August i, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



123 



goo^ls ; the erection of custom houses on the border by 

 the Cape Government ; the formation of a central chamber 

 ot a^a-iculture, are all subjects which are intimately cuu- 

 uecied with the welfare of the couni ry. The sister Soci- 

 eties of the Tugela division of the comitj' and of ^Vlex- 

 amlria have expressed a desire to co-operate ^ith this • 

 Association on several important questions. This Associ- 

 ation recognize the desirabiUty of imity of action amongst 

 the agricultural community. I trust, gentlemen, that dur- 

 ing the coming year it will be possiljle to form a Chamber 

 of Agriculture, embracing not only the coast, but the up- 

 country districts as well. The time, in my opinion, has 

 arrived when the formation of such a chamber is practic- 

 able ; communication mil soon be rapid : meetings could 

 be held quarterly, alternately at Durban and Maritzburg, 

 The upcounti-y farmers are large employers of coolies ; the 

 question of land tax iu pajTuent of railway expenditure 

 will soon be vipon us. The rates of c.irriagc of agricultui'al 

 produce on the railways, the pound, fencing and outspan 

 laws, the registration of native labourers, rebate of custom 

 dues as affecting the incidence of taxation, and a few of 

 the subjects which are common to all agricultm-ists. In 

 referring to the progress made by agriculture in the past, 

 it has struck me most forcibly how much that progress 

 depends upon a bountiful rainfall. In the eight seasons 

 from ISGo-UT to lS7o-74 the average rainfall was 4S'30 in., 

 thus each crop of cane during that period received 86'(j0 

 in. of rain; in the eight seasons 1S74-75 to 1881 -S2 the 

 average rainfall was 35"S1, thus each of the crops of cane 

 du-"ing this period only received 71"6S in., an average loss 

 of 14'!)2 in. per crop. The heavy crop of 1880-81 was in 

 a great measure caused by the splendid rainfall of lft7!)-80. 

 The outtm'n of sugar during the first eight seafons re- 

 ferred to was 56,850 tons, dining the latter 71,740 tons, 

 an inciease only of 14,896 tons. During the fir.st period 

 named, the acreage rmder cultivation was less. "We had 

 not emerged from the period when errors of judgment iu 

 manufacture sent much of the sugar to waste ; cultivation 

 was of the most primitive kind, labour was .scarce, and 

 mantn-ing unknown. The increase of crop during the latter 

 pericd would have trebled 14,896 tons had the rainfall been 

 equal. If. then, by any known means, we can iucrea.se the 

 rainfall, it follows that great progress in agriculture must 

 be the certain residt. That this result can be attained has 

 Ijeen clearly shown. It remains for us to adopt the means 

 which have proved successful in other countries — in a few 

 words, to take up with energj' tree-xjlanting. The pro- 

 gress made in the cultivation of the cane has been most 

 marked. Kever, i)erhaps. has gi'eater care been bestowed 

 upon the same area of plant canes as has been the rule 

 this year. Jlanuring is being adopted by all our promin- 

 ent planters. The dunder and refuse from all mills prove 

 t3 be .'1 mo.st valuable fertilizer, thus by its application to 

 the soil, not only benefitting the countr.y by increased 

 fertility, but preventing the noxious exhalations and pol- 

 lutions of streams which have hitherto been a blot on the 

 country. "Wc see magnificent fields of cane gro\ving, with 

 the aid of manure and cultivation, on the oldest and of 

 the poorest sugar lands in the country. The question of 

 manuring deserves the mo.st careful trousideratiou. It is 

 ix)ssible, as was proved in the West Indies, to grow magui- 

 ticent crops of cane, but only limited crops of sugar. It 

 is thought by some that manuring will take the place of 

 cultivation but I think I am speaking with authority when 

 I state we shall never possess a manure that will enable 

 us to dispense with cnltivatioir, in fact, that the cultiv- 

 ation of the soil is more important than the application of 

 manure. If the two go together, then the happiest re- 

 sults may be expected. I think that this would form a 

 most interesting subject for a Committee to consider and 

 report upon. The anal.ysis of artificial manures imported 

 into the colony is a subject also that the Association will 

 no doubt in time turn its attention to. It has been found 

 that the action of Agricultural Societies in England on this 

 ([uestion has elicited the wholesale fraud and robbery 

 which for a time seemed inseparable from the business. 

 Through the kindness of Mi\ Hunter, the general manager 

 of the railway, and of Blr. Rutherford, the Collector of 

 Customs, I am enabled to give you some reliable statist- 

 ics regarding the past cro]) of 1882-83. The total quantity 

 of svigar expoited from Natal from the oOtb of June 188:,*, 

 to the 28th of Fobruaiy 1883, amounts to 4,125 tons. The 



railway has carried to Maritzbm-g during the same period 

 2,692 tons. ' 'We have thus reliable data for 6,907 tons. I 

 estimate that wagons have carried upcountry (say) 500 

 tons, that local consumption stocks in hand on the 20th 

 of February will equal 600 tons, thus we have a total of 

 8,007 tons, worth £200,000. as the residt of the past crop. 

 It is diiided as follows : — Victoria County has sent in by 

 rail (very little, if an.v, has gone byroad) 5,494 tons, leav- 

 ing 2,513 tons as the produce of Alexandi-ia and Dm-bau 

 Counties. It is interesting to note that only a trifle over 

 half the crops has gone over the bar. It has been custom- 

 ary to reckon local consumption and country trade at only 

 1,500 to 2,000 tons. The progress of agriculture in the past 

 has, as you well know, been beset with difficulties ; but, 

 gentlemen, the future is brighter. In a large and well cul- 

 tivated average of cane, of mealies, of tobacco, magnifi- 

 cent rains have fallen. The rainfall since the 29th of Nov- 

 ember last, when the drought broke iqj, now reaches 27 in. 

 ITie sugar industry was never on a better footing than it now 

 is, the manufacture of the crop which in many years gone 

 by was little understood, now leaves very little to be de- 

 sired, the yield per gallon of juice is no longer an uncer- 

 tainty, and compares most favom'ably with the yield iu 

 the most advanced sugar-growing countries. Cultivation 

 (and, by cultivation I mean something more than holing 

 and weeding) is daily recei\ing more attention, thus in- 

 creasing the yield per acre. The labour difhcidty will be over- 

 come if a constant stream of Indian immigration is kept 

 up. The Central Mill system has found a firm footing, and 

 is working satisfactoi'ily. There is one thing we lack, 

 namely, financial facilities, but given average seasons, with 

 the advantages named, a greater cai>ital must flow to 

 support an enterprize which is iu itself renmneiative and 

 of vast benefit to the comrtry. I estimate the crop for 

 the coming season at 11,0(J0 tons, 8,000 for Victoria Coiuitv, 

 and 3,000 for Alexandria and Diu'ban, and valued at 

 £279,000. Never, perhaps has the oldest inhabitant seen 

 such a bountiful mealie crop. In this county alone, I estim- 

 ate the surjilus ciop to reach lO.Mji) tons, worth in the 

 English market £7 per ton. The question arises, what can 

 be done with this surplus? The high rate of carriage on 

 our railway prevents any thougljt of exporting this staple 

 except from districts a few miles from the port. It is a 

 question w^orthy of your consideration, whether rates of 

 Ciirriage for agricultural produce shonld not be materia'lv 

 reduced, to encourage production, and if nece.ssary, a land 

 tax imposed to meet the deficiency in railway revenue. It 

 seems manifestly mifair to make the occupier and producer 

 pay for the interest and working expen.ses of tlie railway ; 

 whilst owners of unoccupied land are earning the yearly 

 increment caused by the railway and the industry of the 

 occupier, without contributing to the revenue in "any way. 

 It is a question ritally affecting upcountry interests. The 

 carriage of a ton of meahes from rietermaritzburg to 

 Durban is equal to tue freight now ofliered from the Durban 

 wharf to London. Can we compete with other counti'ies 

 mth such rates of land carriage ? The size and quality of 

 the leaf of the tobacco gi'owii always inspires the iioixi 

 that ere long this article may figure in our export list. 

 There will be a large crop of tobacco this season, and it 

 considerable surplus. The re-iutrodiictiou of cotton has 

 caused considei-able discussion ; very little advance has been 

 made; where eoohes have tried it they have smothered it 

 with mealies. It is possible that the inmiense croi) of 

 mealies may induce farmers to Uiru their attention to 

 growing an exportable product like cotton, a crop realized 

 quicklyandfor which there is a certain market. Iu conclusion, 

 it is satisfactory to note that the thinking inhabitants of 

 the colony are awaking to the fact that on the develop- 

 ment of agi'icultural industry must the future wealtli of 

 South Africa depend. Wars, gold and diamond mines may 

 for a time give an impetus to trade, but unless the soil 

 is made to give forth her increase, true prosperity will 

 be wanting. Vi'e are blessed with a fruitful soil, a genial 

 climate and boundless tracts of unoccupieil lands, A\'o 

 lack population, capital, cheap tran.sport and sound legn's- 

 latiou to develop the capabiUties of as fair a land as any 

 possessed by the Oroivn of Great Britain. 



Report of the Committee appointed to consider the ques- 

 m of the introduction of fresh varieties of cane : — 



to report that it has considered the 



tion 

 Your Committee be 



