54 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[JuLy I, 1886. 



The Island of Babuados is Uie most densely 

 populated part of the earth. With an area of 

 106,000 acres, it contains a population of over 

 175,000 souls (!) per cont of whom are whites), 

 or an aveiage of l,0r)4 people to the square mile. 

 The Oliiiiese province of Keang-su, which was atone 

 time imagined to bo tlie most uncoinfortably-crowdcd 

 district under the sun, contains hut 850 Celestials 

 to the square mile, while East Flanders, in Belgium 

 the most thickly-populated neighbourliood in 

 Europe, can boast ol only VO/i inhabitants to the 

 square mile. — J\[<i(lriis Mnil. 



A New Elixih ok Qdinink. — Oik! of the grcjitistob 

 jections to the use of preparations of (niiiiiiic, especially 

 in the case of cliildren, is thi^ int(!ns<i bitterness of all 

 its salts, more particularly of the sulphate. A ready 

 and effective mean.'; of overcoming this ililficultj' will be 

 found in a coiupoiuul wine or elixir of quinine contain- 

 ing glycyrrbizin, the sweet principle of liquorice root 

 In preparing this coiubinaliou Sherry, Orange or Malaga 

 wine may be used at discretion ; the latter is perhaps, 

 the best. Two ounces of dried and decorticated 

 liquorice root, in coarse powder, are macerated for 

 seven days in one pint of Malaga wine. The wine is 

 then filtered, enough fresh wine being poured over the 

 marc to procure a full pint of filtrate. Forty grains 

 of sulphate of quiiune and sixty grains of citric acid 

 are then dissolved in two ounces of the filtrate, and 

 added to the bulk. An elixir of this strength, contain- 

 ing one grain of quiniue in the table-spoonful, will be 

 found of the most convenient strength for administer- 

 ing to children, and will be pleasantly sweet and almost 

 entirely free from bitterness. If the Malaga wine be 

 good, and of a full alcoholic strength, the prepsratiou 

 will uot be found to deposit much ou keeping, if at all. 

 — Burgoifiie, Burhidiies, Cyriax 4- Farries' MojiUdy 

 J\.)'2''ort Prices Current. 



Tmk Cheapening of Graji. — It appears that in a 

 few localities gram was dearer in 1884 than in 

 1878, and doubtless this is capable of easy explan- 

 ation ; but generally speaking, the article had 

 declined in price to the consumer., and consequently 

 was not so well worth while growing in the latter 

 as in the earlier year. This is remarkable, for the 

 rupee has declined most seriously in value in gold 

 using countries with which India has an enormous 

 business connection. If the shilling in England were 

 reckoned at its intrinsic value, instead of at a 

 statutory token value, it would now buy only thi-ee- 

 fourths of what it would have bought twenty years 

 ago ; or, whereas in 1866 it might have bought twelve 

 penny loaves, it would now buy only nine of such 

 loaves. In India the rupee has no statutory value, 

 but it Is left to find its own level, and yet, not- 

 withstanding the great decline in its external value, 

 it buys more, or goes farther in regard to gram, 

 than it used to do when exchange was nearly 6d, 

 or 25 per cent, better than it now is. It is, how- 

 ever, the general belief that it costs more to keep 

 liorses now than it used to do, or that the rupee 

 does not go so far as it did in filling the^ grain-bag. 

 — Madras Mail. 



NoTF.s ON Pkoducf.. — Commenting on the opening 

 of the new season for China teas, \\\e Grocer says: — 

 " Wonderful bargains in China teas have been secured 

 under the hammer, and purchasers have been enabled 

 to execute their orders for any description of tea 

 at almost their ow'ii prices. IIow the merchants or 

 consignees here can reconcile this policy of ' smash- 

 ing ' the London market, with their more exalted 

 opinions of the value of the article, in giving at the 

 recent opening of the new season at I[ank;:\v rates 

 lo per cent above those of last year, we cannot tell, 

 hut leave it to them to explain, and can only say 

 that by such a contradictory course; as this they are 

 multiplying their own risks and spoiling the market 

 for the completion of their regular operations. The 

 mistake of paying high prices at the opening of the 

 Chinese market sliould always be carefully guarded 

 against, as, to quote the words of advice we used 

 early in March, it causes the shippers there 't 



form an exaggerated idea as to the true market 

 value of the article, and is greatly to the detri- 

 ment of the dealers and others here. Purchases for 

 a time go ou very briskly, to be followed by consider- 

 able sbipnieiits to biUgland, when, as fast as the teas 

 arrive, they are probably forced off by auction at 

 rapidly declining rates, and cause a deal of depres- 

 sion to prevail all round.' This is what is likely to 

 happen between now and the end of next July, if 

 holders do not exercise more tact and judgment in 

 buying in one market and selling in another ; and 

 what comes of all the complaints or idle boasting 

 about severe losses (?) wlion they can afford to re- 

 alize their teas at a material reduction, and tlirive 

 without making the smallest gain or profit '.' Either 

 the reports of higher prices are without real found- 

 ation, or the prices themselves are watered down by 

 discounts and allowances which leave them practic- 

 ally at a compartively safe level. If so, it is so much 

 the better for all concerned, whether they are large 

 or small operators in tea, and it is to be hoped that 

 the condition of the trade generally is sounder and 

 more satisfactory than at first sight appears. As, 

 therefore, most circumstances encourage the belief 

 that quotations for China tea in the ensuing season 

 will be very moderate, if not positively low, it is a 

 matter of good augury for the wholesale and retail 

 trade, who will thus be able to supply the con- 

 suming public with a serviceable article at a cheap 

 price." — //. and C. Mail. 



Uniformity in Tea. — The Grocer is publishing 

 a number of letters upon the subject of the want 

 of uniformity in tea. Some of these throw some 

 light upon the blending operations of the grocer. 

 One correspondent writes :^" To show the utter 

 impossibility of any wholesale blender being able 

 to produce suitable blends of teas for all neighbour- 

 hoods, it is only necessary to remember the very 

 great difference in the water of different localities. 

 Why, sir, the effect of the water on the same 

 tea on the south side of the Thames is totally 

 different from that produced on the north side ; 

 and this I confidently assert after very many 

 years' experience as a tea traveller. Sir, it is 

 not a vital question to me whether I sell my 

 mixers or not ; my living in no way depends upon 

 that. All I am desirous of doing is to impress 

 upon every grocer the extreme danger of listen- 

 ing to the advice of those who tell him they can 

 do his business for him better than he himself. 

 No grocer can possibly have the smallest title to 

 the distinction of ' tea dealer ' unless he sells an 

 article which, so far as the blending is con- 

 cerned, is the product of his own skill and judg- 

 ment." Another says : — "What grocer would ever 

 dream of exposing good tea ? My business was not a 

 very extensive one, but in teas my sales were 

 chiefly at 2s 6d and 4s per lb. — at the latter price 

 far in excess of the former. Competition with 

 persons who had tea sent direct from Civil Service 

 stores, and supplied old women in the villages, as 

 well as competition from London wholesale houses 

 who send 20-lb. cads to gentry in the neighbour- 

 hood — these never materially affected my sales. 

 My customers returned to the good tea, stating 

 they would rather use less, pay more, and have 

 it good, as one spoonful of 4s went as far as 

 two at 2s 6d of the London teas, besides being 

 excellent in flavour. Now, the grocer must be a 

 dunce at his trade if he cannot mix six pourKls 

 of fine Kaisow, six pounds fine Moning, and six 

 pounds good Afsam with a pound and half of the 

 finest Pekoe. This mixture I always found to give 

 satisfaction. My friends who sent occasionally for 

 a 20-lb. cad could never understand why they 

 could not get tea like it in the large towns where 

 they lived at 4s — there was so little difference in 

 tlio 2s (id and 4s : the same strong capery or 

 Pekoe flavour pervaded both. Too much of either 

 spoils fine Cliina teas." — Home and Colonial Mail, 



