JONE I, 1886.] 



THE TROPI-CAL AGRICULTURIST. 



■■65 



NEW FIELDS FOB- CEYLON TEA. 

 We have pleasure in calling attention to tlie 

 letter of Mr. A. E. Seovell given below. In bidding 

 good-bye to the Ceylon planting Commissioner, 

 •.ve expres.sed the earnest hope that he would 

 visit America and take some trouble to make 

 known there the good ijualities of Ceylon 

 Tea. Mr. Shand in answer said he was not quite 

 sure if his commission would cover a trip across 

 the Atlantic ; but if not, the sooner this is ar- 

 ranged for by the Planters' Association, in. our 

 opinion, the better. America, that is, the United 

 States and Canada are the two great countries 

 that have to be conquered for tea. They are 

 ■peopled mainly by Anglo-.Saxon and Celtic peoples 

 —by tlie same people in the main who constitute 

 the great tea-drinkers of the United Kingdom. 

 And yet strange to say, no sooner do these same 

 tea-drinkers cross the Atlantic than they fall un- 

 der '• the customs of the country." the old ex- 

 ample established by (iermans and Dutch and 

 take to drinking nothing but coffee. This is no 

 wonder, perhaps, considering that nearly every- j 

 where in the United .States, at railway stations, j 

 hotels, restaurants, *c., you can, as on the Con- I 

 tinent of Europe, always get a good cup of coflee, 

 whereas the tea served— if served at all— is of the 

 pooi-est description. This is of course owing to the 

 quality of the teas imported by America from 

 China and Jax)an, nmch of it faced and adulterated, i 

 Now, if is quite evident that there is a large | 

 population in America quite ready to fall back on I 

 their old habit of tea drinking "if only the good 1 

 tea to which they were accustomed in the mother- ' 

 country is brought within their reach. The Calcutta ' 

 Tea Syndicate through its New York Agents has 

 been doing a little, not much however, to make 

 Indian tea known. Old Ceylon planters— Mr. K. 

 E. I'ineo among others — have also been reported 

 to be selUng Indian and Ceylon teas in the " Em- 

 pire City." Eut we are convinced that nolliing 

 would serve to strengthen and extend the incjpient , 

 business in our teas, so much as a judiciously 

 managed lecturing tour through the States and 

 Canada. Tlie Americans are fond of lectmes, and 

 they make much of a go'od lecturer who talks, 

 and alks well, on a subject of which he is evid- 

 enliy master. Mr. J. L. Shand would be certain 

 to satisfy them in every respect. lie could also 

 carry and distribute samples of our teas, and, if 

 possible, establish agencies for the sale of Ceylpn 

 teas after giving his lectures, in such towns as 

 Wa^^llington, Ualtimore. I'hiladelpliia, I'ittsburg, 

 Ciiieinatti, Chicago. Toronto, Montreal, (Quebec 

 and throughout the New l^.ngland and New York 

 .Stales. The result, we are convinced, would be 

 found in a new demand for Ceylou teas, —a result 

 which could not fail to r.-jiay the constituents of 

 the Planters' Associattion for the expense incurred 

 in this campaign. 



Statistics show that the increase in eoiisuinption 

 I of Indian and Ceylon teas in the United Kingdom 

 I has risen, during the past 20 years from 3 per 

 cent to -10 per cent. Messrs. Gow Wilson it 

 Stanton in their interesting analytical review of the 

 ' position and prospects of Ceylon" tea remark: "We 

 believe that these varieties '(Indians and Ceylons) 

 I only require to be placed before our I'ollow-coiintry- 

 nieu in other quarters of the globe in adecjuate 

 quantities and constant supplies to ensiue the de. 

 velopmeutof the same improved taste which now dis- 

 tinguishes the home market and that every pound of 

 Indian and Ceylon tea which they oonsuine will, pro. 

 vided the present high standard of quality be main- 

 tained, have the effect of ultimately displacing 

 a proportionate quantity of China tea." 



There can, I think, be httle doubt but that the 

 existing channels are capable of expansion and 

 that there are lields available to us where our 

 teas are at present practically unknown. A stray 

 shipment at long intervals from individual estates 

 will not have much effect (in fact tliis has been 

 tried) and unless we combine and are pre])arcd to 

 share losses on first shipments, our tens will con- 

 tinue to go, almost exclusively to London. 



With this in view I think it desirable that the 

 Planters' Association should take the matter up, 

 and if possible organize some co-operative action. 

 We are expending a considerable sum of money 

 in connection with the exhibition of our products 

 at South Kensington this year, the results of which 

 world-wide ad\ertiseniont we hope to reap some 

 benefits from ; but to give full effect to these and 

 to bring our Commissioner's work to a practical 

 and useful conclusion, I would suggest that 

 his attendance at the Exhibition be fol- 

 lowed up by a visit on our behalf (and as 

 our Commissioner or Agent) to America 

 and possibly other countries. Thi-i, however, and 

 kindred suggestions are matters which 1 should like 

 to see fully discussed by those concerned, the de- 

 tails of an organized scheme being determined on 

 by a Sub-Cominlltee consisting of influential men 

 interested in tea and Ceylon's prosperity. 



The endeavour to open up fresh markets, involving 

 as it does a considerable amount of trouble and 

 some loss (loss though for ultimate uniii), is a 

 matter which we are apt to neglect until the necessity 

 for action is forced upon us ; but it is one to which 

 all Interested in Ceylon should give their attention 

 and support, and combine as far as is practicable 

 to send regular and adequate supplies to fresh 

 markets. 



Ill the hope that this matter will be taken up 

 with as lilllo delay as possible and with the earnest- 

 ne.ss which, I submit, it deserves, 1 am, dear sirs, 

 yours faithfully, ARTHUR SCOVELL. 



THE NEED OF OPENING UP FRESH 

 MARKETS FOR CIIVLON Tl'.A. 

 Sdathellie, Nawalapitiya, liith May Issil. 

 Deaii Siji,— The recent fail in prices o( Indian 

 and Ceylou teas, brought about in a great mea- 

 sure, we are told, by the collapse of trade in one 

 portion only of the United Kingdom, suggests the 

 importance of co-operative efforts being made on ' 

 (■■ I part to assist in thi' opening up of fresh fluids 1 

 as outlets for our |ir.i.liiei>. 

 108 



ANCTKNT COCONUT CULTIVATION IN 

 ClOYLON. 



AiiU'n:-;ft much learned lore iuMr. Novill's latest T((- 

 pruhoniiiii. wetind thefoliowing notes on the formation 

 of a coconut estate In the South of Ceylon so long 

 ago as the latter portion of the sixth century of the 

 Cbristia 1 era, or 121)7 years ag j : — 



In tlie lust note we li.;ve seen tint Agriliodhi, 

 nephew of Mabaniga (A. D. .'SO) pknttd a c-ocomit 

 istate three yo :uia» in extent. He n'.so built the Agra- 

 l.odlii i'"i-v 11a which we have identified with (be Agra- 

 bodhi Villi a at Veligama. Now (radition, iiotiicd by 

 Pri'Ihaiii, Teuneiit, «nd others, s^oiibes a niriuiltuble 

 ht;itiu)iif R kinu, carved out of the live rock not far 

 from lliis \ib;ira, to a king who lirst iiilrodneeil c< cj- 

 iml culiiviitidii ill lleyli.ii, miil tnuglit tlie Sinbulese its 



