Sept, i, 1897 .] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
171 
their greatest dainty. The Malai Arasar are taking to 
agriculture. The Pulyar are demon-worshippers. The 
mountains are covered by valuLabie forest trees, and at 
one time were worked with an annual profit of about 
50.000 rupees a, year, and there are many beautiful 
woods suited for turnery. The wild animals are the 
elephant, tiger, leopard, bear, hyaena, wild dog, bison, 
sambur, spotted and barking and hog deer ; also the 
wild goat. — TA.- Col. Hamilton in litens ; Imp. Gat. 
Coimbatore district occupies an area of 7,432 square 
miles, over which about 7,000 villages and hamlets 
are spread, possessing a population of 1,763,274 human 
beings. It has but little rain. The produce is grains, 
mostly of the dry description, cotton, sugar, tobacco, 
and hemp. The dim ite is warm, and not unfrequently 
oppressive, being completelv hill-locked. The Ani- 
mallay Hills are in the S.W. border of Coimbatore, 
and are richly clothed with valuable forests, with 
many elephants ; and soma of the lower hill ranges 
from the Neilgherries. between which is the valley 
and gap or pass of Palghat leading to the western 
coast. The Guzzlehutty pass leads up the deep valley 
separating the Neilgherry Hills from Collegal. 
Coimbatore land is many times valuable than it was 
forty years ago ; and wheeled carriage?, which were 
603 in 1846-7, in 1867 were 4,500. 
“Little rain” must refer to tlie lowcountry 
rather than to the hills. 
♦ 
CACAO CCLTIVATION AND 
DISEASE AGAIN. 
We draw attention to an interesting Correspon- 
dence sent to us, for publication elsewhere by one 
of the younger generation of planters, whom we 
are glad to see Ifolowing the e.xample of our 
“planting ]noneers” in taking a thoughtful 
practical inteiest in their profession. Men of 
this stamp, far more than capitalists e\ en, con- 
stitute the mainstay of the continued prosperity 
of the planting enterprise and the Colony. Mr. 
Greig is not alone in the view he has taken of 
the evils attending free “ okering ” : one of 
the very oldest of our cacao jilanters ga\e a 
wo-d of warning on the subject some time 
back. Meantime, the sample wliich Mr. Green 
has given of the views ot Mr. Willis and 
himself, must make all look forward for the 
matured opinions of both gentlemen. The 
grafting of the valuable but delicate Caraccas or 
Red variety on the hardy Forastero, is one 
well worthy of experiment. We hear of one 
Ceylon plantation of Forastero in liearing, w'here 
there is not a trace of disease ; but query 
whether the same extent of grafted trees would 
not be even more valuable. Grafting, however, 
is for the future; the immediate problem for 
solution is, how to save the already afllicted 
fields of the Red Caraccas Cacao in Ceylon ? 
COFFEE IN THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS. 
Coffee, according, to the report of Mr. Consul-General 
Harris, is attracting much attention in the Hawaiian 
Islands, and promises to become an important article 
of export. Though yet in a somewhat experimental 
stage, coffee planting has nevertheless made great 
strides in the last five years, and “ there is every 
reason to believe that ultimately the industry will 
be placed on a sound and profitable footing.” Be- 
fore that end has been attained, however, “ it is 
not improbable that several failures and disappoint- 
n/ents will take place from various causes.” The 
situation at the present time is very similar to 
that of Ceylon in the early days, when pl-antations 
were started in all sorts of tinsuitable places with- 
out any regard to soil or elevation, the result being 
that many estates were abandoned and large sums 
of money were lost before coffee planting could be 
called a success or a profitable investment. That 
the Hawaiian Islands are eminently adapted to the 
successful cultivation of the plant seems to be assured 
by the numerous patches of wild coffee trees through- 
out the islan is, but particularly in the district of 
Kona, in Hawaii ; but whether they will produce 
trees yielding crops year after year which will prove 
remunerative to the planter, with the high price of 
labour as enn pared with other countries, is a ques- 
tion which remains to be answered. With regrrd 
to labour for coffee culture there is said to be much 
diversity of opinion. The best authorities are op- 
posed to the contract system, which has been in 
practice in the past on the various sugar plantations, 
and IS still greatly in vogue. The contract plan was 
the only one at first open to the planter that 
secured him means for controlling and retain- 
ing his labourers on his plantation, but it was 
open to many serious abuses, and has caused 
from time to time endless trouble and disputes. 
At present the feeling is strongly in favour of 
the monthly free labourer, and the Japanese 
as a class, when properly handled, are found to be 
steady, good workmen. The Chinese also make ex- 
cellent field hands, but they are very scarce for such 
purposes. The native Hawaiian cannot be recom- 
mended, being by some authorities considered totally 
unfit as a labourer on a coffee plantation, as he is 
“ most unreliable, and from his nature seems to abhor 
any employment wliich demands constant and regular 
attendance.” Other authorities, again, have great 
hopes that he will become useful in the coffee fields, 
and that the more intelligent may ultimately, like the 
Japanese, be even trusted with pruning and planting 
II. and C. 31ail, June 25. 
— 
A TIN AND COFFEE COUNTRY. 
ALSO COCONUTS, FIBRES, FRUITS, 
RUBBER, &c. 
{In Conclusion.) 
I have written of coconuts and coffee as products to 
be largely produced in the near future, but have said 
little about another product, “padi” (rice in the husk) 
It is at present grown only to a very limited extent 
There are many thousands of acres lying waste on 
which it could be grown profitably, and the attention 
of Government is directed to irrigation works for 
those districts that offer the largest field for this in- 
du.stry, which is almost entirely in the hands of 
Asiatics, but not necessarily Malays, who stick to their 
ancestral fields and have little desire for pastures 
new. The fresh departure in this line is move by 
Chinese and Japanese, though the Tamils will no 
doubt eventually come in. The importance of the 
development of this industry is shown by the large 
quantity of rice annually imported up to the va'ue 
of a million-and-a-half of dollars. 
So far Perak has produced but little of the fibres 
of commerce, but the country has extensive tracts 
suitable m soil, and this, coupled with the heavy, 
well-distributed rainfall, has attracted the attention 
of those interested in Ramie grass, from which a 
beautiful fibre is produced by recent processes of de- 
cortication and degumming. As the quality of this 
fibre, ana the processes by which it can be made 
fit for the spinner, are fully and successfully proved 
there is every probability that Ramie grass growl 
mg and fibre producing will become a great indns- 
try m Perak and the other States. This fibre is 
of such excellence m strength and fineness, and the 
countries are so few where the grass can be grown profit- 
ably, by reason of droughts and climate, that it can 
hardly be overdone where the conditions are favourable. 
Fruits of va,rious kinds aie grown, but two stand 
out prominently, the mangosteen and the diirien 
ihe former is a delicious fruit, slightly acid' 
with a delicate but characteristic flavour The 
contrast between the white of the frui't and 
the purple of the rind is as striking as it is beauti- 
ful. The duiien, so far as smell is concerned is 
indescribable. All Easterns who have ever tasted it 
crave for this fruit, though the odour is overpower- 
ingly offensive and the taste to one who has tried it 
for the first and last time sicklv and re ir^rnant 
