THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
July i, 1897 .] 
6 , 
COFFEE PLANTING IN NYASSALAND. 
Mr. G. M. Gvabbe formerly of Great Western and 
afterwards LI Teb, which place he left to superin- 
tend the Nyassaland Coffee Go’s, property in Milanp, 
Central Africa, and quitted the place on medical ad- 
vice, being attacked many times with fever, and who 
arrived here the other day, has left for upcouutry. 
According to particulars afforded by Mr. Crab be to our 
contemporary, he had not been in Milanji more 
than three months, when two of the Buchanan Bro- 
thers, whose place was at Blantyre, died, and the 
third brother is now dead also. They were the lead- 
ing men in the country, possessing a thousand acres 
or thereabouts. John Buchanan had been out in 
Central Africa about 18 years, connected with the 
Bla ntyre Mission Station. He started the plant- 
ing down there, but soon after Mr. Crabbe’s arrival, 
John Buchauan and his brother Robert died witViin 
two months of each other. Planters in that part 
we are constantly falling ill with fever, and many die. 
The population of white men in Milanji was only seven- 
teen, including the Administrator and his assistant. 
When the place is fully opened a,ud developed, 
Mr. Crabbe thinks it may become healthier, 
but at present it was a most dangerous country. 
The country is undulating, like the Assam district, 
and it has a rainfall of about eighty. The tempera- 
ture is cool and equable, but the place is particulai'ly 
unhealthy from the middle of November to the end 
of February, which is the planting season. The 
pioneer of Mlanji is Mr. Henry Brown, who was 
formerly an Inspector in the Ceylon Police. When 
he left here, in 1890 or 1891, he went to Central 
Africa in connection with the work proceeding at 
the Lakes ; but in a short time he took to coffee 
planting. When he left the Comjpany’s property 
they had 210 acres opened, and last year they opened 
another ten acres, making 250 acres opened, but 
another 25') is to be opened this year. The jungle 
which has to be cleared is very heavy, but the soil 
is by a long way the best soil that can be found 
there, and is very dark-red in colour. Mr. Crabbe’s place 
has been taken by Mr. Moggridge, who was formerly 
with Mr. Cotton, on Dammeria, Passara. He has with 
him as assistant Mr. Robin, who also hails from 
Ceylon, having been a planter with Mr. Metcalfe in 
Pundaluofa. "They came out to Mr. Crabbe a year 
ago last May. Robin has suffered very badly with 
fever. Five miles off Mr. Crabbe’s place was an estate 
belonging to Mr. Moir, who was formerly Manager of 
the African Lakes Company. He had about 180 
acres opened in coffee and on the other side was 
Mr. Henry Brown who had about 200 acres 
opened. Mr. Crabbe had some coffee in full 
bearing, and he had also a few tea bushes, 
but they were not a goodjat. Then about ten miles 
off Mr. Bradshaw had about 180 acres. His was 
a very good place. His oldest coffee was about five 
years of age, and he got a crop of 30 tons last year. 
Then, there was a small estate of 60 acres belonging 
to a Mr. Simpson, who, in addition to coffee, has 
gone in for a few native products. That is 
about all. There were no factories, and all the 
pulpers are worked by hand with the excep- 
tion of those at Mr. Moir’s place who has 
the only water-wheel in the country. But 
the great thing they have to contend against, 
said Mr. Crabbe, was the want of good seed. The 
coffee is of the Arabian sort, but this want is greatly 
felt, and something will have to be done with re- 
gard to getting better seed. The Nyassaland Coffee 
Company did try to introduce Brazilian seed, but it 
Mdn’t answer — it failed to germinate. All the seed 
they had was got locally. No coffee seed from India 
or Ceylon is allowed into the country on account of 
leaf disease, nor is tea seed allowed, though some sent 
by Mr. Carson from Ceylon managed to get in and 
it turned out a failure. It was Indian seed ; but it 
got in as the Commissioner at that time was anxious 
it should be started, The coffee is planted under 
shade there. The administration seem to have done 
very little for the country as far as helping the 
planter goes. There is a great want of roads and 
transport facilities, AU produce was sent to Chiromg 
on the river Zambesi, 70 miles away on niggers’ 
heads, and though there was a river near, and it led 
to Chiromo, it was not navigable. Prom Chiromo 
the produce went to Chinde ; Beira, of course, 
being the port of export. Labour was plentiful, 
with the exception of the four wet months. 
That time the natives mostly' employ in working their 
own gardens. A lot of labour comes from Lake Nyassa, 
the people coming down a distance of over 200 miles. 
The labourers were in calico, three shillings a 
month, so they were cheap. The local labourers only 
got two shillings’ worth of calico a month. They had 
no trouble either with advances or tundus. 
^ 
KOLA. 
THE AMEEICAN 3IARKET. 
The demand for kola in the United States has 
increased yery materially within the last three years. 
In fact, previous to 1891 there was practically but 
little used. At the present time, American firms 
are among the largest consumers. 
African and Jamaican Kola. 
The introduction of Jamaica kola in this market 
dates from my visit to your island, in the winter 
of 1893-94. Since then Jamaica kola has had a more 
or le.ss ready sale at a good price. It is a mistake, 
however, to suppose that Jamaica kola will sell 
at a price above that of any other kind and it is 
especially a mistake to think so when Jamaica kola 
is badly handled as to its gathering and shipment. 
At the present time by far the largest amount 
of kola consumed in the United States comes from 
Africa, and probably about ten pounds of African are 
sold to every pound of West Indian. There are 
several reasons for this. First — African kola is 
better known having been introduced into the 
European markets two or three centuries ago. And, 
secondly, the African kola is much better cared for 
in its gathering and shipment. As an illustration ; 
I have a stock of African kola nuts fully one year 
old, and the nuts are in the same condition as they 
were when first picked. Whereas the first specimens 
of Jamaica Kola as prepared for the market dete- 
riorate on the five and six days’ voyage from Jamaica 
to New York. 
Through your Society and the Botanical Depart-, 
ment and by the aid of the public press, I have 
endeavoured to induce your people to prepai-e it in 
a proper manner. While I have practically succeeded, 
the experiment so far has been an expensive 
failure. 
Hints for Shippers. 
The main trouble is that your people wait until the 
kola is partially dried and rotted upon the tree be- 
fore they pick it. Whereas ’ they should be picked 
as soon as the pods are full, before tbey break open 
and dry. Next, as soon as taken from the tree, they 
should be taken from the pod and the thin outer 
skin, which is loose and pulpy, should be carefully 
washed off, so that this entire coating is removed. 
The nuts may then be shipped at once, packed 
in barrels— that is, if they are sold to the user 
who will use at once. But if they are to be 
sent on consignment or if they are to be kept for 
any length of time before using, they should 
immediately be washed and covered completely and 
tightly with wetted leaves. The best way is to line 
a basket about one inch thick with heavy green 
leaves which are thoroughly wetted. The lining 
should be complete, without any cracks or breaks. 
The nuts should be picked over ; if any are bruised, 
broken or over-ripe or starting to rot, they should 
not go into the collection. They should be care- 
fully laid in so as not to break or bruise them, or 
split them open. They may then be sprinkled 
down with water, and carefully coverved with wetted 
leaves. Nuts thoroughly done in this way will keep 
for at least a year. In fact, I have had them for 
18 months. I have thonght that I w'ould ship to 
Jamaica a basket of nuts as prepared in Africa for 
shipment, that your people might see exactly how 
it is done. It is a simple matter and yet one which 
I have been unable to get your people to accomplishj 
