The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-05
Far Eastern Notes.

A floating mine was found on the coast OF Ishi-
kawa ken In Japan on February Is last. This mad
the fourth discovered In a few weeks.
The Pekin correspondent Of the Japanese paper
Asahi states that the Russo Chinese negotiations
regarding Manchuria are much obstructed by the
diniculties raised by both sides, the Chinese de-
manding the restitution OF the mines and lands
illegally seized. and the Russians insisting on the
right to build a railway from TsitsihAr to Blago-
vestchensk on the Amur and from Kidkhta to
Kalgan to connect Pekin with Irkutsk In Siberia.
The Chinese Governor OF the province Of Hall
~ungkiang In northern Manchura having reported
TO Pekin that the Tnotai In charge Of the mines In
his province had handed over possession of q num-
Der TO the Russians, the Taotai was arrested and
sent down to be dealt with by the Vlceroy Yuan
Shikai. The Russians meantime require that the
Chinese Government shall recognize their title 10
the mines so acquired.
The area under rice cultivation In Burma on
February IS was reported at o,e00. e21 acres. The
surplus for export is now estimated at 22o.o 900 tons
OF cargo rice, equiv alent to *, OH, 900 hundredweight
OF cleaned nee.
The total area under rice in the Madras preSi-
dency in India up to the end Of January OF the
present year Is estimated at 6.iSS, 900 acres, an in
crease OF 2 per cent. over 1905. Owing. how
ever. 20 the inequality OF the rainfall. the crop
is expected TO be only about 70 per cent. OF the
normal. The Madras rice area represents about
io.2 per cent. OF the total in British India.
The we'll known Japanese bacteriologist. DR..
Kitasato, Will visit India on behalf OF the japanese
Government for the purpose OF examining into
the plague conditions In that country. The pr
mary object is said TO be to nnd out means for
securing the shipment Of raw cotton 10 Japan from
ports in which the plague does not exist.
The wheat exports from Calcutta for the month
Of January fell from 727.01q hundredweight In the
corresponding period OF last year 20 only s0,5se
hundredweight, The rice export was 200, ITO hun
dredweight. The value OF the jute sent abroad,
raw and manufactured, showed an increase Of
81 $50. $50 over last year. The largest consumer
was Great Britain. France coming next. The
United States and Australia were also large pur-
chasers. Tho shipments OF tea Increased ,OO0, 900
pounds. Coal shipments 10 foreign ports rose from
20. go 70 rs, 1893 tons. and Indian ports took 1856, oee
tons.
Owing TO the disturbed conditions in Russia the
tea shipments to that country from Calcutta have
almost ceased. Small quantities were sent TO RiRa
and Batum, but much below the average Of pre-
vious years.
Fibre from the plantain tree IL coming into use
In India for cloth making. Yarn made from Il is
found stronger than that from cotton or jute, and
has a glazed appearance. A native technical insti.
tute at Nagpore has taken up the subject. and as
the supply OF ~plantRin fibre is almost unlimited in
Bengal II is expected that q large industry may
be created for Its production.
Under the auspices OF King Habibullah Of AFGHAN.
istan the cultivation OF the sugar cane In the low
lands about Jelalabad. near the Indian frontier,
has become an accomplished fact. Samples pre.
sented TO him during his visit TO that place were
so good in quality that he ordered that n large
supply OF the best kinds OF cane slips for planting
should be obtained from India.