702- 
THE TROPICAL AGRICLLTURIST, [Ari<n. i, 1898. 
still saw no reason why they should not weather the 
storm. Ceylon, with a com aratively worn-out soil, 
had passed through a worse crisis, ana now, thanks to a 
nourishing tea industry, rvas one of the most pros- 
perous of our Colonies. In Selangor they had virgin 
soil and coffeo w s not the only product winch would 
grow there. lie wouli parti rulariy Jim w their atten- 
tion to Mr. Derry’s report on the Kc.ala Kingsar 
rubber trees, which deserved their careful a tention. 
The report was being printed and would be s^nt to 
all members sliortly. Tue Klang land was raucli the 
same aa at Kuala Kaugsar, where such excellent results 
had been obtained, and, in his opinion, there was a 
tremendous lot of money in Para rubber. Coconuts 
also could be seen in the Kiang district growing in 
perfect harmony with the coffee, which looked ex- 
ceedingly healthy and was bearing heavily. There 
was one very important point whicli he thought had 
received insufficient attention, and that was the curing 
of their coffee. When Mr. Stephens, at a meeting of 
the United Planters’ Association, suggested that ex- 
pert opinion should be obtaiiiei from .Java, many of 
us thought such not necessary and that we had uotliing 
to learn, but there was no getting away from the fact 
that in Java the planters had got the muket in their 
favour, whereas our Coffee was not eagerly sought 
after. The more he studied this question the more 
convinced he became that we had nearly everything yet 
to learn on this important subject, and lie could not 
too strongly urge upon all of them the necessity of 
experimenting, as was being done by a planter at 
Kajang, who had already made some most valuable 
experiments. 
From the Selangor Report we learn. — 
The actual increase of land under coffee should bo 
Q,I54 acres, as tiOO acres of land under tapioca, included 
in the 1896 statistics, have gone out of cultivation this 
year. These returns cannot be regarded as other than 
satisfactory in view of the fact that whereas in 
December, 1890, the market quotation for No. 1 
Liberian Coffee was f 31 the price has now fallen to 
§19. That this latter figure shows quite au abnormal 
condition of things, your Coniniittee feel convinced, 
and that, with improved curing, a re-action will set 
in appears merely a matter of time, for the Straits 
Settlements can always nure than hoid i's own with 
regard to cost of production as compared with Rio and 
Santos, whose huge crops have contributed so largely 
to the present depressed condition of tlie coffee market. 
At the same time, it is evident that coffee planters 
must turn their attention to the cultivation of other 
products as well, and your Committee are glad to be 
able to report that a large number of the valuable 
Para rubber trees have been planted and that coconuts 
and ramie, the latter at present on a small scale by 
way of experiment, have both received their share 
of attention. 
Ramie. — The impoitarce of the ramie industry was 
brought to the notice of Government and assistance 
was asked to provide for an expert to visit Selaugcr 
and report on the suitability of the various districts 
tor tlic cultivation of this product. The reply of the 
local Government was unfavourable; but, in view of 
the fact that both the Indian and Dutch Governments 
have olfer-td ccusiderable pecuniary assistance in 
connection with Uic ramie industry, and the eulliva- 
tion being one Wliidi may greatly add to the pros- 
perity oi the Federated Malay dates, your Com- 
mittee addressed the I nited Flaiiiets’ Association on 
the subject asking that body to bring the matter to the 
notice of tho Resident-General. We regret to say that 
the Resident-General regarded this question in the 
light of class legislation and on this score could hold 
out no-hopes of Goveruniont assistance. 
,A memorandum from Mr, Wray, Curator and Btato 
G-doiogist of Perak, was however, published for the 
information of planters, and was altogether un- 
favourable to the prospects of ramie cultivation in this 
country ; but the opinions of the different authorities 
who have studied this subject or so entirely contradic- 
tory that your Committee cannot regard the fiat of 
Mr. Wray as in any way conclusive, nor do they see 
bow the application of a State grant towards the cUici* 
dation of a question of such importance to Europeans 
au i natives alike can be fairly described as legislation 
for a class. 
As regards the prospects of Coii'oe crops we liave 
llieso tiguro-s : — 
Statistics collected from those in favour of a general 
curing establishment, with the object of approaching 
well known curing companies in Cevlou and other 
countries and inviting them to erect a "Large store in a 
enitable locality in Selangor. 
1. Acreage under cultivation in 1893 .. 11,992J acres 
2. Estimated crop in piculs, (or 1898 . . 12 633 piculs 
.1 „ 1899 .. 21.179 „ 
-1- .. , „ „ 1900 .. 33,093 „ 
» .. n „ 1901 .. 53,290 „ 
.. „ 1902 .. 64,533 „ 
(A picul IS 133J lb. English.— Ed.) 
Tiiriiingnow, to the United Planters’ gathering, 
it is interesting to note so many names known in 
Ceylon : — 
Mr. T U Hill [ChcLiViiiiiit)^ Messrs. E V Carey, L. 
Dongal, C Meikle, •! R Watsou, M Cumming, H d’E 
Darby (Members of Committee,) M Stonor, AB Lake, 
J C Pa^rqiial, R Munro, A-T Thackwell.S W Moorhouse, 
II \J D.a-by, F Callaway, Log.ui Tod, Hughes, C G 
Glassford, R C. Kindersley, S M Parry, J D Toynbee, 
P’ B Hicks, Brooke, Shepherd, Tom Gibson, (Store- 
tanj.) By proxy: W Coates, J McClymont, J B 
Douglas, Horace Brett, Q McClymont and H 
Tunnicliffe. Visitor, Mr. Chubb. 
Experimental Gardens form a suliject of dis- 
cu-^siou and the Planters’ Coniniittee ■orniulated 
a scheme : 
(ft) That a Committee or Committees be formed 
composed of two Government nominees and two or 
more resident planters in the State or States where 
the gardens are situated; 
(5) lhat the Government allow a block or blocks 
of land high and low to be selected by such Com- 
mittee or Committees for the purpose of cultivating 
economical plants ; ° 
(c) That the Government provide a vote of §15,000 
for the first year, waich will oe disbu sed as the Com- 
mittee think most advantageous, in salary of manager, 
wages, of labourers, purchase of plants and other 
necessary items of expenditure ; 
(d) That the Coniinilteo furnish ettimates for the 
first twelve months working ; 
(c) ihat applicants have the right to plants in such 
rotation as the Committee may appoint, alw'ays pro- 
vided that one applicant shall not have a prior right 
to a second allotment of plants until all demands have 
been met in turn ; 
rL) That members of Committee shall, in rotation, 
undertake to inspect the books to be kept and to report 
on the works and arecus fora fixed period of a. year 
and to see that the gardens are managed upon a com- 
mercial basis. 
The Kesiclenb-Getieral by liis Secretary very 
wisely asked in reply ; — 
(a) Seeing that the States are about to be connected 
by railway, would it not be preferable to establish 
one central garcien, and if so, which of the States 
woulr"l be most convouient for the iDurposG ^ 
(5) Can those of the old Ceylon planters who ars 
ou the Committee explain tho syotom on which the 
Ceylon garden is conducted. 
To this no answer i.s recorded so far. 
I’lom Mr. Hill ,s addres.s as Cli.airnian we 
quote, — 
gentlemen, the next matter that I 
wilt call your attention to is the position of the coffee 
enterprise a^t present. As far as can be judged an 
estate of 300 to 400 acres in full bearing and highly 
cultivated can be looked upon to produce a crop of 
5,5 to 6 piculs per acre at a cost from 890 to 895 ner 
acre, with the coffee rlelivered in Sh gapore, and this 
represents roughly ,3Id, to 3id. per lb. in London. low 
the question appears to me to be, is there any country 
Where coffeo can bo produced at a lower rate of tho 
