174 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept, i, 1897. 
to the lime, magnesia and common salt. A few in- 
telligent coconut planters consider it more economi- 
cal to burn the husks and return the ashes to the 
soil than to sell the husks at rates, including deli- 
very, of from III to R3'50 per 1,000 according to the 
distance from the estate of the Fibre Works. The 
results of my analysis quite confirm this view ; and, 
as soon as it comes to be generally recognized and 
acted upon, the price of husks must rise, to the 
benefit of the cultivator. 
It will be observed that the ash of the husk of 
a seaside nut is very rich in common salt; indeed, 
more so than the ashes of many marine plants. 
This led me to determine whether or not a consi- 
derable portion of this might not be simply a de- 
posit on the outside of the husk from the sea air. 
A pretty large nut weighing 3'8 lb. was, therefore, 
washed with distilled water, and the amount of salt 
in the solution determined ; but it only amounted 
to a little over one-tenth of a pound per 1,000 nuts. 
Tne coconut husk is not unique as regards the 
large amount of common salt in its ashes; thus, the 
ash of the root of the Mangold- wurzel contains 49'5, 
and the ash of the leaves of the same plant con- 
tains 37'7 per cent of common salt. 
In order to ascertain how much common salt is 
really necessary to the proper development of the 
coconut husk, analyses would have to be made of 
well-grown husks from trees situated far from the sea. 
The common salt in the husk is got rid of to a 
large extent in the process of steeping the husks. 
Thus, in the drainage water from pits on which 
coconut husks have been steeped in well-water, I 
have found, when analysing the same on behalf of 
the Colombo Municipality, chlorine equivalent to from 
34 to 44 grains per gallon of common salt, the greater 
part of which must have come from the husks. 
M. COCHRAN. 
THE SAN PAULO COFFEE ESTATE CO., LD. 
As everything beaiing on tropical products in- 
terests us, we quote as follows from the pros- 
pectus of this Company : — 
This Company has been formed to acquire certain 
coffee estates and other properties in Brazil, which 
Messrs. Schroder Gebruder & Co., of Hamburg (the 
vendors to the Company), have agreed to acquire 
from the Conde de Sao Clemente, who has been in 
possession of the estates for many years. The pro- 
perty as described in the accompanying memorandum 
shows an area of about 9,225 acres (3,735 hectares) 
of coffee land and about 5,981 acres (2,541 hectares) 
of other land, and is situate in the province of Sao 
Simao, and is comprised of the estates of Santa 
Olympia, Sao Joaquim and Chanaan, which are con- 
tiguous and at a distance of six, 10, and 18 kilo- 
metres respectively from Serra Azul station, on the 
Mogyana Railroad. Messrs. Zerrenner, Bulow & Co., 
of Sa'n Paulo, in Brazil, reported upon the property 
at the request of Messrs. Schroeder Gebruder & Co, 
A copy of their report .accompanies this prospectus. 
From the memorandum and report it appears — 
Approximately Santa Olympia contains SlOalqueires 
of coffee land and about 979,000 coffee trees ; Sao 
.Joaquim contains 236 alqueires of coffee land and 
about 232,.300 coffee trees ; Chanaan contains 497^ 
alqueires of coffee land and about 390,000 trees. In 
addition thereto there are at Chanaan about 1,000 
alqueires, and at Santa Olympia 50 alqueires, of low 
grounds for other cultivation and pasturage. 
The coffee plant comes into good bearing after the 
plants are six years old, and it will be seen from 
the following table that the plants are of various 
ages, young plants coming on in rotation : — 
years old. years old. 
140.000 being 17 | 93,000 being 5 
88,000 ,, 14 I 25,000 ,, 4 
ir,.),0U0 ,, 9 to 13 I 132,000 „ 2 to 3 
1.75.000 „ 8 to 10 I 259,300 „ 1 to 3 
I 1,601,300 trees. 
There is amongst the coffee land about 2,720 acres 
g,vailable for for further planting. The estates are 
equipped with dwellings, machinery, workshops' and 
various appliances for the management of the estates, 
accommodation for labourers, and other appliances 
suitable for a large business, and on the property is 
a railway and a canal belonging the estates. 
The railway connects the estates with each other 
and places them in connection with Serra Azul 
Station on the Mogyana Line. The estate railway 
measures about 32 kilometres with branches and sid- 
ing-, and is used, not only for the carriage of produce 
of the estates, but also for the carriage of produce 
of surrounding estates, and arrangements have been 
made with the Mogyana Railway Company under 
which that company pays 8 milreis for every tiu. 
of coffee delivered at Serra Azul Station b\ the 
estates railway. The Company acquires the, ,,ei.efil 
of this arrangement. 
As therein stated, the returns of coffee sent to 
Santos, and the amounts realised, after dcJiicCnu of 
the expenses from the estates to Santos, are gi' . : i — 
1894, 62,099 arrobas, realising l,061.00tjSoUU, cal- 
culated at the exchange of 7|-d.=£34,813. 
1895, 64,461 arrobas, realising 1,271,0008000, cal- 
culated at the exchange of 7Sd. = £4l,7U4. 
*1896 (approximately) 104,000 arrobas, realising 
about 1,700,000.8000, calculated at the exchange of 
7;Jd. £'55,781. 
*Since ascertained. 
The 1897 crop, now being picked under- 
very favourable conditions, is esiimated at a 
minimum of 80,000 arrobas— a diminution in 
the yield as anticipated and explained in 
Messrs. Zerrenner, Bulow A Uo.’s report — which 
further puts the future production at an average yield 
of 125,000 to 130,000 arrobas, owing to the increasing 
production of the younger plants, of which there 
are a large proportion. 
125,000 arrobas at the present de- 
pressed price, 9^200 per 10 kilos, 
equal to 13f.S00 per arroba, would 
give . . . . . . . . . . 1,725,000$000 
Less expenses as hitherto incurred, 
5|900 
per arroba . . . . . . . . 737,500$000 
Would yield a net return of 987,500$000 
At the exchange of say 7gd £32,402 
There are other sources of revenue arising from 
trading profits on commodities bought by the colo- 
nists and others in the ireighbourhood — also from 
railway traffics on goods other than those carried 
for the Company. 
The annual amount required to provide 
for the interest on the debentures now offered 
is £8,800 
The amount required for the sinking fund is 4,000 
The amount required to pay th“ interest on 
the preferred shares annually is . . . . 8,400 
Total amount required for the present 
issue . . . . • • • • • • • • £21,200 
Lea' ing a considerable surplus for contingencies and 
dividend on the deferred shares. 
The Company has entered into a contract for the 
acquisition of the property and estates and the 
provision of working capital hereinafter mentioned, 
in consideration of the issue to Messrs. Schroder 
Gebriider & Co. and the Conde' de Sao Clemente, 
and their nominees, of the whole of the share capital 
of the Company, and the whole of the first mort- 
gage debentures, all credited as fully paid up, or of 
the proceeds thereof, and the issue of mortgage 
debentures and preferred shares is now made on be- 
half of the vendors. The 15,000 deferred shares are 
held by the Conde Sao Clemente, the present pro- 
prietor, the vendors and their friends. 
The vendors agree to provide the Company with 
£10,000 sterling in cash for working capital, and to 
bear aird pay all costs, charges and expenses what- 
ever, including legal expenses, printing, advertising 
and brokerage, the investigation of title, and thu 
transfer of the property and all stamps in Englan 
