May 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
775 
NATAL TEA INDUSTRY A GRATIFYING 
REPORT. 
It will be remembered that the tea taken to 
the Grahamstown Exliibitioii by Mr. Hind.son 
of the firm of W. E. Hindson & Co., Clifton 
Tea Estates, Noioti, met with remarkable success, 
there being a very heavy demand for it at the 
various kiosks and other places frequented hy 
visitors to the exhibition, while large orders for 
supplies for the Cape have since been received. 
it is gratifying to learn that, as the result of 
samples of exliibition teas sent to London for 
valuation and report, Messrs. R. M. Holborn it 
oons, one of the oldest-established and largest 
firms of tea merchants in Mincing Lane, have 
forwarded most satisfactory reports. One of the 
members of the Mincing Lane Arm reports as 
follows : — "I have now carefully tasted the samples 
of Natal teas. They are certainly a long way 
the best specimens we have yet seen." The 
li'm's detailed report is as follows : — 
"We have pleasure in sending our present 
;iiarket valuations, also our descriptions of samples 
of Natal tea received from you, and now retiiru 
your canisters by post. 
No. 7.— Tippy, leafy broken Pekoe, very brisk 
and good quality; value 8d. to 8kl. 
No. 19. - Well made, grey leaf "Pekoe, excellent 
quality, with bright infusion, and very pungent; 
value, lOd. 
No. 10. — Orange Pekoe, golden tipped and well 
tvs'isted leaf, bright infusion, fine quality, pun- 
gent liquor ; value. Is. to 1«. Id. 
No. 9. — Broken Orange Pekoe, bright, golden- 
tip, fine pungent liquor, with bright infusion ; 
value, Is. kl. 
When it is stated that at the date of these re- 
ports Indian teas were only aveiaging yd. per 
11). and Ceylons 8d. in public sales, and tliat 
Messrs. Hindson's teas were valued against all 
going, it will be recognised that the valuations 
are eminently encouraging. It has been asked 
from time to time whether in Natal we cannot 
obtain high-class teas approximately to some of 
the fancy kinds that were exhibited at the last 
Durban July Show. It will be seen by the fore- 
going that teas of as good a quality as can be 
desired are to be obtained in the Colony, and par- 
ticularly if people will pay for these better quali- 
ties prices analagous to those they pay for the 
best imported article. The fact is that Natalians 
have been favoured in having tea grown at their 
own doors and supplied at a very cheap rate, and 
have perhaps grown accustomed to using lower 
grade teas because of their cheapness ; A\'hereas 
if they paid, say, 2s. Od. per lb., which is not so 
nmch as is asked for some of the best imported 
blends, they would get a superior tea, and one 
grown within the Colony. It is, at any rate, satis- 
factory to find our tea-growers not only paying 
attention to the quality of their teas, but otter- 
ing them to the public in an attractive style. Such 
a canister as the saniple we have before us can 
scarcely fail to commend itself to purchasei's. It 
may be mentioned that the tea can also be ob- 
tained in lead packets and in boxes.— Xatal Mer- 
cury, March 10. 
MINOR PRODUCTS REPORT. 
Cboton Seed.— Offered 18 packages. Sold 0. The 
bnying-in price was GOs to 703, 
Coca Lkaves. — Offered 11 packages. Sold 6. No 
So'ith American leaves were sold. Ceylou leaves sold 
at lid for Koo l bold greeu of Triixillo character, and 
8Jc1 for bold brown, 
Cinchona Bark. -Offered 0.3 packages. Sold 7-i. 
South American Calisaya bark sold at from 6d to 
9d for small stiips and chips, (iuayaquit Succirubra 
Bold at 2d to 4d. Bold Maracaibo chips fetched 
lid loXiA. 
'CiNNAMoK, — Ceylon chips sold in auction this week 
»t ^jcli— Z/. ^ C. Drwjji^t, March 17, 
Annatto Seed.— No bnsiuess was done publicly, 
although abundant supplies were offered ; 3'2d per lb. 
was the limit placed on good bright Madras. 
Kola Nut.?.— Small African quarters sold at IJd 
per lb for poor West Indian 21d was refused ; and 
fd was the limit for washed. 
CiTRoNELLA OiL — Buiness has been done privately 
at ll|d per lb (in drums) c.i.f. The exports from 
Ceylon, from January 1st to Februray '21st were 
114,141 lb. 
LE!noNGEA?a OiL. — Unchanged at 2Jd per oz. 
Vanilla. — Only oddments were offered, and the 
business done was unimportant. Tahiti, good choco- 
late, realised lOs 6d per lb for 4 to 6' inch, 
and 4Jd to 6J inch. Seychelles, good 7J inch 22s ; 
and mixed lengths 16s "6d per \h.— Clicmist and 
Druggist, March 18. 
KEELING AND CHRISTMAS ISLANDS. 
Acting-Governor Sir J. A. Swettenham has just 
sent to Mr. Chamberlain an interesting report on 
the Cocos-Keeling and Christmas Islands, whose 
" King," Mr. Ross, was recently in London. The 
population of Cocos is now 595. The copra ex- 
ported in 1897-8 amounted to 826.', tons, valued at 
nearly per ton. The general neglect of 
theoretical education is counterbalanced to some 
extent by the anxiety of the boys to go through 
the practical training of the workshops. Religion 
is regarded with almost as much indifference as 
education, the people being satisfied with one 
annual attendance at the mosque. A really calm 
day is almost unknown. The valuable beds of 
phosphate on Chri.stmas Island remain practically 
undeveloped, but Srr J. A. Swettenham expresses 
the hope that Mr. Ross's visit to England will 
settle the policy of the company concerned, and 
enable the phosphate industrj^ to be developed 
within a reasonable time.— Daily Chronicle, 
March 17. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
Eight Camphor Sef;dlmgs were planted on 
exjierinientally in the Mysore Goveniinen: gardens 
a couple ot years ogo, ai'd the superintendent, 
in his recent rejiorts, noie^ with satisfaction, 
that the growth, under full exposure to the snn, 
has been vigorous. The largest specimen is 
3 1-2 feet, with a branuliing diameter of about 
3 feet. Such rapid growth, he remarks, would 
soon estalili.sli a young plantation of this useful 
tree. — Boinbay Gazette. 
Indigo. —Messrs. J. Thomas and Co.'s Price 
Current, dated Calcutta, Gih April, says:— '-The 
crop in Lower Bengal is well reported on. 
Rain is rather wanted in Pi rneaii. In Behar 
sowings have been completed. Caterpillars liave 
shown tliSniselvos in mosD places but no material 
damage has been done by them. Some of the 
latest sowings have suffered from the west 
winds, but the crop on the whole is a good one 
so far. In IJenares sowings are progressing 
under favourable circumstances." —Pto/icc?'. 
"Stray LEAVl^s FRo:\r Indian Forksts" is the 
opening part of \That it is hoped will quickly become 
a volume ot important dimensions auil interesting 
contents. It contains notes on the deodar, the 
sal, the shisham and the khair by well-known 
forest officers. All forest ollicer.< are recpiested 
to contribute articles dealing with the life-liistory 
of any i):uticnlar species of tree, re.-ults of 
methods of treatment of forests, and any subject 
relating to forestry in India. It is intended that 
the work shall "consist ot records of actual know- 
ledu'e rather than theoretical discu.-^sions. The 
woiU is jiublished under the muhority of the 
insp;)c(or (;eneral of Forests to whom eontribu» 
'.ious snoukl sent.— /'ty/tcc/'. 
