July i, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



55 



Ceylon Cocoa. — 16 cwt. of Mr. Forbes Laurie's cocoa 

 has realized at R54 per cwt., the parcel being bought 

 for despatch to the continent. 



IiNDiAiN Tea in America.— We find the following 

 paragraph in the Pioneer :— The Honorary Secretary 

 of the Calcutta Tea Syndicate writes :— " With re- 

 gard to the American demand, I may state that the 

 advices of the agents of the Syndicate ar.> most en- 

 couraging as to the future prospects of the trade in 

 Indian teas. The quantity hitherto shipped has not 

 been large, and will unfortunately not be sufficient 

 to last till the first shipments of the new crop ar- 

 rive from this side, but the committee hope to he 

 able to send forward full supplies this season. Upon 

 the strong recommendation of our new York agents, 

 the committpe have sanctioned a liberal expenditure 

 for advertisements in all the principal newspapers 

 throughout the United States, and all that is now 

 required is, as you suggest, that gardens should 

 make ample contributions of tea to meet the de- 

 mand which will no doubt follow." 



The Calcutta "Engli.shman" on Coffee Products. — 

 " It is estimated that the world's total consumption of 

 coffee reaches now 550,000 tons [11,000,000 cwt.] per 

 annum. Of this the European consumption amounts to 

 37Ci,OuO tons [7,400,000 cwt.] and the American to 

 180,000 tons [3,600,000 cwr.] The increase in Europe 

 has been at the rate of about 10 per cent, in every five 

 years, but in America the demand has grown more 

 rapidly, the increase being on the average 35 per cent, 

 in every five years. By far the chief portion of the 

 supply comes from Brazil, the crops thence for next 

 season being estimated at some 360,000 tons [7,200,000 

 cwt.] Ceylon will, it is thought, give not mnch more 

 than 30,000 tons [600,000 cwt.] The remainder of the 

 supply comes from portions of Arabia (a very small 

 quiiutity, but of first rate quality), from some of the 

 West India Islands, therepnblicsof Central A morica, some 

 of the settk-ments on the east and west coasts of Africa, 

 and two or three islands in the Pacific, Java and Madras, 

 Java being the greatest producer in the worldafter Brazil. 

 Coffee is said to be at present in a state of over pro- 

 duction. A surplus stock of some 35,000 tons [700, UOO 

 cwt.) is believed to have renmined over the year in the 

 hamis of the dealers. A bad harvest in Biazd is there- 

 fore at present their hope, but there does not appear to 

 be much chance of its fulfilment, the season in Brazil 

 having been so far all that could be desired. The over 

 production has not, it seems, as yet made itself felt to 

 any extent among the planters in that country, the loss 

 falling entirely on the dealers ■who have been too 

 sanguine in their purchases. Existing planta'ious in 

 Brazil, while not being extended, are yet not being 

 curtailed. If the planters pursue the same policy 

 for a few years more and are not in a hurry to extend 

 their gardens, consumption will, it is estimated, over- 

 take the production by 1SS7. By that time th« annual 

 consumption in Europe will, it is reckoned, have in- 

 creased by not less than 35.000 tons [70U.OOO cwt.] aud 

 m America by at least 40,000 tons [SUO.OOO cwt.] The 

 coffee trade has thus a prosperous future to look for- 

 ward to. Some of the more eauguire dealers believe 

 that even should the Brazil planters continue to extend 

 cultivation in obedience to a growing demand, they 

 will not be able to go on with that operation much 

 further, for they hold that the limits of production 

 have been almost reached, by reason chii fly of the in- 

 superable dilficulties c 'Uuected with an adeciuate sujiply 

 of suitable labour. This fact should encourage the 

 the desponding planters in Madras and Ceylon." 



In I he above article, we nave reduced the tons to 

 hundredweights in every case, as that is our modest 

 way of counting in Ceylon. In regard to further 

 extension iu Brazil, the factor of disease in the 

 coffee bushes, as well as that of labour, must be 

 calculated. 



Kelbuene Ci.nchona Trees. —The nett proceeds of the 

 bark, from the 130 suocirubra trees, will be about £440 

 sterling, or about £3 7s sterling per tree, without 

 root ba)-Ic The trees were coppiced and are now send- 

 ing up vigorous steins, only one dead stool being 

 found among the hundred and thirty. — "Ceylon 

 Times." 



I.NDIGO. — It has long been accepted as a truism that 

 he man is a benefactor to the human race, who can 

 make two blades of grass grow where only one grew 

 before. Son-ewhatin that liglit, saya the Englishman, 

 ought indigo planters to regard the patented inventions 

 of Mr. E. Schroltky for improving both the quantity 

 and quali'y of the produce of the indigo plant. The 

 results of Mr. So rottky's process invariab'y obtained 

 a higher market price than the produce of the same 

 factories under the ordinary processes of manufacture. 



Adulteration of Tea and Coffee in Ger.masy, 



In the adulteration of coffee, mixtures of earth, su^ar. 

 flour, and cofi'ee extract are frequent ; seeds, roots, 

 rye and other kinds of grain, pease, beans, germs, 

 stones of dates, chicory, and mineral substances, Veneti- 

 an red, are extensively used. Ground cofiee is often 

 mixed with ground and dried liver of animals. Tea 

 is colored black with graphite, and colored green with 

 Prussian blue and cnrcinua. Leaves thus treated receive 

 a portion of porcelain dust. Leaves of other plants and 

 trees, hawthorn, willows, strawberry, &c. , are colored 

 with substances dangerous to health, and mixed with 

 genuine tea leaves. — American Exporter. 



L.AND Sales. — We are surprized to learn that 

 146 acres of vei-y fine forestlaud adjoining Nayapana 

 estate, Pussellawa, were sold at the Kandy Kach- 

 cheri on the 31st ttltimo, for no more than R20 per 

 acre. Adjoming the forest there is one of the finest 

 cinchona fields in the country, and the purchaser of 

 tlie block (whose name has not reached us) may be 

 congi-atulated on his Ijargaru. A few years ago such 

 choice forest would have realized at least RlOO, and 

 probably nearer R200 per acre. At Kalutara, yes- 

 terday, Messrs. Leechman & Co. added to tlieu- ex- 

 tensive properties in that neighbourhood by pur- 

 chasuig two blocks of 147 and 175 acres, respect- 

 ively, at a little over upset -price. This land is in- 

 tencletl for Liberiau coffee and I'ubber, for which it 

 is very suitable. We are glad to learn in this con- 

 nection that a carefid trial is to be given to carb- 

 olic acid vapour as a cure for Hemilda rastatrix 

 on a ten-acre field on Udapolla Liberian cofi'ee plant- 

 ation, under tlie carefid direction of Mr. .Jardine 

 whose opinion of the result will be awaited with 

 interest by the planting comniunity. 



Ceylon Tea. — Yesterday (June 7th) at Messrs. Ro- 

 binson & Dunlop's offices, Mr. Maclaren, of the Calcutta 

 firm of Messrs. William Morau & Co., tea and indigo 

 brokers, tasted and valued a good number of samples of 

 Ceylon teas, in the piesence of the agents of the proper- 

 tits where the teas were grown and made. None of the 

 teas were valued under Is 2d some as high as 23 

 and even 2s 4d. The samples tasted on this ooca. 

 sion shewed how much we have yet to learn in 

 Ceylon in mahing tea ; many of the samples shewed 

 under or over fermentation, and one sample was 

 declared to be nearly apprnaching vinegar in taste, 

 an opinion which caused a hasty retreat on the part 

 of the proprietor who was present. There were also 

 many instances of overfiring. Much satisfaction was 

 expressi'd at the information so kindly given by Mr. 

 Maclaren, whose long practical experience as a tea- 

 taster and in tea generally entitles his opinions to 

 the deference they meet witli in Calcutta. Mr. Maj- 

 laren thinks very highly of the future of Ceylcn teas, 

 if their growing and making become primary consic'er- 

 ations aud are not made secondary to coii'eo and cin- 

 chona. — "Ceylon Times." 



