July 2, 1888.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
3' 
rails laid along it, bo that ships could lie olose 
to the quay, and receive cargo from tho railway 
truoks, in lieu of the present system of ugly jutting 
out wharfs which spoil the appearance of our 
magnificent Kingston harbour, and prevent the 
public walking along the sea face of the town, as 
at present it is all divided off into private yards. 
We have lately had a visit from the Admiral 
and fleet, and, though it was Lent, the Kingstoni- 
ans appear to have done their best to entertain 
the otlicers, and the civilities were mutual. 
To end this somewhat stupid letter and amuse 
your readers, I add a few Jamaica proverbs : — 
1. When you sleep wid dog, you catch him flea. 
2. When man no done grow, him should nebber 
cuss long man. 
3. When hand full him hab plenty company. 
4. Eock-a-tone ribber bottom nebber know sun 
hot. 
6. Ebery dog hab him day, and ebery puss him 
Sunday. W. S. 
P.S. — Sinoe writing the above we have had a few 
good showers, which have already much refreshed 
the oountry. 
+. _ 
INDIAN TEA IN AMERICA. 
We copy the followingarticle from the Indian Plant- 
ers' Gazette. It will be observed that the " evolution'' 
argument of the writer amounts just to this, that 
Indian tea should be at first prepared like Japan 
Oolongs. But, if it finds acceptance only in that 
shape, large quantities must be made on the 
ohanoe of a market in America, which, if re- 
jected there, will not sell elsewhere ? Must not 
the Americans gradually, like the English, reoog- 
nise the superiority of Indian and Ceylon teas, 
without such teas being highly fired ? 
THE AMERICAN SCHEME. 
By the " Peripatetic Planteb." 
The American scheme is still the chief topic of 
interest. Some people are a trifle disinolined to put 
their names down for a definite sum of money. Others 
urgue that they would prefer to see some well drawn 
up plan of action and know who is to be the selected 
representative sent over to Amerioa, before they make 
up their minds. Whilst, on the otlier hand, others prefer 
that these points should be open to discussion ; that they 
may have a voice in the matter, and so feel reasonably 
sure that the enterprise is not the bantling of a clique 
having axes to griud. These, however, are the usual 
differences of opinion which were to be expected as 
part of the not to be avoided worry of a start. Only a 
few leading firms have so far been appealed to, to lead of 
the list well, with good round sums against their names, 
and already over £3,000 are down against less than half- 
a-dozen names. One firm alone is down for £1,000, 
others are down for £600 and £500 and so forth, and 
several of the largest companies have the matter still 
under discussion, sucli as the Assam Company, the Doom 
Dooma Company, tho Darjeeling Company and the 
.Torehaut Company, &c.,&c, &o. Much of course will 
depend upon support from your side before the £30,000 
is guarautood. From advices received from Calcutta it 
appears that tho idea of consignments of tea is there 
preferred to cash subscriptions — thanks presumably to 
the state of exchange. T ie son -ignment of tea I fear 
will bo found quite impracticable in this connection, 
for reasons] have already given relating to the ex- 
(•optional circumstances connected with tho American 
market which aim >st pre el • the possibility of Indian 
teas, us nun' manufactured, finding immediate favour in 
America, although, by a proee-s of evolutionary educa- 
tion, //w' end must, of course, he tho solo object of our 
educational process, This attempt to prematurely 
compel Americans to overcome all their taato prejudi- 
ces at onco is surely tantamount to expecting a miracle 
to be workod in favour of Indian tea. II is any race 
ever shown anv encouraging symptom of tho possibility 
of Huoh a sudden revolution in a nation's taste Y Mow 
was it in England here, where we had all the adventi. 
tious aid of shareholders in Indian properties and 
friends innumerable of planters, &c, in India, to lend 
their friendly aid in advertising Indian tea? Nowith- 
standing all this in favour of the growth of popularity 
in England, which Indian tea lacks in America for 
how many years was it that Indian tea only reached tbe 
British public as a bolster under the guise of Chiua 
tea? Not that for one moment do I recommend that 
any of our blends for America should contain China or 
Japan tea, far from that. But the lesson is there, and 
is worth attention. If in England it took many years 
so to change the taste from China tea to Indian tea 
and that, too, by the extreme method of intro- 
ducing it under the guise of the then popular China 
tea, how long would it take to change the Ameri- 
can taste from the still more markedly different 
Japan tea, to Indian tea as now manufactured, 
and that without recourse, too, to the extreme 
method which favoured Indian tea's acceptance in 
England ? Has history no lessons for us ? If it has 
then there is none so certain, as, that by evolution 
alone can you assault national prejudices, particularly 
in the matter of taste, with any chance of success. 
Grant that as an axiom, and then the necessity for 
specially preparing the teas intended for the ex- 
politation of America will be evident. Grant such 
special preparation to be a necessary feature, and 
then what becomes of the suggestion to supply 
ordinary Indian teas as contributions to the venture ? 
This is distinctly a case in which the interests of 
the new enterprise — whilst working in the end, and 
as its raison d'gtre to benefit the Indian Tea In- 
dustry—must keep its own interests intact, and the 
shareholders in it must be prepared to work it as a 
business undertaking on true business principles un- 
prejudiced by side issues. Its soope must be free to 
allow it to work to the best possible advantage in 
the interests of its own shareholders — and in doing 
so will lie its power, for good or for evil, over the 
future of the Indian tea interest generally. Other- 
wise, it requires no pointing out, that if the new 
onterprise is to be hampered and driven off the 
track by untimely attachment to outside conditions 
in India, the addition of this extra and unneces- 
sary complication will be fatal to the success in 
view. There are surely sufficiently difficult problem,, 
to solve and complications enough in America withou 
quite unnecessarily adding others in India to the rest 
So much for the trouble apparently awaiting the en 
terprise on your side. The chief trouble here still i 1 
to desire to rush the venture without taking the fulle st 
precautions to ensure success. Many seem to think R0 
lightly of national prejudices and so much of the s r 
Indian tea, that they chafe at any suggested preliminary 
exploration of the ground upon which the battle is to 
be fought, and they would risk the shipwreck that await 3 
their hopes rather than wait one year more whilst in - 
formation should be collected, plans settled, and tea 
specially prepared. And yet, a good number of Anglo- 
Indians at one time and another, have taken their 
ordinary Indian tea to America to their cost. Hero 
again, I ask, has history no lessons for us ? But I need 
not repeat again the arguments I have already used 
upon this point. Suffice it, that if actual owners travel- 
ling in charge of their oinn property could find no pro- 
fitable opening for that property, is it likely that non- 
ownors wid exhibit a keener sense >- -lose for scent, in 
the hunt for a market ? Verb. sap. sut. 
♦ 
INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION. 
Among other matters dealt with in the general 
report of the Indian Tea Association for the year 
ended 29th February, 183S. the lirst of importance 
was the communication of Mr. William Aitchisou 
of Cachar, made to the Co ; i d through Me Bars, 
Harry and Co., anent the li.ia inflicted on him 
by tho Deputy Commissioner for his refusal to 
submit returns of free labourers. Tho ca-ie was 
referred to the solicitors of the association, and 
their opinion, t'nt th decision of the Deputy 
Commissioner was ri'ht as tho law ands at 
prosout and thut th.,, could not ndyieu Mx. Aitcb 
