October i, 1888.] TMf. TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
269 
fund as above. The company has been formed for the 
purpose of acquiriuga grant of land purchased by fount. 
Charles de Celoes d'Elsloo from the llri'ish North 
Borneo Company, containing an area of JG.OUU acie", 
situated in jVIarudu Bay, British North Borneo. The 
tenure is tor 999 years, free of quit rent, subject to an 
export duty of one: cent of a dollar per pound avoirdu- 
pois on the tobacco grown on the laud, to commence to 
lie paid after January 1st, 1N92, which duly the British 
Norili liorneo Company have guaranteed will not be 
iuci eased for twenty years thereafter, the object of the 
company being the cultivation of tobacco for export to 
European, American, and other markets. Count Geloes, 
who baa already achieved considerable success in tobacco 
growing in Borneo, has consented to be the managing 
direct ui in Borneo for the period of five years. We may 
remark that, previous to the issue of the prospectus to 
the public, the whole of the capital was virtually sub- 
scribed. Not only this, but the company was formed 
in an incredibly short space of time. It may also be 
mentioned that the expenses of starting the company 
are on the lowest scale, and that no promotion money 
has been, nor will be, paid ; the concession for the land 
being paid lor in shares to the vendor. It is evident 
that tobacco growing in liorneo is coming into consider- 
able favour. — L. ij C. Egress. 
fiji TEA. 
Several weeks ago the first commercial consignment 
of tea from the colony of Fiji was recoived in Miu- 
cing Laue, and was pronounced by experts to be good, 
tho infusion having a good body and fair aroma. 
We were fortunate in receiving a small sample of 
this importation. To India we may confidently look 
for our future supplies of "the cup that cheers," and, 
if China refuses to receive our Indian opium, it may be 
some consolation to Anglo-Indians to know that we have 
ceased to be enamoured of her tea. To Ceylon also 
we may with confidence look for future supplies. 
Oeylon tea is in some respects better than the Indian 
kind, resembling rather a blend of Indian and China 
teas, and for this reason mainly it has crown enorm- 
ously in popular favour du ing the past lew jears, so 
much so, indeed, that agriculturists in the island 
may expect ere long to get over the disasters which 
their excessive production of cinchona has brought 
upon them. 'That extremely interesting country, Johon, 
•tbJoh recently attached itself' to tho rule of our 
Uueeu, is trying what it can do in the cultivation of 
teu, anil for many yoars Natal has used tea of her own 
growing, while Jamaica is also experimenting with 
some hope of success. For various reasons, the chief 
bung the proximity of Fiji to Australasia, we regard 
tin- cultivation of tea in that itiaud as being almost 
ot equal importance to its cultivation in India. [Ab- 
surd. — Eu.J All the Australian colonies, includ- 
ing New Zealand and Tasmania, consume amongst 
them over :.':!,< Hjn.OUU lb. of ton annually, orabout71b. 
per head ot population, while iu Ore it Britain we 
only consume o lb. per hoad of population ; this, how- 
ever, being more than the whole continent of Europe 
put together. Australasia, it is apparent, is the 
natural outlet for Fiji tea, and whuu iliat is satisfied 
Fiji mny tap tho United States, which is exclusively 
Mipplii'd by China and Japan at present. Fiji is butter 
kitunted to compete with these countries than either 
in Oeylon or India. The industry is still young in the 
colony, having beeu started in 1880; but there are 
MtertJ thousands of acres planted with it, and the plant 
■MOM to thrive well Ld ur is aomewhat dearer than 
it || in Ceylon, but the q uility of the ton is able to stand 
tin-, ond there is a hope that as the colony develops 
Poly neaiaus may goto it of their own nccord, and so 
leseuu ihi expense under this head.' Tim sumples of 
Fiji tin which wore shown at the Cnlouial and Indian 
Exhibition were mostly of excellent quality, and tho 
importation which han hi en roceiv. d iu Louden recent. y 
oerUlnly equals it so far a« the pa ate is oonoernou. 
Chemical analysis has not yet been able to determine 
* Fiji OinttOt possibly compete with ludii or Ceylon 
iu resnoM ol labour supply both for cheapness Mid 
rcl.»bil,ty.-K., V \ 
the market va'un of tea, r.everll eless we believe that 
some fact which ananilysis of tho Simple submitted to 
us has reveah d are not without interest. Tho amouut 
of moisture contained iu it was found to ba 6'4 per cent. 
— a figure which compares well with the 7T0 to 12"6'6 
per cent, found iu the b.st Russian teas, which are 
typical of tho China produce. Recently Mes>rs. PjuI 
and Cownloy examined twenty-eight sample of Ceylon 
tea, and found the moisture to vary from 3-6 to T'oG per 
cent., with 2'4 to 4'66 per cent, of theine. The sam- 
ples of Russian tea referred to contained from 1-36 to 
3 09 per cent, of alkaloid, and our sample of Fiji 
tea yielded us 2"85 per cent of beautiful theine. This 
alkaloid has long been regarded as the only alkaloidal 
constituent of tea, if we may oxcept paraxanthine 
theobromine, but a recent research by Kossel has 
revealed the existence of a second base, to which he 
gives the name " theophylline," and regards it as 
an isomer of theobromine and paraxauthine. The 
crystalline body was found to have the formula 
C 1 H 8 N 4 0 4 , H 2 0, the molecule of water being dispelled 
on exposure to a temperature of 110 u C. The solu- 
bility of the new base iu alcohol and water is similar 
to that of theobromine, and the form of tho crystals 
accords with the form of paraxanthine. Theophyl- 
line melts at 2u-l> 1 C, paraxauthine at 2S'.)-' C., and 
theobromine sublimes at 290° C. without melting. 
Kossel regards the new base as axanthine derivative. 
Messrs. Paul and Cownley have announced since this 
discovery was made known that some months ago 
they obtained distinct evidence of the presence in 
tea of an alkaloid distinct from theine. — Chemist and 
Druggiit, July 28th. 
TEA IN VIENNA AND AUSTRALIA 
GENERALLY. 
With reference to the enquiry of " A Planter " 
following on the letter of "A Well- Wisher," we have 
to say that evidently in Austria, as in many parts 
of France, there is no taste for tea-drinking. The 
public taste has to be educated and that is a slow 
process at the best. In the centre of France even in 
big towns, when enquiring for tea, we were referred 
to the "Pharmacy" stores. Tea was regarded as a 
medicine ! The case is different now in Paris among 
the belter classes especially, and at this moment we 
know no better opening for an energetic business 
man and good linguist than in the establishment 
of tea stores or agencies, or even restaurants, in 
Paris. The same is, doubtless, true of Vienna, for 
here is the corroborative information very kindly 
placed at our disposal by the Agent of the Austro- 
liungarian Lloyd's, on our referring "Planter's" 
letter to him. Mr. Marinitsch writes as follows: — 
Austro-Hungarian Lloyd's Steam Navigation Company, 
Colombo Agency, 21st Sept. 1S33. 
Dear Sir, — Replying to your note just to hand, I am 
unable to quote you the exact reason why tea is so 
highly priced iu Vienna. I know that duty amounts to 
3s stg. (E. money) per kilogramme = 2 l-5th lb Some- 
time last year 1 sent a consignment to my Trieste friends 
and it did not come off successfully. My friends wrote 
me some time ago in reply to my urgent appeals to 
push Ceylon tea, as follows ! — " Regardiug your re- 
marks aneiit tea, we have only to state that the con- 
sumption of tea in the Southern provinces of our 
Kinpirc is very small indeed ; iu Vicuna, Ualicia, 
Bohemia, the better class ot people drilik tea, tint not 
in like quantities as Engl u i ur Russia, or even Holland 
and Cormauy. Only Ch.ua tea is wanted, and the 
quality mostly con-iimed is s. uchong, eo-l i.h ml 23d 
per kilo equal to about 1 IU per In." 
I trust the above info, matnm may be useful t • yuUI 
planting friends. — 1 am, dear sir, your faithfully, 
O, A. Makini FSCfl 
Another mercantile authority on Continental 
matters remarks: — 
Tbero is no consumption of tea to speak of in 
Austria, nor I should say any likelihood ol n deep >" I 
tor our now staple springing up iu a hurry. Fheprioe 
oi ts til starling per pound, dtonttonitd iu your BOrre- 
