292 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. {1 Avr, 1899. 
: The following is the summary we allude to, and is designed to give out- 
siders in other planting countries some rough idea as to what is being done in 
coffee in British Central Africa :— 
We have been freely supplied with information and statistics by all 
the planters we have applied to (except one). Should we have omitted to 
mention any plantation now in existence, it is through inadvertence.—Kd. 
B.C.A. Gazette. 
NAMASI DISTRICT. 
The agent of Mrs. A. L. Bruce at Namasi has now about 200 acres of 
coffee planted, and a clearing of 70 acres ready to plant out. From what is 
seen of this plantation from the main road, it appears to be ina thriving con- 
dition. Plants of 2 years’ growth look particularly healthy. Mr. Owen Stroud 
has been in charge of this estate since Mr. Livingstone’s departure on leave of 
absence, and the neat appearance of the estate shows what care is bestowed on 
it. There isa line of blue gum and Pride of India trees along the road, and 
another line of Mlanje cedars planted a little further back. With a good brick 
house, which is being erected this year, the plantation will be completed. 
Mr. J. Boyd-Wallace has already planted 116 acres, and has about 100 
acres cleared ready for planting next season. Mr. Wallace has laid out his 
estate with taste, and the roads passing through are lined with Pride of India 
trees. All the plants are only of 1 year’s growth, so that 2 years must elapse 
before a return is obtained. 
Mr. Gordon Mitchell’s estate is being managed by Mr. J. R. Greenshields. 
He has about 70 acres under coffee: 100 acres of this is only first year, 70: 
acres second year, and 25 acres third year. ‘This latter portion of 25 acres 
was originally planted with second nursery plants; and though this is but the 
second year since planting, tne crop, being really third year plants, is coming on 
and looks promising. Mr. Greenshields has also planted blue gums and 
Pride of India trees along the avenues on this estate, and along the main road. 
These are sufficiently well grown to afford shade. ‘There is ‘one rather notice- 
able feature in his estate in regard to shade: some of his young coffee plants 
were planted in the shade of a large Ficus, near the Namiwawa River, and, 
though the rest of the estate looks in a flourishing condition, the plants under 
the shade of the fig-tree are sickly and delicate. 
The following are the other Namasi planters, with the approximate area 
under coffee :—Messrs. Robertson and Wren, 140 acres cleared and about 150 
acres planted; Mr. K. Keiller, 100 acres planted; Mr. J. Cameron, about 30 
acres planted ; and Mr. P. Morkel, about 40 acres planted. 
Another flourishing plantation along the Zomba-Blantyre road is that of 
Mr. 8S. Israel. He has about 60 acres third year, 70 acres second year, and 80 
acres first year: about 210 in all. He does not intend to plant any more this 
year, but this does not tell against the rate at which he intends to extend his 
estate, because he has decided to transplant from his first-year nurseries into 
a second-year nursery, and this, while being much cheaper than actually 
putting in the seedlings where they are to remain in the fields, does not retard 
their growth ; and next year, when these plants are finally set in the plantations, 
‘they are expected to be much stronger for the second transplanting, and a 
smaller proportion of blanks are obtained. The following is an extract from 
Mr. Israel’s notes on coffee :— 
The first step, of course, is to choose the site of your estate: I selected 
mune on account of the healthy appearance of the forest trees and rich growth 
of grass. When the forest is cleared, pegs are put in where the pits are to bedug. 
This is called ‘pegging’ After pegging comes the pitting, then draining. In 
my case, I prefer to drain immediately after pegging, because the drains can be 
made better then. Thurough drainage is necessary, as the open drains prevent 
wash, and admit air into the soil. Then the ashes of the burnt trees and grass 
are carefully mixed with earth and put in the pits where the coffee plants are to 
to be set. It is not advisable to leave the ashes exposed, as the rain may wash 
them away, or the winds blow them about. Putting in the plants is a simple 
Pe en 
