Dec. I, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
403 
Sorrc.epond6nr0 
Tu the Ed Hot. 
COFFFS-PlANTINC; in NYASSALAND : 
A KEPORT BY A KESPONbIBLE 
PLANTER. 
ChipanJe Estate, Blantyre, B.C.A., 
Aue. 25, 1897. 
Dear Sir, — A contribution in your June 
number, headed “ Planting Prospects in British 
Central Africa,” by a gentleman, Mr. , 
gives most misleading statements ; hence permit 
me to correct his truthless allegations. Although 
I have lived a number of years in this coun- 
try, I never heard of this man who tries to 
pose as one who came to prospect for land 
suitable for coffee jdantations. Making en- 
quiries about this coffee expert, I found out 
that he walked here from Mashonaland, and 
was glad to accept a position as barman, which 
he gave up wdth the intention of prospecting 
for gold in the Northern paits, and joining 
company with a trader, who allowed him to 
do so. When retuining, without success, he 
tried to obtain a position with the Chartered Com- 
pany, but being unsiicce.ssful, he disappeared. It 
is only with a certain amount of reluctance 
that I write to coirect statements of this de- 
scription, but as a resident in this country 
I do not like to see injustice done to it by false 
and untrustworthy reports. 
Coffee has not been a failure, and although in 
the beginning it did not always prove successful, 
for want of ca))ilal and knowledge, it has now 
established itself as a well-paying industry. It 
is distinctly untrue that everybody here is trying 
to form companies. 
Transport, considering that we live in the in- 
terior of B. C. A. is cheap, costing only £3 per 
ton for coffee from Katungas to the sea coast. 
The average cost of land carriage to this part 
(according to distances) from 10s to 60s per ton. 
Tlie ai erage rate of wages is only 3s a month, 
which includes food pay. Labour is inexhaus- 
tible, and a number at certain times of the year 
must return home for want of finding work. If 
some planters cannot get sufficient labour in the 
wet season, they are themselves to blame, as they do 
not provide sufficient food supidies and the men 
want food to live. My labour, and the same of 
the majority of planters costs no commission for 
obtaining, and only in some instances are agents 
employed. 
The soil is not inferior to that of any other 
country, where coffee is giowui. It varies in 
quality, and large blocks of good uncultivated land 
can be bought at low prices. 
Like in any other tropical country a man must 
live a moderate life, and by observing this con- 
dition, he need not fear to live here. 
The Tanjanyiki plateau, to which Mr. refers, 
as being unfit for white settlers, is a beautiful 
part of Central Africa and will soon be developed, 
and settle a large white population, in spite of 
that gentleman’s wholesale adverse statements. 
The heat is not great, we are about 3,000 feet 
above the sea level, and if heat should inconve- 
nience me 1 would sooner live here, than in 
Colombo. 
We have plenty of water in this country, 
but no large river exists in Blantyre, as is stated 
by Mr. . 
50 
Coffee disease in our country is also a new 
discovery of his, and this eloquent gentleman, 
surely knowing this, wasted his time prospecting 
for coffee land. I have no doubt that any leader 
will at once see w’hat harm men of this type might 
do, if such statements are not corrected. Not 
wishing to encroach on your .space any more I con- 
clude with the offer to willingly give my report 
and information to any enquiries made to me. 
Yours truly, 
S. ISRAEL, 
Planter, Chipande Estate, and Manager of Messrs, 
Buchanan Bros.’ Estates, Michiru and Zoiuba. 
SIROCCO TEA MACHINERY. 
“ Sirocco ” Engineering Works, Belfast, Oct. 6. 
Dear Sir, — As you have on many occasions been 
kind enough to make favourable reference to my tea 
machinery in your columns, and to publish descrip- 
tive articles regarding some of the new machines 
which I have placed upon the market from time to 
time during the past few years, I take the liberty 
of forwarding to you by this mail, under separate 
cover, a copy of my new catalogue of Sirocco Tea 
Machinery, and should feel very much gratified if 
you could see your way to notice same in your 
columns, as I have no doubt such an article would 
be read with interest by your planter readers. 
This catalogue is very much more complete than 
any I have yet issued, and is the only complete 
catalogue of tea machinery that has ever been pub- 
lished — in fact no other firm manufactures machi- 
nery for more than two or three of the processes through 
which the leaf passes, whereas, as you will see from 
the introductory remarks in my catalogue, I can 
lay claim to be the “ first who can now supply tea 
factories with an entirely complete outfit of mechanical 
appliances for each and every process in the manu- 
facture of tea, from the time the leaf is brought into 
the factory up to its being sent oft as finished tea 
in packed chests,” and which wide claim is supported 
by the descriptions and illustrations subsequently 
given in the catalogue of the various machines that 
I manufacture. Amongst these are included one or 
two new machines which have yet to make their 
reputation in practiorl employment on the tea estates 
though I expect they will do so in course, quite as 
much as my new roller (which was first brought under 
public notice in my catalogue of last year) ha.s done 
already, and so well have the rollers been received by 
planter.^, more particularly in Ceylon — where they 
were first introduced — that many orders have already 
come in as a consequence of the working of the first 
machines sent out ; and planters seem to appreciate 
the fact that this machine is an entirely new depar- 
ture, both in construction and method of applying 
pressure to the leaf (which you will see for your.self, if 
you glance through the descriptive part relating to the 
roller), while at the same time it has the still further 
advantage in their eves, of being considerably cheaper 
in price than other rolling machines of equal 
capacity. 
The view of my works is different from any that has 
appeared in my previous catalogues, on account 
of its being taken from the reverse end of the pre- 
mises to what my previous views were, namely from 
the end facing the river Lagan. The view of Belfast 
seen beyond the Works, is absolutely correct, and 
any planter knowing the town here would recognise 
the principal local features shotvn in the illustration. 
I have put the names of each of the “ shops ” on the 
tops of the roofs in these drawings, to indicate them 
for the benefit of planters who have never been 
my works, and don’t know anything about theii 
extent. 
Then as you will see, I liave shown photographs 
of the heads of my official staff at home and abroad 
and I have also shown photos of the foremen of 
each of the various departments. The insertion of 
these I thought was desirable, because it has often 
been told me that many planters abroad, know- 
