THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
421 
Dec.  r,  1896.] 
planters  affainst  allowing  the  trees  to  bear  too 
heavil)'  in  the  maiden  crop,  as  there  is  a danger  of 
the  plant  being  thereby  weakened, 
Other  estimates  put  the  expenditure  at  not  move  than 
ten  pounds  per  acre,  or  a little  over  th'-ee  pouiids  per 
acre  per  annum  for  three  years,  and  thereafter  a largo 
profit.  The  price  of  Nyassaland  coffee  as  quoted  in 
the  London  market  for  late  years  has  averaged  one 
hundred  shillings  per  hundredweight,  but  it  has 
reached  as  high  as  one  hundred  and  twelve  shil- 
lings. 
Under  varying  conditions  the  average  yield 
per  acre  is  somewhat  uncertain,  but  compe- 
tent judges  put  it  at  from  three  to  four 
hundredweight  per  acre.  Some  maiden  crops  have 
yielded  eight  hundredweights — but  not  without  in- 
jury to  the  plants. 
TuJving  four  hundredweight  as  the  average,  on  a 
plantation  of  two  hundred  acres  this  is  equal  to  forty 
tons,  with  a selling  price  in  Loudon  of  four  thousand 
pounds^  From  this,  of  course,  must  be  deducted 
freights,  which  will  not  be  less  than  eleven  pounds 
per  ton  from  the  plantation  to  the  market. 
In  the  report  on  the  protectorate  by  Com- 
missioner Sir  Harry  Johnston,  issued  in  August 
last,  there  is  a valuable  appendix  devoted  to 
the  coffee  industry,  with  a map  of  the  southern 
Shire  Highlands  devoted  to  coffee-planting.  We 
learn  from  it  that  a survey  for  the  proposed  i-ailway 
connecting  Blantyre  with  Chiromo  has  been  made, 
that  the  native  population  in  the  Lower  Shire  dis- 
trict since  the  suppression  of  the  slave-trade  has 
increased  from  1,000  in  1801  to  14  385  in  189(i,  and 
that  if  malarial  fever  could  in  some  way  be  eli- 
minated, British  Central  Africa  would  be  an  earthly 
paradise.  The  chief  bane  of  British  Central  Africa 
according  to  the  Commissioner  is  that  ‘ accursed 
spirit  whisky.’  The  exports  have  doubled  dur- 
ing 1895  06,  and  not  a little  of  this  increase  is  due  to 
ivory  and  coffee.  Sir  Harry  Johnston  entertains  great 
hopes  of  the  development  of  the  negro  of  Central 
Africa.  At  Zomba  there  is  one  European  headprinter; 
all  the  other  printers  are  natives,  who  have  been  either 
locally  trained  at  the  missions  or  by  the  head-printer. 
The  Commissioner  has  also  an  encouraging  report 
regarding  mission  \york  in  British  Central  Africa,  and 
special  mention  is  made  of  the  work  of  Dr.  Laws 
and  others  at  Bandawe,  concluding  ‘ that  it  has  only 
to  tell  the  plain  truth  and  nothing  but  the  truth 
to  secure  sympathy  and  support.’ 
Three  species  of  liliaceous  plants,  of  easy  pro- 
pagation, promise  to  yield  fibre  worth  nearly 
£-10  a ton.  India-rubber  is  another  product  which 
it  is  hoped  may  be  largely  developed,  as  the 
demand  for  it  at  present,  almost  exceeds  the 
supply.  We  are  told  that  ‘ given  abundance  of  cheap 
native  labour,  and  the  financial  security  of  the 
protectorate  is  established.  The  European  comes 
here  with  his  capital,  which  he  is  ready  to  employ 
to  almost  an  unlimited  extent  if  he  can  get  in 
return  black  men  who  will,  for  a wage,  work  with 
their  hands,  as  he  cannot  do  himself  in  a tropical 
sun.  It  only  needs  a sufficiency  of  native  labour 
to  make  this  country  relatively  healthy  and  a-mazingly 
rich.  The  cultivation  of  coffee  would  be  a hundred 
times  more  extensive  than  it  is  if  there  w’ere  an 
adequate  labour  supply.’  For  unskilled  labour  three 
shillings  a month,  with  or  without  food,  is  paid,  and 
proportionately  loss  for  women  and  children.  Skilled 
native  labourers — carpenters,  masons,  brick-makers, 
Ac. — receive  w'ages  of  from  four  shillings  a month 
to  f 10  a year.  There  seems  to  be  every  reason  to 
believe,  in  accordance  with  the  opinion  of  the  old- 
est and  most  experienced  planters,  that  the  pro- 
spects of  success  in  this  inylustry  are  very  hope- 
ful. Considerable  areas  of  land  suitable  for  coffee 
are  yet  to  be  had,  the  price  varying  from  five 
shillings  to  tw'enty  shillings  per  acre,  and  no 
doubt  as  the  country  is  better  known,  and  more 
capital  is  introduced,  the  difficulties  which  have 
kept  back  and  hampered  its  development  w’ill 
rapidly  disappear,  and  British  Central  Africa  will  yet 
become,  if  not  the  most  extensive,  perhaps  the  most 
successful  coffee-growing  country  in  the  world. 
TALK  WITH  A TEA  PLANTElL 
(From  Xutal  Merciu-y,  Oct.  30th.) 
CEYLON  AND  NATAJj  COMPARED. 
We  have  had  a call  from  Mr.  John  Fraser,  a tea 
planter,  of  Ceylon,  w'ho  is  on  his  return  journey  after 
a trip  to  Europe.  He  and  the  Messrs.  Aitkeu,  of  the 
Low'er  Umzimkulu,  parted  as  young  men  in  Aberdeen 
34  y^ears  ago,  and  unexpectedly  met  a week  or  two 
since  at  lluthville.  Mr.  P’raser  has  utilised  his  stay 
in  South  Africa  to  see  the  tea  gardens  of  Natal,  and 
the  results  of  his  observations  are  of  value.  In  Ceylon 
he  grew  coffee  for  16  yeais,  and  when  that  failed 
he,  in  common  with  otiier  islanders,  planted  tea. 
The  herb  began  to  be  generally  grown  there  in  1880, 
about  the  same  time  as  its  cultivation  w'as  started 
here,  although  a commencement  had  been  made  four 
years  earlier.  The  progress  of  the  industry  in  Ceylon, 
compared  with  the  progress  made  in  Natal,  is  a 
matter  that  deserves  investigation — as  to  why  Natal 
tea  has  advanced  so  slow'ly,  comparatively,  as  regards 
the  output  and  its  general  use.  Within  six  years,  in 
1886,  Ceylon  was  producing  over  5,000,0001b.  of  tea 
and  the  output  for  1898  will  be  over  100,000,0001b.  The 
rapid  strides  of  recent  years  as  regards  export 
to  America  were  due  to  the  efforts  of  Sir  John 
Grinlinton,  a Member  of  the  Council,  who  advertised 
the  Ceylon  beverage  at  Chicago,  and  Mr.  William 
Mackenzie,  himself  an  astute  and  successful 
planter.  China,  which  used’  to  supply  Eng- 
land annually  with  300,OCO,0001b.  of  tea,  now 
exports  no  more  than  40,t00,0001b.  and  the 
shortfall  is  being  made  up  by  India  with  150,000,0001b. 
and  Ceylon  with  100,000,0001b.  What  is  Natal  doing 
for  the  world’s  consumption  ? Ceylon  looks  upon 
South  Africa  as  a country  that  grows  its  own  tea,  and 
Ceylon  will  not  push  itself  into  our  market  unless 
Natal  fails  to  fill  it  herself.  Mr.  Fraser  was  himself 
asked  to  send  from  Ceylon  a shipment  to  Johannesburg 
of  5,0001bs.  of  tea,  to  be  followed  by  monthly  shipments 
of  10,0001bs.  If  Natal,  however,  allows  outsiders  to 
come  in,  a taste  will  be  created  for  foreign  brews,  and 
Natal  will  have  admitted  a competitor  lor  which  there 
should  be  no  call  Ceylon  tea,  however,  is  beginning 
to  find  its  way  to  this  country.  In  Johannesburg, 
next  to  Heath’s  Hotel,  is  a cafe  which  makes  a special 
feature  of  Ceylon  tea  at  6d.  a cup;  crowds  of  anight  take 
advantage  of  the  opportunity,  and  so  a liking  for 
Ceylon  tea  is  created.  If  this  taste  gains  a firm  and 
general  hold.  Natal  tea  will  be  looked  on  with  less 
favour — for  the  reason,  it  is  stated,  that  merchants 
cannot  rely  on  an  even  quality  in  Natal  brands  as 
they  can  in  the  case  of  Ceylon.  A rapidly  increasing 
output  would  bo  less  desirable  than  a steady  and 
reliable  quality  in  the  produced — a quality  which  has 
not  been  sacrificed  to  the  desire  to  promote  the  output. 
Mr.  Fraser  thinks  that  tea  would  grow  anywhere  in 
Natal,  but  notat  a profit.  Maritzburg  seems  the  extreme 
upper  limit  of  profitable  industry.  Beyond  the 
vicissitudes  of  climate  would  probably  prove 
fatal.  Ceylon  has  no  winter  as  in  Natal,  and  there 
is  no  cessation  in  the  plucking  season;  and  another 
advantage  the  island  possesses  is  a more  frequent 
flush.  \Vith  advantages  of  this  nature  to  compete 
with,  it  behoves  Natal  to  see  if  there  are  any 
means  within  her  reach  to  improve  the  quality  of 
her  product,  as  she  cannot  change  the  weather  or 
force  the  leaf.  To  begin  with,  Mr.  Fraser  is  able  to 
assure  us  that  we  have  in  the  Colony  a good  jat 
of  tea—in  fact,  the  average  quality  is  equal  to  that 
of  Ceylon,  at  all  events,  so  far  as  the  early  fields 
are  concerned.  Ceylon  is  now,  however,  paying  as 
much  a.s  TdO  for  a maund  (801b)  of  indigenous  seed 
and  this  is  only  sufficient  for  four  or  live  acres’ 
Our  informant  has  no  word  to  say  in  regard  to  the 
quality  of  the  plants  he  has  seen  in  Natal,  or  the 
manner  of  their  planting.  From  this  point,  however 
IS  to  be  traced  our  weakness.  The  bushes  are  not 
cleaned  enough— more  old  wood  should  be  cut  down  ; 
and  whilst  pruning  would  reduce  the  quantity  of 
ihe  crop  the  quality  would  assuredly  be  superior. 
The  Natal  tea  planter  has  every  ajvpliance,  proper 
machinery,  adequate  premises— all  equal  to  anything 
in  Ceylou — but  the  system  of  manufacture  is 
