jfA^'. i, i§8;.] 



*g 



fUOPiCAL AQmCiJLTiJkl^fs 



45^ 



hy horticulturists in those cases where the use of 

 decayed leaves or wood is beneficial especially with 

 ferns. 



At the present moment I have ten large pots 

 filled with coir, mixed with liquid manure, in which 

 brnijals are planted ; they are growing fairly well, 

 but nothing like as well as those in pots with 

 sandy soil and the same quantity of manure. 

 The objection to the use of coir as a top dressing 

 for coconuts, is, that it retains the moisture, and 

 thus draws up all the young roots to the surface 

 and finding no sustenance in it, they die off es- 

 pecially in dry weather. Simply put on the 

 surface, it appears to be very injurious, indeed, in 

 a dry climate like Horrekelley, all surface manur- 

 ing, which draws up the roots, instead of allowing 

 them to seek the moisture lower down, must in 

 the long run be injurious. 



If the coir is put into holes, the remote benefit 

 from it, when it becomes humus, does not com- 

 pensate for the immediate expense of bui'ying it. 



What the late Mr. D. Wilson contended for was, 

 I believe, that the coir dust without being mixed 

 with manure, was not of any immediate value as 

 a fertilizer, and that the Horrekelley sand 

 was a better and cheaper medium for applying 

 manures than coir, with fewer drawbacks. 



No one who knew Mr. Wilson's inventive genius, 

 and mania for experimenting almost equal to my own, 

 can doubt, that every method of utilizing the vast 

 mounds of coir at Horrekelley was employed, and 

 when such a man came to the conckjsion that 

 the Horrekelley fibre dust could not be benefici- 

 ally used, it is a good excuse for his successors, 

 not doing more than experiment with it ; whichi 

 believe they have done. — Yours truly, C, S. 



TEA-MAKING AND TEA PRICES : LABGE 

 AND SMALL BREAKS ; USEFUL HINTS. 



Nahalma, 13th Dec. 



Dear Sir,— I have read in your paper of 8th, 

 Messrs. Forbes and Walker's letter anent tea prices ; 

 also your footnote, in which you remark " how 

 easy it is especially when dealing with small quan- 

 tities, to show exceptional rate?. Averages for large 

 quantities are doubtless the true test." Seeing that 

 somany, even when dealing with small quantities, 

 fail to show exceptional rates, it would be a great 

 boon were you to point out the very easy way you 

 allude to. Nahalma tea goes forward in small 

 quantities, because it is found convenient to dis- 

 patch it weekly, by coolies going for their rice ; 

 but as every sale so far, has proved that buyers ap- 

 preciate this tea, I cannot see how the " small quan- 

 tities' has anything to do with it. If it has, the 

 Brokers would only be doing their duty if they 

 advised all local sellers to send in their teas weekly. 



But granting that larger quantities are a better 

 test of value, I send you my average for the 

 month of November. Messrs. Lee, Hedges * Co. sold 

 for me in that month 4,242 lb for R3,437-77, or 

 an average of over 81 cts. per lb. If Kaluganga, 

 Glentaaffe and G, V. (in dia :) have done better, 

 I congratulate the owners. 



I note Messrs. Forbes & Walker say, " moreover 

 Kaluganga, and G. V. breaks contain everything 

 made, we do not think the others do." That the 

 Colombo world may be furnished with proof of the 

 great penetration and astuteness of these gentle- 

 men of the hammer, I admit that jny last break 

 did not contain everything made. Messrs. Wilson 

 & Co., sold 30 lb at 90 cts. and I sold 20 lb. 

 damaged dust at 30 cts ! But including those 

 large outside sales, Nahalma average for Nov. is 

 81 cts. Of course, I agree with what Mr. Forbes 

 has assured many of my friends, that the tea sold 



mucl) io 6iW5i Qi lis nl\i9, 



ma 



I hope you will give this opinion of our leading 

 Colombo broker publicity in your Overland, as 

 I see by your issue of 10th that London buyers 

 are also labouring under a delusion with regard 

 to this tea. Nahalma average, j'ou give in the London 

 sales as highest, except that of Riverside ; and in 

 the grades sold from Riverside, Nahalma prices are 

 considerably higher than those of that estate ! 

 —Yours *c. Wji. MACKENZIE. 



[We learn that all Mr. Mackenzie's tea is 

 sold in Colombo, that is all made at Nahalma since 

 they began to manufacture their leaf, with the ex- 

 ception of a small quantity of tippings taken after 

 pruning which is sold to a native. In Nov. Mr, Mac- 

 kenzie made at the rate of 550 lb. per acre from 

 HO acres two years and four months old. Quantity 

 and quality are due to good work in open- 

 ing those 80 acres, good jiit and good soil. 

 The credit for choice of land, seed and work 

 are due to Messrs. Forsythe and Bett ; but Mr. 

 Mackenszie is responsible for the manufacture 

 and lie may well be congratulated.— Ed.] 



TEAS FOR THE AMERICAN MARKET^ 



Sir, — I have just received the accompanying 

 samples of Oolong from Foochow that planters 

 may see the class of tea required for the American 

 market. 



Planters wishing to examine these teas for prac- 

 tical purposes can do so at my office. 



Kindly return samples at your convenience. 



At foot I give report.— Yours faithfully, 



FRANCIS F. STREET. 



Colombo 1 1th Dec. 1886, 



The following is the report alluded to above : — 

 Box Cliaracter Liquor About 



No. Grade of leaf value per 



lb. 

 I Blackish, rather 

 43 Fully fair cargo j stalky aud fair brisk -^0 dollar- 



,.„ ^ ,, , i yellow cents 



1(0 Jbiilly j^ood to 



Superior Good blackish On fine 28 ,, 



{Fragrant black- 

 ish little Fine flavor .3(3 „ 

 stalky 

 j Fiue fragrance 

 89 Finest to choice ] blackisli even wiry Choice oO ,, 

 ^ little stalky 

 These teas are grown in Saryune country. 

 The export of Oolong to America to 12th of last 

 month was 15,(530,000 lb. against 17,250,000 lb. same 

 date last year, the former being more than three 

 times the export of Congou— the consumption of 

 which is comparatively snail— the figures from all 

 China this season only reaching some 5 million lb. 

 to same date, against 3^ previous season. To tiie 

 above has to be added the export of green teas 

 from China and Japan, some di million lb. to 12th 

 November.— Yours faithfully, 



FRANCIS F. STREET. 



Ek'inus Communis Cultivation i.v Thr United 

 States.— According ta the Oil, Paint, and Druq Re- 

 2)ortcr, there is a belief among American commerical 

 meu that there are millions in cultivating the Ricinu.f 

 communis and extending the castor oil industry. Two 

 new companies for this purpose have been started in 

 the south, and there are many inquiries for parti- 

 culars regarding the culture of the castor plant. It 

 is claimed in the South that the farme • can cultivate 

 the castor seed on his poorest land and make more 

 money than with cotton on the richest bottom lands, 

 and at the same time command cash for every load. 

 In^ Texas, twenty-five farmers were furnished with seed 

 this season and guaranteed the full St. Louis price for 

 the seeds, which to-day is $r70 per bushel. Some 

 years ago castor oil was so abundant in the Soufh, 

 that it was principally used for illumioating purposes, 

 but other more profitah'e crops giadually disphccd it, 

 and the revival of interest in the article may be a 

 repetition of history, as larger production means Jowef 

 prices, 



