March r, 1892 ,] 
THE TROPICAL AQRICULTUmST. 
625 
(From th^ Slraitu Timis, Jan. 19th.) 
Drouglit and scaroity prevailed eo badly in some parts 
of Java la'terlj, that, in the province of Japarn, the 
people have been driven to eat their seed paddy, so 
that when the time came for sowing there were no 
seedlings. The resident at once supplied the distressed 
onltivatora with paddy in hundreds of piculs. Had 
they borrowed money tor the purpose from usurers, 
they would have to pay about one thousand per cent 
in kind for the loan. In other provinces the scarcity 
of rice and the resulting high prices have compelled 
the people to have recourse to inlerior articles of food. 
The distress is such that robbery and theft are said to 
be getting common in that quarter. 
The drougut has also resulted iu great dearth of coffee 
seedlings on many estates in Java. Large quantities 
of the available stocks perished owing lo the dryness 
of the season, daring which several rivers ceased to ran 
for mouths. This bus proved very hardepon the planters 
as in consequence of expected high prices, they 
had cleared large areas for coffee growing. Hence a 
heavy demand has risen lor seenlings, with small 
supply, and rates have risen from IJ to 5 guilder cents 
apieoe. 
The coffee crop on the west coast ol Sumatra, lust 
year, is estimated at about 49,000 picnis. 
A Ooverument medical officer has made the discovery 
that at Cheribou there ate six tea factories. This 
industry seeks to manipulate Java tea to pass for 
Uhioa tea. 
THE fdlLDUUA IRRIGATION COLONY. 
Milduba, Jan. 4. — The older orchards, although the 
trees are still bsbies, the majority of them being only 
two years old, have had a most bonntilnl harvest 
of early fruits. Apricots have been marveUonsIy 
proliiio, the bettor kinds being Morpark and Oullians, 
the e.arly varieties. The local demand is patlicu- 
latly brisk, many growers disposing of the whole 
orop to the retail fruiterers. Chaffey Hrolhers’ ex- 
perts are bnsily engaged drying apricots, the fumi- 
gating and snlphnncg process being employed. The 
flavonr is prouounoed to be delicious by oomputuut 
judges, and equal to that of the Oalifotnian pro- 
ducts. The vine harvest will be very extensive, most 
of toe vineyards planted two years ago being of 
tnarvellons growth. Some wine will bo made, bnt 
the greater part of the proiinoe will bo converted 
into raisins and sultanas. The more forward of the 
apncot'trees averaged from FiO lb. to 70 lb. of frnit 
per tree. Many visitors name during the bolidsys, 
and all wore deeply impressed with the progress and 
Uevelopraent of tho settlement. Several invested in 
hli'Cks. All influx of English investors is expected 
within the next few months. Table grapes are 
already ripe. 
■ 
Notes from ol’r lo.ndon letter. 
Lobiion, Jan. 8 tb. 
Last Wednesday saw a goodly gathering as- 
eembled at Winohester House to listen to msttera- 
naving important connexion with Ceylon. The 
oooasion was an extraordinary general meeting of 
the shareholders of the Ceylon Tea Plantations 
Company, summoned partly to oonsidet the pro- 
wade by its directors that extra capital 
Bhould ho taisod for tho purpose of enabling the 
uompany to oommenoc }oollea planting in Perak. 
”^war recent letter ol mine gave you full details 
with respoot to these proposals. 
The meeting was well attended, and the chair 
was taken by Mr. David Reid, Before tho question 
Of undertaking an entoiprieo in Perak came up 
the business of oonsiiliriug resolutions to authorize 
the directors to purohaso oerttiu estates in Ceylon 
was dealt with. The Chairman slatod that tho 
Hoard desired to obtain tea estates at high alti. 
; ‘*10 estates it was proposed to buy 
lulhlled that condition. Although they had paid 
£18,000 for the Yoxford estate, which included 
the highest price they had yet given per acre for 
tea-planted land, it would, the directors believed, 
easily return 15 per cent on its purchase money. 
Begelly was a small estate wbiob its owner had 
found too small to work profitably, and as 
it adjoined Tangakelle, they had bought it 
cheaply for £1,080. Aa ha waa personally inter- 
ested in the Glenlyon and Stair estates, the Chair- 
man said he would ask his fcllow-direotor, Mr. 
Rutherford, to speak about them, and he would 
conclude by moving the resolutions Mr. Rutherford, 
when seconding these, said that the possession 
of Glenlyon and Stair would complete the chain 
of connection between all the Company's Dimbula 
estates; so that in the event of a factory being 
burnt down, or a breakdown of machinery, or a 
pressure of work in any particular factory, relief 
might at once be given. Mr. Reid waa one of the 
Company's best ouatomers, and if they purchased 
these estates from him, they would retain the 
manufacture of the tea from Mr. Reid’s other 
estates. They had had two most competent and 
independent valuations made of the properties — one 
of these being by Mr. William Mackenzie, one of 
the oldoit planters in Ceylon. Mr. Reid asked 
£17,000 in cash and 250 fully paid-up ordinary 
shares in the Company, and be agreed to plant 
up with tea all unplanted land at his own expense. 
Mr. Mackenzie's valuation waa £21,290. After these 
explanations the purobases were unanimously ap- 
proved by the meeting. 
The question of entering upon oollee planting 
in the Btraits Settlements waa then taken up by 
the Chairman. He said the directors believed there 
waa money to be made out of it. They had 
brought forward no ont-and-dried prupoeition, 
but they thought it desirable to recommend the 
enterprise to their ebareholdors. The directors 
had in no way, he assured them, committed 
themselves to the scheme. The soil and climate 
of the Straits were well-suited to coffee growing, 
and this had been proved to an extent that 
would remove their venture, if made, from being 
a pioneer one. He admitted there were difficulties 
in connexion with labour, supervision, and un- 
bealibiness of climate at the time ol felling the 
forest ; but all these, he thought, might be sue- 
oessfully overcome, and they had a large labour 
force in Ceylon and men in tonob with the 
districts on the coast of India from which that 
supply wuB drawn. At the worst, supposing the 
sobeme did not answer full expectation, they would 
but have some £t), 00 tl badly invested, for two years 
would BuffioB to make all the needful results appa- 
rent. He had himself have interested in coffee 
planting in Perak for three years, and from his 
own experience he would recommend his fellow- 
share holderHjto enter upon tho venture. The last 
issue of preference stock made— £40,000— had 
been placed at 15 per cent premium, so they 
had £0 000 to start with. 
A very full discussion followed, details of which 
cannot be sent you by this mail. Very divergent 
opinions were expressed, but the mojor balance ol 
these inclined to the view that the enterprise was 
too speculative to be wisely undertaken, and the 
evident sense of the shareholders was opposed 
to the directors' proposals. The Chairman then 
said that, aa it was evident his audience waa 
not by any means unanimous aa to supporting 
the scheme, it certainly should not be pressed; 
but he might confidently contradict the view 
expressed that it would be of a speculative character. 
He might say that there was every prospect ol 
their next report lulfilling all the expectations hold 
out by the prospectus oitoulat ol last June in 
