Oussouri, soundings were made and navigation charts prepared. There are now employed on these rivers 2 steamers, 1 steam launch, 6 barges, and 2 dredges. The construction of a stone quay in Vladivostock has been commenced. The general result of the work from 1895 to 1897 is shown as follows: Earthwork, 7,536,500 cubic sagen (95,741,462 cubic yards); rails laid, 2,959 versts (1,696.61 miles); ballasted, 3,051 versts (2,022,81 miles). Moscow, March 9, 1898. THOS. SMITH, Consul. AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS IN SAMOA. For the last year there has been an abundance of rain, and crops in Samoa are considered good. Of course, most of the productions consist of tropical fruits, and these can only be used for home consumption, as the distance is too great to make it practicable to place them in the markets of the world. A large number of bananas and pineapples have been shipped to Auckland and Sydney; limes and pineapples have also been sent to San Francisco. It is hoped that something may transpire to cause competition in the carrying business, as the rates of the Oceanic. Company are almost prohibitory. There seems to be a good demand for copra, and I am informed that if all of the Samoan Islands were producing, it would in no way affect the market. From 80 to 110 tons of copra are shipped by each steamer to the United States, and of course a large amount is sent to other countries. It seems to me that capital might be profitably invested in bottling and canning many of the products of these islands. I think that the chocolate or cacao tree could with proper effort be made the leading industry of the islands, and that its production must be profitable. Knowing that Mr. H. J. Moors is well informed on the subject, I took the liberty of asking him to express his views in writing, and, with his consent, I inclose a copy of his article. L. W. OSBORN, APIA, February 17, 1898. Consul-General. THE CACAO INDUSTRY IN SAMOA AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF 1898. [Extracts from an article by H. J. Moors.] In 1892 it was announced that some cacao trees that had been introduced by the German Plantation Company were in a thriving condition, and that they were bearing prolific crops of a very well flavored bean. A small sample shipment had been made, and a most favorable report had followed the expert inspection to which the product had been subjected in Germany. Application was at once made to D. H. & P. Gellschaft for seed of this plant, and they agreed to supply them at the high rate of 25 cents a pod, each containing from twenty-five to forty seeds. The prospect of enlarging the industries of the islands and of stimulating production attracted more or less attention, and a pamphlet on the subject of cacao was published in the Samoan language and freely distributed. Much interest was aroused, and a great many cacao pods were purchased at the very high rate demanded. Hardly a district remained in Samoa in which there was not a number of these trees, and had it not been for the extreme poverty of the natives at that time, a fine beginning would have been made. Efforts were made to induce the German company to lower the selling price of their seed, but without avail. At this time, and with seed obtained in this way, Mr. Stevenson planted many acres of cacao, which have since been neglected and are now of little value. Mataafa put in about 700 trees, and a good beginning was made at Pago-Pago. These promising native plantations were utterly ruined during the wars of 1894-95, and hardly a tree was left standing. In 1895 and 1896 fully 250,000 seeds were distributed among the Samoan natives, and most all of these were properly planted. Unfortunately, the severest drought that has ever been known in Samoa followed these laudable exertions, and it is likely that not above 10 per cent of the total amount has survived the dry seasons of 1896 and 1897. Cacao, which was a year old and upward at the commencement of these seasons, seemed to remain stationary, while all the young plants that were exposed to the sun died completely out. Since October, 1897, the weather has been very favorable and much cacao has been planted. Many foreigners are now convinced that this is the most promising crop that can be raised, and that it will be safe and profitable. It is likely that a factory for the preparation of the beans will be started in Apia very soon, the intention being to buy the pods fresh from the trees. I estimate that at the present moment there are 75 acres of bearing cacao trees in Samoa, that next year there will be twice as many, and that in 1901 the yield will be quite large. Five years hence I believe the cacao yield will bring more money into Samoa than the copra product does at the present time. Good seed is now procurable at the rate of 2 cents per pod. Personally, I have had some experience in the cultivation of the cacao tree, and by the end of March of this year, I hope to say that I have 42 acres under cultivation on Upolu and 6 acres at Pago-Pago. Some of this will bear next year, and nearly all in 1900. At Papalaloa, I first cleared off all the forest trees and weeds. I then had holes 18 inches in diameter and 2 feet deep dug at regular intervals of 15 feet all over the ground. These holes were left open from two to three weeks to air the soil. While this was going on, I had bananas planted at regular distances of 15 feet apart, in such a position that the banana trees would, when large enough, shade the cacao. Experience has shown me that the highest Samoan banana is the best for this purpose, its fruit being as large and as well flavored as that of the lower Chinese variety. As soon as I had my bananas set out, I planted pumpkins irregularly all over the ground. These vines grow rapidly, and soon cover the soil in such an effective way that weeds and grass will not grow near them. They do not interfere seriously with either the bananas or the cacao; in fact, owing to the slower growth of the bananas, the pumpkins are needed to protect the young cacao until the bananas have matured so as to cast an effective shadow. When the pumpkins are all in, I fill the holes made for the cacao, throwing away all the small stones, etc. When the hole is within 2 inches of full, I have the neighboring topsoil scraped, making the place quite level. I then plant three cacao seeds, just as they are taken from the pod; in fact, the man doing this work carries with him a small basket of pods, which he opens and uses as he goes. These seeds are set out in a triangle, about 9 inches apart. It is understood that only one of the resulting trees will be allowed to survive. If we have rainy weather, it will be necessary to weed the land in about six weeks' time, but it will be well to allow the weeds to grow as long as possible, as their shade is necessary to the young cacao until the pumpkins are far enough advanced to take their place. It is dangerous to expose the young cacao to the sun until it has at least six or eight leaves. In pulling the weeds they should be well shaken, so that all the dirt is expelled from the roots, which are turned up to the sun so that they will die. After the first weeding, if showers occur, the pumpkins grow with great rapidity, sending up leaves 3 feet high. The second weeding, which ought to take place about two months after the first, will not be very difficult, as the pumpkins will pretty effectually prevent the growth of grass and weeds, without seriously affecting the banana and cacao. Within ten months the banana plants arrive at maturity and cast good shadows; in the meantime the pumpkins bear heavy crops, which are used for feeding pigs and cows. At the end of the first year, the banana crop ought to more than pay all of the working expenses of the plantation. When the cacao is three years of age it will be producing a remunerative crop. The first yield will consist of from 20 to 30 well-developed pods per tree, increasing each year until as many as 350 pods will be produced by a good tree; 200 being about the average on a five-year-old plant. As I pound of prepared cacao beans may be secured from 11 to 15 pods, according to their size, it will be seen that our trees produce results not surpassed by any cacao-growing district in the world. The quality of the cacao is said to be equal to any growing elsewhere, and if these assertions are correct our prospects are excellent. Another and simpler method of raising cacao is sometimes resorted to in Samoa, and our very best plantations were started in that manner. The planter cuts out all the undergrowth and small trees from his land, and digs his holes at the usual distance apart. After airing the holes and refilling them, they are planted and allowed to grow without any further attention until the following rainy season. Then more of the trees are cut out, so as to allow sunlight to enter. At the commencement of the third rainy season, the remaining large trees are ring barked, so that they will die. In the course of time they rot and fall down in pieces without doing much damage. When this method is resorted to, there is very little weeding to do, as weeds do not thrive under the forest shade. Of course, the planter can not cultivate bananas (which require the sun) and he has to finance his own way through the first three years without their help. It is an excellent idea, whichever plan is adopted, to establish a few nurseries at convenient spots in the fields, so that if any of the plants fail to come up, or if they die, they can quickly be replaced by plants nearly or quite as large. A number of small Samoan baskets are made, filled with rich soil, and placed together in a shady situation. In each is planted a cacao seed. These soon grow into goodsized shoots, and when a vacancy occurs in the fields, one of these baskets can readily be carried there and planted in place of the missing tree. The baskets are very slightly made and soon rot. Cacao trees seem to be healthy and strong in Samoa, and to require no shade after they have reached maturity. In fact, those planted in the shade seem to bear far less than those which are unprotected. On one of the plantations owned by a German firm, the mice have done some damage to the crops by eating the seed as they ripened. So far, they have not injured any other that I have heard of. If, however, these pests become annoying, I think that they can be driven out of the fields altogether by allowing the pigs to roam. The latter will destroy the young mice, and the animals will soon disappear. I do not know any part of Samoa in which cacao will not grow. It is believed that it is most successful in plantations ranging from 500 to 1,500 feet above the sea level. In exposed locations, it will be found imperatively necessary to plant wind-brakes for shelter during the gales of January, February, and March. Land suitable for this culture can now be had from foreigners at rates varying from $3 to $25 per acre, or be leased for 25 cents per acre for forty years from natives. Laborers may be engaged at rates from $5 to $10 per month per man, including rations, which cost the planter from $4 to $5 for each laborer in addition. At the present time quite a number of free Polynesians are to be found in and about Apia, ready to work on these terms; but it must be understood that if large tracts of land are to come under cultivation in the near future, this scale of wages will necessarily advance, unless additional laborers are introduced into the country. Many of the Samoans are fairly industrious, and, though they do not care to work by the day, where they have to keep regular hours and be guided by bell taps, they are frequently ready to accept contracts for clearing lands at rates that are far from dear. They usually do their work in such instances in an acceptable manner, though often they take a long time. My plantation at Papalaloa (60 acres) has now cost me $6,500, or about $108 per acre. This includes cattle, pigs, poultry, houses, fencing, gates, etc. I expect to realize $60 to $75 annually from every acre of cacao in full bearing. The land not planted with this product will serve for horses and cattle. When the bananas are finally destroyed, I will feed my pigs largely on breadfruit, which I am setting out for wind-brakes. At the present time, my sales of fruit exceed my expenses, so that I can say, when my cacao is finally bearing, that it will have cost no more than $100 per acre. It would be useless for people of little means to come here with the idea of successfully starting a cacao plantation. No one should attempt it with less than $2,500 in hand, and a larger sum would be better. On the whole, I believe the agricultural resources of Samoa are valuable, and that they should attract attention. Investigation, I think, will convince anyone that the cacao industry has a bright future. > SHEEP AND WOOL IN AUSTRALASIA. The following reports are replies to an instruction sent from the Department of State on August 28, 1897, at the request of Hon. William Lawrence, president of the National Wool Growers' Association, to whom ADVANCE SHEETS of the reports have been sent: NEW ZEALAND. I have the honor to inclose a tabular statement showing the number of sheep in, and the total wool product of, the colony of New Zealand for the years 1855, 1858, 1861, 1864, 1867, 1871, 1874, 1878, 1881, 1886, 1891, and 1896. The colony was founded in 1840, but 1855 seems to be the earliest year for which there are any statistical sheep records. I am therefore unable to include the years 1820, 1830, 1840, and 1850, as requested. The years for which the sheep are given were census years. A record is taken every year, but not nearly so exhaustively as in the census returns. Table showing the number of sheep and the weight and value of the wool in New Zealand. In response to the instruction from the Department dated August 28, 1897, I communicated with the government statistician of this colony, inserting a few additional questions which I thought might be of interest to our people, and the following is a reply, with the information desired. SYDNEY, October 22, 1897. GEO. W. BELL, INCLOSURE IN CONSUL BELL'S REPORT. GOVERNMENT STATISTICIAN'S OFFICE, DEAR SIR: In reply to your letter of the 11th of October, I beg to inform you that sheep were first introduced into New South Wales on the foundation of the colony on the 26th of January, 1788, the live stock brought out by Captain Phillip, R. N., the first governor, including 29 sheep. Wool was first exported about the year 1800, its destination being England. The inclosed statement will give you the figures you require with respect to the increase in the number of sheep and in the production of wool. Yours faithfully, G. W. BELL, Esq., Consul for the United States of America, Sydney. J. R. MARTIN, For Statistician. |