September i, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 181 
working capital of about 1 10,001) would bo provided, 
which would bo ample for tho purpose. So small a 
tax in the first instanco is but a very small sacrifice 
for a great futuro good, and it is hoped that all will 
cordially co-operate. At the worst, they can but lose 
a proportion of their subscriptions! while it is the 
opinion of persons well qualified to judge that beforo 
long good dividends may be looked for. 
Applications to represent the Company in America 
have been received from different quarters with de- 
tails and estimated costs of workia; on the lines 
proposed. But the offers of candidates to give their 
entire services for a fixed period are conditional on 
the proposed Company having ut its command suffi- 
cient capital to guarantee a continuance of the 
busiuoss on a proper scalo for a series of years. 
Should the Company be formed, it will fall 
to the Directors to docide on tho scale and plan of 
operations and the details of working proposed by 
applioaats for the post of representative. As, too, the 
question of the selection of a representative depends to 
some extent on this decision, the Sub-Committee have 
not considered it expedient at this stage to commit 
themselves to any present applicant (especially as 
they shortly expect to receive fit: titer details and in- 
formation from ono of them). 
The present seems a specially opportune moment 
for eutoring upon the undertaking-. The largely 
increased production of tea in Ceylon, as well as in 
India, will undoubtedly lead to a furthor serious fall iu 
prices, unless activo steps are taken to open up 
new markets. America stands open, almost un- 
touched. The instinct of self-preservation will surely 
lead the Indian planters to make a strong and united 
effort to carry out this proposal. W. L. Watson, 
(Cuaitman). J. B. White, R. B. Mugor, K. ftowe, W, 
H. Yeruer, A. Thompson, R. R, Waller, G. Seton, Hon. 
Secretary. 
THE LONDON "TIMES" ON THE COLONY 
OF NATAL. 
(From a Corkusi'onoent.) 
It might bo considered exaggeration to say that 
the colony of Natal is now nourishing, but, at all 
events, its present condition is one of healthy 
vitality and progressive development as compared 
with what it was a few years ago. The town of 
Durban, with its beautiful suburbs on the well- 
wooded slopes of tho Berea, has all the appearances 
of prosperity. The one hindrance to its becoming a 
port of great iftiportance has ever been the shifting 
bar that frequently blocks tho entrance to its ex- 
tensive and safe harbour. Much money has been 
Bunk in attempts to remedy this defect, and at length 
the engineors havo hit on the right plan, and if tho 
works now iu progress can be carried out without let 
or hindrance it seems certain that the bugbear of 
tho bar will disappear in less than two years and tho 
harbour by dredging will bo mado capable of shelter- 
ing a largo number of ships of the deepest draught 
in all weathers and at all states of the tide. 
During tho samo period we may hope that the 
railway will be carried forward from Ladismith, 
its present terminus, to tho conlincs of the colony 
at Coldstream, tapping tho coalliclds of Nowcastle 
and Dundee, and as some of tho mines already 
opened, though very imporfectly worked, turn out 
a ooal fit for the furnaces of steamships, there 
is a reasonable hope of Durb.iu becoming eventually 
an important coaling station. 
There is, unfortunately, no chance of tho Trans- 
vaal Government carrying on the lino northward 
to the goldfields ; but they will doubtless, gradu- 
ally improve tho existing abominable roads, and 
as the development of the short route from DelogOB 
Bay seems to hang tiro from various causes, thero 
is no reason why tho Natal route, if properly 
oponed out first, should not always command a 
fair share of the traffic, which as time goes OH. will 
bo very considerable. 
Tho sugar plantations in the coa3t districts are 
doing better than formerly, as they have found a 
market for their produce in Australia, and this 
trade may with care be greatly developed. The 
cultivation of tea is also said to pay. Great 
jealousy is felt by the bulk of tho colonists of 
the importation of coolie labour Irom India. But 
without it the plantation industries could not bo 
carried on, as the black races of the country 
have an incurable dislike to continuous labour, 
and as soon as they learn their work and begin 
to be useful they return to their homes, leaving 
their employers in the lurch. On this account 
it has been found necessary to employ Indians 
almost exclusively on the railway as pointsmen 
and so forth. 
The objection to the increasing immigration of 
the class of Asiatic petty traders known by the 
general, though incorrect name of Arabs is more 
valid. These men are gradually taking all the 
trade out of the hands of the white shopkeepers, 
whom they can easily undersell, as their living, 
lodging, and clothing cost them next to nothing. 
They do not enrich the colony, as but little 
of their profits in spent there, and the goods they sup- 
ply, though attractive from the cheapness, are, as a 
rule, of inferior quality. 
Farmers with small capital who find it so 
difficult now to make a living in England might 
do very well in some parts of Natal. The land 
rises in terraces as you leave the coast line till 
an altitude is reached which gives a climate 
suitable for all kinds of agricultural farming as 
well as stock raising. The Boil in most dis- 
tricts is good. I saw many good fields of roots in 
Mooi River district and elsewhere, and if stack- 
ing hay and ayiug down silos in the summer- 
time were resorted to, as well as the growing of 
roots for winter food, the annual migration of all the 
stock and sheep from tho high veldt to pastures in 
the lower and bush countries might be avoided. 
The cultivation of fast growing timber, gums, firs, 
&C, would be remunerative. Practically there is no 
timber in the country fit for building purposes, rail- 
way sleepers, mine props, and the like. The demand 
is large, constant, and increasing, and is supplied 
at heavy expense by importation from -Norway and 
America. The rapidity of the growth of the extensive 
plantations in the Pietermaritzburg district shows 
that both soil and climate are favourable for 
arboriculture. 
MB JOHN HUGHES, THE AGRICULTURAL 
CHEMIST, ON CEYLON TEA. 
The various communications we havo from time 
to timo received from Mr. Hughes and published 
in the Observer provo tho deep interest he has con- 
tinued to tako in Ceylon since his visit to the 
island to report on coffee culture and the soils 
of our estates. His reports and recommendations 
were searching, intelligent, and practical, and there 
can be no doubt they would have eventuated in 
much good, had not the destruotive fungus and 
finally the fatal green bug intervened to annihi- 
late (for that, we fear, will be the end) an en- 
terprise which was once so great and so promising. 
Mr. Hughes has followed with unlluggiug interest 
and with valuable advice tho fortunes of our 
new staplo product, and now comes a latter 
from him indicating his intention to revisit tho 
colony en route to Australia, with tho intention 
of seeing for himself und testing practically 
tho value of tho varied and fluctuating opi- 
nions which have beon given by brokers and 
othors of the quality, and especially the stay- 
ing quality, ol Coylon tea. \Yo hope iudiyidua.1 
