March  2,  1896.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
643 
consider  safe  and  advisable.  If  jiroperly  planted 
tlie  proi)erties  are  likely  to  do  very  well  in  tea, 
as  they  are  most  conveniently  situated  with  re- 
gard to  labour  and  cheap  transport  &c.,  and 
tlie  land  itself  lias  been  re])orted  uiion  as  of 
good  pnality  and  suitable.  Tlie  late  Mr.  NV'illiaiu 
Ferguson  expresseil  an  opinion  that  the  tindier 
ou  the  principal  block  was  tlie  linest  growth 
he  had  seen  anywhere  in  the  lowcouiitry ; .so 
that  the  Syndicate  are  not  likely  to  lack  sup- 
plies should  eventually  bo.xuiaking  ikc.  be  de- 
cided upon.  Very  good  ojiinions  have  lieen  e.x- 
pressed  of  the  improved  tea  chest  ; and  it  is 
believed  that  made  up  by  machinery  it  can  be 
turned  out  quite  to  compete  in  price  with  the 
ordinary  wooden  boxes  at  present  used.  The 
estates  referred  to  are  Carbeal,  Kondegalla,  and 
two  other  blocks,  of  a total  acreage  of  2,l(i4, 
of  which  55  acres  are  under  tea,  colice,  arecauuts 
and  nutmeg.  We  hope  to  give  further  details 
regarding  the  Syndicate  shortly. 
BKITISH  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 
It  was  with  great  regret  that  we  heard  of  our 
Commis.sioner’s  illness  when  returning  from  the 
North- End  During  the  .\rab  war  the  expedi- 
tion was  greatly  exposed  and  the  jiassage  down 
the  lake  was  very  stormy.  The  Commissioner 
was  prostrated  by  an  attack  of  blackwater  fever 
and  unfortunately  Dr.  Poole  had  also  a very  seveie 
attack  of  ordinary  malarial  fever.  It  is  eminently 
satisfactory  to  learn  that  both  gentlemen  have 
now  recovered.  The  Commissioner  spent  a night 
at  Domasi  on  his  way  from  Liwondc’s  to  Zomba. 
Mr.  Moore,  F,  R.  G.  S.  and  Mr.  Williams  of 
Zomba  has  been  to  Lake  Shirwa  to  examine  and 
report  on  the  formation.  Mr.  Moore  has  taken 
samples  of  the  Lake  water  and  surrounding 
exrth  to  send  to  England  for  analysis  also  speci- 
mens of  the  iish  etc.,  and  we  believe  he  has  also 
made  a discovery  of  .some  commercial  importance. 
Cattle  have  been  selling  as  low  as  £2,  JOs.  per 
head. — Mr.  Bowring,  who  has  came  to  examine 
the  accounts  of  the  Administration  Stations 
arrived  at  Zomba  last  month. — Major  Forbes 
Avent  South  a month  ago  to  consult  Avith  Mr. 
Rhodes.  Rumour  has  it  that  he  has  sent  for  2UU 
soldiers  (Makha)  to  clear  out  the  Awemba  and 
also  that  ho  intends  to  bring  back  100 whites  to 
help  him  in  keeinng  order  in  N.  Charterland. — 
Owing  to  the  heavy  rains  last  month  planting 
Avas  early  begmii  this  year  in  all  the  coll'ee  ilistricts. 
—Mr.  Rloomlield  Rradshaw  reports  the  IMlanje 
colI'ce  pros|)octs  as  good, — Mr.  Oiincan  McAliiine 
has  secureil  two  square  miles  of  good  laml  near 
the  Palm  Stream  on  tlie  Zomba- lllantyre  road. 
— Mr.  Codrington  left  Chikala  on  Decemlicr  10th. 
on  a visit  to  Kawinga’s  at  Kanjala’s  in  the 
Manguru  country.  He  expected  to  return  in  a 
week’s  time.  It  is  the  intention  of  the  Adminis- 
tration to  try  and  get  Kawinga  settled  near 
Zomba. — Dr.  Rendall  has  resigned  his  post  in  tlu' 
15.  C.  ,'\.  A,  — We  liaAC  had  an  opportunity  of 
sampling  the  tapioca  made  by  Mrs.  Smith  of 
the  Domasi  Mission  and  can  fully  endorse  Mr. 
Whyte’s  A'crdict  that  it  is  excellent.  The  ])ricc 
is  lOd.  per  lb.  and  it  should  command  a ready 
sale. — British  Central  African  Planter. 
- — 
THE  INTRODUCTION  Of  COFFEE 
INTO  15.  C.  A. 
We  liave  received  the  following  commimication 
from  Mr.  Jonathan  Duncan  of  Upiior  Mudi  E-itate, 
Blautyre,  giving  the  details  of  how  ho  brought  tlic 
first  plants  of  Coffee  Arahiea  to  lUantyiv’.  As  a cer- 
tain amount  of  confusion  has  been  the  result  of  H.  M. 
Commissioner's  statement  in  his  last  Rluebook  (1891) 
we  hope  the  subjoined  rommnnication  will  set  the 
matter  finally  at  rest.  We  have  also  to  thank  Mr. 
Duncan  for  correcting  a mis-statement  in  our  first 
number  by  Avhich  we  gave  Mr.  Simpson  the  honour 
of  introducing  Liberian  coffee  in  this  country.  This 
honour,  it  appears,  belongs  to  the  late  Mr.  Henry 
Henderson,  Pioneer  of  the  Church  of  Scotland 
Mission  in  these  parts. 
Dear  Sir. 
^ In  1878  I was  appointed  by  the  Church  of  Scotland 
]'’oroign  Mission  Committee  to  proceed  to  Rlantyre, 
ITast  Africa.  Before  leaving,  the  Foreman  (now 
Curator,  and  a friend  of  my  own)  of  the  Royal 
Botanic  Gardens,  Edinburgh,  gave  me  the  first  coffee 
planlbw'hich  I tended  carefully  on  the  way  out,  and, 
with  the  same  care,  they  were  planted  in  the  Mission 
Garden. 
In  the  year  1880  wo  had  a small  crop  on 
the  parent  tree,  about  1,000  beans  in  parch- 
ment Avhich  was  all  sown  up.  F’our  hun- 
dred of  the  seedlings  were  planted  in  the  Blan-tyrc 
coffee  garden  in  Feb.  1881.  In  1883,  off  the  four 
hundred  trees,  fourteen  and  a half  cwt.  of  coffee  was 
gathered.  I may  mention  the  size  of  the  pits  was 
Oft.  wide  by  3ft.  deep ; they  were  filled  up  with  allu- 
vial soil,  cow  manure  and  wood  ashes.  I believe  this 
accounts  for  the  enormous  crop. 
The  last  crop  which  I pulled  off  the  mother  tree, 
after,  being  pulped,  washed  and  dried,  weighed 
seven-and-a-half  pounds  and  I am  certain  that 
the  coffee  crrlturo  in  some  parts  of  British  Central 
iftrica  will  turn  out  as  well  any  other  coffee-grow- 
ing country  in  the  world  if  well  done  to. 
The  late  Mr.  Henry  Henderson,  bf  the  Blantyre 
Mission,  brought  from  home  in  1879  fifty-six  pounds 
Liberian  Coflee  seed  which  I had  the  pleasure  of 
sowing.  Only  seven  grexv  to  maturity;  one  was  sent 
to  Zomba,  another  to  Mandala,  the  rest  were 
planted  in  the  Mission  garden.  They  took  nine 
years  to  bear  fruit;  the  bean  seemed  to  be  sound 
and  of  good  quality,  but  little  has  been  done  with 
this  variety.  Blue  Mountain  and  Orange  Coffee  were 
introduced  by  Mr.  John  Moir  or  his  brother  while 
joint  Managers  at  Mandala,  but  I cannot  give  the 
year  of  its  introduction.  The  Blue  Mountain  as  far 
as  my  experience  goes  is  well  suited  for  high  eleva- 
tions in  the  Shire  Highlands.  The  orange  Coffee  is 
more  tender  and  perhaps  better  suited  to  lower  ele- 
vations; at  the  same  ti^ie  I have  taken  a good  crop 
off  the  few'  plants  Avhich  I have.  As  to  the  quality 
of  the  coffee  I caniiot  giv'e  any  opinion,  nor  as  to  its 
origin. — I am,  etc.,  Jonathan  Duncan. 
Upper  Mudi,  10th  Doc.  1895. 
— Central  African  Planter, 
WILD  COFFEE. 
Tu  the  Editor  of  the  Central  African  Plano  r. 
Di;ai;  Sir, — I lun  forwarding  yon  .a  specimen  of 
some  cullee  I obtained  growing  abundantly  about 
Chipanga  on  the  LoAver  Shire.  I learnt  in  course  of 
conver.sation  with  some  Portugue.se  gentlemen 
that  thi.s  cofi'ee  was  largely  u.scd  here. 
All  the  trees  I saw'  appearetl  to  be  groAviug 
quite  wild,  and  were  bearing  well  ; tlie  best 
jdants  seemed  those  hidden  in  shady .sjiots.  None 
of  the  trees  were  higher  than  3 or  4 feet.  The 
leas  es  are  long  and  narrow,  ami  the  berries  very 
small.  In  one  instance  on  cutting  through  a bean 
1 found  it  to  contain  six  very  small  and  distant 
berries. 
’Trusting  this  may  be  of  interest  ti  your  readers; 
— I remain,  Yours  truly,  W.  A.  MOKUAN. 
(,'hinde, 
2nil  November  1895. 
[We  duly  received  the  specimen  for  which  Ave 
thank-  Mr.  Morgan.  'The  leaves  are  small,  about 
three  inches  long,  hut  very  narrow,  only  a little 
over  half  a.n  inch  in  breadth,  'The  berry  i.s 
about  the  si;',c  of  a pea,  .seems  to  have  no  jiiilp 
to  speak  of,  and  no  parcluneut  Avith  the  excep- 
