December i, 1891.] 
THE TROPfCAL AGRICULTURIST. 
467 
THE AGKICULTURAL PRODUCTS OF 
MADAGASCAR. 
M. d’Antbouard, Chancellor of tho PreDOh Eeai- 
denoy at ADtauanarivo, baa recently made to the 
Froncli Covernmout an interesting report upon the 
eoonoznio oondition of Maila^asoar, a translation of 
which appears in the Jounml of the Society of Arts 
for July Slat, and is reproduced in Science. In that 
portion of the report which is devoted to the eon- 
aidoration of the agricultural development of the 
island, it is stated that tho chief agricultnral pro- 
duota are sugar, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, cloves, rice, 
potatoes, tamarinds, iudigo, wine, oranges and lemona. 
Sogar cnltiration was first commenced in 1842; and 
two factotiea were erected at Manaugary. Good 
results were obtained in the first two yeara ; but, 
during tho third year, riota took place among the 
workmen, and the plantations were destroyed. In 
1878 three now factories were establiahod in the 
neighborhood of Tamatave; and in 1883, on the out- 
break of hostilities between Franco and Madagascar, 
they were in full working. At the present time, the 
number of plantations round Tamatave ha.a greatly 
increased ; and also in tho aouth, towards Mahauoro 
and Vatomandry. 
Coffee trees grow well in Madagascar, and it is 
stated to be by no means an uncommon thing to 
see plantations that are ‘15 years old, and even more, 
which have never ceased to yield good results. A large 
plantation has recently been established iu Imrriua by 
a French company ; it extends ever an area of about 
809 acres. Great results are expected Irom the deve- 
lopment of the coffee icdnstiyot Wjdagasoar. as the 
ditteronce between the coat price and the price it 
realizes in Kuropcau markets allows of a coLSide'able 
outlay on its cultivation and then leaves a largo mar- 
gin of profit. 
The cocoa tree was introdneei into Madagascar by 
means of seeds brought from the' Mauritius aud Be- 
union, iu which places it has been for a long time a 
source of couaidcrable revenue. The tree commences 
to bear at the end of three years, but it is only in full 
bearing at the cud of the filth year, and it so remains 
for thirty years. The cost of cultivation is less than 
uiat of coffee. The cocoa tree is uhiefiy cultivated iu the 
CftStern portion of the ialandyand it ia only of recent 
years th&t the industry has assumed any importance. 
Iu 1883 there were uofe leas than 5,000 or 6,000 trees 
round the coast, and these were abandoned wiieu the 
war broke out. After the war it was found that, 
noiwitbstaiidiutj; the want of care and attcutiou, the 
young cocoa pUntaiious were still nonrishiop^, and this 
pheuomeuoQ encouraged the plauters to pay greater 
atteutioo to tho development of this cultivation. This 
development dates from the year 1838. Like cocoa, 
vanilla is one of the sgricultnral producti which haa a 
great future before it iu Madagascar, and its* cultiva- 
tion is largely engaged iu, in Vatomandry, MshAnro, 
and Mahela. Vanilla plants oommcnoe,to yield after the 
third year, and iu the fourth they are iu full hearing. 
The cultivation of rice, which is well developed iu 
the interior of the island, is very much less so 
on the coasts, whero the land is more fertile. While 
in tho latter districts the inhabitants are contetit to 
BOW the Feed without any preparation of tho ground 
but the burning of the trees aud grass, the Uov.a and 
the Bctaih'OS, having a much poorer foil, tnke more 
pain to develop and perfect their system of cultivation. 
In some instances, for example, in the LtMghbourhood 
of Antananarivo, they have trausTormed irntueusc tracts 
of marsh land into rice plantations. Tho plains of 
Betaimitatatra, lovvards the west of tho capital, which 
are watered by tho Ikopa, Audtoaiba aud Si^aouy 
rivers, now the oentro of tho rice proJuctioa in imerina, 
have been draiuod and cleare J, irngaling canals Lave 
been pierced, and everything has been done to favour 
the production. Similar well culiivated pl.ius are 
found iu great number io tho Fouih of Imerina aud 
»n Betsileo. In the mountain districts tho rice 
groauds are laid out in terraces on tho bIojioh ol tho 
luonutainn and hills, and rice groumls are frequently 
mot wuh rising tier upon tier up to tho very sammit 
Or tho high mountains. 
Potatoes are largely cultivated in the districts round 
Ankaratra. Tamarinds are common all over the west 
coast, where tho plants form immense thioketfu The 
Sakftleves distill spirita from the fruit. Peaches grow 
almost wild all over the island, aud the same may be 
said of the indigo plant. 
Ae regards vines, there are diflereut speoies in 
JdadagaBcar. One varioly was originally imported from 
Portuga! ; another variety appears to be indigenous 
to the soil. In luierina attempts have been made in 
rooent years fo acolimatizo vino., bnl aome which 
were broaght from Bordeaux have not .uoceedod. 
On the other hand, American vine* have irroapered, 
but tho grapes are not of a superior kind and the 
wine made from them is very poor. Orange and 
lemon trees are found all over tho island, growing 
in a wild state on the coasts, and cultivated in tho 
interior . — American Qroccr. 
TEA IN JAPAN. 
There 13 no more ourioui incident in the liistorv 
of the fool supplies of the world than the great and 
sudden change that has occurred in countries as the 
home of tea. It is but a fe v years, and easily within 
the memory of all of us, when the mentioti of tea at 
once brought to mind visions of the celestial empire 
and cultivators in picliirosqun smocks and lonanielails 
and the fact that on a lew hiUs in Northern and Sou-i 
them India and in tho steamy lowlands of Assam, Eng- 
lishmen conld be found who devoted their time and 
atteutioii to the cultivation of this shrub was regarded 
almost as a freak of natnro, while tho nion thomselves 
wore looked on m much the same light as farmers, who 
pass their lives growing fruit-trees for tho sole purpose 
of converting their yield into jam, Bat theOhinamaii 
with the yoke and buckets is now almost defunct iu 
the imagination of tho British pnblio, and Ceylon 
and India stand ont prominently as tho countries from 
which tho broakfa&t tables of the ^V^estorn world arc 
to bo supplied with that leaf, so long considered as a 
luxury ouly accesaiblo to the very rich and wealthv 
but now a nocewity for the mechanic and labonr/p 
in fact no working. man who aspires to the smallest 
show of cornfort would be content without his^Sp of 
effects of this sudden ohango in Uio 
cultivation of tea has been to prove that there is no 
pnrtioiilar dilBoulty attached to its growth and 
possesses soil 
that IS fairly productive, and a climate which is 
fairly rnoist, the shrub will flourish and crop 
well, touseqiiently wo find throughtnut tropical lands 
a general desire to panicipalo in the profits ho- 
hevud to exist in its onltivation, and Java, Jiinan 
Romeo and the Fiji Islands ate all converting thoir 
juugle into tea-gardens. The result naturally is 
extreina risk of over-production, which will, of course 
be felt first in thoso oomitrics whose labonr suonfv 
IS net perfect but expensive, and which do 
possess the best faculties for cheap mauufseture aud 
ohoap transport to the lu.'irkels of the West. 
A British Consul in his report of tho trade of 
Hiogo and O-saka h.s given recently an interesting 
accouut of tho cnitivatioii and the trade of tea in 
Japan, whore it has only been recantly taken up 
Ihero is not much lost of this coniitry over becem- 
mg nvery serious rival to Ceylon and India iu the tm- 
markets of Kuropc, but it is said that tlio United 
wtiites have shown a inirkod preference for the 
Japanese leaf, which is likely to retard (lie sale) 
ot l>riti.-h‘-growii kinds in that country. Mr. Consul 
Lnslio in hiH report atatta that, owiiig to tho ioce.S’ 
siiut rains having forced Ihe growth of the leaf the 
quality of tho first crop prove I disappoinling and 
had it not been for tho effect which the marked 
advaiico in silver had on exchange (higher rates 
preventing later te»s from being laid Jowii as ohoanlvl 
there can ho little doubt that the season would 
have proved an imantisfootory one to shlnpors As 
.upplies inercisod, prioei gradually declined, uiitir they 
showed a drop ol Irom two to throe dollars oinl.'a 
earlier prices for tho better deaoriptions of leaf, aud 
