JtTNE I, 1883.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



989 



^■mteupmidence. 



To Ike Editor of the ''Ceylon Observer T 



THE BABOOL [ACACIA ARABIC A) TREE. 

 London, 20tli April 1883. 



Sir, — In my No. 5 "New Commercial Planta." 

 1 poiuteil out the probable value that the babool 

 tree [Acacia Arahica) would obtain. 



I am glad to be able now to inform your read- 

 ers that the dried pods have been tested here, aud 

 they are found to yield about 60 per cent of tannin 

 matter: this is after the seed.s have beeen extracted. 

 There is no value in the seed; therefore it would be 

 better to let the pods dry on the place where they 

 are cultivated, and then extract the seed, and press 

 the pods and send tliem home. 



The action of this tauiiin produces a beautiful light- 

 coloured leather, aud I feel sure that it will be 

 worth while growing this tree. It is a native of 

 India aud the West Indies; 30 there will be no diffi- 

 culty in obtaining stock direct. 



Valouia is now worth £18 a ton ; so this ought 

 certaiuly to be worth £40, but owing to the tan- 

 ners beiug so peculiar aud really not knowing when 

 they get a valuable and rich tauuiu substance, they 

 often allow such drugs as Balsamocarpum, which 

 yieUls four times as much as Valouia, to lie in the 

 market unsold at £18 to i'20 a ton; whereas, if they 

 knew the value of it, it would be worth to them 

 i'40 to £50 a ton for the pod. 



Owing to the diffusion of information by Mr. \V. 

 N. Evans, the greatest authoiity on pr.TCtical tan- 

 ning, many of tlie tanners are having the water they 

 use analyzed, and wh^re it is hard they are preci- 

 pitating the lime iind in consequence obtaining very bene- 

 ficial results. 



I cau only give you from time to time the mat- 

 ters that pass before me in this country, and I do 

 hope that some of your scientific readers will give 

 the public the benefit of their experience of the 

 Babool tree, and if it is easily cultivated when it 

 fruits, &o. 



I do so miss the Tropical Agriculturist, my copy 

 having gone astray. — I am, sir, yours obediently, 



THOMAS CHRISTY. 



TEA IN FIJI. 



Alpha Estate, Taviuni, Fiji. 

 Dear Sir, — I should esteem it a favour if you would 

 be kind euougli to insert Mr. Moody's letter and the re- 

 port in your valuable journal. I have the pleasure to 

 draw your atteutiou to a aumbev oi the Federal Aitstral- 

 i(i)i, particularly No. SS, of November last, in which an 

 article on the capabilities of Fiji appeared, and on which 

 a leader was wi'itteu. If you consider these worthy of 

 notice in yom' columns, I am sure much interest would 

 be felt by many of your readers. — Believe me, faithfully 

 yours, JAMES E. MASON. 



Hon. James E. Mason, Taviuni, Fiji. 



Melbourne, Ifith December 1882. 



Dear Sir, — 1 duly received yours of the 31st October 

 aud also samples of teas which have been carefully ex- 

 amined, aud further I sent them up to the laboratory for 

 analysis. 



The result I duly sent to the Argus, Age and Tele- 

 graph newspapers, and it appears in the two latter papers 

 copies of which I send you, and 1 also enclose clipping 

 from the Age. The Argtts so far has not published it. 



To tin- re]>orfc 1 have little to add. The teas are excel- 

 lently fermented, but the firing should have been brisker, 

 but beware uf burniug or smoking. If you cau turn out 

 tea like the samples, you are sure to sell .such teas freely 

 aud at good paying prices. Any way it prove.'* fiue teas 

 can be grown in Fiji. The analysis is very satisfactory. 



Only Oeylon teas have gone so low in mineral ash a 8 

 yours. The highest extract obtained from auy tea never 

 went beyoud 53 for Ceylon, and the average of 

 Foochow teas rarely exceeds 34 : so yours at 45'21 aud 

 45*80 are very high. The soluble salts, iu comparison with 

 the mineral ash, are veiy high. The percentage of theine 

 173 and 186, is also good. Some China teas lately arrived 

 only went '43 to '90. 



The appearance of both teas with their rich tips is very 

 good, though for keeping I prefer the grey black to the 

 black colour of your teas. 



It is very difficult to value a new article, but my values 

 arc near enough, and would probably be realized for small 

 quantities of like samples to those you forwarded. 



The notices I sent to the press, because it is a new 

 thing in this part of the world, and also it will help it 

 on in selling the tea next year. — Yours very truly, 



J. O. Moody. 



P. S. — 18th. — The Argus puts itiu today's issue. — J. O. M. 



[Extract from, the Melbourne " Arijus," November 



\Sth, 1882). 



Tea From Fiji. 



The Hon. James E. Mason, of the Alpha tea and coffee 

 estate, Taviuni Fiji, has forwarded to Mr. J.o. Moody, tea ex- 

 pert of Melbourne, samples of the first Fijian tea produced, ac- 

 companying it with a letter stating that early next year he 

 hojird to pluck off 30 acres planted with tea, and that the 

 -samplc-i sent were hastily prepared in a barrel with a fryingpan 

 of charcoal. Mr. J. O. Moody's report on the samples is as 

 follows ; — 



"Fiji Pekoe. — Leaf, handsome, small, even, golden-tipped pekoe, 

 evenly and well fermented. Liquor, very strong, full, rich and 

 pungent pekoe flavour, thick with deep red infusion ; an invalu- 

 able tea fur mixing, and worth about 2s 6d per lb. iu bond. 



" Fiji Pekoe Souchong. — Leaf, well-made, wiry, twisted, rich 

 black tippy leaf, eveuly and well feremented. Liquor, strong 

 full, rich, aud ripe, true pekoe souchong ilavoiur, with good 

 bright-red infusion ; a fine tea to driuk alone, and worth about 

 Is 9d per lb. iu bond. These teas have the character of good 

 Ceylou growths, and are in every respect suitable teas for gen- 

 eral consumption. Such aamples are sure to meet with ready 

 sale in Australasia or Great Britain." 



Mr. Frederic Dunn, Analyst, Inlustrial and Techuological Mu- 

 seum Laboratory, under date the 12th November 1882, reports 

 on the same samples : — 



" l^pon analysis they give: — 



Pekoe 



Peke Souchong 



)00 

 )'85 



1-36 

 4-40 



46-80 

 48-28 



a ° » 



2-98 

 3-00 





1-73 

 I'Sfi 



"The percentage of mineral ash aud solulbe salts found in 

 these teas closely resemble the amount obtained from the Cey- 

 lon exhibition teas. Taking into consideration that the above 

 samples are the result of an experimental trial, the results are 

 highly satisfactory, and the analysis speak well for Fijian teas." 



True copy. — James E. Mason, Taviuni. 



TEA DRYING BY STEAM. 



2nd May 1883. 



Deap. Sir, — Referring to a communication in your 

 paper of the 21st ult., under the abovehcading, I may ex- 

 plain that its publication was premature. It contained 

 only a crude idea, and the details given are meant 

 rather to illustrate the principle tban to describe 

 what 1 consider the completed machine. 



Thedra->ings and descriptive letti r were submitted 

 by " Teksab " to an expert of his acijuaintance for an 

 opinion on the same with a requeet to return them, 

 which was overlooked. 



The main feature in the machine is the arrangement 

 for producing any desired temjiorature above 212° by 

 generating steam under a corresponding pressure. That 

 this c.iu be effected with [icrfect iiicetv by a prei'sure 

 valve wt»8 shown in the letter referred 10, and my 

 object in writing now is to puint out that the danger 

 of uxplqaiou will be very much less than you might 



