SUC+AK. 



187 



£6 10s. per tou, aud worth on the spot, according to advices received from 

 England and the Cape, £15 per ton, at the lowest estimate, or £600. 



The greatest expense, you will perceive, is the article of tops for planting ; 

 but this ought not to discourage persons. The plants which I imported from 

 the Mauritms some years ago, cost me, on account of many of them not vege- 

 tating, at the rate of £30 per acre. Parties who begin planting now have the 

 great advantage that they can get plants, every one of which, if properly 

 treated, will grow, at one-sixth of that price. 



How many crops cane will give on good soil in Natal, I am of course unable 

 to state, as the oldest cane I have got has been cut only three times — the last 

 yield (second ratoons) was much finer than the preceding ones, and by adopt- 

 ing the improved manner of cane cultivation, viz., returning all but the cane 

 juice to the soil, I am confident that replanting will be found quite unnecessary ; 

 the expenses for the second and following years will therefore be very trifling. 



Comparative Statement of the 

 Mauritius of Land, Live Stock, 

 requirements connected with the 

 MAUEITIUS, 



Land, per acre, £3 10s. to 

 Kent of Land. It is not 

 customary to let land at 

 the Mauritius, except on 

 the system of an equal 

 division of the produce. 

 Manure. Guano, com- 

 monly used in its dry 

 state, also other ma- 

 nures or composts, per 

 ton, £6 to 



Live Stock. Mules, 5 of 

 which are required to 

 each load of 3,000 to 

 4,000 lbs., £30 each . 

 Keep of Mules each, per 

 annum 



Labor. Drivers, each, 

 per month 



Coolies, including keep, 



each . 

 White labor, each 



Fuel. Cane trash or wood 

 Mill Powder. Steam or 

 water 



Implements. All agricul- 

 tural labor is performed 

 by the hand-hoe, very 

 expensive in its nature. 



Produce of the Cane. 

 Average from 1 to 4 tons. 



Cane. Periodical renewal 

 of the cane, according to 

 the quality of the soil, 

 every 3 to 10 years 



7 0 0 



150 0 0 



7 0 0 



1 0 0 



ruling Prices at Natal and the 

 Implements, Labor, and other 

 cultivation of the Sugar Cane. 

 NATAL. 



£ s. d. 



Land, per acre, 10s. to .10 0 

 Rent of Land, 6d. to .050 



Cattle Manure in abun- 

 dance, according to dis- 

 tance, per load. Is. to . 0 2 6 

 (None required on virgin 

 soil for the fii'st three 

 years of cultivation.) 

 Oxen, of which 12 are re- 

 quired to each load, £3 

 each . . . 36 0 0 



Keep of oxen, on pastu- 

 rage . 



Colored driver, each, per 

 month . 



Kafir leader, ditto 

 Kafirs, including keep, 



ditto . . . 0 10 0 



"White labor, each per 



month, £3 lOs. to .400 

 Cane trash or wood 

 The same . . 



All agiicultural labor is 



performed with the 



plough, harrows, and 



scarifier, with oxen so 



much less expensive than 



the hand labor at the 



Mauritius 

 From 2 to 3 tons . 



Not yet ascertained, and 

 depending on the soil . 



free. 



0 15 

 0 10 



