Sept. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
167 
fjrantel and paid for, and having invested labour 
and ca|)ital, tliey consider they iiave acquired 
cerfain invested interests which are now being 
laUen from them wilhouc any consideration what- 
ever. What the English firms say is, if you are 
determined to drive us out of the country, pay us 
for our factories and goods, also a fair sum for 
disturbance, an i we are ready to leave the colony. 
We have endeavoured to do our duty as good 
colonists. Let the Frenca Minister for the 
colonies inquire from the natives of the Ogowd 
and N'Goniie, far and wide, what they think of 
flatton and Cookson, and then let the Minister 
reali?e that in relinquishing our position we are 
saying good-bye to very old and faithful adherent.^ 
among the native po|)ulation with sincere regret. 
I am. Sir, yours faithfully, 
EDWARD H. COOKSON, 
Managing JJirector, Hatton and Uookson 
Limited. Liverpool. — London Times, June 16, 
« 
PLANTING IN B. C. AFRIGA. 
{Fr'ovi our Correspondent.) 
Mlanje, British Central Africa, June 24. 
I have been up for a change to our mountain 
.sanatorium, and had to run from it owing to 
the cold. My house is at 6,800 ft. elevation. The 
thermometer registered 44 deg. at 6 a.m., 60 deg. 
at noon, and 50 deg. at G p.m. during the 
week I was there. How does that temperature 
con)pare with Nuwara Eliya ? 
COFl'EE CULTIVATION IN BRITISH CBNTRAL 
AFRICA 
is not proving the successful enterprise that 
was anticipated some years ago. Much land 
was planted with coffee (like scrub or chena 
landsin Ceylon) which only gave a crop and pegged 
out. Even on good forest clearing with or without 
shade crops it cannot be depended on to come up 
to estimates owing to various causes, principally 
insect pests, tliripps, bug, &c. &c. Labour is 
abundant now. The hat tax has been raised 
to Gi. I am turning away people daily who come 
for work, and I have none to give them, as J am 
as clean as a new pin, tea cut down, and coffee 
crop Hnished and despatched. Many planters, 
who have given up coffee, have gone to trans- 
port and trading work. Others are going in 
for tobacco planting wuich should yield them 
a good profit. 1 have got some 30 acres in 
cultivation this year. A very good market for 
tobacco is found in S Rhodesia, and if we get into 
the South African Customs Union there ought to 
be an unlimited market for us, which at present, 
is practically shut, owing to the protective duty. 
Food and labour are becoming cheaper instead of 
dearer. I know one man who paid his last 
gang of people off wiili Calico at the rate of Is 
6d for men, Is for women and 6d for children, per 
month, last week. I am paying 23 for men. Is 
6d for women, and Is for children. 
OUR RAILWAY 
seems as far off as ever, no start made yet. I 
liear that, owing to the war (whicdi, thank, goodness, 
is now concluded) the whole amount of capital 
was not subscribed, and that the Government 
would not allow Messrs. Sharrers' Zambesi Traffic 
Company to begin vi'ork till all the capital was 
secured. Mr Stephen Robins, who was on Lac- 
lumza, the Nyassland Company estate, has secured 
a billet in the U C A admi'iistration and has 
gone to Fort Johnston, coffee ventures not 
having proved aa Eldorado to him,— H, B, 
P.S, — I enclose .some photos. I regret my 
plates were spoiled with the damp during the 
rainy season. So no good results to show, — H. B, 
TEA CULTIVATION IN NATAL. 
Eeutcr'a correspondent in Natal, who, we believe, 
is Mr Charles H Lepper, formerly a tea planter in 
India, in describing the industries of the colony, 
devotes some space to tea. £Ie says: "The more 
important tea estates are situated on the north coast 
iu the vicinity of Stanger, a small village in the 
warmest corner of Natal, not very far from the 
mouth of the Tugela Kiver, dividing Natal from the 
Province of Zululand. The estates are a few miles 
inland from Stanger, and have been connected with 
that place by a narrow gauge (34 inch) steam tram- 
way, eight miles in length, by the enterprise of the 
local managing director of the most important of the 
tea companies. The two leading companies hold 
adjoining estates, the larger known as Kearaney, and 
the other belonging to Messrs W R Hindson and Co.; 
Limited, proprietors of four gardens forming one 
property. The Kearsney is considerably the larger 
of the two, and has about 1,750 acres under tea of 
all ages. The 'jat' upon this estate is a good 
strong Assam hybrid. The output of 1901 was close 
upon one million pounds. The soil is friable, sandy 
in places, and of the red loam class in others. The 
bushes in parts of the estate are very well grown and 
eqaal to those one sees in Assam and Cachar, and 
considerably better than the average in Dehra Dhuu. 
The vacancies are chiefly upon old sites of Kaffir 
huts, upon which tea cannot be got to grow, owing 
to the excess of potash in the soil. The bushes come 
into bearing in their fourth year, and are expected 
to yield in that year 4001b to the acre, or under 
favourable circumstances 5001b. When in full 
bearing, in the fifth year, the average yield is about 
600)b, and in a good season reaches an average of 
7001b. To bring an acre into its fourth year is 
estimated to cost £30, but there are considerable 
risks ; as after seedlings have come on well during 
the first portion of their growth, should a hot wind 
come it will sometimes kill off every seedling 
of that season's planting, in spite of any shelter 
which can be provided. Happily the labour 
employed is almost exclusively that o£ Indian 
coolies, imported under ' indentures ' for five 
years. The class of coolies imported into Natal, 
chiefly from Madras, the rest from Bengal and 
the North-West Provinces, is not to be compared, 
either in physique or in character, with those employed 
iu Assam or Cachar. Like all the coolies imported 
into Natal, they are of a very inferior type, and most of 
them would not be able to earn their living upon an 
Assam estate. I also visited W R Hindson & Oo.'a 
estates. These, the second in importance in Natal, 
possess an aggregate of about 800 acres under tea of all 
ages. The output in 1901 was given me as 400,000 lb, 
and this year it is hoped that it will be increased by 50 
per cent- The wholesale prices obtained by Natal tea 
estates upon the South African markst run from 7|d 
per lb for the lowest (very coarse) quality called 
' extra fine Souchong ' in metallic paper packets, or 7d 
per lb iu boxes of 14 lb and upwards, up to Is (j^d per 
lb for the highest quality (Orange IPekoe) iu 1 lb 
packets, or Is fid iu boxes. A half-penny per lb extra is 
charged if purchases are of less aggregate weight thaa 
600 lb."— iZ and C Mail, July 4th. 
« 
PLANTING NOTES FROM THE 
SEYCHELLES. 
Specialli/ loritten for the " Ceylon Observer.) 
Seychelles, July 10. 
MR. R. ^V. SMITH OF THE CICYLOX V. \\. D. 
arrived here about a month ago from Ceylon via 
Mauritius. Why he was sent this round -aboul 
way, when there are direct steamer? eveiy eighj 
