August i, 1891 .] 
HE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
99 
better himself, or out of a berth, say to himsoif ’‘Ilere 
is a paradise for a coffee planter, I will go and try for a 
billet.” UuloBS a man knows Dutch language and cus- 
toms and at least one dialect of Javanese, he will have to 
begin at the foot ol the ladder on a salary of something 
like sixty rupees a mouth, i’lefereace is aho given 
to a man who has lived for a time eith.-r iu Holland 
itself ; or iu Netherlands Indies. The etiquette iu Dutch 
officialdom is somewhat complex ; and a planter is 
frequently brought into contact w th the officials both 
in regard to his land ami other taxes, his labour, and in 
many oases his water-supply. These dealings ri quire 
much tact and “a deal o' salutin.” Do jou know 
that story 'f Weli, hero it is. In a cer.alu British 
colony a lew years ago was a Padrd who used to ride 
40 miles to take three services evoiy Sunday, and the 
planters in each district used to help him by reading 
the lessons for him. On one occasion it fell to the 
lot of n good man, but somewhat rough in the cut, to 
read XYI Bumans. He got through the lirst two 
versos when ho stopped and said audibly “ Humph ! 
there’s a deal o’ salutin here !” Olanomg down and 
seeing that all the chapter w.as more or less of the same 
description, he read the last verse only, when ho shut 
“P his book with a bang saying “ ilere endelh the 
oecond Lesson.” 
blcre also ei.d l—~ Singapore Free ress. 
— — ♦ 
LETTERS FROM BRAZIL. 
baWlBSBNEBS AT s. JOSE' — CLI-UATE AND CONDITION 
OE THE COUNTEV TO THE SOUTH I i' THE STATE OE 
EHNAS QEUAES — KAII.WAVS — LABOUli QUESTION— DEAW- 
EACKa TO EUROPEAN IMMIOUATION — COFFEE CUI.TITA- 
TION— WANT OE SCHOOLS FOR EDUCATION OF ClIILDSEN — 
the “MINEIROs” — HALE-CASTE LAIiOUIIKUS ON COFFEE 
Estates— MAHR iAOE laws— results of the aiici.iti 'N 
OF BLAVERV- THR late RF-VOLUTION— HUsPITALITV OE 
The people of the estad > minas — uame and spout 
an ITALIAN colonv— Notes hy the way. 
f think my chronicles were brought up to onr 
arrival at the '‘Tiavellcrs’ Bulrcat” at Quaxiipii at 
Job 6 . We got very bad acoonntB of tliu lawless- 
uesa of the people in those parts and Ananias ti Id 
that a man had been murdered in the open street a 
few days belore, {ind that was the lakat nows ho hud 
got from that quarter. We were now snngly lodged 
lu the “ fravollera’ Ketreal” iu this same village, and 
Wo found the peoplo of the place quite tame, and 
j*' u" '^''®“rtlvrly lot. However, on enquiry wo 
lound that the headman of a troop of puck-mules 
bad been coolly put to death by a baud of some 
SIX or svveu persons under thn orders of the local 
J^ustice of peace. A warrant had been issued to im- 
prison one of the mule drivers, tie was not found 
mong his oompauious when the justice went to serve 
joa warrant, and on the plea that the head-uoopor 
ad let the man who was “wanted” escape, with 
Eory little ceremony the gang at the order of th > 
Magistrate “ despatched ” the same head-trooper with 
ver so many oms with the sharp-pointed knives 
wuioh all the male population carry openly in every 
PMI ol idraxil. In jusiica to the administration of 
the law, nowevor, wo mi^t ^dj that the moat of the 
llowa were captured, but the justice of peace was 
allowed to hide amongst his friends. While waiting 
i.ii bf the prisoners escaped ont of 
tbJ’ beard of the ease np to 
the time I la.t these quarters. 
neL.“'iu® ootnmis'sion lasted, I travelled 
M; . ^be south of tho State of 
• I" ? ''• b'}®® elimate one oonld scarcely 
magine. The elevation is from 2,000 to '2,500 feet 
8 fto S tomperatur© i.s aoldoin abovo 
anHi ?'’®“ ’^be hottest time of the year 
hill nights are alwaya oool. The country is 
evu ’a®® coveted with virgin toreat, 
eaoept qn the parts which are planted with ootfee. 
hoH * '® subject to damage from frost, in the 
HoiiowB, hot on these cane and oottou can be 
grown luxuriantly. Tobacco is largely grown, 
both for consumption in the oonntry and for ex- 
port. A large part of tho land is iu oampo, 
or common grass land. Tho gra-a is of a coirse 
common kind, with little focdlng qualitie.s iu it, but 
many farmers are planting the sweet grnsa cslled 
“ capim mclada,” and where this has once got a good 
hold on any patch of ground, it spreads with amazing 
rapidity, and soon becomes almost a post. It being 
sometbiug of tho nature of y..ur ilaiiritius glass, its. 
routs spread rapidly. It ooeds onoo a year, the seed 
b'.:iug light, it is carried by the wind to many abandoned 
clearings and uncultivated prices of land. I am sure it 
wou d grow well in your Ceylon patanas, and if laud 
Iteobes would allo v of tho practicability of sending 
cattle and horses to graze, it might ho' of value to 
y our country. This reminds me that I long ago pro- 
mised to pcocure seed for Mr. Whyte of Nuwara Eliya. 
The rains here fall regularly, being heaviest and most 
freqnont in Septrmber, October. November, and Febru- 
ary, March and April. I should say the rainfall would 
bo equal to that of tho Troviooe of Sfto Paulo, say 80 
inches a year. 
'The soli is of a chocolate colour, and not considered 
equal to tho Terra~rocha ol S5,o Paulo; but coffee comes . 
quickly into bearing and continues to give heavy crops . 
for six or eight oars, when it falls off a little. On 
Terra-rochu on the contrary, coffee estates are often 
spoken of us furty years old, and bearing equal to 
young oolfoe. Wh.it one observes all aloug the south 
of Minas, and which they aro very scarce of inSho 
Paulo is ihoabnndauoeof water for driving machinery. 
This is owing to so many well wooded hills. 
Kaihvays ato heiiig projected all over those parts, 
indeed all over tho iuteriop of Brazil ; and if tho 
tiiiaiices of the country hold nut, of which many aro 
doubtful, transport will by-aiid-by be made easy. 
The capital tor tho makiug of these Kailwaya has to 
bo found iu the country. Some cousidoratiou ought 
to bo given to tho fact that while they expend so much on 
these uteful works they will have le.ss left to spend on 
what is reaily argent, tlin supply of labour for agri- 
culture, and which, by-and-by, will be the groat 
burning qui-stiun iu Brazil. 
The south of Minas would do well fur Kuropoan ; 
inimigraticn. hut, there are difficulties iu turning it 
to good ncoouut on imull farms. Capital umougat 
small farmers is scarce, and tbeco is a great defi- 
ciency of means fur furnishing tho threo indes- 
peosible nccoa«arieB in ..farting an Kurepi an colony 
on a coffee estate, uamoly, tiU-covr.red hotsscs, well 
cnclostd paetursH fur cows, and cash to advance flu , 
colonist for uiiio inoutUs or a year, lor domesiio neoJi, 
uulil ho can procure food from his own patch of 
ground, BO that thoso necessary cnnjitious can only . 
bo implemouted by wealthy Fazeudoiioa. Ono finds heroi 
and there small colouios loeatod on coffee estates, 
and those Bie doing equally well compared wilh others 
in tho wealthy Province ot 8 au Paulo. Whatever may, 
he said against European emigiatioii to Brazil, — by 
agitators iu some of the countries which supply the im- . 
iiiigrsuts— the ngricultaral labourer iu tho cotfee-grow- 
iiig districts ol Brazil is much bolter off than be was 
in Europe, and he has a prospeot at no distant dat« 
after liis arrival, of iHooiuiiig u laud-owner himself. 
Tho only diaw back 1 see to tho system, which ono. 
may say is now past the experimental stage, is tho 
want of schools tor lUo edneatiuu of tho colonists’ 
children. On large farms the owner supplicB a school, 
master, but the small farmer cannot afford it, and 
although the Govotumeiit is very liberal iu giving free, 
education where a certain number of scholars^ can lie, 
guaranteed, and schools for primary education aro 
estahliahed in all populous ceutccs, many of the small 
farms are scattered, and at far distances from thoso 
schools, and what with the occafional heavy raina. 
incurring danger to the little quesiu crossing swollen 
slroams. and tho need of tho children reinaiuiiig pretty 
often at homo to help in tho harvesting of tho 
various crops, educational advantages cannot be much 
availed of. 
As the country gets populated there will bo improvo- 
meat in this, 
