%& THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July I, 18J7. 
Permit us to quote Messrs. Howards & Sons' 
reply, under date of 24th April 1885, to an enquiry 
from us as to the exact significance of the two labels 
in question : — 
" Replying to your enquiry anent labelling of this 
article, the black and white label and red seal is the 
usual form for the home trade and the colonies, and 
the black and gold label and capsule is used, almost 
exclusively for the Indian market. The quality of 
the quinine is in both cases identical" 
We trust that we are incapable of trying to 
palm off on our customers and the public, an 
inferior for a superior quality of any article. 
We leave you to reckon with your correspondent 
for his abuse of your columns by misrepresenting 
the leading quinologists of the world ; by insult- 
ing by false and fulsome mention, the name of a 
respected merchant; and by his attempt to injure 
our humbleselves, who, we believe, are the only 
chemists in Ceylon who advertise "Howard's 
Quinine" at R2-50 per oz. — Yours obediently, 
COLOMBO APOTHECAEIES CO., 
Fkank E. Ballard, Manager. 
[From what we know of him, our correspondent 
is incapable of the conduct ascribed to him ; he 
has simply been misinformed and made a blunder 
for which we have no doubt he will readily 
apologise. We are very pleased to give insertion 
to the information in respect of Howard's quinine 
packages. — Ed.] 
No. II. 
Colombo, 24th May 1887. 
Sie, — Your correspondent " Cheap and Pure 
Quinine " has evidently been misinformed. Allow 
me, as one who can speak with authority, to say 
that Messrs. Howards & Sons manufacture only 
one quality of quinine, viz. " Sulphate of Quinine 
pure." 
That in bottles bearing a " black and gold " 
label, is identical with that in bottles bearing a 
" white and black " label, and Messrs. Howards & 
Sons' price is the same for both. 
The " black and gold " label and metallic capsule 
is simply their style of putting up for India and 
the East. — I am, sir, yours &c, 
CHAELES W. WHITE, 
Representing Messrs. Burgoyne, Burbidges, Cyriax 
& Fames, and Messrs. Burroughs, Wellcome 
& Co., of London. 
CHEAP QUININE :— PUEITY ! THY NAME IS 
HOWARD. 
Dear Sir, — The very convincing letters published 
by you last evening prove that, like Csesar's wife. 
Howard's quinine is above suspicion, no matter if 
bearing labels with white and black, or black 
and gold lettering, the quality is uniformly the 
same and pure. I therefore beg freely and un- 
hesitatingly to apologise to all sellers of the black 
label in general, and to Messrs. Howard's in par- 
ticular, for having made your columns the 
channel for circulating " an error " which certainly 
up till now was very prevalent, that the difference 
in label meant a decided difference in quality, All 
these doubts are now, however, set at rest, so 
I hope more good than harm has been done by 
my letter. Colombo chemists selling the white 
label ask for it today not R2-50 but R3, and 
R3-50 per ounce I So buyers will now know where 
is their cheapest market. That a special letter 
had to be written to Messrs. Howard on this 
very question and by one of the sellers of the 
black label, (their reply ought to be advertized 
occasionally) proves that some explanation was 
given by them, considered necessary. Now that 
we have all got that explanation, Messrs. Howard 
may decide upon adopting one uniform label. 
In conclusion, I am still of opinion that but 
for the action of a certain estate firm, previously 
referred to by me, we should not today be enjoying 
the benefits of CHEAP AND PURE QUININE. 
P. S. — The information, upon which unfortun- 
ately I trusted too implicitly and upon which my 
statements were based in all good faith, was of the 
very highest in my opinion, hence my writing so 
unreservedly C. and P. Q. 
[We think it a pity that Messrs. Howard & 
Sons should adopt the plan of having a different 
label for quinine for India from that for the rest 
of the world : it is sure to excite suspicion and 
lead to misconception.— Ed.] 
KINMOND AND RICHARDSON'S TEA ROLLERS. 
Sir, — I have noticed several references lately to 
these rollers and having recently been engaged in 
erecting one of them on a well-known estate in the 
island, I am able to add my testimony to their 
efficiency. There are many who assert that Jack- 
son's machines cannot be beaten as regards the 
quality of the work they turn out, but I believe all 
are agreed that his machines have one very serious 
draw-back, viz., the need for considerable driving- 
power, and when we consider what 2 or 3 H.-P., 
extra means in a factory where water is not 
available as a motor, it is easy to see what a 
serious drawback this really is. Now in the Kinmond 
roller, although the capacity of the machine equals 
if not exceeds, that of the " Excelsior," yet the 
action is so much simpler, that the driving power 
required for the former is reduced by 30 to 40 per 
cent, and motors which are useless for the one do 
all the necessary work for the other. Here at 
once is a very palpable advantage which cannot 
be overlooked where fuel is one of the burning 
questions of the day. In the Kinmond & Richard- 
son machine the lower table, instead of having 
a lateral sliding motion as opposed to the upper, 
is simply a turn-table, operated by an adjustable 
ratchet, which moves at each stroke, in a circular 
direction opposite to that of the upper or " hopper" 
casing, in which the tea leaf is contained. The 
makers appear to have provided for considerably 
less weight on the upper rolling surface than the 
tea leaf actually requires for its proper manipul- 
ation, but fortunately the form of the ma- 
chine is such that extra weights may be added 
without materially affecting the working or adding 
dangerously to the friction of the moving parts, and 
this is a great desideratum. I believe we shall hear 
more of these rollers, for their workmanship is per- 
fect and the price for a machine taking a charge 
of 300 lb. of withered leaf at a fill, cheap when com- 
pared with some others, 
CORRESPONDENT. 
[This is from a gentleman in no way connected 
with the roller's makers, agents or advertisers. It is 
for the latter to keep the price and other favour- 
able particulars well before the public in advertise- 
ments after recent repeated compliments. — Ed.] 
THE LITTLE CHINA LIME. ' 
Colombo, 25th May 1887. 
Dear Sir,— I send you herewith a small branch from 
a fruit tree with a few fruits commonly known here 
as "Mekancbi." It is said that jam or marmalade 
prep ' red from the fruit is very nutritious and that the 
effect is the same as Oalfs'-foot jelly. Will you be so 
good as to tell me the botanical name of the plant, 
and if the fruits are really nutritious. Children are 
anxious to eat the ripe fruit.— Yours very faithfully, 
B. 
[The fruit is from a shrub popularly called " China 
Lime" here, and is quite safe when ripe to 
suck, though of rather peculiar a taste, the botanical 
name is Triphasia trifoliata, a native of China but natur- 
alized in Ceylon and India, and most tropical countrieg. 
