640 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [March  r,  1897 
So  that  on  .oOO  acres  the  profit  would  be  £44.337'10. 
If  this  is  not  satisfactory — go  on  to  the  next — the 
9th  year. 
£ £ 
200  for  weeding  Value  of  cron  in  9th  year  .50,000. 
1,;500  for  harvesting 
500  for  planting 
180  for  interest 
47,620  profit 
50,000  Profit  would  be  £47,620. 
His  report  of  yield  of  tlie  cantUloa  elastica  in 
Mk-aragua  is  interesting  in  view  of  tlie  late 
Dr.  'rrinien’s  somewhat  a<lverse  report  on  the 
yiehl  in  Ceylon. 
The  trees  at  Wiliarag.una,  Matale,  .seeded  very 
freely  and  it  is  much  to  he  regretted  that  on  no 
proper  scale  has  experiment  been  made  with  this 
variety.  J . M- 
THE  COCAINE  HABIT. 
The  increase  of  inebrity  from  the  use  of  cocaine 
is  the  theme  of  an  article  in  the  British  Medical 
Journal.  The  .article  points  out  that  the  greatest 
number  of  victims  is  to  be  found  among  society 
women  and  among  women  who  have  adopted 
literature  as  a piofessioii  ; and  there  is  no  doubt 
that  <a  considerable  proportion  of  eocainists  have 
fallen  under  the  dominion  of  the  drug  from  a 
desire  to  stimulate  their  powers  of  imagination. 
Others  have  acquired  that  habit  quite  innocently 
from  taking  coca  wines  fortified  with  salts  of 
the  alkaloid  in  solution.  It  is  stated  that  at 
Manchester,  Kentucky,  the  cocaine  habit  has  re- 
cently assumed  the  proportions  of  a veritable 
epidemic,  and  that  thousands  of  people  are  sutler- 
ing  from  it.  The  evil  commenced  with  a local 
dru"gist,  who  advertiseil  a popular  remedy  for 
cataiTh,  which  was  found  on  investigation  to  be 
a mixture  of  menthol  and  cocaine.  There  was 
a sudden  demand  for  it,  and  it  was  taken  to 
such  an  extent  that  many  of  the  victims  had  to 
be  accommodateil  in  the  public  lunatic  asylum. 
The  symptoms  experienced  by  the  victims  of  the 
cocaine  habit  are  illusions  of  sight  and  heal- 
ing, neuro-muscular  irritability,  and  localiseil 
anaesthesia.  After  a time  insomnia  supervenes, 
and  the  patient  displays  a curious  hesit  incy  and 
an  inability  to  arrive  at  a decision  on  even  the 
most  trivial  matter.  In  Paiis  the  u.se  of  the 
hypodermic  syringe  both  for  the  administration 
of  cocaine  and  morphine  is  extremely  common, 
and  there  sre  establishments  to  which  ladies  of 
fashion  resort  periodically  in  order  to  have  the 
accustomed  stimulant  administered.  According 
to  the  authority  we  have  quoted  coca  wines  made 
from  cocaine  and  cocaine  lozenges  and  tablets 
should  be  supplied  with  the  utmost  caution.—//, 
efc  C.  Mail. 
PLANTING  IN  NORTH  BORNEO 
IN  1896. 
(B.iV.  Borneo  Herald.  -Ian.  16.) 
CuUieation  (Sandakax  msTRiCT.)-At  the  Byte  E.s- 
tate  about  160  acres  are  under  coftee.  Crop  tor 
1896  piculs  .532  against  300  during  1895.  During  the 
year  the  B.N.B.  Development  Corporation  extended 
their  coffee  planting  by  130  acres.  They  also  sold 
200  acres  to  Col.  Molloy  of  wlmih  50  acres  have  been 
planted  with  coffee  and  10  acres  with  coconuts.  A 
Ghi  laman  who  haA  bought  land  at  the  has 
also  planted  about  30  acres  with  gambler.  Ka'.eli 
estate^  (Coffee).— 70  acres.  Crop  for  1896  piculs  102 
against  piculs  40-50  for  1895.  About  25  acres  more 
has  been  planted  with  coffee  during  the  past  year. 
Loong  Piasow  Syndicate’s  estate  (Coffee)— 70  acres. 
Crop  for  1896  piculs  .52  73,  first  bearing. 
Coconuts. — A considerable  number  have  been 
planted  at  both  Byte  and  Kabeli  estates  during  the 
past  year.  The  three  year  coconuts  at  the  Byte  are 
now  in  bearing. 
Manila  Hemp. — Practically  nothing  has  been  done 
at  the  above  estates  with  this  during  the  past  year, 
on  account  of  want  of  skilled  workmen.  Under  this 
head  however,  must  be  noted  the  300  acres  now 
being  cleared  and  planted  on  behalf  of  the  Dawson 
Syndicate,  Glasgow.  Despite  troublesome  or  dis- 
honest Chinese  contractors,  and  the  usual  coolie 
troubles  a large  area  has  been  cleared  and  burned, 
and  the  plantation  is  looking  good  enough  to  satisfy 
the  most  exigeant  speculators. 
Tohac.'o. — As  regards  the  tobacco  estates  the  news 
from  La  hat  Data  is  very  good,  there  being  a large 
crop  and  of  good  quality.  On  Batii  l‘iuih  and  Biiit 
the  average  is  1 piculs.  Koyah  and  Lamag  shew  a 
higher  production. 
Kuoat  DisxKmT. — The  prosperity  of  the  dif- 
ferent cultivations  in  the  Kudat  District  becomes 
more  and  more  marked. 
The  Tob.acco  crops  have  been  uniformly  heavy  and 
good  in  quality  and  search  for  more  tobacco  laud  by 
comp  .iiids  new  to  the  district  is  being  carried  on  with 
energy  and  success. 
Coffee  is  receiving  atteution  by  the  Chinese  Hakka 
setders,  many  small  acreages  having  been  taken  up 
and  planted  to  the  North  of  Kudat  town  while  the 
plantations  under  European  management  have  done 
well.  The  areas  under  cultivation  have  been  exten- 
ded and  new  land  selected,  and  it  is  believed  that 
coft'ee  has  become  a permanent  item  of  export.  The 
soil  is  proved  to  be  eminently  suited  for  this  cultivation, 
and  there  is  abundant  i-oom  for  additional  ventures. 
Coconut,  Limes  and  Granges  have  yielded  good 
crops  and  coconuts  especially  are  being  largely  planted. 
(Other  Estates)  Coffee. — In  reviewing  coffee  for 
the  past  year  the  only  matter  to  regrot  is  that  opera- 
tions have  not  been  more  extended.  This  is  certainly 
not  owing  to  lack  of  confidence  of  those  engaged  in 
coffee  but  simply  the  result  of  limited  means  at  dis- 
posal and  difficulty  of  getting  outside  capital.  The 
new  plantings  for  the  year  probably  do  not  exceed 
3 to  400  acres  all  told.  We  should  be  glad  to  see 
our  local  estates  formulate  systematic  records  of  their 
crops,  as  from  personal  observation  we  are  convinced 
that  such  figures  could  be  shewn  as  would  astonish 
ouLsiders. 
CocoNUT.s. — New  plantings  are  not  in  bearing  with 
the  exception  of  some  of  the  3 year  variety'  on  the 
Byte  E.state.  The  avidity  with  which  the  coconut 
consignments  from  Cagayan  Sooloo  are  bought  up 
by  our  Chinese  traders  for  manufacture  i.  f copra,  and 
promises  a good  local  market.  The  total  as  planted 
by  Europeans  in  Sandakan  neighbourhood  isprob.ibly 
not  far  short  of  800  acres. 
Timbeu. — In  the  earlier  part  of  the  yoai  the  Hong- 
kong trade  was  very  encouraging  to  shippers  and 
led  to  an  extra  regular  steamer  being  put  oh  the  run. 
Unfortunately  the  last  quarter  shewed  stagnation  and 
collapse  in  prices.  The  moral  is  that  shippers  must 
not  confine  themselves  to  one  market.  Tne  eagerly 
looked  for  era  of  the  opening  up  of  China”  has  not 
yet  dawned  although  we  have  the  prelimiuaiy 
symptoms.  There  can  however  be  no  (piestiou  as  to 
the  opportunity  offered  for  Borneo  timber  when  that 
^oes  occur. 
Cokfek-Planting  inNkwHeurides.— We  have 
had  a call  today  from  a Jamaica-born  Scotsman 
— for  Mr.  Girvin’s  name  clearly  indicates  an 
,'Vyr.shire  origin  from  Girvan — wlio  has  been  for 
three  years  planting  coU'ee  in  the  New  Hebrides, 
but  who  i.s  now  on  his  way  to  Europe  with  a 
view  eventually  to  settling  down  iii  British  Cleii- 
tral  .Africa.  Mr.  Girvin  reports  about  '2,000 
acres  of  coli'ee  [ilanteil  in  tin  New  Hebrides, 
cliielly  owned  by  one  I'leiicli  ami  one  Anglo- 
Australian  Company  ; but  the  chief  dilliculty 
is  labour,  the  islanders  being  very  uinvilliug  to 
do  much  work. 
