282 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [October i, 1888. 
" And when is your day's work finished, and what 
do you do then?" I asked. 
" Everythiug is usually finithed by about four in 
the afternoon, except in the heaviest crop time, when 
We sometimes work all night* I have a very good 
tennis groin d behind my bungalow, and on most fine 
evenings some of the neighbours drop in, and we get 
a set or two. Also I keep a few hounds ; and on wet 
evenings can generally get a run either with deer, pig, 
or a hare. My employers, too, are good enough to 
give me an extra allowance for a horse, so that I some- 
times get a ride when, after a long day in the factory, 
I do not feel inclined to take the necessary exercise 
on my own legs. If you can manage to stop with me 
for a day or two, I shall be delighted to show you 
something of the life." 
I was unable to accept this kind invitation just then, 
but before leaving Ceylon I did go and spend a few 
days with Mr. S., and enjoyed it exceedingly, obtain- 
ing thereby considerable insight into the life of a tea 
planter and the joys and sorrows of tea-making.— L. S. 
—Field, August 18th, 
♦ 
THE SEASON'S CHINA TEAS- 
As far as the present season has gone, those who 
have been engaged in China tea are probably fairly 
well satisfied with the results. The amount that has 
come forward is not excessive, and there can be no 
doubt the teas are better than for some seasons 
past. The preparation has evidently been of a 
more careful nature, and the leaf is more even and 
better twisted. The proportion of dust has, likewise, 
not been too preponderant. Teas that have been 
carefully bought and above medium grade have done 
very well ; it is the commoner kinds, as during the 
last few seasons, which show the losses. These are 
aided, too, by such heavy auctions as took place on 
the 30th int-t., when buyers could not have had time 
to properly taste all the samples, and consequently 
a languid interest in the sales encouraged the droop 
in prices for the commoner kinds, which had been 
apparent for the last t<vo or three weeks. What 
the hurry is we cannot determine, seeing that with 
the stoppage of business at Shanghai for some period, 
consequent on the very arbitrary action of the Tea 
Guild as to fire insurance, must mean that the 
supplies coming forward are of a moder- 
ate nature. In this matter the Guild took 
steps to declare that the risk or fire should be 
borne by the presumed purchaser, from the time 
that the tea was delivered into his godown, and before 
it was weighed and approved of. This and one or 
two concomitant proposals not being immediately 
accepted by the foreign merchants, all business was 
stopped. Not only in tea, for it extended itself to 
most branches of trade other than tea. Subsequently 
the guild went to work in a more orthodox manner, 
and addressed a representation on the subject to the 
Chamber of Commerce. Any way this action has 
caused the shipment of tea from Shanghai to be sus- 
pended for some weeks, so that the apparent haste 
seems to be the more inexplicable. This, of course, 
is all second crop tea, and it is notorious the first 
crop was very short. At all events, as far as the 
present season is concerned, we must recognise that 
China teas show signs of much better preparation. 
The other fact that has been animadverted upon of 
late, weighs against them still, and presses heavily 
on them in their competition with teas grown in 
other countries. We refer, of course, to lehin and ex- 
port duties. With these charges handicapping them 
there seems no outlook for a recovery of the first 
place they hold, though it is abused to suppose that 
and demand for them will altogether cease. There 
will always be a certain demand. — L. anid C. Express, 
Aug. 31st. 
» 
CoifEi; Mixtdues. — The trade in coffee mixtures 
Beems to be dying out. In 1882-3, when the £d 
and Id labols were first issued, a revenue of 
£6,314 2s 2id was collected. The revenue has 
steadily decreased, and last year amounted only to 
£2,855 12b Hi.— Chemist and Drwjgitt, 
CEYLON TEA IN AUSTEALIA. 
(By "A Stmggler.") 
As statements have been frequent in the 
Observer that it is difficult to spread the use of 
Ceylon tea in Australia, the experiences of one 
who has been struggling to earn a living in this 
direction dealing with consumers and his opinions 
as to the cause of this, together with his prognosti- 
cations as to future prospects, are offered to you 
for what they are worth. It appears that the 
chief obstacle in the way is the indifference of the 
Australians, as a body, as to what tea they drink, 
being guided more by the brand or the name 
of the grocer who supplies them than by the 
quality or flavor of the tea. Sentiment is unknown, 
unless through the pocket, otherwise one would think 
that the strong feeling against the Chinese now so 
(barbarously) prevalent would lead them to try 
the products of the British settlement rather 
than that of what they designate the "yellow 
agency," but this feeling does not trouble them. It 
is enough that the tea of China is cheaper, and if 
an attempt is made to explain that the cheapness 
is only apparent, the reply would probably he that 
they know better, a weakness of the inhabitants 
being their own high estimate of their cuteness 
and a strong aversion to anything new. Travel- 
lers in attempting to push Ceylon tea frequently 
find a little amusement in the remarks of consu- 
mers, which somewhat tempers the disappoint- 
ments met with ; one having frequently been 
threatened with a prosecution for selling poisons, 
and being left to the tender mercies of the sanitary 
inspector, or the policeman; and the comparing 
it with senna and other such flavory herbs ia of 
frequent occurrence. The tenant of one house may 
probably offer the remark that there is no flavor 
in the tea at all, whereas the next neighbour may 
venture the opinion that it is not tea at all, but 
some other very strong abomination. Among the 
minority who really go to the trouble to form 
any taste in the matter, a penchant for an ex- 
ceedingly strong China orange pekoe prevails ; 
the few, however, who, at the first, take to 
Ceylon fortunately remain constant to it, but 
it is uphill work to find out these few, as it is 
not in the nature of the people (as a rule) to go 
to the trouble of recommending to their friends 
an article they may like themselves. Notwithstand- 
ing so many disappointments amongst the consu- 
mers, the large importers are now however begin- 
ning to turn their attention to Ceylon, partly be- 
cause they, as a rule, follow the London markets 
in these things, and partly because of the lower 
rates at which Ceylon can now be had through 
the marvellous increase of manufacture, comparing 
favourably with the prices at which they have been 
usually importing Indians ; and they are beginning 
now to think them preferable to the rougher Indians 
generally used by them for blending. As the large 
houses are now beginning to take this in hand, 
the consumption will rapidly increase, not that the 
householders will value it on its own merits, but 
simply because it is imported and recommended 
by firms whose names are familiar to them. 
Importers complain that they can never get con- 
secutive shipments, even from the same estate, of 
one standard : if the Ceylon proprietors can under- 
take to ship tea of an equable quality and flavor 
to the colonies, there is no doubt that in the near 
future the demand will increase. So far the pioneers 
in Ceylon tea in these parts have met with scant 
enoouragement, many having attempted to make 
a living out of it and failing given it up in des- 
pair, while to one and all it has been a struggle. 
