142 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. |August i, 1888. 
^ 
To the Editor. 
"PEPPERCOEN" AND THE VALUATION 
OP TEAS. 
Colombo, 9th Aug. 1888. 
Dear Sik, — I have had my attention drawn to 
" Peppercorn's " remarks (page 133) upon the 
local tea market. Though your correspondent 
has been careful not to mention the mark 
of the tea to which it refers, so making it difficult 
to reply to his remarks, I have reason to suppose 
the break in question was a break of Bollagalla tea 
which I valued. If I am wrong in my supposition 
no doubt "Peppercorn" will correct me ; but if 
the Bollagalla tea was that referred to, I would 
cbII his attention to a misstatement in his article. 
' Peppercorn" says the break was bulked on the 
estate, whereas the Bollagalla teas were advised 
aa "packed as soon as made, and therefore of 
course not bulked ;" and the tea in the various 
packages varied considerably : this will account for 
the difference in the valuations and the remarks in 
my report. — Yours faithfully, 
HERBERT TARRANT. 
THE ELWOOD MAY SCHEME AND THE 
PROPOSED TEA COMPANY FOR AMERICA. 
Sir, — There is still an undercurrent of feeling 
among planters that the Tea Fund Committee should 
have supported Mr. Elwood May out and out. 
From the correspondence published it is now clear 
to all that the only thing Mr. May oaivs about is 
to be made the accredited agent of the Planters' 
Association in America, and trading under the 
auspices of the Association it was his hope not 
only that he would make a good business for him- 
self, but that he would be the means of greatly 
benefiting Ceylon tea-growers. 
At the first glance Mr. May's proposal seems a 
good one for all. He asks neither money nor tea 
from us, but simply or good name and offices on 
which he can trade. 
The Planters' Association is not a trading cor- 
poration, and does not deal in produce. How can 
it then constitute anyone its accredited agent for 
the sale of an article in which it does not deal ? 
What possible control could such an Association 
have over Mr. May's buying agent in Colombo 
or on the purity of the tea sold by Mr. May in 
America under the auspices of the Planters' As- 
sociation ? What fantastic tricks might not our 
accredited agent whoever he may be, play with 
the name ef the Planters' Association of Ceylon ? 
a name which has been jealously guarded by its 
members since its christening day. 
Some members of the Association, no doubt, think 
the time has now arrived when, in this practical 
age, we should banish the old traditions of 
the body, or at any rate merely look upon them 
as memories of the past, and not as guides 
for the present and the future. That this being 
a commercial age (and planters hard up) We 
should not hesitate to sell our .birthright to our 
American cousin, or for that matter to anyone 
who promises to expend money and energy in 
pushing Ceylon tea. Those who think thus 
cannot fail to see vistas of hitherto unthought of 
lields for the sale of our teas opening out before their 
astonished eyes. Some members may wish to go 
further and sell the patent rights of the Associa- 
tion's name to the highest bidder in every civilized 
country I 
What wealth we would then cram into the de- 
pleted coffers of the Association ? The spoil would 
be so great, that it would necessitate a division 
among its members. 
The members of the Chamber of Commerce 
would gnash their teeth, because they had not 
joined in the swim, and the planters of the 
Association reaping a golden harvest by the dis- 
posal of their patent rights, coining untold wealth 
from the inflated price of their produce 
by the push given to the sale of their teas, would 
outshine in lavish expenditure and extravagance 
their elder brethren of the golden era when coffee 
was king ! 
This is the dream of the enthusiast in such 
matters. Before such unlooked for bliss could be 
attained the present partnership of our Associa- 
tion would have to be dissolved, and a new one 
formed on a basis that would admit of the com- 
mercial element having unlimited scope for carry- 
ing out the full bent of its inclinations. 
It is perfectly clear we cannot push Ceylon tea 
commercially by me.ins of our Association. We 
can, and do, assist materially in making Ceylon 
tea known by the aid of exhibitions, and this is 
about the only legitimate means the Association 
can employ for advertizing our teas. 
Now I think no one will dispute that the motive 
power in pushing Ceylcn tea must come from within 
and not from outside the island. The motive 
power in all commercial transactions is self-interest, 
and who can be more interested in finding new 
fields for the sale of their teas than the producers 
themselves ? There are many men among us who 
are desirous of having Ceylon tea pushed here, 
there, and everywhere, but their desire is nullified 
by their anxiety that nobody should make any- 
thing out of them in the transaction. It is clear 
that if nobody is to make a profit in selling 
Ceylon tea, then Ceylon tea will not be sold. Now, 
sir, I believe that the proposed Ceylon company 
for the sale of our teas in America is the best 
means presented to us of systematically and effec- 
tively introducing our teas into that country. If 
such a Company, as is proposed, be started 
with tea growers forming its vertebra, super- 
intendents, assistants, merchants, and others 
interested in the Ceylon tea enterprize forming a 
large integral part of the company, and with Messrs. 
Pineo and McCombie Murray as American mana- 
gers, paid by results, we will then have the machi- 
nery being worked by the motive power of self- 
interest. Therein will lie our strength, for you 
may as well expect to get work out of a locomo- 
tive without fire as to get Ceylon tea sold or 
pushed in America ivithout this incentive. Self- 
interest is what was the strong point and good 
feature in Mr. May's proposal, and had the Associ- 
ation been in a position to grant Mr. May's request, 
the business, no doubt, would have been carried 
on vigorously and successfully by him. 
I hope this Company will be formed, as I believe, 
if properly constituted and worked, it will prove 
to be the surest means of introducing our teas 
in quantity and purity to the people of America. 
America and its tea dealers will never conia to 
us and say " Give us of your teas" until we have 
educated them to their taste. This education will 
not be one of spontaneity on their part, it will 
not be an easy one for us to undertake, and must 
necessarily be of gradual development. 
As a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump, and 
the grain of mustard seed grows into a tree, so 
in time will the Ceylon Tea Company of America 
prove the means of having weaned a nation from 
drinking a spurious and worthless decoction, and 
lad them into the enjoyment of imbibing a bever- 
