V02 
THE TEOPiCAL AGRICULTURIST. fAPRiL 1, 1903. 
likely t|o thrive in semi-tropical countries, such as 
Algeria and Florida, and in the mountainous 
parts of Southern ludia aud the West Indies ; 
it might also survive the winters of southern 
Europe (Morris, 1898). Messrs Vilmorin, Andrieux 
& Co,, Paris, who offer young plants of the 
Eucommia, give the following particulars in their 
Catalogue des Qiuines d'Orangerie, et de Serre 
pour 1903 :— " M J Dybowski, the eminent Direc- 
tor of the Colonial Garden at Vinoenuer, has called 
attention to this tree, which contains in all its parts 
a notable quantity of gutta-percha of good quality. 
Unlike all other caoutchouc-yielding trees whicli 
are confined to the tropics, the Eucoamiia may be 
cultivated witli success in a temperate climate. We 
have a plant which has stood for five years in the 
open air without protection, which lias not suffered 
in the least, although the thermometer has fallen 
to— 8° Cent. (17° Fahr.), and we believe it will 
support a temperature still lower than this." 
Plantations of this tree are being formed in Finance. 
There is good reason for believing that it would be 
worth while to plant it in the warmer parts of the 
British Islands as a probable source of rubber, and 
also for its medicinal properties. The Kew plant 
is in a border near the Economic house (No 12.) W. 
W., Kew. —Gardeners' Chronicle, Feb, 14. 
» 
THE NATAL TEA INDUSTRY. 
ITS FUTURE PROSt'ECTS. 
[BY "NKMO."] 
Few people are aware, notwithstanding the ever- 
increasing flow of immigriinls to South Africa 
fKom all the world over, what small strides the 
Natal tea industry is making-. Bearing in mind 
that Natal is the only tea producing Colony in 
South Africa, ■ the large and stCHdily growing 
market for tea, and the absence, up to now, of any 
keen competition from other countries, by reason 
of the protective duty of 6d a lb. on imported 
produce, there are only a dozen estates, or there- 
abouts, of any importance, aud all of these 
manufacturing coarse, rough tea. So far, the 
public have had very little ehoico in the purchase 
of tea, and the local planter has taken advantage 
of this fact to turn out of his factory the greatest 
possible quantity, with little or no pretension to 
quality. This line of action, however, is at last 
beginninfir to tell on the industry, for, apace with 
the growth of the Colony, imported teas, from 
India and Ceylon chiefly, are fast making their 
way in every other household, while import statis- 
tics prove that year by year the quantity imported 
is largely increasing, and local planters cannot sell 
off their stocks as easily as in days gone by, Be- 
side this, Government can hardly be expected to 
protect these few estates at the expense of the tea- 
drinking public, and, sooner or later, the duty 
will either be abolished or at least greatly reduced, 
unless the industry makes more rapid strides to 
increase both quantity and quality of its produce. 
Tiiere is absolutely 
NO REASON WIIV NATAL CANNOT PRODUCE AS 
PINE TEAS AS ANY OTHER COUNTRY. 
The labour conditions are precisely the same, 
while the wagc-s paid are not much more than 
is cu-<tomary in Assam and Ceylon, and, if 
these countries can prodnce. ship, and, after 
paying a big duty, sell tlicir teas at a profit, it 
does not speak very highly for the energy or 
enterprise of our Colonists. There is a big future 
for tea in Natal, and, if more capital was put 
into the venture, care taken to produce as near 
as possible teas like either the Indian or Ceyion 
manufactured leaf, and at a price within reach 
of all, there is little fear of imported teas finding 
room in our market, especially as it has been 
proved scientifically that a good Matal tea con- 
tains less tannic acid, is less pungent, and there- 
fore more easily digested, than the produce of any 
other country. The indentured 
COOLIE IN NATAL DOES TWICE AS MUCH AS HIS 
BROTHER IN INDIA, 
and gets a third as much again as wages for 
his work, so that, theoretically. Natal planters 
ought to produce their teas about as cheaply as 
their Indian or Ceylon competitors. 
A further hindrance to the progress of the Natal 
tea industry has been the marked absence of men 
with the necessary experience as proprietors or 
managers. Not one of the owners of any Natal 
tea estate has had any practical training in a 
large tea-producing country, and few employ In- 
dian men. Most owners have become so puffed 
up with their own importance by being able to 
make, so far, a good thing of their tea, that they 
are jealous of any Indian or Ceylon planter about 
the place, preferring, should they need a manager, 
or assistant, to select a candidate who knows 
nothing about tea, and less about Indian labour, 
and set up to teach him a profession they know 
little about themselves. This narrow-mindedness 
can hardly be expected to improve what promises 
to become a big source of income to the country, 
and it is to be hoped men with broader views start 
more estates on better lines. If men from India 
and Ceylon were imported, well paid, and properly 
treated and freely employed, and a better class 
of coolie than the weeds being brought into this 
country now indentured with all the facilities 
tea-growing offers in Natal, there is no reason 
why the finest quality tea should not be made, at 
prices everybody can afford. 
THE SOIL IS EMINENTLY SUITED 
to the tea plant, and every condition favourable 
to its growth. The writer has seen and tasted 
samples of Natal tea, specially manufactiired by a 
firm of tea-planters employing an experienced 
manager with Indian training, which cost 4|d per 
lb. to manufacture and which compared very 
favourably with a fine Assam Broken Pekoe selling 
in London at 8d to 9d per lb. Allowing, say. Id 
for packing and handling before it reaches the 
customer surely there is a bis enough margin for a 
profit when there is no duty to pay. More experi- 
ence and more capital is needed to give this 
pleasant and paying industry the impetus it 
requires, and we ought easily, with both these 
conditions to back us, be able to produce in Natal 
every ounce of tea consumed in South Africa, 
The life of a tea-planter will appeal to many, and 
the pure country air and congenial employment hj.s 
a charm peculiar to itself which must be e.vperi- 
enced to be understood. Coffee production went to 
ruin here because no one thoroughly undjittood the 
venture, and the trees, delicate at besc and fond of 
light shade, were expected to croj) o«t in the open, 
with no pruning, or any other aittention so heces- 
sary to this tree. The raaalt was : every known 
blight and disease soon made their appearance, and 
presently exterminated every plantation and tken 
the country was blamed for the failure. 
