February i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
To the Editor. 
CULTURE AND PREPARATION OF TEA: 
MR. J- HOLLOWAY'S OPINIONS. 
Wattegama, December 29th. 
Dear Sir, — In reply to your memo to me, "What say 
you on tea culture and preparation sent some time 
back ?" I did not think anything would be left for 
me to write about, seeing so many replies ; but after 
waiting for a long time I find that your second question, 
the one of greatest importance to Ceylon tea planters, 
has not reeived that attentioa as yet which it ought. 
It is in my opinion of the greatest importance to 
tea planters now and hereafter. 
1. The strength (body) of the tea must be obtained 
in the field, which can be got by careful cultivation, 
pruning and plucking. 
2. The flavour of the tea partially depends on the 
quality of soil in which the plant lives, the surround- 
ing atmosphere, and the balance on treatment in the 
factory. 
Remarks.— The planter must, in the first place, learn 
to judge a full strength leaf by its oolour and taste 
while on the bush; next find out ingredients (if any) 
deficient in the soil where the leaf has not got the 
proper colour or taste. By ciose attention to your 
best tea and soil, you will soon be able to know your 
full body tea as soon as you see it and be more cer- 
tain by tastiug as well. There is not the slightest 
doubt we have many estates in Oeylon where very 
little attention need be given to manuring for some time 
yet, as their soil ajid climate are all that is required; 
on the other hand there are estates which without 
assistance give a small outturn of leaf and even that 
leaf makes a poor tea, whereas if proper treatment 
was given, a much larger outturn of leaf could be 
obtained, and from that leaf could be made a first 
class tea. That tea can be improved in strength and 
outturn by cultivation I have proved to my satisfac- 
tion: even on poor soil, you can obtain a good outturn and 
good prices for your tea, often better than from 
estates which have good soil &o. Sometimes your 
soil appears poor and plants do not thrive, yet on 
examination very little help may be required, but that 
little must be given or your soil lies dormant, plants 
will not thrive and your tea is without strength or 
flavour. Cattle manure, jungle soil or vegetable com- 
post : one of thtse three should always form the body 
of the manure ; add to this such other manures, patent 
or otherwise, as you may require for the different 
soils you have to assist. Give it in time and do not 
wait too long when double or treble the quantity of 
manure will not have as good effect as the small quan- 
tity would have done if given earlier. A liberal ex- 
penditure carefully laid out by the superintendent paya 
better where soil is poor, than a starving system, with 
poor returns, estate deteriorating. Thisl have proved 
in coffee, cinchona cacao and tea. — Yours trulv, 
J. HOLLOWAY. 
CINCHONA BARK EXPORTS FROM CEYLON 
AND THE MARKET PROSPECTS. 
Dear Sir,— By the last mail I heard from my 
old friend Captain Hody Cox whose name is well 
known to you as the author of many interesting 
and valuable communications to your paper on 
the subject of Cinchona Cultivation and its pros- 
pects as an investment. He, like many others at 
home, is under the impression that we in Ceylon 
are flooding the home market with cinchona bark 
simply from choice and without regard to our 
own interest. Captain Cox tells me that the 
" Java planters are caroful in regulating their 
shipments, it is the Ceylon planters who are ruin- 
ng the London market by flooding it with supplies," 
Our friends at home evidently know but little 
regarding the real state of things as to the future 
supply of oinchona bark from Ceylon. Canker they 
oannot understand or believe, and it is of no avail 
telling them the old story that next year will see 
a great falling-off. We who know all the districts 
where cinchona once flourished are aware that a 
large proportion of the bark now shipped is taken 
from trees dying from oanker, and that a large 
number of planters have no cinchona trees left; 
it is also known that there are probably not half- 
a-dozen planters in Ceylon who are planting out 
oinchona, the reason being that it will not thrive, 
and especially such is the case, where 
oinchona has once died out from cank.-r. 
All these facts tend to show that the 
supply of cinchona bark from Ceylon must inevit- 
ably decrease very rapidly especially after the 
current season. My object in writing to you now 
is not for the purpose of expressing my views but 
to send you an extract from a letter Irom Mr. 
D. Howard of Howard & Sons to Captain Cox, on 
the subject of the future of the cinchona market. I 
think that most Ceylon planters will agree with 
me that "the key to the situation is (not) the 
temper of the Ceylon planters," but our supplies are 
sent forward from necessities over which we have no 
control ; we should only be too glad to hold our 
bark and participate in a better future were it 
possible.— Yours faithfully, EDWD. HAMLIN. 
Extract from a letter from Mr. D. Howard of Howard 
& Sons :— 
It is most diffioult to arrive at even an approxi. 
mate estimate of the stock of quinine at present 
existing ; about 2 years ago a very large sum of money 
was invested in quinine by speculators and the price 
rose from Is 3d to 2s for German brands. We have 
never been able to find out what has become of this. 
Immediately after this operation the German houses 
adopted a system of selling for forward delivery at 
lower prices than the actual prices of bark would 
justify, trusting to a fall in bark. The very fact of 
their doing so appeared to frighten the holders and 
bark was so forced on the market that their opera- 
tion succeeded and they have continued same game 
to the present time. 
The key to the situation is the temper of the 
Ceylon planters ; they have still bark enough to 
ruin any market if they force it on us, either tempted 
by a small rise or in despair at the low prices, either 
of which cause will make them sell. If they would 
hold back prices ivould at once rise ; but if the planters 
go on as they have done the last 2 years no good 
will be done till they have absolutely cleared their 
plantations. 
If my remarks can be of any use in Ceylon, by 
all means send a copy. Owing to the large stock of 
ready made quinine on hand, the market is in the 
hands of speculators and merchants decline to touch 
the article—Dec. 9th, 1889. 
DAVIDSON'S DOWN-DRAFT AND 
T SIROCCOS. 
Colombo, Jan. 10th. 
Dear Sir, — Adverting to the Home and Colonial 
Mail notice of Messrs. Davidson & Co.'s Siroccos, 
received by this mail, and which we presume you 
will publish ; we enclose copy of letter from Mr. 
J. C. Dunbar, St. Clair estate, giving the results 
of adding 3 air flues to his 20 tray Sirooco. We 
shall be obliged if you will publish the letter. — Ycura 
faithfully, 
MACKWOOD & Co., Agents for Davidson & Co. 
[The extract from the H. and C. Mail is as fol 
lows and we append Mr. Dunbar's letter : — 
Davidson's Down-Dkaft and T Siroccos. 
Messrs, Davidson & Co., of tho Sirooco Works, Bel- 
