  on  the  preliminary  ex- 
penses of  cleaning  and  burning.  A wet  season 
costs  much  more  than  a dry  season  ; but,  taking 
one  year  with  another,  his  figures  seem  fairly 
correct.  It  would  be  interesting  to  know  how 
these  compare  with  the  Ceylon  expenses. 
One  other  point  may  be  referred  to — the  sale- 
able price  of  the  parchment  berry  as  delivered 
in  Sandakan,  compared  with  its  actual  cost  of 
production.  In  the  Herald  above  quoted  Mr.  Fryer 
puts  the  figures  for  estates  in  this  neighbour- 
hood as  $5  and  over  $25,  or  five  hundred  per 
cent  jirofit.  Such  figures  could  not  of  course  be 
taken  to  represent  probabilities  ,as  regards  estates 
in  tlie  interior,  or  even  near  the  sea  where  transit 
facilities  are  less  a\ailable.  But  they  may  serve 
to  indicate  to  our  Ceylon  friends  the  fact  that 
“there  is  money”  in  judicious  Borneo  estate  in- 
vestments. \Ye  liave  an  object  le.ssoii  in  Klang  as 
regards  too  hurriedly  considered  enterpri.se,  and  it 
is  not  likely  to  beignoiel  by  any  sensible  pros- 
pector. But  given  suitable  soil  and  the  existence 
of  a fairly  cheap  labour  supply,  there  is  no  reason 
why  numerous  coffee  growing  centres  should  not 
be  established  in  the  Territory. — British  North 
Borneo  Herald,  July  16. 
FLANTING  AND  FKODUCE. 
The  “ Boom.” — In  financial  circles  the  “ boom” 
in  new  tea  companies  is  attracting  considerable  atten- 
tion, and  pious  wishes  are  expressed  that  tea  com- 
pany promoting  will  not  be  overdone.  It  is  usually 
safe  to  be  pessimistic  and  to  be  wisely  critical  about 
popular  tendencies.  So  long,  however,  as  thare  ia 
a plethora  of  money  and  an  absence  of  “ gilt  edged” 
securities  except  at  prohibitive  quotations  the  public 
will  seek  an  outlet  for  their  spare  capital.  Joint 
stock  enterprise  therefore  is  rampant,  and  we  wish 
that  one  half  of  the  projects  now  seeking  capital 
offered  as  reasonable  a prospect  of  remuneration 
to  the  investor  as  tea  companies.  Wo  do  not 
say  that  every  new  tea  project  offered  to  the 
Fublic  is  likely  to  prove  a source  of  profit, 
nvestors  must  use  their  judgment  in  the 
selection  and  endeavour  to  gauge  the  position 
for  themselves.  The  tea  industry  is  a genuine 
British  enterprise  which  was  up  to  a year  or 
two  ago  suffering  neglect  at  the  hands  of  the 
investor.  It  is  now  in  a fair  way  to  loom  large  in 
the  financial  world,  and  some  of  the  promises  made 
on  its  behalf  may  not  pan  out,  but  for  all  that  the 
industry  is  in  a healthy  state,  and  there  is  no  need 
