THE TROPICAL AQRICULTURISl 
[Februart r, 1892 . 
538 
which remain. There is little wind, so no slaking 
is required. Indian corn is grown between tha rows 
of ooffeo until the latter nearly covers the ground, 
one crop of black beans a year ia also taken oil. 
This latter forma the principal ingredient, indeed the 
base of the food and is aa neOESsary in Brazil as 
oatmeal is in Scotland. 
The price here paid to colonist (aroilifis fer 
treating 1 . e., cultivating coffee, each family re 
coiviog from 1,000 to 5,000 or more trees divided 
off for the year, or sucopsaion of years is, for — 
Five weedings a year 5C$000 (£5) per 1,000 trees 
(3 acres) per annum. 
For picking the cherry and 
carrying it to the road 300 reis per box 
of 60 litres (say IJ bushel). 
The planter prepares it for, and sende it to the 
market. At this rate, although I have not time to 
go into the Cguree coffee pays well. But all depends 
on the supply of colonist labour. In Brazil asm 
every other place if cultivation or treatment (here 
reduced to only keeping it clean) bo neglected coffee 
will not pay. 
From this estate we passed on to another in 
charge of a brother indaw, then to those of other two 
brothers, all these occupying the block rf 5,000 
acres amongst them. Coffee was seen st all hges 
from 8 years downward?. On each division nan a 
curing GatabUebmeut. and a saw mill, a corn 
grinding mill, for colonists make broad of corn 
meal— maedmoa preparing machines, ohaff-fluttors, 
<&o. On each is also a store for supplying ull the 
ncoessiticB of the colonists in the way of food, 
clothing, tools, luxuries &q. so that they have not 
to go to the town for anything but for amusement, 
or services of the ohurob. 
The price paid for opening n'jw clearings and 
bringing ooffeo into bearing, that is for four years, 
is 400 reis (lOd) per tree for the four yoaro 
(1,000 trees to 3 acres). The farmer engages natives 
of the country to fell the forest ; but obaiges this 
to the colonist. The farmer also gives a skilled 
man for lining free of cost. In addition to the 
400 reis a tree for four years, the colonist has all 
the Indian corn, and beans be may plant between 
the rows of ooffeo and gather during that time, 
which is of considerable value. So much is the 
income to the colonist in the bringing of young 
coffee into its bearing state, prized by them, that they 
ffook from long distances as soon as they hear of 
new clearings being opened in particular parts, 
and leave the older coffee where their income is 
for the price for weeding and picking only. We 
must rooolltot the colonist in any case h^e a 
piece of land in the valley for growing food supplies, 
and is allowed the use of th? general pasture for 
cows or mules. 
During my stay here I visited many coffee cataUs 
all more or less in condition similar to the above. 
This visit impressed mo very favourably, as to the 
future of coffee planting in Iho Silo Paulo. It 
remains to bo seen if the labour supply will be 
rqual to the eager doiire to extend the cultivation 
by men of capital. 
A. SCOTT BLACKLAW. 
REGULATION OF SUPPLIES. 
To the Editor of tlie Home and Cdonial Mail. 
SiRj— Whoa illuBtrstirg the difficulty of neeuring o 
cofitbinaliou to regulate sale**, I said that tho>te who 
imported tea brought iu Onloutta (approxiniately one- 
third of the whole) c^uld not be iuclud d. 
As this is not a self-ev.dent proposition, 1 will try 
to show that it is a true one, and to explain its bearing 
upon the questiua under discussion. 
If The objects and interests of Calcutta buyers 
are not identical with those of the producer. It is 
of primary importance to them that prices in 
London should quickly trko a range based upon 
the reUtion of supply to demand ; consequently, if 
prosptc^s aro not distinctly favourable to a perma- 
nent vpward inonemoU, they regard a temporary 
iuflattou of price as an olem'^ut of danger, to be 
avoided, not to be encouraged. 
2. Freedom to press saUa in case of need ise.sscn* 
tial to them, if their operations aro systematic, and 
continuously carried on. 
3. Most of their transactions are financed on terms 
which limit their power to bold. 
We arc, therefore, in proFonc*^ of a large section, 
compeiiod, by the natoro of the casp, to hold nloof 
frem concerted action. To these must be added those 
acioal prodneers whore financial arrangements m^ko 
it inconvenient to them to hold, and it is found that 
fu'ly OM*’“half of tho importing community cannot 
be brought into combinatiem for this particalar pur- 
pusf. Now lit us RPHnnie that the other 
half erganiso snd agree in a policy of 
keeping back snppHcs ; ' what happens They 
simply make tho market for tho others, who get the 
full bonofit of demand, and supply the buyers with 
what they want, leaving the holders over-stocked, run* 
ni^g thoiisk of tho nnknown future, with the added 
disadvantage of extra charges, loss of ffeshn**ss, Aco. 
This, sir, is no fancy sketch ; I speak of what I know. 
It has bapponHj befo-o and will happen again when tho 
c')uditioi)s are r>ot favourable to prices holding up on 
their m-Tiis. Mark tho quallfichtion, for I refer to 
2 >ast action, and am justifying the course which the 
cn at importing housas have taken, since its wisdom 
lias hoen called in qu*»fition. Under different circum- 
stances a (i fforeut policy might be pursued or attempted ; 
it mav, indeed, be that the time is very near when 
sellors will be in a much stronger position. If so, iudi- 
vidual judgment and action will effent what ia 
wanted It is a grave matter that those who hold 
a fiduciary pnaition either aa managing agents, direc* 
tore, nr brrkera, ehnntd be publicly charged with 
mi'‘managerDoi<t amonnting to dereliction cf duty. 
lint thny need no justification. Facte must convinco 
reasoning fail, and Mr. Sbillingtou, wi*.h candour if 
doing him infinite credit, has quoted tigurea which 
pnt him and ''Observer" out of court. What docs ho 
tnll us ? That although ten million pounds more have 
come from India not a pound mo^e has been con- 
snniod in Eugland. Larger oonsomption at any coat 
is, therefote, an absolute nooeasity to ns ; and we have 
noiD the Bstiafantion of ucring more being used than 
ever before, lint would tLi-* he the csee if aupplios 
had hern kept bark, and the field left free to the 
sellers of Uhina and Ceylon tea? 1 am really ashamed 
to re-atale tho elementary {rinoiples of economics; 
but it is the A. B. U. of trade ihat corsnmption ex- 
pands when distributors hold a'cekaand ehrinks when 
they do not, sud the reason is obvious— they have 
breomo or.;3artDorH with tho ptoducor, directly inter- 
est'd in pushing tho Bale of his product. 
What 18 to ho the upshot of this correspondence ? A 
fiiUor npprcciatior, it may be, of iha complexity of 
the problems which face ub ; 11 check, I hope, to tho 
passing of ha*«ty and immature criticism upon other*^, 
but ruoHt cerlsinly not any disoouragenient of co- 
operation among priducers That is moot earnestly to 
be desired, but lot i’s aim b' sumething practical, 
fraught with sta* tial benefit tu ev* ry iudividual 
nuiii of tl ora. Tile coefinement of prodnolion within 
certain limits w. uld bo buoIi an aim~bat oven that 
would be useloas il tU*? Ceylou plantors refused to join 
hands with us ; for if n re«iurtfon in India is to he the 
sigTia! for an incroaso in Ceylou, wo Imd far better 
fight for our own hand, and braoo oniselvcs for the 
struggle which tin prophots of evil nsy is inevitable. 
Remember, that when it was arco ten months ago 
that the Indian crop was short and the price rising, 
word was passed round Ceylon to make all the tea 
they c:uld*^— the cbjeot leing, of course, to hasten 
* There was no such conibiuation ; the large quan- 
tities of tea were made beoauac under the influence of 
the weather the bHsbeB flushed luxuriantly. —E d. 2\ A- 
