March i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 631 
tre of the cinohona estates at about 3,000 feet 
altitude. He visited about ten estates in the 
neighbourhood. Most of the plants are ledgerianas, 
part of which are still very young, Cinchona seems 
to grow very well and gives a good average analysis. 
Bark is all packed on the estate. Another centre 
is North and South Bandong 5,000 feet elevation, 
and here Mr Bohringer saw about 8 estates all 
in good condition. Mr. de Cuyper in Sukavana 
the administrator of one of the finest and most 
successful enterprises in the district told him that 
he had the pleasure of meeting Mr. A. M. Fergu- 
son some years ago. This estate is situated at ihe 
foot of the Tankoebanprau, a celebrated double 
crater. The Government estates about 1,50 J acres 
altogether present a tine sight, many old trees. 
The Government can afford to wait many years 
before cutting their bark. Private planters cannot 
wait so long of course, as they have to get money 
as soon as possible. Herr Von Komunde was 
kind enough to show me everyihing. Plenty of 
fine druggist quills are produced here from trees 
20 years old. Mr. Bohringer believes that the 
Java Government can control the market for 
drugyists' quills for some years to come, the pro- 
duction being vi-rylarge. The Government has opened 
many thousand acres of new coffee land in the 
Prearger district where the leaf disease does not 
seem to do muoh harm now. The population of 
the Preanger district is not large: planters rather 
complain of beiDg short of coolies. The Chinese 
seem to do the chief trade with the natives in 
all sorts of articles which they buy from the 
European merchants in Batavia. Chinese many hold 
appointments in the offices as cashiers, clerks, etc. 
We are promised an early copy of Mr. Bijhringer's 
detailed repsrt, which must first be sent to Germany. 
TEA AND INVESTMENTS IN CEYLOM. 
(From Our Oion Correspondent) 
IMPORTANT MEETING- OP THE COMMITTEE OP 
THECEYLON-LONDON ASSOCIATION — INDIAN AND 
CEYLON TEAS, AND THE ADVERTISING OP CEY- 
LON TEA — THE TEA DUTY — RESOLUTION IN FA- 
VOUR OF REDUCTION — MR. ROBERTS ON THE 
TEA DUTY — CEYLON FROM THE INVESTOR'S 
POINT OF VIEW. 
London, Jan. 31st. 
What was probably the most important meeting 
yet held of the 1'ea Committee of the Ceylon Asso- 
ciation in London was held on the 28th Jany. The 
Committee sat till quite a late hour, and we are 
told the discussions which took place during its 
sitting were of an unusually animated character. 
As the resolutions at which it finally arrived must 
bo ultimately possessed of a very important bearing 
upon many matters connected with your present 
ohief industry, it appears to be desirable that your 
readers should be informed o£ the names of those 
"rentlemen by whom they received adoption. The 
chair was occupied by Mr. J. Whittull, .and there 
were present bes des Messrs. Rutherford, Scott, T. 
Gray, A. G. Stanton, J. Anderson, J. L. Shand, 
R, A. Cameron, J. Alec Roberts, W. J. Thompson, 
junr., T. Dickson, and Alexander Brooke. 
The immediate object for which the meeting was 
summoned was the consideration of certain circulars 
issued by the Indian Tea Districts Association, and 
I fear the subject to be dealt with in this letter 
cannot be made clear to you unless an outline 
of the matter contained in those circulars is first 
given yuU, though to do so must necessarily tread 
upon the limit of my space. The first oircular, 
dated Deo. lGih, 1889, stated that the Special Com- 
mittee of the Association, after conferenco with leading 
brokers, had ooncluded that the oauses of a depressed 
tea market were : — 
1st. The unnecessarily large number of separate 
breaks sent home by the gardens, thereby harassing 
the trade. 
2ndly. The offering of an enormous quantity of 
tea for sale on a single day. 
3rdly. The printing for sale of breaks of tea before 
the teas are actually ready for sale in the Ware- 
house, and consequent frequency of withdrawals 
from sale at the last moment. 
With reference to the last cause, the circular 
went on to state that the brokers had been con- 
sulted, and that they had said that they had en- 
deavoured by conferring together to prevent the 
difficulty, but that the merchants might well do 
more than they did to support their efforts. The 
Association Committee therefore recomended brokers 
to dissuade their principals from 
1st. Printing the tea for sale before all the tea 
of each break are actually in the Warehouse, and 
have been bulked and worked. 
2ndly. Bringing out fresh catalogues of tea lo 
be sold on the last days of the same week in which 
catalogues are issued, when the total amount 
already advertised for sale appears sufficient, or 
more than sufficient, for the requirements of the 
trade. 
The second circular, dated December 18th, 18S9, 
embodied the resolution of the General Committee 
of the Indian Tea Districts Association upon their 
consideration of the foregoing resolution passed by 
the special Committee. This was to the effect 
" that the brokers be requested to meet once a 
week, and endeavour by mutual agreement to 
regulate the offering as far as possible in accord- 
ance with the demand at the time, and the mem- 
bers of the Association hereby pledge themselves 
to support them." 
It was upon an invitation to the Ceylon Asso- 
ciation in London to co-operate with that of India 
in the object of these several resolutions that the 
Tea Committee of that body met as above stated. 
So far as has been mentioned to nw, although 
most of the members of the Committee had some- 
thing to say upon the subject, there was little or 
no divergence of opinion as to the generally 
benefioial effeot to be anticipated from the carrying 
out of those resolutions. The point to which 
argument was most directed — indeed mainly con- 
fined — was as to how far it might be necessary 
or desirable in the interests of Ceylon tea for 
the Committee to recommend present co-operative 
aotion with the Indian Tea Districts Association 
in the directions embodied in the two circulars. 
Upon this matter the following resolution was 
finally passed : — " That the Committee, having 
had under consideration the regulation of sup- 
plies of Ceylon tea to the London market, 
will be clad at all times to co-operate 
with the Indian Tea Districts Association, 
but do not see at present any necessity for 
making special arrangements in regard to Ceylon 
teas." This resolution was held to oover the whole 
ground opened out by those above given, and it 
furnished but a negative reply to the invitation 
made, though reserving of course the option of 
taking action whenever it might appear desirable 
to do so. What passed at the meeting is not 
sufficiently known to me to enable me to tell you 
why such a resolution was arrived at. As my own 
opinion only, it would seem to be probable that 
there was a feeling that the interests of Ceylon 
as represented at the Mincing Lane sales might 
be antagonistic to those of the Indian tea grower-, 
and then too broad a commitment to joint action 
might possibly injure your island in its com- 
petition with the latter. 
