THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
Nov. T, 1897.] 
know quite well wliat they are about, and are 
not so idiotic as to expect the same return 
from their investments when the tea average 
is 7d and exchange Is 4d, as with tea at 9d and 
exchange Is Id, The value of shares necessaiily 
fluctuates with the price of tea, and a Reserve 
Fund to equalise dividends would not prevent 
this. Annual balance sheets are carefully ex- 
amined and reserves are taken into consideration 
by purchasers of shares, but as soon as it 
becomes necessary to use such reserves for 
paying dividends, shares will fall in lalue. 
I am strongly of o]iinion that profits should 
not be reserved for future dividends, but that 
shaieholders should have the choice of doing 
what they please with the annual earnings. 
Many may wish to ‘ average ’ their investments 
by putting the money into coconuts, hotels, &c. , 
or into sterling concerns, instead of^ having it 
invested for them in a Bank at a nominal rate of 
interest. At the same time, unless a Company is 
fully capitalized, I am no advocate for dividing 
profits ‘up to the hilt.’ Almost every property 
acquired is in need of development, and if the 
subscribed or paid-up capital does not provide 
for the cost of sucli development, as well as 
for outlay on coast advances, &c., then by all 
means let the Directors reserve part of the 
profits to cover such excess expenditure. It 
may even be advisable in some instances (alas, 
that it should be so 1) to have a cash reserve 
to carry on with, when the price of tea is so low 
as not to cover cost of production.” 
PURSLANE, A ‘ BOTANICAL WONDER.” 
The common purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is one 
of the wonders of botany, as far as seeds are concerned 
at least. A single seed of this plant will produce about 
20 seed-pods in a season. The average number of 
seeds in each of these, by actual count, is 6,000, 
making 120,000 in all. As far as we have been able 
to learn, there is no instance of similar fruitfulness 
in any plant found growing in this country. A single 
plant of either the Jamestown weed (“ jimson ”), the 
butter weed, the rag weed, and some of the vervains 
produce an enormous number of seeds ; but it is 
doubtful if any one of them produces ouefourth as 
many in a year as the purslane does. 
COFFEE-PLANTING, LAND AND AGRI- 
CULTURE IN SELANGOR. 
(From Mr. Rodgers' Annual Report.) 
Europea-N Estates. — The chief cultivation was that 
of Liberian coffee, both by Europeans and Asiatics, 
and the cultivation of this product was extended 
in every district of the State. The number of plan- 
tations owned by Europeans now amounts to seventy- 
two, comprising approximately an area of 47,000 
acres, of which 10,835 have been cleared and cultiva- 
ted. The labour force employed consisted of about 
4,000 men, chiefly Tamils and Javanese. I am glad to 
be able to record that several Ceylon planters, "among 
whom was the Hon. T. N. Christie, the planters re- 
presentative in the Council, Ceylon, took up land 
in Selangor during the past year. The whole of the land 
selected by these gentlemen was in the Klang district, 
but some of it was situated at Damansara, a place 16 
miles inland from the coast 
NativeHoldings. — The areaiheld by natives approxi- 
mately amounts to 60,000 acres. The cultivation 
of coffee has largely increased, but that of rice, and 
other products of tropical agriculture, has made com- 
paratively little progress, and still leaves much to 
be desired. Regulations are now being considered 
for ensuring the simultaneous planting of rice, so 
31 1 
as to minimise the damage caused to the crops by 
wild pigs, rats, etc., and the whole question of the 
best means to encourage and assist native planters 
is one of which should be taken into consideration 
at the first general conference of Federal represen- 
tatives. 
Coffee Curing. — There is a small coffee-curing 
establishment at K'ang, now owned by a Chinam-an, 
which is of great use to native planters in the neigh- 
bourhood, but it is to be hoped that some firm of 
European merchants will soon see their way to 
establish a factory on a large scale, either in the 
Colony or Federated States, to which European coffee 
planters will send their produce to be treated, as is the 
practice in Ceylon. The export of coffee increased 
from 5,395 cwt. in 1895 to 8,388 cwt. in 1896. 
Planters’ Association. — The Selangor Planters’ 
Association has given valuable assistance to the Gov- 
ernment, and its Chairman, Mr. E. V. Carey, was 
selected to represent the State on the Labour Com- 
mission. The various local associations have now 
been amalgamated, and a central association has been 
formed, representating the planting interests of all 
the Malay States. 
NEW PRODUCTS IN THE KELANI 
VALLEY (CEYLON). 
With reference to our remarks on another page, 
we are able to quote the views of a proprietor 
as follows : — 
“ (1) Arecas don’t pay. I think that where they 
are grown on tea estates (and there are several 
estates which have them) the coolies are allowed to 
gather the nuts for themselves. 
“ (2) Pepper and nutmegs are troublesome subjects 
and Superintendents with the careful attention they 
have, or ought, to give to tea have not the time to 
devote to their successful cultivation. I do not think 
that these minor products can be made to pay (in 
Ceylon) the value of European supervision 1 ” 
This simply means that tea, even now, is too 
profitable to make it worth while to attend to 
minor products. Should misfortune overtake 
tea, the case will be very dill'erent ! After coffee 
failed in Ceylon, business in vegetables and milk 
and butter even was not despised by upcountry 
planters. It would be well, therefore, to keep plant- 
ing arecas and nutmegs in the Kelani Vailey against 
the chance of an evil day to come. The coolies can 
soon be taught not to steal when they see the 
durai in earnest about his crop ; while as re- 
gards the trouble involving in growing and 
cropping the pepper-vine and preparing the pro- 
duct, all this is as nothing to the trouble taken 
over tea — at one time thought to be far beyond 
the Ceylon planter and his coolies. Surely one 
or two coolies, well up in “ pepper,” could he got 
doivn from that part of Southern India, which 
supplies for export some 22-2,383 lb. of pepper 
every year ; while the export from Ceylon once 
considerable has dwindled to a mere trifle. 

BRITISH NORTH BORNEO. 
(Wednesday, September 1.) 
Rhea cultivation has, we may note, justbeen com- 
menced in the Suan Lambah district. Several thou- 
sand plants have been put in. Peop’e desirous of 
seeing the beautiful fibre it produces with specimens 
of cloth, canvas and belting manufactured from it 
can do so at the B.N. Borneo Museum. ’ 
We hear that Mr. Hastings has had some good 
plants of tobacco raised on the Arendsberg Com- 
pany’s ground near Tawao, in view of that Company’s 
early opening of an estate there. The tobacco is re- 
ported to have grown well and to be very fine. The 
Company will commence work in September. A 
commencement has also been with made the neces- 
sary buildings. 
