Aprh. t, 1898.] tllE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
same quality? If uot, our futuio, although dulMook- 
ing enough at the present, must brighten o,onsiderabl 3 ’. 
It should be one of the first duties of the Associati on s 
new year to ascertain as far as possible the ual 
coat of production in other places. This much I can 
tell you, that in the prospectus of the Dumont Coff.e 
Company, which is the largest enterprise in the wjrld 
of its kind, the cost of bringing an acre into bearing is 
given at ±‘ 10 and the time that it takes before being 
reproductive is given at five years. You will at once 
see for yourselves that here we can compete with great 
advantage to ourselves as regards cost, and that 
being so our capital account will not be so heavy 
and we require to pay less interest topvy our wa.y. 
It may interest you further to know that on an already 
opened labour established estate, in :i7 months from 
the date of the plants being put out, -lo montlis from 
seed, piculs, 2 05 per acre have been gathered. Tiie.se 
figiire.s are given you as being of general interest 
and show that whilst the present depression should 
not he unduly magnified in its ultimate result, yet 
it may be the means of inducing an economical 
system of working, without nhioh any enterprise ia 
bound to suffsr in the long iiin. 
CuniNCT, — My own opinion is that large estates 
will find it more economical to do their own caving, 
but should the tontine system be adopted with a 
division of profits after interest has been paid on 
capital inves'.ed, nro rata on the pirchmsnt supplied 
to the mill, the scheme might meet with general 
support. At the same time, it ehouM not be over- 
looked how attractive, store vvorlt is to the Tamil 
labourer as affording work to the wives of the labour- 
ers that may have fa.nilie.s of ohildrcn, for whom — I 
speak from experience — it is otherwise difficult to 
provide work. 
The actual saving in cost of curing parcliincut on 
the estate and curing the coffee fit for the market 
as far as ascertained, is 30 cents, against which your 
lose the dust and increased cost of transport has to be 
added. We now, gentlemen, come to the all-import- 
ant question of the means taken to raise the price 
of the coffee. I am not of opinion that, considering 
the state of the coffee markets, our coffee ha.s been 
unduly depressed — it is a small article of trade and 
therefore there has hitherto besn small competition 
for dealing in it. While Hio and S intos coffee was 
sold at 23s fid our coffee was not lower than 32s to 
33i at the same time. My personal opinion remains 
imchanged, that we should endeavour to get to the 
consumer and the grocer direct. 
Coconuts have occupied a good deal of attention 
during the year and largo areas have been taken up 
for this cultivation. It can onlj' be a matter of con- 
gratulation to those who have seen the devastation 
committed in the Klang district by the bsetle that the 
Enactment which has been under consideration has been 
pa.-ised in Se'augoi, and with the aid of those inter- 
ested in coco'.int planting th^re should belittle diffi- 
culty ir. kevi.iii.'g tills pe.st in check if not in extermi- 
nating it. This is plainly shown by a coconut estate 
(Sigiap) in Smg.ipore, which is practically free of 
beetle whilst its neighbours are in sorry plight. 
“ P.iitA Rubbrk. — After a few words on rubber cul- 
tivation, prominently brought to noLice lately, I will 
not detain you longer. ‘‘ On one e.state 38 lb. of 
rubber collected from 7 trees has been the year's crops. 
The best tree gave 7.{; lb. The trees were of various 
ages from 10 to 12 years. The largest yield was from 
a tree grown at least Ifi feet above water level on an 
alluvial soil highly coloured with paroxido of iron. 
My impression is tliat if there is anything in 
favour of planting rul.di.'r on low-lyiug dunp l.rnd it 
remains to bo ascertained. The cost of oollcotiou 
may bo taken not to exceed 10 cents per lb. Rubber 
actually free from dust and b irk was sold for 
3i. per lb. an! the remainder fetched very neaily 
that piioe, as it contained a little dust and hark, wbioli 
it is vei-y difficult to keep it free from. 
From all which we can see tliat Straits plan- 
ters are having a turn of hard times like their 
ijeighbours, 
70,5 
ROYAL GARDENS, KEVV, AND 
WEST INDIES. 
AVe are indebted t<) the Director for a special 
copy of a bulletin containing : — 
Report on the Economi; Resources of the West 
Indies, by D. Morris, c.Ji.o.. m.a., d.sc., p.l.s.. Assistant 
Director. Royal Gardens, Kew. 
It is inrrouucou by a Preface from Air. Thisleton 
Dyer, F. i:,s.,and there is a very good map of theAVei- 1 
Indies. Each Ojlor.y is dealt with hy Dr. Alorris in 
a very interesting and practical way and we shai) 
have occasion to refer to the Report very ofteji 
and to make extracts in reviewing the slate of ea< It 
Colony 
TEA TRADE IN RUSSIA. 
The following corre.spomlence lias hecn forwarded 
to ns from the (kdonial Semetarint : - 
Downing Street, January 21. 
Sir, — ! have the honour to (r.'ansmit to yon 
copy ot a memor.andnm hy M i-. T. N. .(Tiiistie, 
formerly a inemher of tin.' Legi-.lative C'onncil of 
Ceylon, with regard to the cnndilion.s of the Tea 
Trade in Rits.sia. A copy of this momoranduni 
has been referred to the Foreign Ollice with a 
request that full enquiries may be made into the 
matter to wliich Air. Chri.stie refers and which 
appears to be one of much im)iortance. — I have, 
&e., (Signed) J. CHAMBERLAIN. 
To Governor, The Right Hon. Sir J. AVest Ridge* 
way, K.C.B., K.C.S.I., &c., &c., Ac., &c. 
St. George’s Club, Hanover Square, Jan. 13. 
Sir, — I liave recently returned from Rns.sia, 
liiving concluded eerfain enquiries on behalf of 
Ceylon in connection with the Tea Trade there. 
it is prolnible that as one result of my niis.sion 
you will tie approached from Ceylon with -the 
view of trying to obtain the Russian Govern- 
inent’.s eon.sent to a reduction in the very exces- 
sive import duty, 1/10-A per lb., now levied on tea 
entering that country, and good roa.sons avill, I 
have no doubt, lie given in support of sueit a 
request. 
During my enquiries I ascertained certain facts 
which are of inuHi importance, not only to Cey- 
lon’s trade, hut to that of the Empire generally, 
with Ru.ssia and it might, I suggest, be well to 
liave my statements verified forthwitli, so that 
in the event ot the representations I anticipate 
being made from Ceylon, there will be less delay 
in dealing with them. 
I was surprised to find that tea entering Russia 
by the E iropean Frontier.s was ehaiged a dill'erent 
and much greater duty than that entering hy the 
Cninese frontier, and thus in practise a differen- 
tial duty has been established regard'ess of the 
most favoured nation clause of our treaty (see 
extract). It might be argued tliat if Ceylon or 
Indian teas were sent to Rns.sia tbrongli the 
Irkutsk Custom house, they, too, would be entitled 
to the lower rate, but I submit that acce.s.s 
through that d'lor into Russia being exclusively 
iu the possesTou of one country (and that unfor- 
tunately our great tea-growing riial) the ditler- 
ential liuty is contrary to the treaty. 
AA’hile pursuing my enquiries iu AIoscow, it 
came to my kuowleilge that din’ereafial rates 
of railway freight oxi.st between that (’ity and 
Oilessa. Tea arriving at the latter town in 
Russian ships is eharged 02 kopecks ]ier pood, 
while th-it arrii ing in IJritish ships is cliargcd 
