March t, 1S90,] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
641 
To the Editor. 
VINE LEAVES. 
Dear Sir, — Can your botanical referee say what 
ia the matter with some vine leaves (sent under 
separate cover) and what doctoring is required ? 
The leaves belong to the black Hamburg variety, 
and although the plants grow well, the foliage on 
arriving at maturity dies off like those sent. 
VITIS VINIFEBA. 
[Our referee reports: — "I oannot say what dis- 
ease the leaves are suffering from, and am unable 
to suggest a remedy. They arrived in too dry a 
state for sucoessful examination." Our correspon- 
dent should send some to Peradeniya which is 
nearer him than Colombo, and probably Dr. Trimen 
could aid him. — Ed. T. A.~\ 
" MATAGALLA" BBAND TEAS. 
London, Jan. 3rd. 
Dear Sir, — Our correspondent in Colombo has for- 
warded us a cutting out of your valuable paper (28th 
November 1889 date) in which there are some remarks 
regarding our Matagalla Ceylon Tea. It appears that 
some person living in or near Cheddar had received 
one of the Joz. samples we supply gratis to our customers 
with first orders, to distribute to the best families in 
the district in which his shop is situated. This sample 
he forwards to you for inspection. Now from the date 
of this order in our books, the particular customer must 
have received the sample over 7 months ago, conse- 
quently it had been at least 6 months in the little paper 
sample bag. No wonder therefore it tasted "papery 
and smelt flat, &c." As you have been at some trouble 
to get nn opinion upon our Matagalla Ceylon Tea, which 
could not in the nature of things do us justice ; may 
we ask you in common fairness to submit the two 
samples we have today forwarded you by Parcels Post 
to the same test and examination ? These have been 
taken promiscuously out of our present blends and are 
average samples of our quality. We venture to hope 
you will do us the justice to give them into the same 
hands as those who tasted the little \ oz. sample pre- 
viously. As an old Mincing Lane tea taster of 28 years' 
standing I early saw the value and merit of Ceylon tea, 
and by " all appliances and means to boot," have 
sought to popularize the teas from the islaud. Indeed 
our firm was one of the earliest, to put Ceylon teas 
before the trade until at this moment they are sold in 
almost every town and village in England. — Apologizing 
for this trespass on your time, and thanking you in 
anticipation, yours trulv, 
S. T. FRANCIS (AlfredSmith&Co.). 
P. 8. — "We have sent you also the stationery hand- 
bills, show-bills &c, so that you may see the style of 
the getting-up. 
[The tea samples which have now reached us are 
indeed very different to those referred to in Novem- 
ber. Those before us and which we have tried 
do credit to the name of Ceylon and afford good 
value for the money. We are also pleased to 
learn that Messrs. Alfred Smith & Co. have done so 
much to promote the sale of Ceylon teas and we 
have included their Firm in the list published in 
our Overland Obseivcr. The analyst's report at- 
tached to the packages sent us is as follows : — 
To the " Matagalla Tea Co."— This is to certify 
that I have executed a careful Microscopical and 
Chemical Examination of the "Matagalla Ceylon Tea." 
It is a natural and pure Tea, containing one-third 
its weight of Extractive matters, very rich in the 
NUTRITIVE, NITROGENOUS PRINCIPLE CHARACTERISTIC 
or all good teas. The Volatile constituents in the 
Tea give to its infusion A uemahkahle delicate taste 
and A beautiful arojia It is a first class Tea. 
(Signed) Ed. V. Gardner, f. a, s., m. b. a., Professor 
of Chemistry, London. 
We are only beginning to realize in Ceylon the im- 
mense importance of the Tea "Package" Trade in Bri- 
tain and it is with reference to the dealers who blend 
and sell pure Ceylon teas, that the great advantage of 
a reduction of the tfa duty say by 3J, is seen. 
This would enable really good Ceylon teas to be 
sold in Is 6d packages with profit to all concerned. 
— Mr. Francis we understand, fixed on " Mata- 
galla" as his brand with no other idea than to 
have a distinctive name for his Ceylon package 
teas.— Ed. T A.] 
AN ENEMY OF TEA. 
Kandy, January 31st. 
Dear Sir, — By post I am sending you in a tin 
box "poochies" that are becoming rather trouble- 
some on my tea bushes. They are curious little 
"beaslies," and pierce the tea leaves, as you may 
note, rather badly ! Can you kindly give me in- 
formation regarding these creatures, and say 
whether they are likely to increase to a large extent? 
As, if there is any likelihood of this, steps should be 
taken at once to have them eradicated, — Yours faith- 
fully, SHELTON AGAB. 
[Our entomological referee reports : — " The insects 
are the larva? of some psyohid moth, but I do 
not know the species, and under ordinary circum- 
stances this family is not very injurious. But only 
two days ago I received specimens of a much larger 
species from Matale, with a note saying that they 
had almost entirely defoliated about 100 trees in a 
patch, and that the insects were swarming there. 
It is one of those cases that show how an insect, 
harmless under ordinary circumstance, may from 
some unknown cause suddenly increase to an in- 
jurious extent."— Ed. T. A.] 
WESTERN AUSTRALIA : A SANATORIUM 
FOB CEYLON AND INDIA. 
The S. S. "Orient," Feb. 1st, 1890. 
Sir, — Will you please allow me space in your 
columns to call attention to the advantages which 
Western Australia now offers to Europeans in 
Ceylon as a Sanitarium and place for the education 
of their children. The first consideration is that 
of suitability of climate. All the south-western part, 
from Perth to Albany (as the town at King George's 
Sound is called), is far out of the tropics and yet 
not so far as to offer an injuriously extreme change. 
At Perth in 1888 the lowest and highest shade 
readings of the themometer were 34 and 105 re- 
spectively. Albany being 250 miles south the readings 
would be lower, I want to submit to your readers 
whether this is not a sufficient change to be 
recuperative and yet not extreme enough to leave 
disastrous results. It should be remembered that 
ours is a dry heat, and in that respect a further con- 
trast to the climate of Ceylon. The next matter 
of importance is proximity. The magnificent steam- 
ships of the Orient Line and of the P. & O. Company 
bring Albany within 10 days of Colombo. The ocean 
to be traversed offers less dangers to the traveller than 
that between Ceylon and England. There is not 
even the Australian Bight to be crossed. Some 
time can be pleasantly spent in the picturesque 
and prosperous town of Albany. The ever-changing 
scene on the jetty ; the come and go of those 
" floating palaces, " the mail steamers, twice a 
week ; excursions on and around the bay ; drives 
to the uncleared bush and to the virgin forest ; 
all offer charms to the languid European-Ceylo- 
nese. The circle of pleasure and invigoration at 
Albauy being exhausted, the tourist can take a 
ticket for £2-15-3 and travel to Perth, 340 miles 
distant, by the newly constructed Beverley-Albany 
line, which is a continuation of the Government 
Railway. New soenes are opened to view, new vistas 
