386 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTHRIST. 
[Dec,  r,  1896. 
Many  gardens  have  not  a suflicient  habonv  tovae 
to  cope  with  the  gardens  work  at  ordinary  times, 
much  less  v.hcii  th  re  is  a heavy  lusii  of  leaf,  or  a 
heavy  dush  on.  Then,  every  houI  has  to  be  put  00 
to  plucking— men,  women  and  children.  All  have 
to  ply  their  lingers  and  a general  ripping  off  the 
leavescommences.  Stripped  off,  torn  off, broken  off  their 
parent  stalks  airydiow  (sometimes  stalks  and  branches 
are  brought  in  vlroiosale,  the  coolies  employed  on 
such  occasions  not  being  particulat ),  the  leaves  are 
brought  into  the  factory  to  be  manufactirred.  Their 
indeed  it  is  a pretty  sight,  and  hew  the  heart  of  tiro 
tea-maker  doth  rejoice,  when  he  picks  up  stalk  after 
stalk  with  five  and  six  leaves  on  it ! How  he  does 
pray  for  tbo  long  life  and  prosperity  of  his  beloved 
Aryarr  brethren  1 Then  having  s-aid  his  prayers,  he 
sets  to  think  it  out  how  this  congloiaeralioii  of  sticks, 
stalks  and  leaves  is  to  be  made  into  tea.  Into  tea, 
however,  it  is  rrrade,  and  when  it  reaches  the  market, 
the  brokers  make  rude  remarks  aJjouc  it,  and  class  it 
as  “ nrost  rmdesirable,”  and,  worse  tliau  ah,  sell  it  off 
for  what  it  will  fetch ; and  tliis  after  all  tire  trouble 
and  worry  and  bother  there  has  been  over  the  pluck- 
ing of  the  leaves  to  make  ic.  Well,  at  any  rate, 
quantity  has  been  made  if  quality  h.rs  been  sacriiced. 
A big  invoice  has  at  any  rate  been  despatched,  aud 
we  have  always  been  iirformel  that  big  invoices 
sell  better  than  small  ones.  So,  perhaps,  wo  slrall 
partly  make  up  for  quality  by  quantity.  But  alas! 
when  the  tea  sales  are  published,  wa  find  tlr.rt  the 
big  iirvoice  W'ere  sent  down,  and  wliieh  \v>  expected 
to  be  sold  iir  one  lot,  has  been  spilt  np  and  divided 
into  two  or  moro  invoices,  and  apportioned  to 
different  brokers,  aud  sold  irr  two  or  irrore  lots  with 
the  result  that  the  teas  did  rrot  realise  tiro  prices 
we  expected  for  them.  On  top  of  this  coirres  a wire. 
“Teas  most  disappointing.”  Telegrams  of  this  type 
always  gladdeir  the  heart  of  a planter,  they  give  liiui 
a good  appetite,  and  make  him  look  forward  to  a sub- 
stantial bonus  at  the  end  of  the  season  and  a princely 
rise  of  salary  ? What  will  the  end  be  if  we  continue 
much  longer  short  of  labour  ? Shall  we  have  to  employ 
the  heathen  Chinee?  They' are  already  being  largely 
employed  on  gardens  as  carpenters.  Why  should 
we  not  engage  families  of  them  and  employ  thd; 
wives  and  cliildren  for  plucking  and  other  works  ? 
They  will  cost  more  than  lire  indigenous  native,  Imt 
■ if  wa  cannot  recruit  sufficient  labour  in  India  itself, 
we  must  engage  foreigners.  Chinese  women  would 
most  probably  make  excelleiu  pluekers.  Now  that 
the  Chinese  are  losing  tlieir  tea  trade  in  their  own 
country,  owing  to  a great  extent  to  their  conser- 
vatism, if  they  found  a field  open  for  them  on  our 
shores,  they  would  doubtless  iminigrato  liere  in  largo 
numbers  to  the  tea  districts.  Out  of  China  they 
would  not  stand  on  tlieir  ancient  ways,  and  would 
soon  come  under  the  yoke  of  tbo  foreign  devil  and 
barbarian  so  hateful  to  him  in  liis  native  land.  Cal- 
cutta is  full  of  Gliinamen  ; tiiey  mako  most  excellent 
carpenters  and  shoe  makers,  and  the  men  would  doubt- 
less make  splendid  tea-inaker.s.  One  good  quality 
about  them  is- that  they  do  not  require  innch  looking 
after.  Once  they  uiidersmiid  wlial  they  have  to  do, 
“John”  i Si  all  there.  The  aulqect  of  fine  or  coarse 
plucking,  is  au  exhaustive  one,  and  it  is  impossible  to 
do  it  any  thing  like  justice  in  tliis  paper.  The  remarks 
here  made  are  only  from  jottings  noted  down  in  liis 
few  leisure  moments  by  a hard-worked  planter.  lie 
lays  no  claim  to  literary  ability,  nor  does  lie  deem 
himself  competent  to  write  a leiuiicd  disquisition  on 
the  subject.  Doubtless  .some  will  a]i))reoiate  liis  bum- 
ble efforts  to  edify  and  amuse  ami,  if  so,  lio  will  not 
have  written  in  vain.  Knowledge  is  always  gained 
by  intercliaiige  of  tlionghts  so  lio  lets  drop  these  few 
crumbs  willi  the  hope  tliat  some  brother-pl-inters  will 
follow  his  example  and  begin  to  contribute  their 
quota  to  the  sum  of  general  knowledge  by  writing 
down  their  thoiiglits,  feelings  and  expcrionces  in  a 
Bimilar  manner.  It  is  im2)0ssil;le  for  ns  all  to  agree 
on  any  one  Bulqect — tliero  are  many  ways  of  looking 
at  an  object,  and  tlio  pictures  vary  aiul  are  as  mimorous 
as  the  2)oints  of  observation.  No  two  minds  Ihiuk 
exactly  alike — it  would  not  bo  human  nature  if  they 
did.  But  although  wo  differ  ou  minor  points,  in 
essentials  all  our  various  aud  differing  thoughts  aud 
feelings  can  be  brougli  t into  one  focus  blending  in 
one  liarmonious  whole  and  forming  a kaleidoscopic 
picture  worth  the  fr<iining  and  handing  down  to  pos- 
terity.— Indian  Planters'  Gazelle,  Oct.  17. 
THE  AMSTERDAM  CINCHONA  AUCTIONS. 
O.rr  Amsterlani  correspon-lent,  telegr ip>hing  on 
Thursday  evening,  states  that  of  the  5,36.d  prekages  of 
Java  ciuchoni  otferod  at  auction  today,  4, IDS  sold 
at  the  average  unit  of  2'55c  per  half  kilo,  being  the 
suns  as  tint  of  the  previous  auctious.  The  English 
aad  .'Vmeric.iii  inanafacturers  were  tiro  largest  buyers, 
the  equivalent  of  755  k|■o^  of  sulphate  of  quinine  be- 
ing taken  by  them.  The  Auerbach  Factory  purchased 
4.121  kilos,  the  Brunswick  Factory  1,864  kilos,  the 
Minuhsim  aud  Amsterdam  Factories  3,903  kilos,  the 
Frankfort-on-Maine  and  Stuttgart  Factories 2,774,  and 
various  buyers  3,702  kilos.  Tim  following  are  the 
range  of  prices: — Manufacturing  barks  3ic  to  .30ic 
(equal  to  gd  to  541  per  lb.)  ; Druggists’  bark.s,  9|c  to 
9.'>ic  (equal  to  Igl  to  ls5d  joerlb). — Chemist  and  j)ruj- 
(jisl,  Oct.  3. 
OAHU  AS  A FIELD  FOR  COFFEE. 
In  another  article  we  have  shown  at  some  length 
the  necessity  for  inaugurating  plans  for  the  develop- 
ment of  tile  Island  of  O ihu  and  also  to  protect  and 
miintaiu  au  increased  business  for  Honolulu.  A 
short  time  ago  it  was  our  good  fortune  to  visit  the 
Waianae  plantation  and  while  being  hospitably 
entertained  by  m lu-iger  Ahrens  were  given  some  in- 
form ition  in  regard  to  liis  experience  with  coffee 
plautiiig  in  the  Waiaiiae  valley.  Mr.  Ahrens  has 
about  (50  acres  under  cultivation  upon  which  has  been 
planted  about  50,003  coffee  trees  the  lolants  running 
from  one  to  three  years.  The  estate  is  about  five 
miles  from  the  sugar  mills  or  Waianae  station  and  is 
reached  by  a splendid  carriage  road  of  about  four 
miles  and  the  balance  of  the  distance  by  a well-made 
trail  or  bridle  path.  The  cultivated  portion  is 
situated  on  the  slope  of  a gulch  backed  on  the  north- 
east side  from  the  higher  elevations  by  an  almost 
jisrpendicular  mountain.  The  slopes  on  either  side 
of  tli3  gulch  are  easy  grades  aud  result  in  a narrow 
valley  of  varying  widths  at  the  bottom.  Mr.  Ahrens 
has  made  a beautiful  place  of  this  gulch.  At  a con- 
venient spot  are  located  the  neat  and  comfortable 
homes  of  the  workmen  close  to  which  has  been 
erected  a private  residence  for  Mr.  Ahrens,  Au 
al)uiidant  supply  of  pure  water  oozes  out  from  numer- 
ous sisrings  in  the  liillside  which  is  used  for  irriga- 
tion and  household  purjjoses.  One  of  these  streams 
has  been  diverted  into  a large  swimming  pool  sur- 
rounding which  as  well  as  the  houses  are  beautiful 
flower  gardens  containing  every  variety  of  roses  and 
rare  flowers  all  singularly  healthy  and  free  from 
blight.  A large  number  of  lime  and  orange  trees 
have  also  been  set  out  and  are  doing  well. 
Ileturuing  to  the  coffee  plautatiou  as  we  stated 
above  there  are  about  50,00(3  trees  growing  all  healthy 
and  vigorous.  The  older  trees  are  actually  loaded 
with  berries  aud  although  npt  quite  three  years  old 
will  yield  this  year  about  seven  tons.  Cue  three- 
year  old  tree  for  exaraplo  had  48  primarie.s  aud  ouo 
of  these  by  actual  count  contained  147  berries.  As 
700  whole  berries  make  a pound  the  average  to  a treo 
would  be  very  largo.  Mr.  Ahrens  considers  that 
nearly  all  the  valleys  and  gulches  on  this  island  aro 
equally  wed  situated  for  coffee  and  is  canfideut  that 
if  developed  in  a few  years  millions  of  dollars  worth 
might  be  produced.  Anyone  wishing  to  verify  these 
statements  can  on  any  S.xturday  make  a round  trip 
to  Waianae  for  fi.25  and  for  another  dollar  for  a 
saddle  horso  tho  plantation  can  he  reached  in  good 
time  to  enable  tho  visitor  to  return  to  Honolulu  tho 
same  day.  This  is  hu:  one  of  many  industries  tliat 
might  be  taken  up  in  Hoiiohilii.— 2’/ic  y/aiaimiii 
Mcrcial  Journal  and  JIaritime  lici>ort, 
