March 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
^35 
the old country, have been over 20 years in 
Africa, and eight years in Mlatije an I I can 
safely say they l)oth enjoyed good health in 
this country. 
Mr. and Mrs- Smith, of the Church of Scot- 
land Mission, have been 12 or li years in 
Blantyre and here, and are also iu good 
health. 
Mr. and Mrs Herd of the same Mission 
have been nine or ten years out and are 
also in good health. 
Mr H B Bradshaw, my neighbour, and 
Mr. D Ritchie have been in Mlanje 
nearly as long as myself, and botli 
have only been home for a run once 
f' r a few months, and finer specimens of 
robust planters you could not find in any of 
your mountain planting districts. I need 
say no more in response to your query 
although I could name many in other districts 
who have been over 20 years in B.CA. and 
are perfectly well at the present time. 
The fact is, as I have said before, people 
must learn how to live in Africa as well as 
in other tropical climates, and those who have 
been long resident in B.C. A. have done so. 
Now that scientific research is bringing to 
liglit so much on the subject of malaria it 
will soon be possible to be perfectly safe from 
fever in any country. Notwithstanding the 
mosquito theory I do not think it safe to live 
here without taking quinine. Mosquitoes 
are not numerous here in Mlanje, and one is 
only heard and seen occasionally during the 
rainy season, but I would not like to risk 
giving up taking quinine in preference to the 
mosquito netting. I have not had fever for 
five years now, and do not want to get it. 
With regard to money-making in B.CA. 
I know of only two planters who have 
left the country for good having made money 
at coffee-planting. Messrs J—— and D . the 
former some £6,(J00 and the latter about £3 000, 
The former was only about six years 
here, and was fortunate in getting some 10 
cwts. per acre from a coffee estate he opened 
up during that time, and his other invest- 
ments proved good ; so he sold out and has 
gone to S. Africa to start business in one 
of the coast towns. 
The other was some 23 yeai's in B C.A. 
but only about 10 years planting coffee, and 
he sold out— clearing, 1 was told, the above 
amount and is now living with Mrs. D. in 
Scotland. 
It must be remembered that this country 
is young, and that the agricultural resources 
of the land ha\^ not yet been developed. 
There are few men with capital to enable 
them to prove what can be done with the 
different products which might be, and are, 
grown successfully here ; most private 
planters have really got very limited means, 
and everybody knows what uphill work it is 
anywhere working under such circumstances. 
We all know it requires money to make 
money, especially quickly , so give us a 
chance. I can safely say, however, that there 
are no planters or others hard up in this 
country, and all seem able to make a de- 
cent living either at planting or trading or 
BOraething dse. 
I donot believe there isa single individual out 
of employment in the country at the present 
time ; and I am quite sure a few more are 
wanted to take up billets. So it is perhaps 
a good thing that the country has got such 
a b.ad nauiy for sickness, at least it prevents 
us being flooded with men on the staff, es- 
pecially those of the loafer stamp who are 
not wanted. 
Any one coming here should be of good 
character and have sufficient means to leave 
the country again if need be — but it would 
be better still if emigrants had the means 
to engage in some independent industry. 
The transport and other firms, or companies, 
are all doing swimmingly well and some of 
them have paid dividends of 7 and 8 per cent. 
They have great trouble with their employ- 
ees, who find when they come out here that 
they can better themselves, try all sorts of 
dodges, and do all sorts of things to get 
sacked ; they of course, forget the fact 
that they were brought out by their em- 
ployers, ;uid were of little use till they learnt 
the language, etc. I cover the sketch of a 
draft prospectus which has been sent home 
to try and get capitalists to take up the con- 
struction of our i-ailway. Comments on the 
paper I leave to yourself. It may force the 
hands of our newly-formed home Government 
to take up the matter. We have certainly 
more claim on the Imperial (xovernment for 
a railway than Uganda has. and ours is far 
more likely to be a paying line. 
We are going to have a very short crop 
in Nyassaland this year : the blossoming 
season was upon the "whole very unfa vour- 
able, being too dry. Although we, in Mlanje 
began well, the latter end of the season was 
a scorcher, and with the dry heat came on au 
unusual number of spotted' bug, and thrips ; 
the latter is as bad as a severe dose of leaf 
disease, carrying off the leaves and killing 
back the branches and withering up the 
crop, which drops off to single berries. For- 
tunately tbis latter pest only comes with a 
very dry season. I never saw them in Ceylon. 
Our trees are now making wood fast and 
throwing olf the thrips. 
A good many planters are going in for 
tobacco, &c , not to have all their eggs in 
one basket. I have grown tobacco here for 
over two year? now, and have at last got a 
market for it which pays me very well. So 
there nuiy be money in the weed, if over- 
production does not reduce the price. 
H. B. 
— ^ 
The Effect of Lime.— Lime, though chiefly 
mechanical in its action, also acts chemically upon 
the constituents of the soil. One of the great 
purposes which it .serves is that it sets free plant- 
food \yl)ich would oilurwise remain locked up in 
the soil.— 77ie Journal of the. Jamaica Agricul- 
tural Society. 
Big Nkw Sugar and Paper Company.— An 
Enghsh company has just bought 10,000 acres of 
sugar lands, and will not only make sugar, but 
turn the bagasse into paper. The inuneiise re- 
claimed sugar land areas in Florida below the 
frost line are now attracting foreign promoters, 
and with more reason even than those in Loui- 
siana,— iVeic York Commercial. 
