THE TROPJCAt. AQWCULT0R18T. 
571 
February i, 1892.] 
a list of Clove and Nutmeg Plants shipped on the 
“ Indiana ” under charge of Mr. Dunn, and have much 
f ileasnre in informing yon that the whole have been 
anded safe and in good order. 
The larger plants have been regularly planted out 
where it is intended they should remain, and the 
seed and smaller ones put in nursery beds for the 
present, the whole are in a thriving state, — you may 
depend on every possible attention being paid to the 
cultivation of Spices, and I consider my soli fortunate 
in having Mr. Brooks, a European Gardener, hero, 
whoso services will bo very useful in suporintonding 
generally the Spice plantations, and prmiORG to allow 
him a monthly salary of 40 S^ianish Dollars until 
your pleasiu’o is known on the subject. 
I have Ac., 
(Sd.) W. FAlUiUlIAK, 
^tnffapore, 2Hth Oct 1819. lUsident. 
Tabue I. 
Statement of Niitme<j Plantatiom with number of 
Tree$y Trees in bearing^ and j>rodnc€ in 18-iS. 
P 
o 
0) 
|h 
(u a 
,°.a 
© 
S-2 
o g 
CM 
A. Guthrie, . .Tan. Pagar. .2,250 .. 252,581 .. 19 30 
do ..1,800 1,200 368,791 ., .. 
do ..700 100 307,609 .. .. 
Claymore.. 765 .315 190,210 .. .. 
do ..4,050 2,322 902,126 66 76 
do ..6,700 5,200 719,836 60 .. 
do ..1,515 750 492,329 37 02J 
do ..3,, 500 500 .. 9 93 
do ..1,250 647 148,120 10 .. 
do ..5,200 1,700 348,711 23 65 
do .. 870 250 .. 3 60 
do ..1,023 150 36,.500 .. .. 
do ..1,530 7(K) 288,218 21 .. 
Tangling. .1,600 lOO* 
do . . 800 llXJ* 
do . . 4(X) 
do , . 2.50 . . 
Kalang... 510 200 .. .. 20 
Kochor... 12 .. 
do .. 600 30 .. .. 71 
Sirangong.l.WK) 3.50* 
do . . 1,0(» 
li. Tiinah. 600 . , 
..7,000 
..8,000 
W. Montgomer 
Joaq, Almeida 
Government, 
Ilr, T. Oxley, 
C. R. Prinsop, 
;^-Gowetaoii, 
C. Carnie, 
W. Cnppago, 
W. Bcott, 
C. Camic, 
J ose Almeida . 
Dr. M. J, Martin, 
W. W. Willaus, 
E. R. Eeicester 
B. Leicester, 
W . Leicester, . 
W. Montgomerie 
F. Sorabjeo, 
Hyed AlUe, 
Almeida 
A. Duaman, 
J. I Woodford, '. 
Chinese &o., 
G. Nicol, 
„ , _ 55,925 14,9144,08.5,3612.5207* 
liemarks. The greater number of tlie trees in 
Singapore as, will ho observed from this Table, liavo not 
onie into full bearing, but the produce is increasing 
rapidly, and this year will amount to fully 500 piculs. 
Singapore, ^4th July, IS48. 
• Coninioncing to boar. 
^tatCTnent of the Exports of SiiigapoFe Spicer 
in 1S45, 1846, ami 1847. 
Years. ' Nutmegs. 
Pis. cat. 
1845 in No. 136. 64* 
1846 1200 and 208. 79* 
1847 4 boxes* 105. 55 
Mace. Cloves. 
Pis. cts. Pis. cts. 
37. 44i 2. 55 
60. 74 . .33i 
•3 boxes & 34. 33 . 03^ 
Total ■) 
for 3 V 
years J 
1200 in No. 
4 boxes and 450. 99 
3 boxes & 1,32. SIJ 2. 91J 
PLANT COLOUR AND SOIL COMPOSITION. 
Ville startled the world some years ago 
witn hia suggOBtion “ibat plants can abeorb free 
uittogen. ' He now comes torward with an equally 
pregnant notion “that the varying tints oI green, 
which plants assume, is an indication, which may be 
turned to practical account by agriculturists, as to the 
ohemioal deficiency of soils. This idea is well worthy 
of the attention of Trinidad planters, and especially 
with regard to coffee and cocoa. We all consitler that 
a dark green in Ibose plants indicates a perfect soil 
end perfect plant growth; now Mr. Ville saya that 
any departure from this standard shows, according 
to shade, the chemical ingredient wanting, e.g, 
1. Light green Want of phosphoric acid. 
3. Very pale green Want of potash. 
3. Yellow green = Absence of nitrogen. 
If this is true the planters will have a practical 
and ever present test, and one which will perhaps 
tell them more than Chemistry or Soienco can do. 
No one, of coarse, disparages the service of the Agri- 
oultiiral Ohemist with regard to soils, but it is the 
same with soils as with horses — Anatomy and Physio* 
logy can no more tell you everything about a horse 
than Chemistry can toll you about a soil ; but in 
studying the propositiiiD of Mr. George Villo two 
corollaries must be borne in miod (in tropioal agri- 
cnlturc). 1. How may the pUnt-oolour be affected 
by exposure, by stones and other mechanical causes 7 
2. What relationship is there between the darker 
shades of green of coffee aed oocoa and their fruit- 
bearing qualities. — Trinidad Jgncultiiral Kteord. 
« 
COFFEE ENTERPRISE IN TRINIDAD. 
As to its impracticability and tbo nnanitableueaa 
of our soil and climate we have direct evidence to 
the contrary wherever we turn. Our native coffee, 
although badly kept, and mostly planted together 
with cocoa, is everywhere healthy, vigorous, and, 
yields, it is no exaggeration to say, over 1 lb. a tree 
on good lands ; Mr. Frestoe I believe estimated it at 
double that amount. The question of altitude was 
raised by the Hon'ble Mr. Lauge at the last meeting 
of the Central Agricultural Board, and it is a very 
important point : the fear ia that any considerable 
area planted a little above sou level will be exposed 
to the coffee leaf disease which occurred in Domiuica 
some years ago. Mr. Morris, of Kew, thinks we should 
go in for Liberian on low levels; but unfortunately 
we don’t yet know quito how it might suit our 
climate aud toil. The object of using this ia:hor 
awkward plant, which ripens loo slowly, pulps badly 
and was formerly quoted so low in the markets, 
although in the general coffee rise of late it has 
touched 100.r — is that it is supxiosed to resist the 
leaf disease (?). They are now pushing it (on Mr. 
Morris’s advice) in Domiuica, and they are giving it 
a fair trial also in Burinam, In the last named 
Colony they are making some interesting experiments 
with grafting, via. 
1. Liberian on Libeiian. — To hasten and improve 
hearing and to dwarf the tree. 
2. Liberian on Arabian. — The same object. 
3. Arabian on Liberian.— To atreuglhen the vegetative 
growth oi the first named and render it less subject to 
disease, etc. 
Tl:eso experiments ere in course of observution, so 
no conclusion can be drawn at present, but it would 
be wise, here, to start a mixed cultivation ; at the 
same time we must bear in mind that we lying much 
nearer to the equator, and almost forming part of tb# 
mainland of America, have very different olimatio 
conditions to either Jamaica or Ceylon, and it is pos- 
sible that with full and appropriate shade such as the 
Caohiman, (Graruli boiK) Poixdoui, Avocado, etc., we 
may have no cause to mistrust the Arabian or Mooba 
Hybrid (the latter is a moat promising plant). 
Baron Eggers tbiuka tlie allilude a matter of 
secondary importanco ivilh us, and states that the 
best coffee estates in Vi nezuela have not an altiliida 
of more than 300 or 400 feet above the sea level. 
The same thing obtains in the Brazils I am informed, 
wbere coffee grows nearly down to the sea shore in 
some plaois. 
Coffee has marly died out in Southern India, Java 
and Ceylon, and men who recognize the impo'rtanoa 
of this great etaple have been hunting out North 
