390 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 1903. 
enough to wait. There are many men out 
of work, but most of the out-of works are 
either "bummers" or men who can "turn 
tlieir hands to anything !" A good carpenter 
is fairly sure of work, and will earn 22s 6d a 
day— about R17. If he is unmarried, or can 
leave his wife elsewliere, he can do well. But 
if he has to rent a house and keep a family in 
Johannesburg he will have a hard struggle. 
House rents are enormous, and are not likely 
to grow less for some time, I fear. A small 
four-roomed house, built of corrugated iron, 
will cost from £10 to £12 10s a month rent. 
A Kaffir house-boy demands £3 10s to £4. 
Food and clothing are not as dear in 
proportion, but run to about 50 per cent 
above English costs. For a married man, 
I should say, the purchasing value of a 
sovereign on the Rand is about lis — as com- 
pared, that is, with England. But for the 
single man, with push and grit, who is 
really capable, and who can keep straight, 
there will be many opportunities. Men who 
di"ink and play the fool, will go to the devil 
double-quick there." 
" And the climate ?" 
"Perfect. The grandest climate in the world. 
Johannesburg is 6,000 feet above sea level, 
just like your Nuwara Eliya, and the air is 
clear and bracing. The dust is a serious 
drawback, but in time will probably get better 
as we get better roads." 
THE OLD— AND THE COMINa— DAYS. 
" And the good old days ?" 
" We prefer to forget them if we can. I 
knew Kruger and Reitz and the other Boer 
leaders. Some of them are back. Mr. 
Smuts, who was Stite Attorney, and was 
said to be leader of the Young Burgher War 
Party, is now practising in Pretoria. He is 
a keen, clever man. Kruger is gone, and 
Leyds. The latter was the " Professor 
Moriarty " of the Transvaal and — more than 
any other man— brewed the war. The cancer 
is not quite cut out yet. There is mischief 
stirring in Cape Colony, but if the Progres- 
sives can carry the next elections thei'e, we 
shall hope for co-ordination among the South 
African States, and soon, I trust, Federation." 
"Then you have faith in the future of South 
Africa?" 
" Of the Transvaal — certainly, almost un- 
limited. In Johannesburg tliere are enor- 
mous piles of buildings going up. Plots of 
ground in the main street which 15 years 
ago cost £40, now bring £40,000. Now that 
we have clean Government, the old flag, 
justice, and the discipline of the war behind 
us, I believe the next few years will see the 
Transvaal taking a forefront place among 
the Younger Peoples which are the pride and 
the hope of the Old Mother of Nations," 
— — . « 
COTTON-CROWING IN WEST AFRICA. 
A member of the Lagoa Legislature who has jnst 
arrived from West Africa has giveu Beater's Liverpool 
representative a most eDcouraging account of the 
cotton growing prospects in that colony, Sir William 
Macgregor, the Governor, is taking up the matter in 
the most energetic manner. Recently Sir William 
visited the Hinterland centres and addressed the chiefs 
AQd uatives ou (he importance of oottou-growing, 
Subsequently his Excellency had numerous requests 
for seed to start the industry. Many tons were distri- 
buted, and now an extensive area is under cultivation. 
There are many thousands of acres in the vicinity of 
the newly- constructed railway -which are available for 
cotton growing, and this land, it is expected, will at no 
distant date he fields of growing cotton. During the 
American civil war and also at the time of the notable 
cotton famine Lagos produoed large quantities of 
cotton, and at present there were many parts of the 
colony where the residue of this cotton is growing wild. 
This cotton, which is described as '' native cotton," is 
of fine quality. Renter's informant held the view that 
in years to come Africa would be able to grow all the 
cotton which the English manufacturers could require, 
and still have a surplus for exportation. The natives 
were being stimulated by the fact that such leading 
commercial men as Sir Alfred Jones and others in 
England were eiiergeticaliy taking up the subject. At 
present, in order to encourage cotton growing, the 
Lagos Railway was conveying the new crop to the 
coast free of charge, and Elder, Dempster's steimers 
were carrying it to England without charging freight, 
and a cablegram received this week in Liverpool from 
Lagos said that the natives were taking up the growing 
with energy and even enthusiasm,— London Times. 
<?! 
THE TEA TRADE DURING THE YEAR 
1902-3. 
Sir, — To some members of the tea world the 
cheeifal view we took last year of the outlook 
may have seemed somewhat optimistic. The event 
has, however, justified the opinioa we then ex- 
pressed that "the prospects of the trade, which had 
been very depressing a year ago, are brighter." 
This year, to quote Lord Curzon, we "seem to see 
a silver lining in the dark cloud which has hovered 
so long over the tea industry." The silver liinng is 
the fact that consumption has at last overtaken 
production. This improvement isdue to three main 
causes: — First, lessened production ; secondly, the 
manufacture of green tea instead of black ; thirdly, 
the most important of all, the exploitation of new 
markets for British-grown teas. The lessened pro- 
duction was owing partly to climate causes, partly 
to the labour difficulty, partly to finer plucking, 
and partly to the fact that much less land has come 
into bearing during the last two years than during 
the previous three. The manufacture jf green tea 
lias been taken up so vigorously that 
CEYLON 
estimates to displace black tea during the currenb 
year to the extent of 12,OjO,000 lb. The manu- 
facture is also carried on with great success in 
India, though not to the same extent as in Ceylon. 
The opening up of new markets is, however, the 
chief cause of the improved outlook. This course 
we have advocated by letters to the Press, and have 
endeavoured to help for^vard for a long 
time past. It is now generally recognised 
a? the only way to enable the industry to pre- 
serve its prosperity, the only way, in fact, for 
the planter to preserve his existence. Great efforts 
are being made to push the sale of British-grown 
tea in countries where until lately it was 
almost unknown, notably in India itself. The 
endeavour to popularise the drinking of Indian tea 
among the natives of India, which was the princi. 
pal subject of a letter, Indian Tea for the 
Intlians," which we wrote to The Times a year 
ago, has been vigorously cairied on, Tlie 
