September i, 1887.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
171 
fallen in price, but planters in Ceylon must remem- 
ber that though Ceylon tea has fallen, Indian and 
China teas have fallen far mora and any tea dealer 
or tea broker in Loudon knows that the price now 
obtained for the lower grades of Ceylon tea in 
London is disproportionate to their value in com- 
parison to Indian teas and is attributative to the taste 
which ,has been created by advertizing. Now as long 
as tea is not only shown in an exhibition but can be 
tasted, there cannot be a better advertizing medium 
provided the sale is honestly carried out. 
In Liverpool, as at South Kensington, we use in cup 
the tea we retail at 2s 6d per lb., and though our sales 
have been so far small, the general demand is for a 
" packet of the same tea we have been drinking " so 
much so that we sell far more of that than of all other 
kinds put together. 
I tried hard to got into the Manchester exhibition 
this year, but there is no use letting people look at 
tea ; they must taste it aud I could not make satis- 
factory arrangements for selliug in cup or packet. 
Through no fault of the exhibition itself because it 
is an interesting show in a splendid building, the 
Liverpool exhibition has so far failed to attract the 
number of visitors expected. Newcastle and Saltaire, 
but specially Manchester, are drawing people from it, 
and it is now plain that Loudon is the only place 
that can run consecutive exhibitions. 
We are selling three cups of Ceylon tea for every 
cup of Indian tea that is sold ill the exhibition, aud 
many people who had never heard of Ceylon tea 
before are loud in its praises. I received safely all the 
goods sent by the P. A. and its members all in order 
exoept a box of arecanuts and indiarubber which 
had got wet aud the contents of which had to be 
thrown away, and I now send you a slight sketch of 
what the Court contains. 
It is approached from the main avenue under two 
arches, to the main support of which is attached Mr. 
Ferguson's Summary of Ceylon Statistics prepared last 
year and under each archway are hung large models 
of canoes and catamarans. 
The P. A. satinwood cases are the chief objects whioh 
attract attention on entering the Court, and they are 
filled with tea, cardamoms, cocoa, and spices as per an- 
nexed list. 
The walls are covered with Miss Gordon Oumming's 
pictures, a large picture of Kandy, photographs of Mr. 
Skeen, a collection of masks, horns, mats, kc, and the 
sides of the Court are taken up chiefly with specimens 
of natural history, leopards, stuffed birds, snake skins, 
heads and horns, tusks, elephants' pads, flying-foxes, 
squirrels, &c, and with models of boats of many sorts, 
carts, elephant kraals, pearl diving, ploughing, oil mills, 
toddy drawing, arrack distilling, kc, kc. 
A case in the centre of the Court shows mats, bas- 
kets, brass and pottery work aud many other objects of 
interest exhibited by Sir Charles Layard. One case 
contains silk, cotton and fibres of many kinds and an- 
other resins, dyes and medicinos, and a third coconuts 
aud their produce, cinnamon, cigars, tobacco kc, and 
other cases show precious stones in the rough and set, 
aud plumbago is also well shown; another case shows 
mats, baskets, porcupine quill work, ivory, tortoise- 
shell kc, aud we have b small literary corner show- 
ing Sinhalese bibles and books sent by C. M. So- 
ciety and several publications sent hy Messrs. Fer- 
gusou. It would not be becoming in me to say much 
about tho arrangement of the Court* but this I can 
say that there is no agricultural or commercial en- 
terprise of any moment in Ceylon which is not re- 
presented, aud which any who desire to obtain inform- 
ation upon have not tho means of doing so. 
I have omitted to mention the collection of cabinet 
woods which are much noticed. Liverpool is the 
great centre of the mahogany and other cabinet 
woods trade, and 1 am constantly asked questions 
which I caunot answer : such as what I could put 
satinwood down at per ton in Liverpool. 
Fibre, oils, tree cotton etc., etc., have all mot 
with more practical attention here than they did 
tit South Keuxingtou, and there is a general fuel- 
ing that freight being the samo from Colombo to 
Liverpool, as to Loudon, and wharf and warehousing 
charges being lower, shippers should consign direct to 
Liverpool. There is also a desire to regain the tea 
market, for Liverpool was not long ago the great 
centre of the tea trade and as it is a great centre of 
population charges are less, and railway trans- 
port from Loudon to Liverpool 37s per ton would be 
saved. A good deal of the North England aud Irish 
trade might be douein Liverpool. 
A great drawback we had at first at Liverpool was 
having hardly anyone interested in Ceylon to support 
us and back us up and the rivalry of local dealers 
who supply Indian tea. 
At South Kensington last year those who were con- 
nected with Ceylon often went far towards filling 
our tea room, but in Liverpool hardly anybody ever 
heard of Ceylon before, aud we have no zealous con- 
tingent to rally round us. We have now got over this, 
aud in great measure owing to our native servants, our 
tea room has become a very popular resort. I now send 
list which is I think very nearly correct of what I 
have received through the instrumentality of the P. A., 
aud I take the opportunity of thanking those gentlemen 
who kindly sent me exhibits and enabled me to bring 
forward a collection, which, though the attendance at 
the exhibition has been to some extent disappointing, has 
already done much to draw atteution to the industries 
of Oeylou and especially to its main industry— tea. 
Samples of tea from Broadoak, Walaha, Uva, Scrubs, 
Castlereagh, Ohapelton, Lethenty, Theberton, Pere- 
deuiya, Arslena, Balgownie, Baruagalla, Kohinoor, 
Tillyrie.Torwood, Waltrim, Maytield, Elbedde, St. John 
Del Rey, Lindula, Ouvakelle, Ferndale, Loolecondura, 
Blackstone, Strathellie, Mahacoodagalla, Amuuamulla. 
Great Valley, Darrawelle, Kandepolle, Great Western, 
St. Andrews, Pausalatenne, Diagama, Kanangama, 
Glenugie, Rookwood, Hatale, Dalhousie, Kintyre, Blair 
Athol, Glenalpine, New Peradeuiya, Scarborough, Dean- 
stone, Newton, Dewalakanda, Vellaioya, Frotoft, 
Dunedin. 
These fill our show cases and in additiou wt have a 
special exhibit from Kintyre, Attabage, Riverside and 
Hattanwella and fancy teas from Kanangama, Semba- 
watte and Mariawatte and the unclaimed fancy teas 
from New Brunswick and Galbodde which I had at hand 
from S. Kensington, are also shown. 
Coffee.— The Ceylon Land and Produce Company 
helped me out of a difficulty, for I had but little to show 
until I received their exhibits of Liberiau and Arabian 
in husk and cleaned from Alloowihari, New Peradeuiya 
and North Matale and what is a very interesting exhibit 
bottles of Liberian and Arabian cherries. 
Cinchona.— We have some of the fine Glenlyon speci- 
mens of last year shown by Messrs. Patry & Pasteur 
and good and varied collections from Alloowihari, Eick- 
arton, Blair Athol and Newton. 
Cardamoms are well 6hown. Messrs. Blackwood 
& Co. size them commercially, and Castlereagh, St. 
Martins, Alloowihari, North Matale, Ferndale, Katool- 
oya, Barnagalla Dryburgh and Kobonella exhibit some 
splendid specimens. 
In Cocoa, North Matale, and Allowihari have come 
forward with several exhibits and I had some good 
specimens left over from last year and 
PEprER.— Very flue specimens are shown byArduthie, 
Alloowihari and North Matale. These estates also 
send cinnamon sticks and coconuts, tobacco and 
cigars, castor oil and seed, croton seed and pod, 
tree cotton clean aud in pod, auatto busked aud 
clean, some vanilla orchids which arrived alive but 
sutferiug and I have handed to the botanic gat 
for treatment, and a dried tea tree whkh is an 
object of great interest. Messrs. Mackwood .V Co. 
also send fine samples of oils and plumbago. I think 
this completes the list of exhibits received through 
you. I feel sure the gentlemen who have hem 
enough to send exhibits of tea across tho water will 
find a manifold return, and I trust the Association 
will look to next yoar's exhibition m Glasgow as an 
advertizing medium which may staud m g""<l -'«;•• 
when the great struggle of over-production of t. i f 
is already looming has to bo entered up;u,.-l-a.thful.y 
voure, • tSigood) J. L. sinvn 
