February i, 1892.] 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTUR18T. 
SS3 
PROSPECTS OF COFFEE CULTIVATION 
IN THE MALAY PENINSULA. 
Our roaderH will be intoreeted in the iofortna- 
tion contained in tbo following article, the latest 
and most anthentio which is available. 
The cnltivation of coffee at the present momont 
holds ont snob promises of substantial — not to say 
immense — returns as it has never done before, and 
without doubt is far and away the most profitable 
of all agricultural pursuits when oarriod on in a 
country where leal disease and green bug are 
either altogether absent — or kept in ohcokby 
climate influences so as to have but little offeot 
and on the permanent and regular production of 
crop. In Brazil the only flourishing coffee districts 
of any extent are now existent — but there are 
many influences at work in that country which 
will counteract all efforts to increase the production 
and export. The exports from the older districts 
are falling off rapidly in consequence of the abandon- 
ment of the estates, whilst the cultivation is 
extending in the newer districts of the interior. 
The emancipation of the slaves was a great blow 
to the cultivators of coffee , the revolution which 
followed and the oommereial crisis, which cm- 
harassed the relations between the planters and the 
banks, was an additional disaster ; and now that 
the country is fast drifting into a_ state of anarchy 
wo may safely prognosticate a decline in the exports 
which cannot fail to leave its effect in a very 
narked degree on the European and American 
markets. Already we hear of a shrinkage of the 
resent crop to the extent of a million or so of 
ags below the estimate — and an anticipated dofi- 
cient crop for the following season. Tbo extension 
of railways into the new coffee districts — as well 
as the extension of cultivation in the districts 
where railways already existed — has bad the same 
effect in Brazil as it had in a small way 
in Ceylon when our railway was opened. The 
npeountry crops which in former years had 
reached Colombo by slow degress in bullock carts, 
then came down by rail with such a rush that 
the Colombo stores were choked— and curing 
operations oonid not be carried out fast enough 
to meet the demands of the season. It has been 
the same in the Brazil, — and exaggerated estimates 
Were formed of the total crops in consequenoe of 
so many tbonsand bags reaching the seaports in 
excess of tbs usual daily receipts. 
But whether or no the crops of Brazil continue 
to be produced in the present — or even very largely 
increased — amount, all the better qualities of coffee, 
known as “ East Indian," cannot fail for many 
years to command very high prices in the London 
market. Just now tho market being almost bare 
of such coffees we find the first poor pickings of 
Ceylon crops fetching extreme rates and beings 
to great demand. For want of something better 
Liberian coffee, prepared in the way with which. 
We have always been accustomed to deal with 
Arabian, is also fetching good prices — and the 
cultivation in the Straits and other places is a 
Very profitable one. But what is wanted is good 
Washed and well cleaned Arabian coffee ; and the 
production of it in any appreciable quantity oan- 
oot fail to bo extremely remnnerative. 
The administration of the protected States of 
Ferak and Selangor is very wisely bestirring itself 
to secure the advantages accruing from an indus- 
try which holds out such promises as coffee does 
at tho present day. 
There is, however, a reluotance on the part of 
oapitalists in London and elsewhere to venture 
their money in tho neighbourhood of India, Ceylon, 
Java where so many hundreds of thousands 
of pounds have been lost over ooffoe in roeent 
years. This is only natural, but if they could only 
understand tbe difference in climate, and the 
(fleet of that difference on the pests which have 
destroyed the coffee in the countries named above 
there can be little doubt that their present dif- 
fidence would be largely dissipated — if not alto- 
gether overcome. Anyone who has been unfor- 
tunate enough to have bad tbs opportunity of 
observing the attacks of leaf disease must have 
noticed that it is tbe extremes of climate which 
mostly favour its attacks upon the ooflee bush. 
A long wet season — or a long dry season — seems 
equally to assist the spread of tho fungus, and 
the occurrence of storms or tbe blast of a strong 
wind for a day or two, occasion a development 
of the disease which is often extremely virulent. 
As regards Perak espeoially — suob extremes of 
climate are usually altogether unknown — there 
is no clearly defined dry and wet season, for tho 
monsoons have generally but a moderate effect on 
the climate of Malaya. It so happens (most unfor- 
tunately for tho extonsion of coffee cultivation in 
Perak) that the drought, which during the last year 
has affected all the region from China to Afghani- 
stan, was also felt in an unprecedented degree in 
Perak — and has been followed very naturally by 
an equally unprecedented quantity of rain. There 
is only one plantation of Arabian ooflee of any 
extent in Perak — and the Government has of late 
years abandoned the experimental gardens— in one 
at any rate of which the ooflee was doing well. The 
ooflee estate was planted by an old sea captain— a 
German — who probably knew no more of coffee 
cultivation than the writer of this knows of naviga- 
tion — perhaps not so much. When he made up bis 
mind to leave the country and retire to Australia 
tho Government of Perak resumed possession of 
the estate, and when it was taken up by its present 
owners the coffee was grown op in lalang (iluk) 
grass and chona growth to soeb an extent that op- 
tion was given tbe new proprietors to abandon it if 
they chose and go on with new land. Under the 
management — or want of management — of the late 
owner, tho weeds bad been allowed to destroy all the 
lower primaries of tbe trees — and fout-filths of tho o 
are now " bayonet trees” — the only branobea lem 
being on what has been at one time a suoker sprnnft 
from tho top of tbe stoma of the trees, which origig 
nally seem to have been topped very high, Aa- 
may easily he imagined by anyone who has worked 
on tbe old estates before tho era of railways and 
abundant labour— these trees do not present any 
very graceful form at any time as no Bystematic 
method of pruning can be adopted. When tho 
party of Ceylon men recently visited Perak tbe old 
coffee bad not bad time to recover from the 
effect of the drought — and consequent attack of leaf 
disease, which, added to a good crop and an insuffi- 
cient supply of labour, had rendered the trees very 
“ sticky” and naturally induced a bad impression 
on the minds of the visitors. Tbe young coffee, at an 
elevation of over 2,000 feet, was however 
in beautiful trim — and taking it all round 
no better plants lor their age have over been seen 
in Ceylon or anywhere else. The progress made 
during the past eighteen months was everything 
that could be desired, and the coming blossoming 
season will produce a fine crop. The four year old 
field is very fine, but allhough the drought has bad 
no effect whatever up at that high elevation, tho 
labour difficulty had made itself apparent and tbe 
want of handling and pruning bad induced a matted 
condition of tbe branches which told unfortunately 
against the appearance of the trees. The first coffee 
seen on entering tbe estate is the old illused field 
first planted, and it is the last through which the 
