Oct. 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
251 
member of the Committee to place before the experts 
certain standard samples wiiioii had been received 
from America, was accepted witli thank-.. The Com- 
mittee had also previously taksn steps in the directioa 
of procuring samples of Ceylou green teas. 
(dt Tea in South Africa. — In his letter, dated 9th 
August, Mr. Tye stated that the Committee in 
London were inclined at present to leave the sale 
of Indian tes, in Sondi Africa to the orduiary course of 
trade. — Indian Gardeuiny and Plantini/, Sept. 6. 
FOR AGRICULTURE AND SETTLE- 
MENT. 
AUSTRALIA V. SOUTH AFEtCA. 
Now that there is a prospect of a termination of 
the war in South Africa, and that it appears 
clearly to be the intention of the British Govern- 
meat to place the Orange Free State and the 
Transvaal under British rule, the Australian nomadic 
instinct has begun once more to assert itself. From 
Victoria and New South Wales there appears to 
be a large exodus of adventurous spirits to the 
new colonies (for the Orange Free State has already 
been formally annexed by Great Britain under the 
name of the Orange Kiver Colony), Vv'here they 
hope to better their condition either as mechanics, 
farmers, miners, or labourers. As it was in the 
parly alluvial mining days in the various colonies 
of Australasia, when, if a report were spread that 
a new rich alluvial goidfield had b-jen discovered, 
immediately hundreds of men abmdoned claims, 
where they were doing moderately well, and rushed 
away on horseback, on foot in drays, and even 
pushing wheelbarrows to the new Fldorado, not 
pausing to consider distance climate, supply of 
provisions, &o., so it seems that today the Australian 
v/orker is inflamed with a desire to seek better 
fortune in onr new colonies. 
• Before the oiania for emigration to South Africa takes 
hold on the J Queensland miner, farmer and others, we 
should like ihem to pause and give heed to what is said 
by those who have been in that country for many years 
Let us consider the Orange Elver Colony, the area of 
which is 50,000 square miles. Like the adjoining parts 
of the central plateau, it is, says Mr. A H Keane in the 
lastest work on the Boer States, essentially a steppe 
(plain) land, level or undulating, oovei'ed for the most 
part with herbage, somewhat dry and in places even 
bare. Hence it is mainly a vast grazing ground, 
affording pasture to millions of merino and Cape 
sheep, goats, cattle, and horses, but so ill- adapted 
for tillage that scarcely one-hundredth part of the 
vphole area is under cultivation. The rich agricultural 
tracts are mainly confined to the banks of the Cale- 
don River, where the land under wheat is increasing, 
and where the vine and fruit trees also thrive. 
But elsewhere, and especially towards the south- 
western frontier, the country pieseuts an extremely 
dreary and even desolate aspect, and this character is 
maintained on both sides of the Orange River below 
the Caledon confluence. Thus, the extensive tract 
stretching from Kimberley for 150 miles across the 
river towards the De Aar railway junction may pos- 
sibly contain vast underground treasures, but on the 
surface has little to show except a monotonous suc- 
cession of rugged, waterless, and almost treeless plains, 
dotted with boulders, and here and there relieved by 
the so-called kopjes, weather-worn knolls or hills, 
seldom rising more than 600 or 700 feet above the 
surrounding land. 
These kopjes are admirably adapted for defence, 
ana, when manned, form a series of small citadels, 
and so were eminently suited to the peculiar style of 
warfare of the Boers. All the waters of the Orange 
River Colony flow into the Orange River, and aro 
so carried to the Atlantic. But the tributaries of 
that river are something like many of our Queens- 
land rivers inland. They look well on a map, but the 
thirsty traveller often finds them mere beds of sand. 
Now a word about the Transvaal. This republic 
has an estimated area of 119,0(J0 suqnare miles, A 
high range of mountains from 5,000 to 6,000 feet 
high runs along its eastern boundary, and there are 
numerous central and south-western " rands " or hills, 
which, except in the cases of isolated peaks do not rise 
more than a few hundred feet above the tableland. 
This tableland, consisting of rolling downs, repre- 
senrs almost the wliole of the Transvaal. The 
Limpopo or Cracodile River forms the northern 
boundary, and here the land falls to about from 
2,000 to 2,500 feet above sea-level. This portion of 
the country, the Limpopo Valley, is extremely uu- 
hsalthy, fevers of the African type being very 
prevalent. The country bordering the river is well- 
wooded, and affords splendid cover for the big 
game which has as yet escaped the bullets of the 
Boer and European hunters. The dreaded tzetze 
fly is also much in evidence here. Amongst the 
wild beasts may be mentioned the lion, leopard, 
hippopotamus, rhinoceros, and crocodiles. Alont; the 
whole course of the Limpopo there is a stretch 
of country 40 miles wide, rendered uninhabitable 
to settlers, owing to the ravages of the tzetze fiy 
amongst horse and other stock. 
The great want of the two countries is water 
and ram, and the Western squatters of Queens- 
land know too well by bitter experience what this 
means. It means that cultivation is impossible, 
and it means that watered and grass country must 
be available to which the staived-out flocks and 
herds of waterless regions can be driven to find 
sustenance. Without irrigation, agriculture must 
continue to hold a very subordinate place in the 
industries of both the Orange River and Transvaal 
colonies. Of minerals, there are vast deposits in 
the Transvaal ; amongst them, gold ranks first. 
Next come copper, iron, lead, saltpetre, sulphur, 
coal, and diamonds. Only 5,000 or 6,000 acres of gold 
concessions have as yet been worked, so it would seem 
there is room for the prospector. Silver, copper, 
and lead have not been worked for the past six years. 
Now touching the climate. Owing to the position oi 
the great mountain ranges, the rains occur much bs they 
do in our own colony. The country east of the range 
gets the gieatest rainfall, and this becomes a more and 
more vanishing quantity as one travels towards the 
west. The soil is naturally fertile on the plateau south 
of the Zambesi, but is mostly parched in dry seasons. 
Tree growth is confined to willows, wild figs, and ii on- 
wood, which grow in the neighbourhood of •' spmita " 
or river valleys and "kloofs" or deep gorges. 
Where cultivation can be carried on, good crops of 
cereals are raised, and tobacco, the vine, and European 
fruits succeed well. There are as yet only 60,000 
acres of this immense territory under snltivation. 
Can the Queensland farmer find it profitable to enter 
on farming pursuits there ? From what we have 
written about the climate, the rainfall, the sandy 
river-beds, wild beasts, the tzetze fly, to which must 
be added locusts and horse-sickness, the reply would 
obviously appear to be, " Certainly not." 
For the sake of comparison, let us draw a picture of 
the first establishment of a farm in Queensland. 
In the first place, the farmer has a choice of land 
from an area of over 600,000 square miles. He can 
eleit to live in a tropical, semi-tropical, temperate, 
or cold part of this enormous territory. Nearly the whole 
of the coast lands are well wooded; whilst inland, in 
addition to vast rolling plains of exceptional rich- 
ness, there are forests of magnificent timber to which 
the settler can help himself for the purpose of 
building, fencing, &c. From the coast to many milea 
inland he is certain of sufficient rainfall for his crops. 
The climate is very salubrious, fevers being rarely 
contracted in the bush, and they are rapidly dis- 
appearing before the axes audfires of the settlers. 
For 300 or dOO miles inland from coast there is a 
plentiful supply of water, either in rivers, creeks, 
or lagoons. Everywhere, crops are produced all the 
year round: everywhere, almost, there is either a 
market close at hand or a railway line to take the 
farmers' produce to it. These railways extend ih 
