Nov, 1, 1897.] the tropical AGRICULTURIST. 319 
CEYLON F.S'. JAVA : 
COFFEE CULTURE IN EAST JAVA BY 
CEYLON PLANTERS. 
COFFEE IN QUEENSLAND. 
There is really no eoini'tarisoii between the 
extent, population an 1 natural resources of 
Java — one of the richest islands in tlie world 
— and Ceylon witli its comparatively poor soil 
and scant population. Nevertheless, for political 
vcasonp, the British Government whs to 
exchan;,;e Java for Ceylon with the Dutch at 
the peace of 1815. It w'as _ rightly felt that the 
geographical position of this island made it in- 
disiTensable to the Power holding India. 
At the last Census in 1891, the Western 
Province of Ceylon was found to be occujtied 
at the rate of 532 persons to the square mile ; 
but at the other end of the scale, we had only 
19 to the mile in the North-Central Province. 
Even in the Western Province there is still a 
considerable area of unoccupied land, under 
forest or low jungle. Rut if the whole island 
were occupied at the same ratio as this provinee, 
Ceylon would have in its area of 2.5,333 square 
miles, a population of ISj millions — which is 
probably, over rather than under the maximum 
population reached in the palmiest days of native 
rule from Anuradhapuia. 
Let us now turn to Java, and w’e find from 
the Stateman’s Year book that, while the Dutch 
claim to hold in their Netherlands Indies (it*- 
eluding lai’ge divisions of New’ Guinea and 
Borneo) no less than 736,400 square miles of 
territory with a population of 33 millions, the 
gem of their “Indies” isun d of in “Java and 
Madura” covering 50,554 square miles with a 
population of over 25 millions. Java, therefore, 
with double the area of Ceylon, has more than 
eight times our population ! Of Europeans, Java 
has four times as many as Ceylon. Indeed, 
Java on the average is as thickly populated as 
the South-western division ot this island, while 
its soil is far superior and its means of com- 
munication are not one whit behind. At the 
end of 1894, Java had over 1,000 English miles 
of railway open, and by this time has probably 
four to five times the mileage existing- in Ceylon. 
It is no wonder, thei’efore, that Britisli capital- 
ists have been attracted to Java, and more 
especially, that Ceylon planters partly because 
shut out here from further iii vestments through the 
embargo laiil on Crown lands, but more especially 
in order to try coffee, rather than tea, in a new 
division of a country w'ith virgin soil — shouhi 
have found their w’ay to .Jav.a. 
Our attention has been called to tl e sub- 
ject through information which has leaclied us, 
respecting the success of the coffee enteriwise 
already undertaken by seveial well-known Cey- 
lon proiirietors in East Java. Messrs. D. and 
J. R. Fairweather, in association w'ith Mr. J. H, 
Starey, to(dc uj) a block of 4,000 acres in that 
cpiarter, of which altogether 1,300 acres have 
now been o))8neil as Glen Nevis estate with 
“Arabian coffee” in successive dealings which 
range from one, two, three to four yea's old, 
the largC't (about ,500 acres) being in its third 
year. That the venture is proving a success 
may be judged from the fact that the crop 
gathered this year aggregated 6,000 cwt. 
J'he labour suiqdy is described as ample, though 
the rale of pay — the standard being a gold 
one in Java — is not quite so cheap as in 
Ceylon. Rut the Javanese and Madurese 
employed are of a manly type and do good 
work. Not far off’ is the block taken up by 
Messrs. Rutherford, Todd and Talbot — some 
2,000 acres, of which 300 to 400 acres have 
been planted, the oldest coffee being over tw'o 
years. Whether Messrs. W’elldon and Duns- 
mure are to invest in the same division, as 
the result of a recent visit, is not known to us 
at present. Elsewhere in “old Java,” if we may 
so call it, Mr. A. E. W'’right and a relative 
have taken up an existing estate and .are well 
plec.sed with their tea as well as Liberian 
coffee and cinchona. Everywhere there is the 
same rich volcanic soil ; and w’hile the last- 
named gentlemen are in the midst of the 
well-occupied planting districts corniTianding road 
and rail, the locomotive line constructed through 
the heart of the island had, at last report, 
got w'ithin a few miles of that part of East 
Java w'here Glen Nevis and its sister estates 
are situated. 
So far, we have been writing on what may 
seem partial information, although the figures 
given are beyond dispute ; but we are in a 
position to add the opinion of a competent 
and disinterested observer by quoting a 
letter from Mr. Donald Mackay to Mr. 
D. Fairweather, which has been courteously 
placed at our disposal (to be followed, we 
trust, by another after Mr. Mackay has actually 
gone over Glen Nevis plantation). Meantime, 
here k what he writes : — 
Soerabaya, Java, Sept. 7. 
“ I arrived here on the 6th yesterday, Mr. Sohiff 
met me and has shown me every kindness. I find 
however that the direct overland route to the Glens 
involves a very rough walk over the mountains and 
disabled, as I partially am, from a severe attack of 
lumbago, I cannot face that part of the journey and 
muse wait departure of local steamer on 13th for 
Banjoe wangi. This will of course involve a much 
longer stay in the island than I anticipated, but as 
I came to see the Glens I am unwilling to leave 
the principal part of my journey unaccomplished 
I expect to be back in Batavia early next month. 
I have been through the curing mill here and find it 
crowded with “ Glen Nevis” which has produced a 
fine bold parchment superior to anything else in the 
place Reckoning roughly and mentally what you have 
had this season, I make out something like 10 cwt. 
per acre which is simply enormous for coffee of four 
and three years old and speaks volumes for the soli 
and climate. It is possible the trees may have over- 
done themselves this year in giving this wonderful 
crop vvhich I believe excels anything known before 
in the is land. 1 shall be interested in seeing the 
condition of the trees after bearing such]a heavy crop. 
It is unfortunate I am so late, as crop is all over and 
I shall be seeing the trees at their worst.” 
We ilo not expect tb.at Mr. Mackay will find 
inucli the matter w'ith Glen Nevis trees even 
after bearing so heavy ,a crop, considering the 
dopMi and ricline.ss of the .soil. So far, we 
understand, the Dutch authorities liave been 
very considerate, if not liberal, towards the 
British eapitalist.s. It is their de.sire that the 
enterprise by “foreigners” in their territory 
should, if possible, be located in the one extensive 
and hitherto unoccupied district ; and from 
all W’e learn, we should be inclined to pin our 
failh more to this coffee inve.stment in East 
J.iva than to the Dumont Company venture in 
Brazil. 
Mr. J. R. Fairw’eather, who has been 
suil'eiing f om fever, left Colombo by the 
Orient steamer for a trip to New Zea- 
land, returning via Queensland and Torres 
iStraits to Java, where his brother and partner, 
