April 2, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



847 



example — have almost as much power as potatoes to push 

 up through a heavy covering of soil; but, with exceptions 

 of this kind, no seeds should be covered deeply, and small 

 seet,ls should hardly hv covered at all. It is necessary to 

 surround them with sufficient compost to keep them al- 

 ways moist, but more than that is not needed. The seed 

 should, in the first instance, be sown on a perfectly level 

 and even surface, and theu sprinkled over with a compost 

 put tlu'ough the finest of sieves. I am speaking of seeds 

 like the primula, cineraria, lobelia, carnation, calceolaria, 

 and the like. It does not matter so much what kind of 

 compost tht! seeds have got under them, but that above 

 them should always be fine and open, consisting in large 

 part of sand and peat, or leaf mould, which will bf found 

 suitable for covering any seeds. But, rather than put 

 too great a depth of even this light compost over very 

 small seeds, it is better to barely cover them out of 

 sight, and place a sheet of newspaper over the pan, or 

 box, till vegetation takes place. The only object of cover- 

 ing seeds seems to be to keep them moist, and this can be 

 etfected with a paper cover only, laid over the box. Begonia 

 seed is often sown in this way, it being too fine to be covered. 



Next to these matters comes watering. A pot or pan 

 of fine seeds is soon cleared by a careless waterer or an 

 awkward watering-pot. The rose of the watering-pot should 

 be very fine, but have many holes, and small as they can 

 be bored, so that it will just dehver the water in a gentle 

 spray or mist, and not with sufficient force to dislodge 

 the seeds or disturb the sm-face of the soiL Seed-pans 

 should never be floated with water, or the likelihood is 

 the seeds \viil all swim to one corner, and that many of 

 them will be buried, and never come up. 



The rules to be observed in the case of outdoor seeds, 

 flower seeds, ami vegetables are the same. Sow when the 

 soil is in an open, friable state, and cover thinly, in propor- 

 tion to the variety of seed. Peas \vill push through three 

 or four inches of soil, but more will vegetate under 

 less top-weight, especially in heavy .soils. The nature of 

 the soil should always be reckoned with. Seeds sown in 

 light sandy soil are safe under a depth that would kill 

 them in a stitf soil. Hence the rules laid down in cal- 

 endars are often misleading in such matters. In one 

 garden I know of, the old gardener, who sows many 

 annuals in the flower garden where the soil is heavy, 

 covers all the seeds with a dry compost composed of 

 river-sand and leaf soil. If he were to use the ordinary 

 soil, and rake the seeds in in the common way, he 

 would probably not have the success he has. — H. AV. — Field. 



PLANTING IN NATAL DURING 1882. 

 To particularise more fully what our planters have done* 

 we may say that the year will be long remembered by that 

 community in consetpience of the absence during the summer 

 and autumn months (January, February and March) of the 

 usual rains. Growth was .seriously checked, much injury 

 being done to the crops. "We find, notmthstanding a con- 

 siderable advance in the area under the cultivation of the 

 sugar-cane, a much-fliminished out-tiurn of sugar for the 

 season. Canes have, although light in the ground, in some 

 measure made up for a part of the deficiency by the richness 

 of the juice obtained. The quality of the sugar has shown 

 an advance on last season's work. The adoption of standard 

 samples by the Chamber of Commerce will tend to encourage 

 manufacturers to aim at making their sugar up to sample. 

 The effect of the disturbance created by the Zulu war is 

 still felt by our planters, in the absence of tlie average acreage 

 of ratoons. A larger breadth of land than usual has been 

 cleared and planted with cane. Planters have turned their 

 serious attention to cultivating improved varieties of cane 

 — principally importations from Mauritius. Green Natal, 

 on good land, nay even on indifferent land, with good cul- 

 tivation and manm-e, still bears the palm as the cane most 

 fitted for the climate. We are glad to learn that manure 

 is used on most estates. Artificial manures are in request ; 

 valuable compost heaps arc found at most of the mills. The 

 young canes are very backward in consequence of the want 

 of moisture tluring October and November. Unless more 

 favourable weather intervenes, the crop for next season will 

 be unusually light. The disease called "smut" caused con- 

 siderable anxif-ty during the early part of the year. A com- 

 mission was aj)]ntinte<l by the ^'ictoria Planters' Association 

 to enquire into and report on the disease. A ver)' able papt r 



was the result of its labours. The attention thus drawn 

 to the subject led planters to take steps to eradicate the 

 disease. Marked success has attended their efforts ; the 

 ravages of the lUsease not only having been checked, but 

 in a fair way to be stamped out. Much anxiety was caused 

 diu"iug October and November oy a.spellof hot, ilry weather, 

 but all an.xiety was dispelled by the abundant rains, accom- 

 panied by the fine growing weather of December. The 

 acreage of mealies reaped during the year was larger than 

 in any previous year, principally owned by Indians. The 

 crop was a light one ; had it been otherwise, the price would 

 hardly have been remmierative. It was not until November 

 that the price of mealies rose over 12s. Tobacco is now 

 principally grown by Indians, its cultivation is rapidly ex- 

 tending. There seems no (lifficulty in di.sposing of any 

 quantity of this crop in its unmanufactured state. It seems 

 strange that the European grower, with his greater laiow- 

 ledge and greater skill, cannot compete successfully against 

 the Indian in this crop. The curing of the Indian tobacco 

 is of the most primitive kind. Tea has, through the energy 

 and public spirit of Mr. Hulett, come into prominence. It 

 promises to soon become a paying industry, the only seem- 

 ing difficulty being of preparation for market. Coffee, as 

 it always does, promised fairly well and disappointed its 

 backers. It has again blossomed magnificently ; it is im- 

 possible to say what the result may be, most probably another 

 failure. There is very little coffee left under cultivation, 

 and the outtvirn is uuappreciable. Several good samples 

 of cotton have been grown from selected Upland American 

 cotton, and imported direct from New Orleans. The crop 

 grown by Mr. Osborn, of Umtata, from this seed is a fair 

 sample of Upland cotton, the colour is good, the staple 

 quite up to the average, its only defect being that it is 

 rather too much mixed with leaf. All the other samples 

 of cotton produced were from the same seed, but several 

 had been altogether spoilt in the ginning, — thus it came to 

 be thought by the iminitiated that they were other varieties. 

 An effort was made to induce the free Indians to cultivate 

 the plant, but hitherto with but indifferent success. Public 

 attention has been directed during the year to the produc- 

 tion of fibres. Mr. de Chazal presented a paper on the 

 subject to the Planters' Association, calling attention to the 

 work done in Maiu-itius, and giving much valuable inform- 

 ation and instructions as to growth and manufacture. Mr. 

 Blamey of Milkwood Kraal, laid before the same Association 

 some very interesting specimens of rope made from the 

 Fourcroya, and also made some interesting remarks thereon. 

 A commencement has been made in this industry; there 

 is every probability that it will develop large proi^ortions. 

 The .several associations have been active diu~ing the year, 

 much good resulting from the interchange of thoughts and 

 ideas on the different subjects discussed. The question of 

 pollution of streams remains i/i statu (pio so far as the Govern- 

 ment is concerned, the Bill having been withdrawn! last 

 session of the Council. We understand that duriug the 

 next few months Mr. Dumat will make arrangements for 

 turning the refuse from the Mt. Edgcumbe Central Mill 

 into a portable manure, thus doing away most effectually 

 with any chance of pollution of streams. The sub-contrac- 

 tors for the Ladysmith extension have mainly reHed upon 

 the coast districts for theii" supply of labour, thus the 

 labour market bnf^ been much straitened. A constant stream 

 of toilers of both colours passed through the country; large 

 numbers of natives were tempted to leave employment 

 on the sugar estates for the railway. The supply "of in- 

 dentured Indians has not nearly met the demand ; the im- 

 migration from India is languishing; but, as we have ah-eady 

 shown, the Trust Board has done all that Ues in its power 

 to revive it by the appointment of so able a commissioner 

 to proceed to India as Colonel Mitchell. To add to the 

 general scarcity, during Decemlier the majority of Zulus 

 left their works suddenly to return to then- kraals, to watch 

 the course of events following Cetywayo's retiu"n. Native 

 labom- in the pa.'it has been at all times unreliable, and pro- 

 mises in the future to be still more so. The coast railways 

 have worked satisfactorily during the year ; ver.^' few com- 

 ]>laints are heard. The system seems in good working 

 order. 'J'be rates of carriage remain too high foi- the due 

 development of the country. It is considered that a re- 

 duction even at the cost of a land-tax would be for the 

 benefit of the country. The extension of the lines north 

 and south without delay would open some magnificent 



