Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-10-19

SINAGAR TEA PLANTATION,
Tjibadak, Java.
In an interview which L had at Manila
a few months ago with Don Carlos Pa
lanca, the millionaire Chinese of the Phil
ippines, he told me that tea could undoubt-
eddy be profitably raised on the highlands
of Luzon. There is no doubt but that the
plants would thrive OH the other islands
nearby and the time may come when we
shall raise not only the greater part of
our coffee, but all our own tea. We now
use about $4,000, 600 worth of tea every
year, importing more than S4000,0O0
pounds. or about five pounds annually for
every family in the United States.
The climate and soil of Java are as I
have said, just about the same as those OF
the Philippines, and Java is now consider
ed one of the best tea-raising islands of
the world. They have been growing tea
here for more than seventy-fve years The
Dutch government began it in the botani-
cal gardens at Buitenzorg, and within five
years had government plantations contain
ing half a million trees. They continued
setting out tea until the number of trees
ran high into the millions, and then gave
over the business to private parties. AT
present there are vast areas given up to
tea raising In coming from Batavia to
Sinagar 1 travelled for many miles through
mountains covered with tea bushes, and
volcanoes, Mount Salak and Mount Gedeh,
in what is perhaps the largest tea planta-
tion of the whole world. In China and
Japan the tea is grown in garden patches.
There is seldom more than a few acres in
one holding. Here the business is one of
large estates operated with European capt.
tai
Biggest Plantation of the World.
Take this Sinagar estate, for instance.
1t has about 5000 acres and is always
planting out new tea fields. 1t has now
more than $500 acres devoted to tea and
coffee, and it produces more than mil
lion pounds of the finest tea every year.
Its output is something like 100000 pounds
of tea per month, and altogether 1t has
produced more than 30,OOO,O00 pounds.
The estate has a capital of 100000, and
It pays dividends of 8 and 10 per cent
annually. 1t has paid as high as "a per
cent, and l don't think 1t has ever failed
to pay well. The plantation is managed
like a great business institution. 1t has
its director. its administrators, bookkeep-
ers and civil engineers. 1t has a vast sys-
TEN of irrigation, with culyerts which
would do credit to any railroad in the
United States. 1t knows the constituents
of its soil and raises tea on Sclentihc lines.
1t employs 1 400 men all the year around,
and at times has 5000 women picking
tea Its annual wage account amounts to
10000 guldens, and in addition 1t fur
nishes its own employees with medicine and
rice. The estate has several towns upon
1t, all subordinate to the director, who is
a sort of a patriarch or feudaI lord to the
whole.
How Europeans Suffer in Java.
wish I could take you into the planta-
ton houses of this great tea estate and
show you how the Dutch suffer in these
backwoods of the tropics After your visit
you would no longer waste any sympathy
on our people who have gone to take up
their homes IN the Philippines. The truth
IS. the most luxurious life of the world Is
to be found in the far east Here at Sina-
gar the people live as well as they do in
any part of Europe. Their houses are large
and airy. They are well furnished and are
lighted by electricity. The estate has sta
bles of fine horses. l rode for miles one
morning over it on Sandalwood pony and
upon my return was shown half dozen
blooded runners which were being trained
for the races. The American consul ar
ranged for my visit to the estate through
a long distance telephone and l find that
the daily newspapers come every morning.
Upon landing at the station of Tjibadak I
was met by carriage with team of bay
horses and an old native coachman in visor
and Sarong. and my way to the estate was
over roads lined with palm trees of dozen
varieties, through fields Of pale green su-
gar cane and higher up the darker green
OF the tea.
A Geological and Botanical Garden.
The director of Sinagar has both a 20
illogical and botanical garden about him.
He Is fond Of animals and fond of flowers.
Luncheon was served shortly after I ar
rived and while we were eating two little
red parrots flew in and took part in the
meal They moved this way and that at