3o6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov. I, 1897. 
that we are not going to see such a great lot of 
Central African rubbers comint; to market in the 
next few years as some other people think. Let 
the market once become overstocked with these grades, 
and prices will fall below the cost of producing and 
shipping them to market. 
AMERICAN TEA IMPORTS OF 1897. 
The total imports of tea for the year ending June 
30, 1897, were, from the countries named, as fob 
lows : — 
Pounds. 
Dollars. 
United Kingdom .. 
. . 6,212,008 
. . 2,547,371 
1,165,765 
British North America 
396,738 
China . . 
. . 56,483,924 
7,281,931 
East Indies 
. . 2,120,003 
272,683 
Japan ... 
. . 45,465.161 
5,651,279 
Other Asia and Oceanica 
454,111 
57,226 
Other countries 
60,597 
10,240 
Total.. 
.. 113,343,175 
14,835,862 
Exports 
439,577 
98,790 
Net imp'ts or cons’mpt’n 
11 2,903,-598 
14,737,072 
Net imports in 1896 
. . 93,340,248 
Increase 
. . 19,563,3,50 
Consumption, 1897, per capita 1.56 
Consumption, 1896, per capita 1.33 
Tea is the most talked-about article in the grocer’s 
stock, and yet the total import cost of one year’s 
supply is less than |15,000,000, and the retail cost 
less than |30,000,000. The tride is insignificant in 
comparison with other articles consumed, and yet it 
absorbs more attention than any other one article. 
It has always had a historical interest, a social con- 
nection ; been in favour as a stimulant, and of inter- 
est to the grocer because it is a medium for generorrs 
profits. 
The net imports, reduced to gallons of beverage, 
show a consumption of not less than 561,517,990 gal- 
lons, on a basis of five gallons of beverage to one 
pound of leaf. Some claim that one pound of leaf 
makes six gallons of beverage. When India or Ceylon 
tea is used, one pound of leaf will make from twelve 
to sixteen gallons of beverage, showing it to be the 
cheapest good stimulant in favor with consumers. — 
American Orocer, Aug. 18. 
THE TRADE IN ALOE FIBRE. 
The Indian Textile Journal writes ; — Few of our 
readers are probably aware of the increasing business 
that is now being done in the export of aloe fibre. 
There has been a continuous demand for the fibre 
from many parts of the world and it seems that if 
India can supply it in large quantities there will be 
a good future before those who will set to work and 
begin the export on a large scale. As it is, it unfor- 
tunately remains a neglected industry, in this coun- 
try, but if once regi^ar shipments are made and de- 
pended upon, a steady demand will be kept up. 
According to a correspondent, a visit to the press 
houses at Colaba would surprise many a capitalist 
in search of a profitable investment. Waggon loads 
of the fibre are sent down to Bombay from the grow- 
ing ’districts by merchants or their representatives. 
It is forwarded either in bulk or in loose bales and 
on arrival is carefully sorted by the buyer, who fixes 
his price, which varies from B75 to B.125 per ton 
according to the different qualities. It is then pressed 
into bales of the same size as cotton bales. The 
price delivered in Loudon is reported to be from £5 
to £17, so that a good margin of profit is generally 
left to the Bombay exporter. 
India, like most of the Eastern countries possesses 
a great variety of fibres ; but a very few of them are 
commercially useful. Aloe fibre grows wild in many 
part of India, the Bombay supply depending on the 
wild tracts of Central India, the whole of the Deccan 
and the Bombay Presidency, where on the coast of 
Kathiawar, and particularly in districts near Poona 
it grows in abundance. No systematic cultivation of 
the weed is yet attempted. Men, woman and children 
of the lowest caste pick the leaves in swamps and 
malarious bogs when they have no better occupation 
to follow. The work is alike unhealthy and injurious, 
as the juice of the plant causes itching of the skin, 
and in the case of sores of cuts the limbs have been 
known to swell. The families set to work in groups, 
and wbile some gather together the leaves and stems, 
the others strike the leaves, after they are dipped in 
water, against a stone, which operation separates the 
fibre from the leaves, juice, &c. This is the most 
primitive of the methods still followed in many 
districts, but of late several hand machines of some- 
what crude design have been made by which the fibre 
is extracted. Having separated the fibre in this way, 
the natives attend the bazaar with their supply and 
part with their small bundles for a very nominal con- 
sideration in the shape of food grain or copper coins. 
The fibre is used in this country either pure or mixed 
with hemp or flax for making cordage. &c. America 
exports large quantities of the flbre to all parts of Eu- 
ppe, Mauritius being next in her supply. The plant 
in these countries is, moreover systematically culti- 
vated, and the fibre being extracted by improved 
machinery, is commercially far superior to the Indian 
Aloe. — Pioneer, Sept. 9. 

PLANTING AT THE .STRAITS, 
In the “ Negri Sembilan Government Gazette” 
of Sept. 3rd, received today, we find the Report 
by tlie Coniinissioner of Lands and Mines (Mr. 
H. Conway Belfield,) f.m.s., dated Taiping, 23rd 
March, 1897, and from it we make the following 
extracts : — 
Seuemban.— The progress of coffee planting by 
Europeans is very noticeable and satisfactory. Eight 
applications of this nature were registered during the 
year, and a total area of 4,138 acres was granted for 
this purpose. 6,977 acres were surveyed, and seven 
leases were registered for this purpose alone. The 
amount of quit-rent now paid annually' in respect of 
large estates in the district owned by European plan- 
ters is |2,707.56. 
Poet Dickson.— One thousand eight hundred and 
ninety-two acres of land were alienated during the 
year, bringing the total on 31st December up to 
49,393 acres, distributed among the following descrip- 
tions of cultivation : — 
Gambier and pepper . . 23,353 acres 
Tapioca . . 21,395 „ 
Coffee, kampong, and sawah. . 4,645 ,, 
Ninety-one applications for land were received, 
embracing an area of 2,745 acres, and 195 leases were 
issued during the year. The concession of 11,000 
acres of gambier and pepper land, granted in 1876 to 
Toh Eng Sew, for twenty years, fell in during the 
year, and the land reverted to Government. 
Jelebu. — The total amount of land alienated in the 
State for agricultural purposes on 31st December 
was 2,740 acres, of which it is estimated that about 
2.000 acres is padi land. Of this quantity, 552 acres 
were alienated in 1896. The mining lands now oc- 
cupied amount to 6,514 acres, 411 acres having been 
given out in the past year, of the above area, nearly 
6.000 acres are held by the two companies above 
mentioned. 
♦ 
A CEYLON PLANTER REPORTING ON 
DOMINICA. 
In the “ Colonies and India ” of August 2Sth 
we find the following reference to a Report pre- 
sented^ to Mr. Philip Temj)ler’s Government by 
Mr. Naftel, so well-known here as a Pussellawa 
planter and afterwards pro tem, Visiting Agent to 
Me.ssi.s. Cumberbateh & Co. 
We have received a copy of the report complied 
by Mr. C. O. Naftel, late Inspector of Plantations 
in Ceylon, who, it will be remembered, was invited 
