Nov. 



1885.3 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



349 



TiiK Tka Meucu.^ts in Harima. Tajima. Settsu. 

 Tambu. ami Awaji have cnieicd into an aKicc- 

 Uient that they shall not sell ailnUeiated tea, or 

 lea tontaminnlcil by any substance injurious to 

 health, sun-ilrieil leaves, or. in faet, anything 

 that is eaUulnted to injure the business of honest 

 merchants.— //(>«(//.()",'/ Ihtilij Pn'xx. 



C.u-y. Tr.x is heard of as remilarly as the sea serpent. 

 A oentlemau of Middleburt;h. Cuiie Colony, writes 

 to a contemporary :— " It nuist he pretty well kiiovyn 

 that there is a wild tea growing m the western dis- 

 tricts. The preparation it undergoes is of a very prim- 

 itive description. The leaves are gathered from the 

 shrub and placed in an oven until dry and crisp, and 

 afterwards packed in leather sacks, and sold upcountry 

 for about six-pence per pound. Staying at a friend s 

 house. I tasted this tea one eveiung, and considered 

 it very "ood. The next morning our host gave us tea 

 for hrealifast, and enquired how we liked it. We con- 

 sidered it the same as we had the previous evening, 

 until we were assured that it was China tea— so little 

 could we distinguish any difference between the two 

 sorts. It appears that the colonial tea must be boiled 

 before it can be used, which would take some time; 

 therefore, if you are in a hurry you must use the China 

 tea, as vou have only to pour boiling water on the lea\ es 

 tt hen it" is ready for 'use. if this wild tea will grow here, 

 is China tea not worth a trial ? I am of course referring 

 to the coast lands. The. China tea is successfully 

 growu in other couutrics as well as China. Even the 

 wild tta which we have may be turned to better accouut 

 if properly preiared ; but, even as it is, 1 am tuld 

 it is i|uite"a common beverage in the western distriels. 

 Both from patiiolism anil economy it should be ia 

 general use. This Cape tea should become the common 

 leverage of the people, aud should be sold in hotels 

 and public houses in the place of beir aud spirit.s ; 

 it is far more refresbiug than either. In Australia, 

 farmers ami travellers drink very little coffee ; tea is 

 their favourite drink from morning to night. No 

 doubt it is very healthy bevei-age,aud preferable tocofTee. 

 Some farmers have told me that, after great tatigiie, 

 they have found the Cape tea a wonderful restorative, 

 aud that a taste issoon acduired for it. With some 

 the taste is disagreeable until accustomed to it. Per- 

 haps some one who has Blue-books at home could 

 tell us lu'W much a year we should save, as a nation, by 

 BUbstituling colonial tea for coffee and China tea." We 

 are not iiuite dependent upon (.hiua for our tea supp'y. 

 Mr. Alahasti'r, British Consul at Hankow, points out 

 anew danger to British commercial interest. Hitlurto 

 a large proportion of the tea supplied to the Kussian 

 markets has reaclifd its destination in English ships 

 1(17 London, but the direct trade via Odessa has 

 enormously increased during the past four years. In 18,s0 

 only 1,845.-153 lb. went direct to Odessa, bu' Listyiar 

 no. Ic.'s than 11,681, UU lb. shipped to that jiort in 

 Bu6.'ian aud German vessels. The export to HusMa 

 I- <' Tientsin aud the Aunu showed a slight falling 

 off, though sli'l largely in advance of past year?. Al- 

 together 24,000,000 lb. went direct to Russia 

 37,000,000 Ih. to London, showing ag.iingt a 

 "teadily progressive increase in the former. \s every- 

 thing \:niaU to Ku.'Bia beinn eventualiy tbc chief 

 market for China teas, it means, says Sir, .Vlabaster. 

 out being omted in grnit nieaetire, if not entirely 

 fi'oni the trade. Of last week's sales of Indian tea, the 

 fJiocei' says :— " The returns relating to the movements 

 bt Indian tea at the Port of I,ondon duriug the mouth 

 hi Augu.'t Mill for sp.cid riin:irk, they having been 

 Hardly so favonrable as in ISSl, but no increase of 

 stock lias taken plact!, aud, as compared with that of 

 >a»t year, there is .still a defieiemy of l.flll.H.'O lb. 

 fji'pplies I'V auction have bee" much more considerable 

 tlisn of la'tc, amounting to 17,050 packages, against 

 about n,LliO jlickagi" last week, but containing u large 

 and varied assortment, tbeV met a good general demand 

 from the trade, who arc free buyers of strong liquoring 

 teas of all makcH. and for tin sc fully previous rates have 

 been obtaiiu'd. The portion consisting of poor and 

 thin qualities, however tngiged only a partial degree 

 of attention, and was in some c;i8<;s realized at slightly 

 t«sier prices,"— /T. 4' ^'- •Vai'. 



1'l.AXTINi; IN TUE C.VnOLIXE ISL.\NDS. — The 



Governor of the Caroline islands has been- 

 authorised to obtain seeds of tobacco, hemp, coffee,, 

 cocoa, c. .•.Lii, dycwood, indigo, and of every kind 

 of kitchen g..rden plants for sowing them in those 

 'ands. to secure their advancement. The Clov- 

 Oinor, the head missionary, several private indi- 

 viduals, a detachment of soldiers, and a force of 

 convicts were to leave ('avite fin- the islands in 

 the transport " San Qnentin" on the 1th .\ngust. 

 The largest collection of clothing for the benefit of 

 the (Caroline islanders was made in La Erinita, a 

 ward in Manila, amounting as it did to niiward 

 of 2.000 suits of wearing apparel chietty for women. 



SNAKii lliTKs AMI Ciuks.— Coiiceniing the ques- 

 tion lately raised in these columns of cures for 

 snake-bite. Messrs. Lazarus aud Co., of the 

 Medical Hall, Lenaies. write to us :— " We have 

 been asked to report our cases of snake-bites. If 

 you think it will be of beiieht to the public, 

 please insert the 'following. From 1st August to 

 (ith September we liave had 15 eases brought to 

 us. Seven males, eight females. One niale, aged 

 00, was brouglrt in as good as dead, and (jnite 

 unable to swallow, and died after a few minutes. 

 Another man. not included in the li> cases, was 

 quite dead and cold when seen by us ; he had 

 been brought in from a distani-e of some 10 miles. 

 The remaining 11 cases were successfully treated." 

 — I'iiiiu'i'r. 



Tavov, BniTisH BciiMA. IHtli Sept. — Products tliri\ - 

 ing here far beyond my expectations. Some already 

 covering the ground. I have been most successful and 

 the ciiief Commissioner. Mr. Bernard, has given 

 me another 100 acres free for '20 years of all taxes. 

 Coolies' pay ilown to six annas, about 'M cents. 

 I was offered 500 at that rate yesterday, and willing 

 to hind themselves for two years. P. W. 1>. now 

 only pays six annas per day tor their labour, iuid 

 any amount of coolies offering; they like this district. 

 I am to write yon a long letter and give you full 

 details for some time back of my experience here. 

 1 am to plant up some S acres witli hemp, and 

 some 7 acres with maize anrl tobacco, on other 

 ground outside my grant that I have got for ex-,- 

 peiimental purposes. You are all terribly daft on 

 tea ! and Ceylon men deser\e success, which is 

 sure to he attained ou favourable situations with 

 good varieties of seed, and your most modern 

 machinery. Heavy rains this season : 172 inches 

 already, but 1 am in excellent health and so also my 

 men ; a few got knocked over with fever in the 

 : hist of the rain. 



CiNCitoNA.— Messrs. Oakes & Co. write to us: — 

 Amxexed we beg to hand you results of our sales of 

 Government Cinchona Bark held on the 7th uUiiuo. 

 and this day, shewing quality of bark, analysis of 

 each by the "Government Quinoloj,'ist, aud the priooa 

 realized, from which you will sue tlui.t the ratea 

 obtained toda,y arc much more fa\oural)lo tliau thosu 

 ruling last month. This may he justly altrlbutablu 

 to the fall in exchange, but the market at home fot 

 Crown bark is decidodly firmer. Wc think the ad- 

 vance exhibits a better market generally for bal;k :— ^ 

 Halo of 7tli September. ^ : 



! I'crcentage No. of I'rlcii 



of Sulphate bales, p. halo.- 

 of Quinine. " 



Uodaijclta Natural Crown Bark ..I'lS 

 Do do do ..IIS 



Nttduvatam Root do . . 1 Hi 



Sale of today. 



Uodabctta Kenewed Crown Bark". .I'Ot; 



JJo do do . .4'Oli 



Do Mossed do ..4'70 



Naduvatam do do . . 1'05 



I Do Koot do ..IW 



• —tl'jJrai ?Iai!, Oct, otb. 



