778 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[May I, 1886. 



TEA PLANTING IN SOUTH AFRICA 



is exciting a good deal of attention and the Natal 

 papers are devoting space to information for the 

 planters. A description of a visit to the most extensive 

 and successful garden j'et planted — some ten to 

 fifteen acres — shows the dimensions of the enter- 

 prise. Here is what the proprietor says of the 

 results attained : — 



Mr. I'.rickhiU'h urtat obji'ct and chief desire is to en- 

 counifj'o colonists of limited means to go in for the cul- 

 tivation of tea, for the simple reason that little expense 

 is incurred as compared to the propagation of the coffee 

 plani; only the cultivator must exercise a considerable 

 amount of patience and attention to the pLints at first 

 as it ia three years before they fully matured and 

 begin to show a return for the capital invested. The 

 returns are good ; and when asked for some idea, Mr. 

 Brickhill said that last year, with only the assistance 

 of his coolies, he erected some buildings on his estate 

 effected large improvements, and was able to pay all 

 the expenses incurred out of the profits of the tea. 

 This season he says he shall have better returns, and 

 by the introduction of patent machinery he will be 

 able to do very well. Mr. Brickhill's concluding words 

 sum up all that can be said in favour of tea cultiv- 

 ation. On the question being put, he said "If I had my 

 days to live over again I would start in Natal as a tea 

 planter," 

 Some facts about the garden are of interest; — 



Across the gully, through which a stream runs, on 

 the gentle slopes, is found in good bearing condition 

 the original China tea plant, which has been in the 

 gro und for 22 years. Some of them measure across 10 

 ft. by 7ft. and it is said they will live ior 100 years 

 yet. In the back ground .ve entered another enclosure 

 where a batch of coolies were busily engaged picking 

 some China tea. This process is a very delicate one, 

 but the coolies soon get into the way. The season for 

 picking, we were told, generally commences in Sept- 

 ember and finishes in the latter end of April ; and Mr. 

 Brickhill informs us that whilst last season he had to 

 pick every fortnight from the same plant, this year 

 he had to pick every week, except with the last two 

 pickings which have been at mtervals of ten days ; and 

 he expects now as the season is approaching an end that 

 there will always be teu days or more of an interval. 

 AV'C were next taken to the tea house where the manu- 

 facture goes on, and this appears to be as simple as 

 the cultivation. After being picked it is laid outside 

 in tlie sun on the "barbecue" or brick cemented floors 

 where it is allowed to wither. It is then taken iusi<le 

 by the coolies and rolled for a time, which expels the 

 juice, and eventually (he whole mass is formed into 

 good sized balls, and allowed to remain on a shelf for 

 about three hours in that state. After this process 

 it is laid out in the sun on zinc plates to get warm, 

 and then it goes through a second process of jrolling, 

 and 13 again iirought out.side to undergo what is ter- 

 med "sunning," and remains in the sun for two hours 

 or so. After the sunning the "cooking" in the hot 

 chamber conuncnccs. Here there is a furnace which is 

 the entire length of the building, and is fired from 

 the outside, so that no smoki" or anything obnoxious 

 can contaminate tlu^ tea. On the brickwork which 

 furn)s the walls is laid plate iron the length of tlie 

 furnace. On the top of this plate is laid on each side 

 a row of single bricks which leaves a vacuum in the 

 centre, through which the heated air passes and which 

 is cuveriul with sheet iron. On the top of this gently 

 heated plate the tea is cooked, and is moved about 

 until it is finished. 'J'his process lasts about balf-an- 

 honr, after which the tea is ready for packing in boxes. 

 From the Mciritnj'x " I'lanter'.s column " we ex- 

 tract a few paragraphs to show what the Natalians 

 are thinking about : - 



The following important ((uestions have been sent 

 to me lev tlio purpose of answering ; but before 

 doing so I publish them in the hope that I may 

 receive practical assistance from men who are 

 engaged in tin; industry. The following arc the 

 queries : — 



What class of tea is best suited for cultivation Id 

 Natal? 



To what elevation above the sea can tea be grown 

 with safety ? 



\yill home-grown seed do, or will it be better togetit 

 from India or Ceylon ? 



What distance apart should tea be planted ? 



What is the best way of planting in land cleared for 

 the purpose ? 



What do you think will be the cost of planting old 

 coffee land and bringing it into bearing ? 



How would you plant the seed— in nursery beds, or 

 how? 



Should nursery beds be shaded ; if so, in what way ? 



In transplanting from the nursery, is it best to prune 

 the tap root or not? 



What size of plants are best for planting? 



How many plants would 100 lb. of seed give 



What will be the yield per acre of tea planted in good 

 coffee land ? 



AVhat rainfall is requisite for successful tea cultiv- 

 ation ? 



What do you recommend with regard to plucking ? 



Will soil with limestone grow tea, and give a good 

 return ? 



What tea roller would you recommend ? 



What is your opinion about withering ? 



What tea drier would you recommend ? 



Have you seen Greig's tea drying and withering 

 machine at work ; if so, what is your opinion about it ? 



Can any of my readers inform me at what price per 

 ton coke can be landed at from England? Later on 

 coke or coal must be used for manufacturing tea on 

 some estates. Coke of course would be the cleanest 

 and brightest, and give nut more heat than coal. I 

 heard the other day that a tea planter had ordered a 

 quantity of coal as an experiment, and hope that it is 

 colonial coal he has ordered. 



Is there any demand for croton seed in small quan- 

 tities (down toIO lb. or so)? What is the present market 

 price? Is it necessary to cure the seeds in any way, 

 or is it marketable in the husk, merely dried in the sun ? 

 Any information on the above points will be esteemed. 



INDIAN TEA COMPANIES. * 



Calcutta, 27th March. 



Tea. — The report of the Directors of the C'handy- 

 pore Tea Company for the past season show that the 

 outturn was '207,2601b., which is 0,710 lb below the 

 estimate, the average price realised being As. 8-9 per 

 lb against As 8-1 last season. The gross revenue was 

 Rl, 13,707 and the ordinary expenses Rl,01,120, leav- 

 ing a profit on the season's operations of R12,317, and 

 the net b ilance brought forward from last year 

 swells this amount to Rlii.OH.'), out of which adividend 

 of 5 per cent is to be declared, which will exhaust 

 Rl"2,.i00,andthe balance carried forward. The estimates 

 for the current season provide for an outturn of 

 201,000 lb at an expenditure of Rl,01,000. 



The report of tlie Directors of the Cocheela Tea Com- 

 pany shows that the outturn was 8.5,S.)8 lb. which 

 realised iin average of As. 9 -ti, against 79.605 lb averg- 

 agiu As. 9 for 1881. The gross revenue was R.iI,G07 

 and the expenditure RI1,6C2, leaving a profit of R691.i ; 

 and deducting the debit balance from last year, the 

 amount available is K6,'282, out of which a dividend 

 of 2 per cent is recommended. The estimates for the 

 current season provide for an outturn of 90,000 lb at an 

 outlay of about 1117,000. 



The report of the Directors of Dohing Tea Com- 

 pany shows ithat the outturn was 1,31SJ maunds 

 against 1,500 maunds last year, and lo2 maunds less 

 than the estimate. The avcrnge price realised and to 

 be realised is put dowu at iVs. 9--')J per lb against As. 

 79'J per lb last season. The estimated gross revenue is 

 2,03,3lil and the expenditure Rl,71, 076, leaving a pro- 

 fit of R3'2,2SS, and deducting the debit balance brought 

 forward from last year, the amount at credit of profit 

 2rut loss is R2(>,8.')9. The Directors recommend a 

 dividend of 3 per cent and that a balance of RoO 

 be carried forward. The estimates for the current 

 season provide for an outturn of 1.70(1 maunds. but tho 

 probable expenditure is not stated. — Pioneer, 



