4 8 
THE TR0P16AL AGRICULTURIST. 
[July i, 1889. 
so for many years past. In reading over the state- 
ments of the prospectus, it would seem that the 
directors show rather too much modesty, and under 
estimate, rather than over-estimate, the present posi- 
tion of the estimates. For example, they look for a 
net profit of £35,784 upon the crop of 1888, now in 
course of shipment; hut they take no account of the 
fact we have dwelt upon, that, partly owing to the 
superior quality of the 1888 crop, the Amsterdam 
tabacco market has had a very sharp advance over 
the figures quoted in the prospectus. This £35,784 
ought thus to turn out not less than £50,000, which 
is a pretty good start. Again, they hardly lay suffi- 
cient stress upon the point that for the 1889 crop 
nearly a third more ground is heing prepared, and 
it would not have been cut of place to frame some 
estimate of what this increased acreage would return. 
It is always well, however, to be on the safe side, 
aud the very modest way in which the case is put 
inspires confideuce that all the estimates will be ex- 
ceeded. The Deli and Langkat Company is very 
different from, and offers a much safer and probably 
more lucrative investment than, some of the Borneo 
companies, which may have to buy their experience, 
and buy it dearly. — L, § G. Express, May 10th. 
• ♦ 
" Oolongs " and " Congou " Teas. — We call 
attention to the cheery letter of " Sabaragamuwa " 
with its practical advice to his brother planters 
about turning out a proportion of Oolongs and 
even of Congou tea. As regards a "proportion" 
we give our hearty support to the proposal and 
would only suggest to "Sabaragamuwa" now to 
give a few plain instructions for the benefit of 
his brethren in respect of Oolongs' preparation. 
Coffee Adulteration. — It would have been 
observed from the discussion in Parliament we 
reproduced yesterday, that Mr. Labouchere — of all 
men — is interesting himself in this question. The 
hon'ble gentleman was referred by Mr. Goschen 
to the President of the Board of Trade, Sir Michael 
Beach. If the Editor of Truth were to commence 
a crusado in his columns against " coffee adultera- 
tion," there would be some hope of reform, for 
difficulties have never been raised on the Conserva- 
tive but on the Liberal side, as regards the in- 
troduction of anti-adulteration regulations for coffee 
and other food products. 
Big or Medium Breaks of Tea : More 
Mysteries of the Trade. — We did think that if 
there was one thing more than another clearly 
settled, it was that the bigger the breaks of tea 
sent forward from Ceylon to Mincing Lane, the 
better for the planters — that big breaks were certain 
to be fully competed for, while the smaller ones 
were liable to be neglected. But we have lately 
had two cases mentioned in our presence, in one 
of which the accepted idea certainly receives a 
rude shock. A recent mail brought a complaint 
from a London proprietor of two shipments of his 
tea made rather closely together, not having been 
dealt with on this side as one, so securing a really 
good big "break" and probably a better price. In 
the other instance, an estate Manager lately received 
instructions in quite an opposite direction : his 
last shipment formed too large a break and in 
future the London agents would prefer to have a 
similar quantity divided into two breaks, as likely 
to secure competition from a larger number of 
buyers. Now which is right of these London pro- 
prietors or agents of estates? Perhaps there is a 
limit beyond which it is not safe to go as shut- 
ting out competition. What indeed may be said 
to bo the limits both minimum and maximum, 
and what would be considered in Mincing Lane as 
the model break of Ceylon tea, socuring the greatest 
amount of competition, aro questions it might be 
useful to have answered at this time. 
Tea in Glasgow.— It would appear that Mr. T. 
J. Lipton, the well-known provision merchant, 
intends making a new departure, as on Thursday 
33 heavily laden lorries with boxes of tea were 
driven through the chief thoroughfares of Glasgow. 
The tea was labelled " for Lipton, from the tea 
gardens." — Home paper. 
A very chota profit was made last year by the 
Chota Nagpore Tea Co. It plucked 52,396 lb. of 
tea, and sold it at a price that averaged an advance 
of 5J annas on the price realised in 1887, and it 
reduced working expenditure, yet, " it has only 
just been possible to make the income cover the 
outlay, and the surplus on the season was only 
E12.0 3."— Madras Mail, May 20th. 
New and Old Products. — Though Mr. 
Holloway does not give a very cheering account of 
his experience in cotton, it is satisfacto ,- y to see 
that he has by no means lost faith in new as well 
as old products. As for the cotton sample he 
sends, it seems to consist a good deal of kapok 
(the tree cotton only useful for stuffing), but can 
this appearance be due to the damage sustained? 
The rest appears to be from the "kapu," otherwise 
called Kidney or Peruvian tree, and is of good 
quality and colour, valued at 20 cents per lb. and 
upwards. 
Tea in France. — An extract given elsewhere 
goes to show that the Consumption of Tea in 
France, though still a very small factor compara- 
tively, has of late years, been steadily increasing. 
Messrs. Gow, Wilson & Stanton only snowed about 
500,000 lb. of tea as exported from Great Britain 
to France, the total consumption per head being 
given at 0 03 lb., or about 1,140,000 lb. ; and to this 
approximate very closely the figures given by the 
authority under notice, the kilogram being taken 
at 2 l-5th not at 2 lb. as the II. <£• C. Mail 
has it. Let us hope as one result of the Paris 
Exhibition and other efforts now making, that 
France may henceforward go on doubling her 
consumption every year ! 
The Budget and Coffee and Tea. — Says an 
editorial writer in the very cleTerly conducted new 
journal, the Scots Observer, in reviewing Mr. Go- 
schen's Budget: — 
There is always a certain charm about the most pro- 
saic Budget. It throws a searching light upon the ten- 
dency of social habits. Mr. Goschen does not forget the 
human interest of his figures. He complains bitterly of 
the stationary quality of coffee. It may be suggested 
with all humility, as one reason of this, that but 
few people know how to make coffee, or indeed, 
will take any trouble to have it fresh and good. 
No wonder the reputation of coffee suffers, when it is 
identified with the sickening black mixtures which are 
served up in this land ' of sixty religions and only one 
sauce.' So also with tea: the revenue from tea is slug- 
gish. It is our duty to hope it may remain so, while tea 
is a decoction of tannic acid which is as bad for society 
as ' blue ruin ' or Zola's novels. It may also be sug- 
gested that a few prosecutions for the adulteration of 
tea might have a wholesome effect on. the revenue. 
Again, Mr. Goschen seeks to explain the falling-off in 
wines by the use of the harmless necessary cigarette 
immediately after dinner. This is scarcely consistent 
with the disappointing character of the duty on tobacco, 
although the Chaucellor professes to have discovered 
the introduction of a weed which takes much longer to 
smoke, and therefore produces less to the revenue, 
There is no doubt an extraordinary decline in the drink- 
ing power of the United Kingdom. If it is necessary 
in the interests of the revenue to remove all obstacles 
to free drinking, why not have a little simple Bill to 
permit A to prevent B from having a cigarette ? The 
one idea is just as reasonable as the other. 
We must send the editor a little information about 
the properties of Ceylon teas and how by proper 
infusion the tannin may be dispensed with. 
