THP TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [April I, 1890. 
in other words, blossoms later in each succeeding 
year, and this tendency is increased by the irregularity 
of our spring rains. It is further to be noted that 
since the first cultivation of coffee in the colony the 
cost of labour has very materially increased. 
There is clearly an impression in the minds of most 
persons who gave evidence that the rainfall on the 
Coast has very materially decreased durine the pa«t 
few years, more especially since the year 1872. This 
we do not find to be borne out by the facts. Confinine 
ourselves to the record of observations taken at Ottowa. 
which is situated in the centre of the coffee-srowing 
district, the average rainfall for ten years, namely, from 
1870 to 1879, inclusive, was 38-782, but this includes 
the abnormal fall of 1872 of 56-71. The average for 
Beven years, from 1873 to 1879, was 37 - 13 ; the fall in 
1870 and 1871 being respectively 34 87 and 36'22 ; thus 
Bhowing the average rainfall since 1 872 to be nearly 5 per 
cent, more than that for 1870 and 1871, the time during 
which the heavy crop of 1872 was maturing. Taking 
also the number of days on which rain fell, we find in 
1870 and 1871 92 and 87 respectively, or and avprage of 
89'dO ; whereas for the seven years, 1873 to 1879, thp 
average v as 97-43. We are, therfore, unable to admit 
this as a fact or among the causes of f failure. 
Average rainfall for the seven years, from 1873 to 
1879, inclusive : — 
Ottowa Estate 37-13 
Botanical Gardens 42-053 
Pietermaritzburg 3575 
In considering the suitability of this climate for the 
growth of the plant, it must be borne in mind, as 
stated in tht first part of this Report, that the coast 
belt in Victoria County was that only in which coffee 
was planted to any extent. There was a plantation 
near Pinetown of thirty acres, and here we were fortu- 
nate in having the evidence of the manager, a practical 
gardener. He states : — " Coffee being a tropical plant, 
and Natal sub-tropical, it is but natural to suppose that 
the situation for a coffee plantation must be a select 
one ; to this I attribute my failure as a coffee planter, 
the plantation being in an exposed posit-on, I do not 
at all attribute my failure to the soil, it was, wbollv 
and solely, the exposed situation and dry atmosphere." 
This opinion, in so far as sheltered aspect is con- 
oerned, is entirely borne out by the evidence, viz., 
that although much may be done by artificial sheltpr, 
yet that the aspect and position of the plantation itself 
are of paramount importance. In country of such 
character as our coast belt, it is utterly impossible to 
obtain such situations extending over a large con- 
nected F area. 
We inspected some small patches of coffee in the 
neighbourhood of Pinetown The trees were 20 years 
old, and had not been pruned, and we were of opinion 
that they were as fine as any ever seen in the colony. 
The extent of one of these patches was about half-an- 
acre; the yield, three years ago, 1,5001b. of clean 
coffee; the trees were since cut down to the ground, 
and last year bore 9001b. ; the first yield being equiva- 
lent to a return of £100 per acre in money value ; the 
soil was a grey sandy loam, and the fields were shielded 
by natural aspect from prevailing winds. The borer 
was not found here. 
Among other plantations which we visited was one 
of about 30 acres near the TJmvati. This was owned 
by men who commended planting in 1860, arid were 
very successful, having, during the wh ile period, kept 
to the one cultivation, pruning and manm-ing system- 
atically from the first; their average crop was stated 
to be 10 cwt. per acre ; they bad always planted from 
their own seed, but even here the managing partner 
stated that the trees did not bear as formerly, the 
wood takiog at least one year longer to mature. 
This is the only plantation we have met with which 
has been kept, up and attended to on one method Mnce 
it waH first planted; in many other instances there 
have been years in which the trees have been allowed 
to go out of cultivation ; sometimes the reason given 
was want of labour ; at others, that the owners had 
beconie disgusted with one or more bad seasons, , 
neglected the plants, and sometimes taken up with it 
again. The planters referred to, in reply to the 
printed qupstion as to what, in their opinion, was the 
cause of decrease in the cultivation, state : — " In many 
cases inexperience in culture, unreasonable expecta- 
tions, hasty conclusions from unfavourable reports, 
borer ravages, and the stats of the colony at the time 
encouraging speculations, such as the Diamond Fields, 
&c. ;" a^.d in reply to the question as to the conditions 
of future success, recommend the importation of fresh 
seed. 
The records of all coffee-growing countries state 
that it cannot possiblv be grown profitably, without 
systematic manuring from the very commencement, 
and that it is no use to manure after the trees begin 
to fail. We cannot find from the evidence, that this 
has been done systematically berp, but planters haye 
generally assumed that the soil had sufficient natural 
fertility. 
On review of the evidence it is matter of surprise 
to find that, although the coffee plant had been culti- 
vated in the Colonv for more than 25 years, and, in 
some instances, to considerable profit, it is still on 
many points a matter of experiment as to what cir- 
cumstances will ensure financial success. 
The Colony being situated so nearly outside that 
latitude where the plant will produce at all, every 
little difference of soil or aspect affects it more 
seriously here than it would in a tropical country, 
and we are of opinion that large estates, as a rule, 
will not answer; in consequence of the impossibility 
of securing such a nice adjustment of circumstances, 
over a large area, in any part of the coast belt. On 
the other hand that small plantations may be culti- 
vated with advantage, is the almost unanimous ex- 
pression of opinion in the evidence, and this is borne 
out by what we saw during our various tours of inspec- 
tion. As most farms of any extent have suitable land 
of a greater or less acreage, we hope to see the cul- 
tivation of coffee recommenced with the advantage of 
past experience, and would suggest one or two points, 
borne out by evidence, to those who may wish to 
grow Coffee in this Colony: — 
First. — That the Bourbon, Jamaica, and Ceylon 
varieties have all done well in the past, the original 
plants or their immediate progeny still living, healthy 
trees in places. But it would be unadvisable to allow 
seed to be imported from Ceylon, as the leaf-Hisease 
is still very virulent there. 
Second. — That the seed should be newly imported, or 
at most, only one or two removes from imported seed. 
Third. — That the land must be of good quality, 
made and kept rich, by the application of manure, of 
which bone-dust and the produce of the cattle kraal 
are best. 
Fourth. — That it is of no use to manure the trees 
after they have been allowed to become exhausted. 
Fifth. — That pruning as practised in Ceylon and 
some other countries, is not of sufficient advantage here 
to warrant, the expense. 
Sixth. — That the aspect is of great importance, to 
the north of east, as nearly north as possible, being 
the best; southerly and westerly aspects producing 
wood, but litt'e fruit. 
In seeking for reliable statistics as to acreage planted 
during each year, we naturally referred to the returns 
as published in the Blue Books, but found them utterly 
unreliable as authorities; to wit, in the ypar 1866 the 
return is made of 3,154 acres ; in 1867, 458 acres; in 
1808, 2,163 acrps; and 1869, 1,680 acres : whereas it is 
a well known fact that during these years, there was 
a steady and rapid increase in the extent of land 
brougl t under cultivation. Although outside the in- 
structions in our commission,we would respectfully beg 
to suggest that some uuiform system should be adopted 
for collecting agricultural statistics, in order that they 
mav in future 5 ears form a reliable basis for reference. 
In the year 1873 the returns stand at 4,800 acres, 
and f'om that time, as is well known, there has been 
a rapid decrease, until in 1879, a return was made rf 
750 acres which, we are of opinion, is in excess of the 
acreage in actual cultivation and bearing a.t the present 
time. 
