86o 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST [June i, 1888 
showed, there has been a steady diminution in the 
taxation on consumable articles during the pist half- 
century, and at the same time a vast increase in the 
taxation of the professional and the land-owning- 
classes. More especially within the present decade the 
increase of expenditure has been almost entirely borne 
by the classes who are liable to the income-tax, and 
augmentations of that burdensome impost, professedly 
intended to meet Dme temporary exigency, have 
been allowed to become, in a measure, permanent. 
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, therefore, was en- 
tirely justified, when he had the oppotunity, in re- 
ducing the income-tax, though even now it stands at 
double the rate at which it stood a few years ago. 
He could not have satisfied the demand which was 
pressed upon him by Mr. Picton without surrendering 
one of the few sources of revenue which render it 
possible to maintain our fiscal system in working order 
and at the same time to avoid an iniquitous distri- 
bution of the national charge. The division which was 
taken, in spite of Mr. Gladstoue's advice, showed a 
majority for the Government of 259 against 98. 
♦ 
COTTON CULTIVATION IN CEYLON : 
DISTRIBUTION OF SEED. 
We learn that the Hon. W. W. Mitchell having 
provided a supply of Tinnevelly cotton seed, 
the Government have distributed it to each of the 
Government Agents to be planted and to note the 
results. The Director of Public Instruction has 
also distributed a quantity amongst his agricultural 
instructors. Dr. Trimen is having some seed, also 
Mr. Price, for the gardens under his charge. Mr. 
Mitchell hopes to get some Egyptian seed shortly 
and to try it also. There is some more Tinne- 
velly seed available, and Mr. Mitcbe 1 will be happy 
to let anyone have some, who will really try to 
raise a crop. A native " gin " has been sent over 
from Southern India and can be seen as a pattern 
at the offices of Messrs. Darley, Butler & Co. 
Altogether a good start in cotton growing will be 
made. 
♦ 
UVA BEATING JAVA IN EICH CINCHONA 
BABK. 
Java must look to its laurels, for there is every 
chance of the old cinchona clearings in many 
parts of Uva yielding as rich bark as any got 
from Java. If care is taken in shaving and strip- 
ping, we feel sure that " renewed" bark in Uva 
•will yet raise the Ceylon average very consider- 
ably. The latest lot from the well-known Canna- 
verella field of about 7,000 lb. renewed officinalis 
has analysed in Colombo 5'94 per cent sulphate of 
quinine, a result which ought to wake up our 
Java friends when they are told that a very great 
deal more has to come -from the same quarter. 
In fact, Uva has the great reserve of bark in 
Ceylon now. 
MORE TEA MACHINEBY : 
ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL WITHERING AND DRYING MACHINE. 
We can do no less than call attention to the report 
given in the Tropical Agriculturist on the authority 
of Mr. E. Rice Wiggin of the successful working 
of •' Grcig's XLall (excel-all ! J Machine." We have 
maintained hitherto to Mr. Greig, that, if he has 
a really good thing for the tea-planting community, 
at a cheap price, he and his agents have been 
hiding it:; light under a bushel, so little has been 
heard of it. Here is, perhaps, an answer to our 
protest, and by an advertisement, it will be 
seen, further information can be got on ap- 
plication. We had heard that Mr. Greig was 
putting up a set of his machinery on Kandapolla 
estate. Has this been finished and given satis- 
faction ? Nowhere are planters keener than in 
Ceylon to scent out a good thing, and, therefore, 
if the Bambrakelle machine continues to do the 
good work reported of it, we and Mr. Greig too 
are sure to hear a good deal more about it. 
CHINA FINE TEA TO BE SCARCE. 
All accounts received from Hankow, Fooehow, 
and the Southern China tea markets indicate 
that there will be a marked change during the 
coming season in the trade. The Indian ex- 
port will exceed 100,000,000 of pounds, and from 
Ceylon from 12,000,000 to 15,000,000 pounds will 
be shipped to London. The Indian and Ceylon 
teas are now in high favour. The leaf is strong, 
of fine flavour, and, being properly cured, keeps 
sound for a long time, whereas China tea has, 
during the last ten or twelve years especially, dete- 
riorated steadily; teas of fine flavour and good 
strength are scarce, and the leaf is no longer of good 
keeping quality. The teas of Ceylon and India are 
cured and prepared for export by mac inery. 
There is no manipulation of the leaf by dirty 
and perspiring coolies, a detail that should 
commend itself to people who are reasonably fas- 
tidious. This year fine China teas will be very scarce, 
and it is not likely that much third and fourth crop 
tea will be packed in excessive quantities as hereto- 
fore, as the prices in London are no w so low. It 
appears as if China, which is no longer the pre- 
eminent tea producing country, is in some danger 
of losing the trade altogether. The Indian yield 
will ere long be 150,000,000 pounds, and it is said 
in two more years Ceylon may be able to exp r^ 
50,000,000 pounds.— Chinese Times, April 28th. 
NOTES ON INDIAN TEA. 
Our first tea auction sales will be held on the 10 th 
instant, and not on the 17th iustant as anticipated. 
About 5,000 packages will probably come under ham- 
mer, most of the invoices are from Dooars and Terai 
estates, and the quality will likely be f oun d p referable 
to teas on the first sale last year. — Calcutta Cor. 
Gauhati, April 30th.— From October to 23rd April 
we have only had 3 40 inches of rain. This dro ught 
severely tried the young cultivation, and the first 
flushes were late in coming out. During the last week 
we have had some good rain, 4 78 inches or as much 
as fell in the last six months. This rain has wonder- 
fully improved the gardens which before were looking 
dry and parched. 
South Nowgong, April 29th. — Weather very curi- 
ous. Hot winds worst on record these last five years. 
Tea literally made on bushes. Glass showing from 104 
to 79. Rainfall only 3-94 against 5'15, but as I write 
rain is falling. Spider blight, too, is very bad, but 
thank goodness no sickness amongst coolies or local 
villagers. Drought has been so bad that even villagers 
are going two and three miles to fetch water, their 
own wells having dried. All gardens behind last year 
on this side of district: 
DarjeeliNg, May 8th. — We have bad a very heavy 
fall of rain, which has done much good throughout the 
district. The chofa bursat in fact, and certainly not 
before it was wanted for tea and crops of all kinds. 
There was a good deal of hail mixed up with the 
nor-wester in some parts of the district, and a great 
deal of damage has been done to tea on those places 
where it fell at all heavily. 
South Sylhet, May 8th.— If friend Jupiter Pluvius 
was scanty in his favours last year and the beginning 
