August t, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



107 



The Dutch Colonial Exhibition was put npin a separ- 

 ate building, adjoining the main building, and it was 

 a really grand display. I have taken a great deal 

 of trouble to look over their Java tea9, which were 

 likewise fully represented. What particulBrly struck 

 me in Java teas, is their fine make, they are so evenly 

 and carefully rolled. And not only the finer pekoes, 

 hut even the cheapest souchongs are c'osely and evenly 

 twisted, and all have a brisk, lively black color. 

 There is nothing of that dull greyish tint and brown 

 color so common in Indian tea, found in the Java 

 teas. The quality of Javas has been hitherto much in- 

 terior to our tea, their liquor is good, but 

 nearly all have a peculiar mouldy or muddy taste, 

 however, they are improving, and Inst year's import- 

 tions have been considerably better in this respect and 

 fetched better prices than usual. I have a simple 

 now of common Pekoe Souchong, which was sold at 

 45cs equal to SJd. or 4f annas per pound, English, 

 by no means a bad tea. If I may venture an opinion, 

 I think a good deal more attention might be bestowed 

 by planters on the rolling of their tea, the Pekoes 

 are of course mostly well made, although some are 

 not, but the Pekoe Souchongs leave often a great deal 

 to be desired, those large coarse rather open leaves 

 of which many of the teas selling at from lid to 13d a 

 pound in London consist, are not liked, however good 

 the liquor may he. They are not suitable either for 

 being sold by themselves, nor are they good for mixing 

 with any other kind of tea unless broken up, which 

 I believe is generally done by English dealers, but at 

 the expense of appearance. And there is a good 

 deal in appearance, mor eparticnlarlyso on the Continent, 

 considering that so much is done now by suitable 

 machinery, I imagine if proper attention is given, the 

 appearance of all kinds of Indian tea might be much 

 improved. I find all other producing countries pay 

 much attention to this point, which ought not to be 

 overlooked by our planters, competition is growing and 

 we muBt not lose ground. 



In the foregoing remarks I have freely expressed 

 my impressions, struck by what I have learnt and seen, 

 and I trust these notes may be of some interest to 

 your readers. — Indigo and Tea Planters' Gazette. 



THE INTRODUCTION OF PERUVIAN BARK 

 INTO MEDICINE. 



In the Atlantic Monthly for March there is an in- 

 teresting paper on the discovery of Peruvian hark, 

 and the opposition encountered in the early attempts 

 to introduce it into medicine. The profession was 

 not then so ready to accept new remedies as now-a 

 days. In the case of the Countess of Chinchon (who 

 has given the drug its botanical name), the court 

 doctors, the surgeon-general of the army, and the chief 

 surgeons of the Spanish ships-of-war at Callao, all 

 appear to have opposed the administration of the 

 Indian powder, then but little known ; and their un- 

 willingness to experiment upon their aristocratic patient 

 may be amply justified. Bui the conduct of the physi- 

 cians of Charles II. nearly a century-and-a-hal I later, 

 and of those of Frederick the Great over two centuries 

 later, is rot so easily excused. The bark was in- 

 troduced into notice in England by an apothecary 

 named Tudor ; but the physicians would have nothing 

 to do with it. Evelyn records in his diary that they 

 " would not give it to the king at a time, when, in 

 a dangerous ague, it was the only thing that would 

 cure him (out of envy, because it had been brought 



into vogue by Mr. Tudor, an apothecary) 



Being asked why they would not prescribe it, Dr. 

 Lower said it would spoil their practice, orsomesuoh 

 expression." In the case of Frederick the Creat, we 

 are told that he bitterly reviled his physicians " that 



they would not give him the drug of which he had 

 heard, nor cure him of the fever, having nothing better 

 thau Pyrmont water to offer for his relief."— Popular 

 Science News. 



TEA AT THE HEALTH EXHIBITION. 

 Tea, and especially Indian tea, is having a good in- 

 nings just now at South Kensington. From the time 

 the visitor goes into the building and enters the 

 Central Transept until he leaves, after making the 

 tour of the ten or twelve acres of ground, it is his 

 own fault if he fails to be refreshed with occasional 

 cups of the fragrant beverage. It is to be had at 

 as low a cost as one penny a cup, either at the 

 National Training School of Cookery, at Lockhart's 

 refreshment rooms, or at Etzeuberger's tea and coffee 

 statl ; but we cannot say we were impressed by any. 

 thing but the size of the big breakfast cups in which 

 the "tea" is served at the two latter places. At the 

 school of cookery a small cup of fairly good China 

 congou is vended which is drinkable, At Hand's 

 afternoon tea-stall, where tea ia offered for sale at 5s. 

 a pound, a very decent cup of drinkable tea is obtain- 

 able for twopence — a mixture of Indian and China — 

 or a glass of hot tea, with a slice of lemon in it, for 

 threepence. There is a stall at the end of the Science 

 and Art Department where Layton's tea and a biscuit 

 is to be had for threepence, and a very neatly ar- 

 ranged pavilion in the grounds where Ceylon tea and 

 coffee are sold at the same moderate price. 



Indian tea in its dry state is to be seen every- 

 where. At Carter's seed stall there are about a dozen 

 glass receptacles in which Indian tea is shewn. At 

 Philip's, Sabine's, Hand's, Bowden's, Barry's and 

 the Ceylon Tea Company's stalls are found numer- 

 ous samples of the teas of India. While the Indian 

 Tea Districts' Association has a fairly large collection 

 of samples of teas grown in the various districts of 

 India, some of whic h have been previously shewn at 

 Amsterdam and Calcutta. • In connection with the 

 teas are interesting photographs of the various pro- 

 cesses of manufacture, tea gardens and machinery, 

 a full-sized Sirocco drying machine in a finished con- 

 dition is erected in immediate proximity to the 

 India Court — which is ao attractive exhibit and does 

 credit to Messrs. Davidsou & Co. A good working 

 model of Jackson's standard cross action roller is 

 also shewn as well as a diagram of Ansell's sifting 

 machine, with numerous photographs of the various 

 engines and machines manufactured by Messrs. Mar- 

 shall, Sons <Sr Co. 



A large uucoloured map of India 6ft. square on 

 which the tea districts are coloured green is a very 

 prominent feature in the Indian Court with a framed 

 table of statistics given below. 



233,000 60,000,000 



The diagram, prepared by Messrs. Gow and Wils. in, 

 illustrating the growth of the Indian tea trade during 

 the last twenty years — showing that in 1883 the 

 monthly consumption of Indian was nearly tive mil- 

 lion pounds, as compared with about 9J millions of 

 China— has been enlarged and framed. 



The annexed pamphlet U being distributed : — 



■ Ini'U : the Home ok the Tea Plant. 

 It is now about 50 years since the indigenous tea 

 tree w. s discovered growing wild in tin: forests of 



