March  i,  1897.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTUPISf. 
639 
article  of  sale  the  Company  anticipate  a large  de- 
mand for.  This  liquid,  1 was  informed,  combines — 
save  the  mechanical  qualities  of  the  Jadoo  fibre — all 
the  valuable  properties  of  the  latter  as  a manure, 
and  can  be  used  iudependently  as  such.  My  visit 
convinced  me  that  both  products,  forming  as  they 
jointly  do  the  outcome  of  so  long  a series  of  in- 
telligent research  and  experiment,  should  wisely  be 
afforded  careful  trial  by  horticulturists  in  the  East, 
generally.  Already  the  fertilised  fibre  has  obtained 
a sufficiently  encouraging  i-ecognitiou  abroad  to 
enable  Col.  Thompson  to  dispose  of  the  American 
rights  on  most  advantageous  terms  to  himself,  whilst 
in  the  West  Indies  the  planting  community  have 
been  quick  to  recognise  its  merits. 
C.  R. 
COFFEE  IN  NOllTH  BORNEO. 
We  notice  that  the  exports  of  Coffee  are  shewing 
an  appreciable  increase  as  compared  with  12  months 
ago.  The  new  plantings  of  the  British  Borneo  Trading 
and  Planting  Co.  at  Segaliud,  Kabili,  and  Sibooga 
are  looking  very  promising  and  part  will  soon  come 
into  bearing,  while  Mr.  Gob  Tek  Seng’s  p'antiug 
at  Sibooga  will  also  soon  help  to  swell  the  export. 
Prom  Kudat  we  hear  very  good  reports  of  Mr. 
Henry  Walker’s  Estate  at  'laritipan,  and  Mr.  E. 
Walker  in  making  good  progress  on  his  new  estate. 
Mr.  Stewart  Murray  (formerly  with  Mr.  Henry  Walker) 
is  proceeding  to  open  near  to  Mr.  E.  Walker. — 
British  North  Borneo  Herald,  Feb.  1. 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
The  Indian  Tea  Crop  for  1896-7  is  now 
estimated  at  148,250,000  lb.,  of  which  130,500,000  lb. 
were  shipped  from  Calcutta  up  to  13th  February. 
The  total  for  India  and  Ceylon — althougli  the 
seasons  differ — will  be  as  follows  : — 
India  1896-7  . . . . . . lb.  148,2.50,000 
Ceylon  1896  . . . . . . lb.  108,141,412 
lb.  256,391,412 
As  regards  the  Indian  Crop, — 
The  total  for  1895-96  was  134J  mllion  lb. 
„ 1894-95  125J  „ 
1893-94  123i  „ „ 
80  that  148i  for  1896-97  need  not  astonish  us. 
The  total  for  both  countries  in  1897-8  at  this  rate  of 
progress  may  equal  275  million  lb.  : so  let  would-be 
planters  of  tea  in  new  countries  beware  1 
Caucasian  Tea. — The  linn  of  Widow  J.  van 
der  Chijs  & Zn.  of  Delft  write  to  the  Indische 
Mcrcuur  (in  the  issue  of  Jan.  30)  as  follows  (we 
translate  from  the  Dutcli) 
“ In  continuation  of  our  letters  of  19th  Dec.  last  we 
have  now  the  pleasure  of  sending  you  in  a separate 
postal  packet,  a sample  kindly  sent  to  us  by  Mr. 
Constantine  Popoff  of  Moscow,  of  tea  grown  and  pre- 
pared on  his  plantations  at  Chalon,  Kropishoom,  and 
Halibomoouron  in  the  Caucasus  by  Chinese  labourers. 
We  gladly  place  the  same  at  your  disposal.”  The 
editor  of  the  Indische  Mercuur  adds  the  following  to 
ihe  above: — “The  analysis  made  by  us  of  the  tea 
is  as  follows : — Leaf — good  black  colour  with  a trace 
of  reddish  and  a trace  of  golden  tip,  in  appearance 
like  a Chinese  pekoe  congou,  somewhat  small,  equal, 
carefully  prepared  and  moderately  well  twisted. 
Taste — clean,  without  any  decided  character,  most 
like  a Chinese  pakling,  good  aroma,  but  not 
sufficiently  moist  for  Netherlands  consumption  ; 
colour  of  decoction,  light  and  transparent  ; colour  of 
infusion,  very  nice-looking,  golden  yellow,  which  points 
to  a good  quality.  Our  opinion  therefore  is,  that 
this  first  experiment  is  a very  great  success,  and, 
although  the  quality  is  capable  of  great  improvement, 
this  culture,  if  it  develops,  may  be  expected  to-be- 
come  a serious  rival  to  tne  kinds  grown  in  China," 
THE  CEYLON  TEA  CROP  IN  1897  s 
I.  A.  ESTIMATE  RAISED  TO  118  MILLION  LB. 
We  have  just  learned  from  Mr.  R.  E.  D'Esterre, 
Hon.  Secretary  to  the  Matiirata  and  Upper  Hewa- 
heta Planters’  A.ssociation,  that,  through  some  mis- 
take, tlie  Tea  Crop  Committee  in  Kandy  omitted 
to  include  the  M.iturata  returns  in  their  total 
estimate  for  1897.  Con.sequently,  1,833,4001b. 
have  to  be  added,  raising  the  planters’  estimate 
to  119,083,400  lb.  What  does  our  jiessimistic 
evening  contemporary  say  to  this?  The  injury 
he  has  done  to  tea  proprietors  in  Ceylon, 
through  under  estimating  the  capacities  of  the 
Colony  and  encouraging  tea  extensions  in  North- 
ern and  Southern  India — everywhere  hut  in 
this  island — of  late  years,  is  beyond  reckoning. 
—Since  writing  the  above,  our  telegram  from 
Kandy  has  arrived,  showing  the  P.A.  has  increased 
its  estimate  to  119  million  lb.  orahnost  exactly  the 
same  as  Messrs.  Forbes  i.'v  Walker. 
COFFEE  PLANTING  IN  MEXICO. 
COFFEE  LEAF  DISEASE  IN  THE  STATE 
OF  CHIAPAS,  MEXICO  : 
[By  an  ex- Ceylon  Planter.) 
26th  Dec.  1896, 
My  Dear  “Observer”,— I frequently  receive 
letters  from  England,  United  States,  as  well  rs 
elsewhere,  making  enquiries,  and  .seeking  reliable 
information  in  regard  to  coffee  planting.  I find 
it  very  difficult  and  inconvenient  to  reply  to 
them  : too  often  the  amount  of  information  asked 
lor  is  not  in  proportion  to  the  knowdedge,  which 
they  ought  to  have  of  the  time  at  my  disposal  to 
reply  thereto.  Only  the  other  day  I received  a 
letter  from  a gentleman,  written  from  the  village 
where  he  was  born,  I suppose  : no  country  was 
given  nor  country  mentioned  in  his  address. 
These  persons,  I have  no  doubt,  wonder  why  they 
never  receive  answers  to  their  letters,  and  never 
think  their  own  carelessness  is  to  blame. 
This  person  sard  he  had  seen  my  name  men- 
tioned in  the  Ceylon  Observer.  Accordingly  in  the 
hope  that  he  may  see  this  let  me  tell  him  to 
write  again — write  your  name  plainly,  distinctly, 
with  full  address  plainly  written  also.  This 
advice  I give  to  all  wdio  eare  to  rvrite  to  me, 
and  I will  endeavour  to  answer  directly  or  through 
the  columns  of  the  planter’s  friend — the  Ceylon 
Observer. 
I do  not  think  this  is  a good  place  for 
A CEYLON  I'LANTER 
to  come  to  in  search  ot  employment  as  mana- 
ger of  a coffee  plantation.  Such  situations  are, 
very  scarce,  and  the  wages  paid,  except  only  with 
rare  exceptions,  are  not  of  such  a nature  as  to  in- 
duce anyone  to  embark  his  fortunes  in  Latin 
America. 
A Ceylon  ))lanter,  too,  is  \ ery  much  handicapperl 
by  other  planters  resident  here — German,  French, 
American,  Italian,  in  fact  of  every  nationality, 
besides  a redundancy  of  Mexican  natives  of  the 
country.  The  first  requisite  is  a good  knowledge 
of  Spanish,  so  as  to  enable  one  to  do  his  own 
bufiness  personally,  without  the  services  of  an 
interpreter.  The  methods,  too,  of  doing  business 
in  these  countries  are  entirely  ditlerent  to  the 
best  way  in  which  we  are  educated.  The  Jesui- 
tical doctrine,  that  the  end  to  be  gained  justi- 
fies the  means  employed  to  gain  that  end,  per- 
meates every  transaction,  and  eats  into  the  vitality 
of  every  negotiation  ; accordingly  one  requires  to 
be  very  alert,  careful,  and  reserved. 
