Aug. 



1886.J 



fHE THOPiCAL AGRICULTURIST. 



ii 



A CEYLON TEA SYNDICATE : TO PRO- 

 MOTE THE SALE IN NEW FIELDS. 

 We have much pleasure in calling attention to 

 Mr. Kuthcrford's letter and draft proposal : there 

 is nothing like " striking while the iron is hot " 

 in order to get those* interested to subscribe, and 

 we certainly agree with the promoter that it is 

 not a day too soon to prepare for " the '20 to 'AO 

 millions " lb. of exports which Ceylon is to show 

 in a very few years hence. As for India, the es- 

 timate for the current season is 7(5 millions lb., 

 of which at least 70 millions will be sent to Britain. 

 Whc)i sufMcient support is secured a careful revision 

 of the draft proposal will no doubt take place and 

 a connuittee and Office bearers be appointed : — 

 Heatherton, Ambegamuwa, Ceylon, -i'.Jth May, 1886. 

 The Secretary, Ceylon Planters' Association, Kandy. 

 Dear Sik, — To bring the suggestions which have 

 been made in the local papers, as to the advis- 

 ability of extending our markets for the sale of 

 Ceylon teas to a practical issue, I have the pleasure 

 to forward you the draft of a proposal I have 

 drawn up for forming a Syndicate, under the 

 auspices of the Association. 



It has been urged by some that such a scheme is 

 premature, as Great Britain can easily take and 

 consume the few million pounds we send into the 

 London market. This is undoubtedly true at the 

 present moment, but, as this island in a few years 

 will produce five or six times its present outturn, 

 and there will be an increased export from India 

 from the large areas put under tea in 1882-83, I 

 consider that we cannot begin too soon to make the 

 American and Canadian peoples acquainted with 

 our teas. 



If the scheme proves successful in creating a de- 

 mand for our teas, and that demand be carefully 

 fostered, a trade may spring up which will relieve 

 us of a large proportion of our outturn, and con- 

 sequently assist in maintaining a steadier price for 

 our teas in the London market. This trade will 

 take a few years to develop, but, should a develope- 

 ment take plnce, the demand for the tea will come 

 to us when we shall most require it, viz., when our 

 shipments are too heavy to be worked oti' in the 

 Home market. 



I place my views on the subject before you, so 

 that you may put them in the hands of members 

 of Committee in order that they may consider the 

 subject before our next meeting. 



To initiate the scheme a few estate names have 

 been put down in a list herewith sent you, and 

 these estates are prepared to give it support. I 

 may add that the list has not been circulated in 

 any district.— Yours truly, H, K, XIuthemohi;. 



('i;VLON Tea Svndicatk. 



Vioposal as drafted by Mr. Rutherford. 

 1 That a Ceylon Tea Planters' Syndicate be formed 

 under the auspices of the Planter,' As.sociation for 

 the purpose of pushing the sale of cur teas in markets 

 other than that of Great Britain. 



2. That, as it is to the interest of growers (however 

 small their out-turn may be) to extend the fieKl for 

 the sales of Ceylon teas, it is hoped that every grower 

 of the product wmU joiu this Syndicate. 



3. That members supplj' the Syndicate with sucli 

 quantities of tea as thej' deem fit to foster the scbeiue 

 of introduction into other countries, 



4. That the Secretary of the Planters' Association 

 be asked to become the Secretary of the Symlicati; 

 aud for which work be bu paid 1? ceut per Ib.of lei, 



lu 



which sum must cover shipping charges exclusive of 

 Freight and Insurance. This method is suggested, so 

 that the burden of the co.'<t of the scheme may bo 

 evenly distributed among members. 



5. That Agents be appointed in New York, Mont- 

 real, Quebec, Melbourne, Sydney and Dunedin, who 

 have no interest in the sale of .jHpau or China teas. 

 These Chief Agents to appoint Sub-Agents in th*; 

 principal towns of America, Canada, Australia and 

 New Zealand, whose business it will be to distribute 

 the teas iu small parcels and lots to grocers ami 

 private individuals. 



Agents to be paid by commission on sales. 



6. Teas supplied by the Syndicate to be consigned 

 to the Chief Agents aud when proceeds have been 

 realized they are to be remitted to the Secretary who 

 shall remit to members of Syndicate. 



7. The names of likely persons or firms iu America 

 or the Colonies known to j)lanters or Colombo mer- 

 chants, who would be likely to take an interest in 

 the sale of these teas, are requested. 



8. Private parcels of tea to American cr Colonial 

 relations or friends to he sent through the Syndicate. 



9. Great care should be taken by all members of the 

 Syndicate to ship nothing but really good teas. 



10. That before any shipments are made, full par- 

 ticulars be received from the appointed Agents of the 

 Syndicate giving full iustructious as to the class of tea 

 required and size of packages most suitable, the quan- 

 tity required to open up connections, the likelihmd 

 of success and all information which may be useful to 

 the Syndicate. 



11. Each member in forwarding tea to state to 

 which country he wishes his teas consigned. 



12. All teas before shipment to be examined, tasted, 

 and reported on by an expert whose fees will be paid 

 by the member shipping the tea. 



T,ist of Estates prepared to join in a Syndicate under 

 the auspices of the I'lanters' Association for th" in- 

 troduction of Ceylon teas into America and the Col- 

 onies, should a .scheme for such be sanctioned b^' the 

 Planters' Association on the lines roughly sketched out 

 by JNIr. Rutherford in annexed Draft proposal ; — 



[Signatures to this list do not bind any one to be- 

 come a member of the Syndicate should the scheme 

 afterwards be altered aud not then meet with their 

 approval.] 



Remarks. 



Will supply in 



}-t w o instalments 



from each e.'tate. 



J 



Approved for the Ceylon Company's Estates, though 

 I nm not at present in a position to promise definite 

 quantities.— (Signed) John U. Stakev. 



I ajiprove of the scheme, but at present cannot say 

 more than Mr. Starey.— (Signed) Jas. Hit.i,, Mes-srs. 

 Carson & Co. 



THE COCONUT PALM AND LIGHTNING. 

 Sir Emerson Tennent, when noticing the various 

 uses of the coconut palm, as enumerated by the 

 natives, stated:— "One pre-eminent use of the 

 coconut palm is omitted in all these popular enu- 

 merations; it acts as a conductor in jirotrctinn 

 their houxes from liijhtnin;!. As many as oOO of 

 these trees were struck in a single inittco near 

 Putlalam during a succession of thunderstorm? 



