June  i,  1897.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
843 
the  alleged  debilitating  ellect  of  manuring  is  tliat 
that  ellect  is  produced,  not  by  the  manure  at 
all,  but  by  its  unskilful  application,  causing  in- 
jury to  the  feeding  roots.  The  majority  of 
writers  deny  any  evil  effect  on  the  flavour  of 
tea  by  manuring,  ami  claim  that  a sappy  leaf, 
which  a few  planters  condemn,  produces  a strong 
llavoury  liquor,  Hon'ever  that  may  be,  there  can 
be  no  question  that  manuring  increases  the  crop  ; 
that  preference  is  felt  for  bulky  manures,  if  they 
can  be  got,  over  artificial  ; and  tliat,  although 
the  good  sense  and  habits  of  observation  of  our 
planters  have  protected  them  from  disastrous 
blunder’s,  a good  deal  yet  remains  to  be  learnt 
of  the  needs  of  our  soils  and  the  constituents  of 
manures,  before  it  can  be  claimed  that  our  tea- 
fields  are  receiving  the  best  treatment  possible 
for  crop  and  lor  flavour. 
We  now  come  to  the  final  question  of  Prepar- 
ation, There  is  no  difference  of  opinion  as  to 
the  absolute  necessity  of  ample  withering  space 
and  the  general  deficiency  in  regard  to  it. 
A good  wither  is  essential  to  the  manufacture 
of  good  tea  ; and  most  estates  or  factories 
are  leali.sing  this  fact,  and  making  adequate 
provision.  On  the  personal  question,  opinions 
seem  to  be  fairly  divided — some  writers  holding 
that  as  much  care  and  attention  are  devoted 
to  manufacture  as  ever  before,  while  some  are  very 
strongly  of  opinion  that  the  claims  of  sport  are 
a bar  to  that  earnest,  habitual  and  close  over- 
sight of  the  factory,  without  which  (luality 
gradually  deteriorates.  Others  again  think  that 
a more  intelligent  and  better-paid  class  of  tea- 
makers— preferably  Europeans — are  called  for  ; but 
in  this  climate,  continuous  work  in  a heated 
Factory  is  not  what  the  European  would  choose; 
and  w'e  see  no  reason  why  local  talent  should 
not  lie  rendered  equal  to  all  factory  needs. 
Of  course,  there  must  be  strict  and  conscientious 
supervision.  On  the  whole,  nothing  contained 
in  the  interesting  correspondence  we  have  dealt 
with,  is  calculated  to  cast  doubt  on  the  sound- 
ness and  the  permanency  of  the  Tea  Industry 
of  the  island,  and,  so  far  as  we  can  see,  it 
depends  on  proprietors  and  su)ierintendents 
whether  it  shall  take  front  rank  in  the  com- 
petition with  other  countries.  We  should  not  des- 
pise the  aid  of  science ; we  should  not  be  above 
attention  to  the  details  of  work,  whether  in  field 
or  factory  ; and,  provided  our  labour  supply  does  not 
fail  us,  we  need  be  in  no  fear  of  over-production  or 
of  fluctuating  exchange,  though  these  may  incom- 
mode tea,  off  and  on, "as  they  do  all  Eastern  enter- 
prise and  chiefly  agricultural  enterprises. 
♦ 
PLANTING  AND  PLANTERS  IN  THE 
STRAITS. 
NOTE.?:  VI.SIT  BY  THE  ACTING  BRITI.SH  RESIDENT 
TO  THE  COAST  DISTRICT. 
I left  Seremban,  with  Mr.  Aldworth,  7-30  a.m., 
11th  March,  for  Kuala  Sawah  by  rail.  We  were  met 
there  by  Mr.  C.  M.  Gumming.  Drove  to  his  new  land 
at  Niato  and  arranged  for  sites  on  State  land  for  his 
cooly  lines  and  house.  Visited  his  nurseries,  through 
which  elephants  had  w’alked  two  days  before.  Drove 
to  Ribu  and  visited  Mr.  McClymont’s  estate  thence 
on  to  Rantau  and  breakfasted  with  Mr.  Gumming. 
Mr.  Porcher  called  for  me  atl-.SO  a.m.  and  drove  me 
or  Linsum.  We  walked  over  several  fields  and  saw  all 
the  estate.  At  4 p.m.  I started  for  Pengkaln  Kempas, 
stopped  at  the  Malacca  Towkay’s  tapiocai  and  pepper- 
estate  at  the  9th  mile  Jerak,  and,  after  some  convers- 
ation with  Siew  Hin,  drove  on  to  Linggi  where  I passed 
through  some  very  fine  kampongs.  Reached  Pengk^lan 
Kempas  at  6 p.m.  and  found  Messrs.  Bowen  and  Hooper 
(Contract  Surveyor)  waiting  for  me. 
March  13th. — At  Telok  Kemang  we  got  on  to  the 
cart  road  and  rode  on  to  Padr  Puteh,  reaching  Mr. 
Bugler’s  clearing  at  11a.m.  He  was  flying  the  red 
ensign  in  honour  of  my  visit.  His  house  is  beauti- 
fully situated  on  a small  hill  facing  the  sea  which, 
at  this  point,  forms  a bay,  and  at  each  end  of  the 
bay  there  is  belt_  of  virgin  forest  standing  higher 
than  the  intervening  land.  The  shore  of  the  bay  is 
of  marvelously  white  and  fine  coral  sand  such  as  I 
have  only  seen  in  the  Cocos  Islands.  Mr  Engler 
has  already  planted  up  50  acres  with  an  average  of 
52j  nuts  to  the  acre.  His  methods  of  cultivation 
are  very  thorough,  every  particle  of  superfluous  cover- 
ing to  the  stem,  fronds  and  nuts  of  the  palm  being 
removed  so  as  to  give  no  harbour  to  beetles, 
ants  and  other  insects.  The  foot  of  each  palm  is 
kept  picked  and  raked,  and  the  result  of  these 
operations  is  apparent  in  the  few  old  palms  near 
his  house  which  are  bearing  heavily.  He  is  very 
anxious  to  extend  his  cultivation  and  I commend 
his  methods  to  the  notice  of  the  Kuala  Selangor 
Company,  who  would  do  well  to  induce  him  to 
join  their  syndicate.  At  3 p.m.  we  rode  on  and  pas- 
sed through  the  following  holdings  of  Europeans — 
viz.,  Mr.  F.  A.  Swettenham’s,  the  late  Mr.  luster’s, 
Messrs.  Coates  and  Tunnicliffe’s,  Mr.  D.  G.  Neave’s, 
Mr.  Watkins’,  Mr.  Douglas’s,  Mr.  Kej^ser’s,  .Mr.  Me 
Clymont’s,  Mrs.  Neave’s,  Messrs.  Cumraing’s, 
Porcher’s,  and  Bagnall’s,  the  Selangor  Sanitarium, 
the  Negri  Sarnhilan  Sanitarium,  and  Mr.  Rowland's. 
Mr.  W.  W.  Bailey  and  Mr.  C.  R.  Paterson  (a 
Ceylon  tea-planter)  drove  up  while  we  were  thus 
engaged,  and  as  they  were  bound  for  Seremban  we 
all  went  on  together  as  far  as  Berauaug,  seven 
miles  from  Semeniyih  and  1(5  from  Seremban, 
where  we  remained  for  the  night  and  our  visitors 
went  on  to  Seremban. 
♦ 
THE  NATAL  TEAS. 
(By  a Ceylon  Planter.) 
Mr.  John  Eraser  has  .sent  us  through  Mr. 
Gordon  Frazer,  samples  of  teas  made  by  him  on 
the  Barragreen  estate  and  for  which  he  got  the 
chief  prizes  at  Johannesberg  Exhibition.  Me.ssrs. 
A.  H.  Thompson  & Co.,  Brokers,  have  courteously 
furnished  the  following  report  on  these  teas  : — 
Colombo 
Description.  London  Equivalent 
Value.  @ Exch.  1/3j. 
Gold  Orange  Pekoe  Leaf 
Blackish  small  even  well 
made  with  tip  . . • • 1/  ••  69 
Liquor  strong  dark  good 
quality. 
Pekoe  Leaf  Blackish  even 
well  twisted  few  tips  . , 8^-9  . . 46-50 
'Liquor  Brisk  dark  fair 
strength  and  quality, 
Pekoe  Souchong  Leaf 
Blackish  well  made  • . 7 . . 38 
Liquor  strong  dark  little 
coarse. 
Valuations  are  quite  nominal  as  we  have  no  quota- 
tions for  Natal  Teas  on  the  market,  but  judging  from 
the  leaf  and  liquor  we  think  them  well  worth  the  above. 
The  samples  can  be  seen  t\\Q  Tropical  AqrU 
cultiiri’it  Office. 
MEETING  OF  THE  CEYLON  RHEA  FIBRE 
SYNDICATE. 
TO  BE  AYOUND  UR. 
A meeting  of  tins  local  Syndicate  was  held  at 
the  office  of  Mr.  E.  John  at  Chatham  Street 
on  April  30,  when  it  was  decided  to  go  into 
liquidation.  The  Syndicate  started”  rhea 
cnltivatioi.  on  a small  scale  in  the  Kuru- 
negala  district,  where  about  12  acres  were 
planted,  R3,000  being  sunk  in  the  scheme,  but 
there  was  a lack  of  confidence  in  the  scheme 
tliorcforc  the  decision  tu  wind  up,  ’ 
