Evening star., 1899-03-11
TEA CULTURE IN AFRICA.
Consul General stowe mt Cape Town
Writes About the Industry.

On a recent visit to the South African
exhibition Consul General Stowe at Cape
Town made a study of the tea industry of
the colony of Natal and reported the result
to the State Department. He opnes that
the time may not be far distant when
steamers from the United States will be
able to obtain return cargoes, instead of
going. as at present, to the far east, or be-
ing forced to return from South African
ports in ballast. With an assurance of re-
turn cargoes. it is said, freight from the
United States would be cheaper.
To Mr. William r. Hudson of the Clifton
tea estate the credit of the present tea in
dustry is due. and the estate now comprises
5000 acres on the Nonoyoi river, fifty-five
miles from the city of Durham. the river
furnishing the necessary water power.
Coolie labor Is used in preference to that
of the Kaffirs. A coolie can pick forty-two
pounds of green leaf day. the Kaffir only
nineteen pounds. The present factory
building is 200 by so feet, three stories high,
and is fitted up with the latest machinery
All the chests are made on the premises;
coolie will make forty chests, each capable
OF carrying sixty pounds of tea, or sixty
boxes. each holding fourteen pounds of tea,
In day. chest measures 10 by % by
IL inches. the wood being three-eighths of
an inch thick A bog is II by 10 by IL
IAClieSr the "OOu DelIlS the same thickness.
A chest takes thirty-two nails and a
box twenty-four nails. These figures will
give some idea of the amount of skill and
labor required to attain the results men,
toned. A male adult Indians labor on an
average throughout the year costs % cents
per day. The Indians indenture lasts five
years. after which term his services can
again be secured for a further period of
three years. on terms agreed to between
master and man.
The picking season in Natal commences
generally early in September and goes on
Till about the end of the following Nav
The months of June. July and August are
taken up with digging and manuring the
land and pruning the plants. The tea is
picked by the coolies, mule carts in differ
ent gangs collecting the leaf Men and
women are employed in the picking pro-
cess The tea leaf is taken down To the
Factory. where ii is weighted in When
frames covered with hessan for the pur-
pose of whitening" in a temperature of
- degrees to 90 degrees In the course of
twelve hours the leaf has become perfectly
sort, and produces the same sensation to
the touch as silk handkerchief The leaf
is then passed through shoots into the ma
chlne room, where it is rolled the object
OF this process being to break up the iuice
cells in the leaf and to give the leaf that
peculiar twist characteristic of the tea seen
In ordinary commerce. When the rolling is
nn1shed. the saDpy, juicy mass is sent down
INTO the COOLING chamber where it is spread
out and submitted TO the action of the air
at a temperature of from 60 degrees to 10
degrees This Is the critical stage in the
manufacture of tea The eye of the ex
perienced manager is required to see that
the fermentation is arrested at the exact
time or the tea would lose quality and
would acquire an undesirable flavor. The
rolled leaf is then passed to driving trays
IN which 1t is spread out thinly and sub-.
'mltted TO temperature of about 30 de-
ereeS, the excessive heat staying fermenta-
ton and taking all moisture out of the leaf
The now manufactured article Is sent on to
Inc sorting department where the different
grades OF Golden Pekoe. F'Iowerv Pekoe
Pekoe SouchOng, Souchong. and dust are
separated by machinery. which consists of
a huge revolving screen cylinder. the
mesh hes gradually getting larger toward the
outer end. so that the dust" falls from the
separating machine first and the coarsest
leaf the "Souchong," last. 1t should be
pointed out that the smallest leaves on the
twlS. when picked, make the finest tea,
Ihe tea is then put into afr-tight bins
Where ii Is allowed to remain for from two
10 three months 10 mature After this II
goes to the packing department. where IL is
put into packets or boxes for the trade
Ihis years output of tea from the estates
IN Natal Is estimated at from 3OOO to 400 :
Vp pounds, for which there is a ready mar
ket, and 1t is estimated that the next crop
VIII yleid 100000 pounds of tea.