Oct. I, 1897. J 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
Dandelion {Taraxacum officinale, Wigg.). — No indents 
£ov dandelion rrot were received during the year 
from any of the Medical Stores departments, and so 
the crop here has not yet been lifted. It can well 
be left growing for another year or longer without 
deteriorating in value. 
Chiretta. — Messrs. Ettbannaya & Co., Mangalore, 
wrote for information regarding the “ chiretta ” plant 
in this Presidency. They were informed that the 
true “ chiretta ” plant {Swertia Chirafa, Buclt. — Ham.) 
s a native of the mountainous regions of Northern 
Indii and that i"; is not found in Southern India, but 
that a substitute for it {Exacum hieolor, Ro.xb.) ap- 
peared to be used in Ootacamund. The nature of their 
inquiry led the Curator to suspect that it was just 
possible that a substitute for the true species might 
be used here. He accordingly obtained two samples 
of the dried “ chiretta ” plant — one from the Oota- 
camund Baziarand the other from the Ootacamund 
Hospital. Both proved upon examination to be 
identical, namely, E.cacum hieolor, Ro.vh. — a native of 
the Deccan Peninsula. Although belonging to differ- 
ent genera’ both species belong to the same natural 
order (Gentianaceae), and, therefore, doubtless possess 
bitter tonic properties in common. 
The Douglas I'ir {P.^emlotanga Douglasii, Carr .). — 
The District Forest-officer, Nilgiris, forwarded a 
packet of seeds of this specie.? with the request that 
they might be sown and, should they germinate, that 
he would like to have h ilf the resultant seedlings, 
the other half to be kept for the gardens. The seeds 
were sown in two boxes on ihe 26th October 1896 
and it has been interesting to watch the process of 
germination of the seeds of this conifer. A certain 
proportion of the seeds germinated in three weeks, 
and the remainder have been germinating in suc- 
cession, week after week, till the end of March: in 
other words, the process of germination has been 
going on in succession over a period of live months. 
The seedlings are only about 1 to I 4 inch in height 
at present, but they are in a perfectly healthy and 
promising condition. This species grows to a height 
of 1.50 to 200 feet, and forms immense forests in 
British Columbia and Oregon. Many of the precipi- 
tous slopes on the higher parts of the Nilgiris might 
be profitably planted with species belonging to the 
natural order Coniferas. 
♦ 
COFFEE-GHOWING AT CAIRNS, 
N. QUEENSLAND. 
From the Cairns Post we reprint the following ex- 
tracts from a private letter written by a well-known 
re sident to a friend in England in reply to queries 
re coffee and sugar growing in the district: — “On 
the low-lying lands between the sea-coast and the 
foot of the Cairns ranges, the climate from about 
September to March is more or less damp and steamy, 
of course, perfectly suitable for tropical agriculture, 
such as sugar, which is fast becoming a very large 
industry. There is plenty of scope for sugar-planters ; 
the soil is rich and well watered ; rainfall very good ; 
remaining mouths of the year are cool and pleasant. 
Ascending the range by railway, a sort of hilly table- 
land occurs, which extends inland, but which, for 
some miles around the vicinity of Kuranda and ex- 
tending in each direction about parallel with the 
coast, is covered with dense tropical scrub. The soil 
is exceedingly rich in many places, and this portion 
of the tableland is from 1,100 to 1,600 feet above 
sea-level, and averages about six miles from the coast. 
This prevents frost in the cool months ; and the sea 
breezes in the warm mouths, being above the influence 
of evaporation, are very cool and pleasant. The 
thermometer goes down to about 36 degrees in win- 
ter, and averages about 83 degrees in summer. Fur- 
ther inland again, at Atherton, about fifty miles 
from Cairns, lies an immense belt of agricultural 
country covered with very heavy scrub full of valu- 
able timbers. The land about Atherton is about 
2,500 feet above sea-level. 
241 
“Frosts occur in the cold months, and the climate 
with the exception of about three months out of the 
year, is probably as near perfection as it is possible 
to be. The soil about Athertcn is generally consi- 
dered to be amongst the richest in Australia. The 
rainfall is also good. The average rainfall at Cairns 
and on the adjoining ranges is about 80 to ICO 
inches per annum, well distributed. It is generally 
considered that along the top of the range or table- 
land, where the soil is good and no frost occurs, is 
the best place for growing coffee. There is no doubt, 
as has been proved, that at any rate up to about 
six years the coffee-trees grow exceptionally well 
and bear heavily when properly planted, but a lot 
yet remains to be proved before the industry can 
be called a perfect success, although enough has been 
proved to warrant anyone going in for it with an 
exceptionally good chance of success. With regard 
to labour, there is a moderate supply of Kanaka labour 
available, which is good labour. Wages are from 
£16 to £18 per annum and find them in food. 
Children (who pick well) are available to cope with 
it for some years to come. From the crops already 
picked, it is generally expected that, with 430 trees 
ts the acre, about half a ton of dried beans to the 
acre may be relied on when the tree is five years 
old; the trees generally commence to bear when 
three years old, and the dried beans are worth about 
£90 per ton. The price of laud is £4 per acre, 
varying in different localities. Anyone going in for 
coffee, by looking well around, might possibly pick 
up good bargains. The approximate cost of pur- 
chasing and preparing uncleared scrub land per acre 
fen- coffee would be about as follows : — 
Purchase of land, say .. .. £4 
Clearing and burning off scrub . . 4 
Grubbing up stumps , , . , 8 
Digging holes for plants .. .. 6 
Etc. .. .. .. .. 1 
£22 
“To put, therefore, say 20 acres under coffee would 
cost approximately as follows; — 
Purchase of land, preparing same 
and planting coffee, 20 acres at 
£22 per acre . . . . 
440 
0 
0 
Fencing, say . . 
60 
0 
0 
Dwelling-house, say .. .. 
160 
0 
0 
Farming implements and horses 
about 
100 
0 
0 
Cultivating plantation for say. 
three years until trees bear, allow 
160 
0 
0 
Contingencies, allow . . . , 
50 
0 
0 
£950 0 0 
“Add to this the cost of living, say, for three 
years. When trees are three years old you could 
expect a small return, which W'ould increase to full 
returns when the trees are five years old. Half a 
ton of dried beans would be worth £4b, and the profit 
per acre could be estimated at £20, accordi; g to 
present prices, which are considered lasting. Tlmt 
is : By an expenditure of, say, £950, and cost of 
living for three years, you should expect a return from 
20 acres of coffee of about £400 per annum in five 
years from sowing the seed; allow about profit of 
£200 the fourth year. I may mention also that 
there are many other things that can be grown with 
more or less profit besides coffee and sugar, such as 
oranges, lemons, limes, citrons, mangoes, coconuts, 
bananas, maize, rice, ginger, pineapples, and many 
other things. Going further inland, there are immenie 
tracts of lich mineral and pastoral country, produc- 
ing gold, copper, tin, and silver, and carrying thou- 
sands of cattle. For anyone with a moderate amount 
of capital, and a fair stock of health and energy, 
especially young fellows witli the best part of their 
lives before them, I think there are few better places 
than this for them to make a start and expect a 
good return for their outlay. 
“ It must be noted that the above approximate es- 
timate of outlay aud profit refers to men who are 
not used to n-amuU labour themselves, and wool • 
