Dec. 1, 1903 j 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
3T7 
Chillies.— Th«8« grow freely, aven on poor land, 
and require little attention. Where the soil has been 
tn8.nuiefl the bushes ure extremely vigorous and crop 
heavi'y. lu recent years cliillie cultivation has been 
taken up by idmoht every planter in Nyasaland, 
Gdm. — The sample of gum, col]ec:ted by natives, was 
obtaiLed from trees i t present unideniified. 
Cotton. — The samples are from plants grown experi- 
mentally in the vicinity of Zomba. The results of the 
trial Eeem to show that there is little difficulty in 
growing cotton in the Protectorate. The climatic 
conditions a' e hU that could be desired. Experiments 
have been mnde of late by many growers. When the 
necessary machinery has been obtained and the local 
transport companies have granted the reduction of 
freights promised for this special export, it is expected 
that cotton cultivation in British Central Africa will 
become general and extensive. 
Timbers. — The samples of woods are from the Blan- 
tyre Mission. The tree known a9"Mkungu8a" or 
" Mlanje CeAir " {Widdi-ingionia Whytei) is the prin- 
cipal indigenous timber tree of British Central Africa. 
" MbawSi " (Kay a senegalensia) is an indigenous 
mahogany, often attaining a great height and girth. 
The finest known example of this tree is at Mlanje ; 
I he bole rises 40 feet from the ground without a branch, 
and at the base has a diameter of 8 to 10 feet. 
Ebony (Dyospyros sp.) is met with frequently on the 
pldins at an elevation of about 2,000 feet. " Mwenyn," 
" Msopa, " and Cbiwimbi " are woods largely used in 
furniture making. Their botanical identity is unknown, 
" Miombwa " and " Ngosa " are from north-east 
Rhodesia. 
Ibonstone. — The samples sent are from a deposit on 
the Songani Estate, which appears to have been 
worked by the natives for ages. The best specimens 
of the mineral are found surrounded by a thick bed of 
mica and clay. 
Limestone. — The sample is from the Lake Shirwa 
Island, where the mineral is fairly plentiful at a height 
of 503 fest above the lake level. — .Board o/ Trade 
Journal, 
^ 
A QUEENSLAND CEITICISM. 
We reproduce the following from a north Queens- 
land journal, the Cairus Morninc/ Post, of October 
16th last. It will be seen that it is h criticism (fair 
and hone?t we have no reason to doubt), on a letter 
from Mr. H. Cottam, written to the 7'. A., and which 
appeared in these pages about a year ago (Decem- 
ber, 1902). The letter was published in these pages 
in all good faith as to the correctness of the informa- 
tion given— Mr. Cottam'sown observations and experi- 
ence — and we have pleasure in now giving this able 
defence of planters and planting in Queensland, but 
trust that Mr. Cotcam will be able to oiler a justifi- 
cation of his views in due course. 
An instaLoe of the misleading nature of written 
articles comes to hand in a contribution by Mr. Henry 
Cottam (" H.C. reprinted in the last issue of the 
N.Q. Beguter from the " Tropical Agriculturist '' of 
December, 1902, which, while giving an account of his 
personal experiences immediately followiog his arrival 
in this country, also constitutes a criticism of one of 
onr industries, coffee. A. portion of the article appears 
elsewhere in this issue. The misleading nature of this 
is enhanced by the elimination of (he first portion of 
the original contribution, which in detailing some of 
the jobs — yclept " agricultural billets" — he had had, 
but apparently didn't retain for more than a few days; 
containing the inevitable criticism of the legislation, 
within but a very short time of his arrival in Queens- 
land ; an implication of base ingratitude against one 
employer, who told him to find another job after the 
great interest he (Mr. Cottam) had taken in th^ raising 
of vegetables in spite of drought; containing the hap- 
pily expressed sttuemeuts thai. " The Northern ports 
of Queensland are awful pl»ces for ticks and i-crub 
itch," also small " ticks that torment a man," and 
incidentally referring to the smashing of his thumb in 
a mowing machine, gives a basis on which the amount 
of discount to be subsequently allowed may be calcu- 
lated, and explains a great deal — at least to the colonist. 
We met fllr. Cottam in Cairns, We regret his inability 
to obtain an " ayriculuiral billet " on any of the coffee 
estates in the vicinity, but at the same time are not 
quite prepared to shovel the blame for this on to either 
the growers he designated '' inhospitable," or the in- 
dustry of " bad inve.stnients," Bat with regard to hia 
statements. We know most of the coffee growers in the 
Northern districts, and the statement that there is 
only one ceffee plantation worth mention near Cairns 
is vei'y distiuolly misleading ; indeed, he might have 
lieaded this remark as did Rudyaid Kipling in one of 
his wildest poems, with this couplet — 
Lest you should think this story true 
I merely mention I 
Evolved it lately, 'tis a most 
Umitiguled .... misstatement. 
With regard to the non-paying of Coffee estates he 
is also misleading ; in fact contradictory. We learn 
on reliable authority that the return quoted, viz.. 7 
tons from 10 acres of coffee, or even 10 cwt. per acre 
for trees planted 10 x 10, not only compares very 
favorably with similar crops from other countries, but 
undoubtedly does pay ; and besides this iustance there 
are many other coffee estates ihaL are paying more or 
less well. Another misleading puiut is in the omission 
to state that the valuation quoted of Ojd per lb is for 
coffee in the parchment, which equals some £70 to £7^i 
per ton clean or ready for consumption. Mr. Cottam 
probably noticed that the estates are almost universally 
of small area, and also that the methotusjof work prob- 
ably differed to such as he had been accustomed to, 
and it is a pity he did not wait to ascert-iin a cause, 
and see whether the conditions did not necessitate a 
difference, before rushing into print with hastily 
formed conclusions. The statement that Geraldton is 
the only place where there is a good raii fall, is again 
in its halt truth misleading. Geraldton has the highest 
average rainfall, but the whole country from Cooktown 
to Townsville is as well watered as could be desired, 
and carries not merely some of the finest agricultural 
soil to be found in the tropics and an excellent climate, 
but with it an average rainfall for the whole area of no 
less than 80 inches per annum. 
It is obvious from tho article that this writer visited 
but a few of iho coffee esates, and also self-evident 
that ho was disappointed in not obtaining employment 
in coffee. The emphasis — almost unboly glee — with 
which he quotes the failures, discloses almost mali- 
cious intent to misrepresent and mislead. Failures 
with pioneering of industries are, history has shown us, 
inevitable. That these should be ignored or hidden 
we do not claim, but that they are disproportionate to 
the losses incidental to the initial stages of other great 
iijdustries, even with coffee or tea itself in Ceylon or 
India, is highly improbable; and coming virtually aa 
an irresponsible assertion from one who, as we know 
(and his foreign readers at any rate do not), is not in a 
position to know the real standing of the industry and 
the other side of the question, it constitutes not merely 
a biased criiisism, but as we have already stated, a 
deliberate misrepresentation that in the interests of 
the State we think requires pointing out. His closing 
paragraph in which he saya " The above report by an 
old Ceylon planter may prevent Ceylon and Indian 
planters from making mistakes,'' only goes to support 
this. We sincerely hope such newcomers will not 
make niistakes; but this article now before us, taken as 
a whole, in our opinion, conveys very distinctly a 
misleading impression and rather than exposing the 
real siato of the industry and preventing them, posi- 
tively invites mistakes. To attempt to throw the 
blame — if blame there be — of certain initial failures on 
tho shoulders of Mr. Ho\\aid Newport, the instructor 
in coffee culture, who, by the way, is resident at the 
State Nursery, Kamerunga, of which he is also manager 
and has other duties in connection with the Dcpart;- 
ment of Agriculture of which he is the only senior 
