THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April 2, 1888 
Mr. John Holl who had recently visited Canada, said 
that Japan tea was chiefly used in Toronto but China 
black tea in Montreal. He fouud from actually send- 
ing over tea to friends there that Indian tea was 
liked. (A. member interjected "yes, when it costs 
nothing.") 
Mr. Allies explained that his view was to go direct 
to the consumers. He proposed to fix the price of the 
tea at such a figure as to pay for agents and 
advertise freely so as to create a demand. He 
thought that a good market would be found at once 
among the large mass of fresh emigrants from the 
United Kingdom constantly arriving out there. He 
also indicated that while he had suggested the contri- 
bution of tea as a means of more readily inducing the 
planting community to subscribe, he was quite at 
one with the meeting, and with Mr. Williamson as 
to the still greater advantages of having money sub- 
scribed, and lie further believed that the scheme 
would imply persistent effort and some considerable 
cost at the outset, which, however, he had every 
confidence would be amply repaid in the end. 
Mr. A. Thompson deprecated paying heavy fees for 
agents. He advocated a good blend of Indian tea 
being offered in packets. The tea required was a mild, 
sweet-tasting tea, drawing a dark liquor, to sell at 24 
cents. There was little risk of not finding a market. 
£ 1,000 would start such a scheme ; all that was wanted 
was an efficient man. He also read extracts from let- 
ters from correspondents in the States, giving informa- 
tion on the point. 
Mr. A. Bryans (P. R. Buchanan & Co.) put some 
questions as to details of the scheme, and expressed an 
opinion in favour of, in the first place, introducing a 
blend which would have somesimilarity to what was at 
present used. 
Mr. R. Howe said he had sent several consignments 
to the United States and would advise a suitable 
blend of Indian tea being offered retail. 
General Keatinge pointed out the danger of trying 
to commence on too Urge a scale, and the necessity 
of persistently persevering in the attempt for at 
least 1hree years. He agreed with Mr. Bryans as 
to gradually accustoming the Yankees to Indian tea 
by first introducing a blend of China and Indian. 
(The meeting rather disseuted from this, the opinion 
of the majority being that our teas should stand or 
fall on their merits). 
Sir Edmund Drummond referred to his own ex- 
perience in tea drinking. At first he began by drinking 
a hill tea (Kumaon), and disliked Assam teas, but he had 
now come to like them, the change being gradual. It 
would be a mistake to blend the Indian teas with any 
other but a selected Indian tea— a soft, pleasant tea to drink 
■was wanted, and this could be supplied. He considered 
that probably the scheme should be of a terminable 
nature, as all that was wanted was for those interested 
to set the ball in motion, and then leave it. 
Mr. Seton thought the discussion had elicited 
some valuable expressions of opinion. He believed 
however, that many of the views expressed were 
entirely participated in by Mr. Allies himself. He 
considered that although it might appear to some 
members that Mr. Allies had not put forward many 
details of his scheme, he had " up his sleeve " plenty 
of alternative suggestions, having thought the matter 
out in detail. He thought that perhaps the strong 
element in Mr. Allies' scheme was that he left him- 
self open to be guided by circumstances and by experi- 
ence, when the time came, as to the exact line which 
it would be best to follow. 
General Hopkinson then put to the meeting the 
following resolutions, which having been duly pro- 
posed and seconded, were passed unanimously. 
.Resolution I. — " That this meeting of growers and 
members of the Indian Tea Districts' Association cor- 
dially approves of the proposal to take measures for 
opening up the American market to Indian teas.'' 
Resolution II. — "That a committee be formed to 
diKouss details of Mr. Allies' ccheme or otherwise, 
ar d draw up a plan of operations to be submitted to a 
Hubsequont general meeting to be called for the purpose," 
Resolution III. — "That this meeting considers it 
desirable that this A s sociation should ascertain through 
the kindred Association in Calcutta the views entertained 
there regarding the project and the amount of support 
that may be aboslutely depended on from that quarter 
to any well-conceived scheme, with a view to further 
strengthening the movement " 
A sub-committee to consider details having been 
nominated, the meeting closed with a vote of thanks to 
the chair. — if. # 0. Mail, March 2nd. 
COFFEE NOTES FROM BRAZIL. 
"The coffee crop in 1889 [Oeara] should be nil. 
The planters have uselessly called for the December 
rains."- 0 Paiz, Jan. 20th. 
The Pernambuco correspondent of the Jornal do 
Commercio says, under date of the 10th inst., that 
coffee cultivation in that province has been very 
much extended, and the product already meets local 
consumption at exceptional prices. 
We heir of a planter of the province of Rio de 
Janeiro who refused 12§ per arroba for 14,000 arrobas 
of coffee, and would now accept an offer of 8$. Here 
is a loss of nearly 60,000§ to this one man, and we 
suspect similar cases are numerous. 
Late advices from Tiete, Sao Paulo, state that the 
next coffee crop will be one-third less than the first 
estimates, because of injuries suffered from wind 
and rain. This is quite within our expectations. 
Something must injure the crop, and if it is not to 
be drought, then of course it must be rain. [Kinder 
sarkastik.— Ed. T. A.] 
A case has arisen in Santos, growing out of the 
coffee speculations of last year, which will be watched 
with much interest. The firm of Garcia, Irmao & Co. 
have entered a protest with the jitiz de direito com- 
niercial in the matter of five bills owing Berla Ootrim 
& Co. on account of differences in the purchase of 
5,000 bags of coffee for their account in New York. 
The petitioners state that they have reasons for affirm- 
ing that the eoffee was not purchased, and that 
they have paid for the same the sum of 67,050$200 
in cash and bills to meet losses. The five bills, 
amounting to 24, 500S800 will not be paid and an action 
is to be begun for the recovery of the amounts paid 
with interest. It is altogether probable that the courts 
will decide against the validity of any contract for the 
purchase of "futures" in New York, in which case 
no " bull " movement in Brazil hereafter will be 
possible without the deposit of cash. — Rio flews. 
♦ 
THE NEEDS OF JAFFNA. 
In our last number we spoke of sponge-culture, as 
being likely to be successful in Jaffna waters. A torrid 
climate necessitates frequent bathing, and when the 
Hindus get enough respect for decency not to bathe at 
the well, the demand for sponges will be very general. 
If Jaffna waters can supply this demand it will be a 
large source of income, tending directly to the well- 
being of all concerned. But we fear that time is still far 
distant. Fish-culture is more easily developed and is 
more certain of speedy success. A female fish pro- 
duces thousands of eggs at each spawning season. Some 
kinds of fish produce even as many as a million. Aa 
the&e are dropped in the water, a large proportion of 
them, not being impregnated by the milt, never hatch. 
Of those that do batch, much the largest proportion 
are devoured by other fishes. Thus probably not one 
egg in a thousand develops into a fish, and we might 
say not one in ten thousand of many varieties of fish. 
It has been found that when the eggs and milt are 
stripped from the fishes by hand and mingled in a ves- 
sel, nearly all the eggs hatch. Then if the little fish are 
kept in an enclosure and fed until they have attained 
some size, they are able to take care of themselves, and 
most of them will grow to maturity. This process was 
only begun in the year 1831, but is now practised very 
extensively in all civilized countries. Jaffna has many 
square miles of shallow waters kept from stagnating by 
the tides and gentle currents, protected also from mud be- 
cause there are no large rivers to bring it from the land. 
Thousands of millions of the young of the best kinds of 
fishes might in this way be set free in Jaffna waters every 
year. Some might object to supplying the whole 
