3i8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov, I, 1897. 
(4) No, as regards coffee. 
(5) No, yon -would never get coolies (o dif-criminate 
between the different -weeds. 
(6) No. 
(7) Faiilv so, wciild have more water-holes cut. 
( 8 ) ‘ 
(9) Yes, here ccolicshave their garden but fe-w take 
the trouble to cultivate them. 
(10) No, certainly not. 
(11) No, no 1 think the amrunt of drunkenness 
auicngst coolies greatly exaggeiated. T.C.H. 
“IHE GELVILLEA ROBESTA” IN THE 
PLANTING UlbTEICTS OF CEYLON: 
BIG TEEES : AND Y'HAT THE LITTER 
OF LEAVES MIGHT HAVE DONE 
FOR COFFEE ? 
A planting cone.spondent write.s 
"lie your editorial note about size of Grevillea 
trees, There are six very oid trees t:ear 
niy bungalow. Mr. told me they were 
large trees when he came to the district, 26 
years ago. I measured the circumterence of tliem 
yesterday and find the large.st stretches the ta]>e 
at 6ft. 2in., a 'oot above t lie groui.d.'’ 
Well, done we say ! The size given is 
not far from the maximum size quoted of 
■S feet in circumference. The tiees referred to 
are on a well-known Kotmale estate, and cannot 
be over 34 years old (if so much) because as 
“ Senex ” showed the other day, no plants 
were issued from Peradeniya Gaidens before 
1862 or 1863. 
In this connection, it is of interest, while noting 
the general testimony to the value of the 
“ grevillea ” planted in tea fields, to ask w hether, 
if it had been generally adopted as a shade 
tree in the colice era, its ))resence and bene- 
ficial intluence -would have delayed, or pi evented, 
the ruin of our old staple ? One projirietory 
planter writing from a high district expresses 
his opinion on this ]ioint as follows : — 
“ I know by practical experience that the good 
done by (irevillcas is great. Every acre of tea 
OJ-, 01 , r — ! places (naming an old coffee dis- 
trict) has been planted with them, and I am plant- 
ing up this estate as fast as I can. I think there 
are many acres of coffee that have been cut out 
and idanted with tea, which, had we know'n the 
value of grevilleas, would still be bearing paying 
crops of the old staple.” 
Has this been tested at all on any of few coffee 
fields still remaining to ns ? Or is it^ too late, 
even now to make an experiment? What does 
“ Senex,” as an old coffee planter, say to the use 
of grevilleas among coffee ? 
the nyassaland coffee company^, ld. 
A general meeting of the Nyassaland Coffee 
Company, Limited, was lield on -the 2.6111 Sept, at 
the Registered Office of the Company in Raillie 
Street." Mr. G. K. Deaker luesided and the 
others present were Messrs. E. Macindoe, W. 
Shakespeare, J. H. Carson, R. D. Carson and H. 
Creasy. Mr. Jameson was re))resented by his 
attorney Mr. Macindoe. Tlie following report 
was adopted ; 
Superintendence.— Since last year s report was pre- 
«puted to the Shareholders, the Directors regret to 
vpuort that Mr. G. M. Crahbe had to resign his 
uositiou owing to ill-health, Mr. L. T. Moggiidge 
was appointed in his place, and with Mr. S. Robins 
looks after the Company’s interests in Nyassaland. 
Procress of Work. — During the financial year which 
Closed in Nyassaland on the 31st March, 1897, 240 
acres were opened and planted, making a total planted 
acreage of 250 acres. 
Owing to the failure of a h rge rursei-y which was 
destroyed by grub, the cxpendilme on plants has 
been more than anticipated. A email consignment of 
seed frem Brazil also proved a complete failure, none 
ojit having germinated. 
Estimate for season 1897-98. — The Superintendent 
has estimated for a fuither 250 acres to be opened 
and plan led this year, but the Directors hope that 
he will be able 10 manage at least 500 acres, and 
have advised him accordingly. Labour is reported 
to be plentiful, and ihe only difficulty is the secur- 
ing of an adequate supply of plants. Should ad- 
ditional European supervision be required, the Direc- 
tors have auihoiized the Supciintei dent to engage 
that on the spot. The health of the Superintendent 
and Assi-tant Superintendent, the Directors are glad 
to report, is fairly good. 
Purchase of Land. — During the year the title for the 
2,0n0-acre block arrived, and the purchase was carried 
through. The Company now owns 3,476 acres in all, 
which was the acreage stated in the Prospectus to 
be purchased. 
The Ilf gotiatiens for the acquisition of an adjoining 
estate in partial bearing relerred to in Directors’ 
previous report fell through, and the money in hand 
will be devoted solely to the development of the al- 
ready purchased land. 
Mr J. H. Carson retires by lot fiom the board of 
Directors, but is eligible for re-election. It will be 
necessary to appoint an auditor for the ensuing year. 
Cakson & Co., Agents and Secretaries. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Royal Gakdens, Kew. — Bulletin of Miscellaneous 
lufonnation. Cements for February and March, 
1897 : — A Lily Bulb Disease ; Tengah Bark ; West 
India Sugar Tiade; Prices of Home-grown Timber 
for 1896 ; Myrrh ; Botanical Exploration in Yunnan ; 
Kino from Myristica nialabraica ; Cultivation of 
Cotton in Egypt; Papain; Miscellaneous Notes. 
The Nya.ssala.n!D Coffee Coy’-s Directors 
have not a very bright account to render of their 
stewardship so far; but they liavenot al ated one jot 
of their faith in the enterprise and ho[ie to have 
500 acres added in the cuirent year to the 250- 
acres already planted with coffee. Well one. — 
that area sh.nild give a fair trial to the capabi- 
lities of B. C. Africa. 
Expedition to Torres Straits and Oceana. 
— At the sitting at Toronto of the Antliropolo- 
gical Section of tlie British Association (for 
which lie is Secretaiy) Professor Haddon — ac- 
cording to the London Times — presented a leport 
“ on the necessity of the immediate investigation of 
the anthropology of oceanic islands.” Next Spring 
Professor Haddon is to renew his acquaintance 
with Tories Straits and Soutli Pacific isles 
in order to linisli his investigations there. 
The Council of Cambridge University have 
made him a grant of £300 for this Expedi- 
tion and while he will be in command he will 
have five or six assistants. From a correspond- 
ent’s letter on the subject we quote as follotvs : — 
Blr. Ray, the greatest living expert on the lan- 
guages of the Pacific, will study the languages. Two 
young Cambiidge honours men (medical) — very Clevel- 
and extremely cultured — will more particularly study 
the physiology of the senses and experimental psycho- 
logy. This class of work has nev. r been done on sava- 
ges and will be quite a new line of research. An- 
other man is an under-graduate, a History student, 
and a first-class photographer who has published a 
book “Through Egypt, With a Cameia.” The two 
medicos are rich and pay their own passage money 
there and back, (100 guineas each) ; and another £400 
is needed which will have to be raised before the party 
starts. Savages are fast disappearing and the work 
must be done at once. 
