July i, 1889.] 
THF tROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
33 
then of what use is fine plucking ? because I am 
sure that both the proprietors of New Brunswick 
and St. John Del Key will forgive my saying 
that they have not been in the " first flight " 
of the London averages, but Hoolankanda has 
been facile princeps. If on the other hand 
the plucking on Hoolankanda is the same and 
the estate has been fairly and squarely beaten, 
then surely there is " life in the old dog " yet, 
and the hopes of all connected With the prosperity 
of Ceylon will revive. Of course it is hardly likely, 
or possible, that the three gentlemen who have 
had the confidence of their brother planters can 
have made a mistake. — Your obedient servant, 
INQUIRER. 
MANURING TEA :— 
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS. 
Bogavvantalawa, 28th May 1889. . 
Dear Sir,— Your correspondent "P. D." was good 
enough to give in your issue of 24th some very 
interesting results of manuring tea, in my opinion 
the most practical which have yet appeared. 
Perhaps he would kindly supplement the informa- 
tion there given by saying how much cattle manure 
must be put to each bush ; how much muck 
and how much castorcake when applied together, 
also how much double kainit when applied by 
itself. Has he ever tried applying the manure in 
holes between the trees instead of forking it in ? 
People who have tried both ways say the holes 
are more successful than the forking, the roots not 
being so much damaged. Has he tried thatching 
with mana- grass after forking with or without 
manure ? — Yours faithfully, T. 
WITHERING TEA LEAF. 
28th May 1889. 
Dear Sir, — With every returning wet season 
numerous complaints appear in the Observer about 
the great difficulty of withering tea leaf. The brick 
flue would be a very simple and inexpensive 
system to overcome the difficulty. The flue— 
which would be heated from a furnace outside 
one end of the withering-room— could be built 
round by the foot of the walls or along the 
passages, or both, the whole length of the building, 
and turned backwards and forwards after as might 
be considered necessary to heat and dry the house: 
7 inches square would be sufficient opening in- 
side the flue, little fire would be required, 
the bricks once heated would keep hot a long 
time. If the flue system were something new, 
and someone had got a patent for it and charging 
a big price, it would likely have been largely 
in use before now; but because it is very old — 
probably the oldest system known for heating build- 
ings from an outside fire— no one seems to have 
thought of it. 
I see no reason why one— if he adopts the flue sys- 
tem — could not wither his leaf in wet weather in as 
short a time as in dry and at trifling cost. M. 
CEYLON TEAS IN MINCING LANE AND THE 
PROFITS MADE AT HOME : 
THE NEED FOR LARGE BREAKS. 
Central Province, 30th May. 
Dear Sir, — The mail of 10th inst. confirms that 
of 3rd, and points to quite another reason than 
bad quality, for the fall in tea prices— viz., the 
physical impossibility to overtake the immense 
number of small breaks. 
For this planters are certainly to blame, and 
the oracles have often emitted no uncertain 
sound or mystical hum on this point. The remedy 
is get larger bins, 
8 
Fancy, while the " poor but honest planter" has 
been getting less than cost of production, in many 
cases, London buyers have been scoring a return 
of 2d and 3d a lb. profit, by mostly buying, and 
immediately quitting 1 
It was this drop in London prices during the first 
week of May that caused the collapse of the market 
here, and let loose the lees in the stream of oracular 
abuse. And yet we find the drop due to bad judg- 
ment in breaks, and not to intrinsic deficiency of 
strength and flavour. 
I think there is much source of consolation to us 
who bear the burden and heat of sun and factory, 
in the last four mails' London reports. Let us 
strive at once to remedy the very evident ruling 
defect. May the stocks of zinc sheeting be ample, 
and the holders thereof be men of conscience ! — 
Yours faithfully, ECHO. 
CEYLON AND THE MANUFACTURE OF 
OOLONGS. 
Sir, — I am sorry to see that you expressed an opinion 
the other day, with regard to Mr. Shand's shipment 
of Oolongs to America, that you thought it would have 
been better to have tried to open the Amerioan market 
with our ordinary make of black teas. In my opinion, 
our only chance, at first start-off, of getting the 
Yankees to drink our teas is to give them something 
like what they get from China and are accustomed to 
drink. You have only to refer to the enclosed Hong- 
kong Chamber of Commerce Circular to see that the 
shipment of Congous was only some million lt> last 
season, whereas over 20 million lb of Oolongs were 
shipped; of China greens 14| million; and from Japan 
over 22§ million (nearly all greens.) Greens and Oo- 
longs very closely resemble one another in cup 
character. 
It is no use trying to forces taste for an article which 
people do not know anything about, or to which they 
have not been accustomed. Ceylon planters, in the 
present unsatisfactory state of the London market, 
caunot afford to wait while a taste for our black teas is 
being cultivated. What they and we all want to see is 
the stuff btiug consumed, not goiug into stock to deteri- 
orate. I have no doubt that a taste for our black teas 
will come in time, but it will take years before any 
quantity of black tea is cotsumed iu the States. The 
introduction must be done gradually. 
Having shipped large quantities of both green teas 
and Oolongs to New York from China, I think you will 
admit I ought to kuow what suits the American taste. 
Oeylon is capable of producing far finer green teas and 
Oolongs than China, and will do so when manufacture 
is thoroughly understood. F. F. STREET. 
Colombo, May 21st. 
P. S.— l reported on some exceedingly fine liquoring 
green teas the other day from a hill-country estate. 
The make and gradiu g were the only things that ealled 
for change. — " Local Times." 
Antilles Chemical Manure Works. — Some few 
months back we had occasion to notice the above 
works, which were established in Barbados just 
ten years ago, and it is with pleasure that we now 
note the recent extension of this enterprise, Mr. 
H. E. Thorne, the proprietor, is determined the 
affair shall be a success ; and, so far, everything 
has certainly answered his expectations. A whaling 
establishment has just been added to the works, and 
a good supply of raw material for the manufacture 
of the manures is now locally obtained in this way. 
Chemical manure works are by no means common 
in that particular quarter of the globe, but with its 
sulphuric acid works, the Antilles establishment is the 
most complete in the West Indies, and is increasing 
in importance every year. As a local industry, 
giving employment to a large number of hands in 
that densely populated community, it is deserving 
of continued prosperity and encouragement. — Colo- 
nies d: India. 
