Coffee-Growing.
p. 38 · Read in the full issue
Progress In New Britain.
REMARKABLE progress has been made in the planting of coffee on the property at “Vunalama,” Kera wat, near Rabaul, on the north coast of New Britain, owned by Amalgamated Coffee Plantations, Ltd.
This enterprise was launched more than two years ago—just before the de pression—with the idea of selling deben tures or bonds to the public on a large scale. About the same time as the de pression came down, however, this class of bond selling came somewhat into dis favour; with the result that the Com pany decided to carry on without mak ing any special appeal to the public..
It was generally supposed that very little had been done, and it is therefore with interest and pleasure that we are able to announce that very considerable developments have taken place on Vuna lama, and there are already planted out, or about to be planted out, more than 400,000 coffee trees. The coffee-tree, as a rule, does not come into full bearing until it has been planted for four years, but this plantation had done so very well, that it looks as if it will be in bearing considerably before that time.
Some of the trees, which are only 18 months old, are carrying considerable blooms.
It is surprising that the industry of planting coffee has not made more rapid strides in the Territories of Papua and New Guinea. There is a large and valu able market for the product in Aus tralia, and we have already pointed out that while there is a considerable duty
on the product from overseas, there is no duty on the coffee produced in Papua and New Guinea.
The officer-in-charge of the Kerawat Experimental Plantation, in New Guinea, Mr. Murray, has done everything possible to encourage coffee planting: and within the plantation at Kerawat, he has demonstrated in a remarkable way the suitability of this soil and cli mate for successful coffee growing. All this information has been made avail able to the planters of New Guinea. But it is as difficult to wean the coconut planter away from his copra, as it is to convince the whisky-drinker that beer would do him less harm, while giving him the same pleasant outlook on life.