November t, 1888.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
(fJotjticsponckmcc. 
t- 
To the Editor. 
HIGH-PPJCED TEAS. 
Matale, October 7th, 1838. 
Deaii Sin, — According to •' Pucker & Bencraft," 
Mr. Gordon Beeves of Hoolankande, had the honor 
of pending " perhaps the finest invoice of tea 
ever dispatched from Ceylon," This consisted of 
70 packages averaging Is 10id, B. 0. P. 2s 8§d, 
P. 2s ljd, P. S. Is 6£d, dust Is O.Jd. 
If you refer to the Tropical Agriculturist of Octo- 
ber 1885, you will see that much higher averages 
were obtained by Loolcondura and Blackstone ; 
the former averaging 2s Ojd for G2 packages, B. P. 
2s'l.Jd, P. 2s 2d, P. S. Is lOJd, broken tea Is GAd, 
and dust Is 7d, while Blackstone averaged 2s Id 
for 32 packages. The B. P. fetching 3s 2d, P. 
2s 2^(1, and P. S. Is 7.U1. Again vide T. A. March 
1887. Blackstone for 32 packages averaged 2s 2d, 
the range of prices being la 0£d at 3s 2d, 
Now see what Agarsland averaged when Mr. Hall 
was the superintendent of the place. Agarsland 
averago 2s lid, raDgo of prices Is O.Jd to 2s 7Jd. 
T. A. June 1887 ; and again vide '/'. .1. April 1887, 
Agarsland average 2s 7j:d, range of price Is Gd to 
2s 7.}d and 3s 2Jd. The last is, I think, the highest 
average yet obtained for Ceylon tea, whi.e the 
highest prico for a special tea, was if I am not 
mistaken, 3s lOd for 2 boxes 0. P, or flowery pekoe 
from Slrathellie. 
The brokers say that really good toas fetch as 
high prices now aa over they did before ; if this is 
so, Hoolankande will have to lake I'h place, and 
thereforo has not the honor of " perhaps sending 
the finest invoice of tea ever dispatchecd from Ceylon." 
E. B. 
[lias " E. B." observed what the general average 
fur Ceylon teas was at tho several dales hu refers to ? 
This is an important element in any comparison. 
• -Ed.] 
COTTON GKOWINC. 
Sin, — Can you or any of your readers inform me 
how the new product cotton is to be grown, all about 
tho nursery, the depth of tho holes, and all concerning 
it, and also what books will teach me further on the 
subject?- Yours faithfully, ' SWAN.' 
/'. S. — Is cabook soil suited for cottour 1 — S. 
[Let tho ground bo forked over and liuos made, 2 
seeds dibbled into each hole a few inches deep, and 
say 3 to 4 feet upart ; no noed for a nursery. The 
cotton plant succeeds better in light and sandy soils 
than iu such as are heavy and clayey. Oabook soil would 
have to bo brokeu up and inado friable. Study the 
Tropical Ayriculturi.it. — Ed.] 
SILK FROM COCOONS. 
Agar'n Land, 14th Oot. 1888. 
Sin, — I am this day sending you by post two 
cocoons of two dilTorent kinds of silkworms, which 
I got on this estate. The round cocoon catirpillar 
I find on the olive or common iceraiu tree, also 
on the small black jumblum, or dan hindan fruit 
troo (a small black Iruit often Hold in Colombo 
heap, d in baskets) called nam palam in Tamil. 
I find these caterpillars on these two trees only. 
Tho other caterpillar of the /tided cocoon, and 
which appears to be tho best silk by appoarancc, is 
found in great quantities on tho cardamom trees 
or shrubs. 
I should feel extremely obliged for any informa- 
tion from silkworm rearers as to how to act in 
procuring or extracting i ilk from thoso cocoons, and 
by what method, and what machines are used ? I 
can supply cocoons (folded ones) on application. 
JAMES GRAY. 
The one cocoon represents the Tusser silk moth 
and the other the rather common Atlas moth 
which our correspondent is wrong in supposing to 
be the more valuable : the Tusser silk being supe- 
rior ; its usual food is found on the country 
almond tree. Our Tropical A/jricullurist volumes 
give a good deal of information on the subject. — Ed.] 
DOES CEYLON TEA KEEP? 
Colombo, Oct. 22nd, 1888. 
Deah Sin, — Is not the present time suitable for 
having this question worked out by some concerted 
action and set at rest? 
Following upon the outcry a few months since, 
the letters recently written to the London Standard 
and reprinted by you in the Observer of the 8th 
instant, and Messrs. Pucker & Pencraft's circular 
of Sept. 27th show the necessity (if possible) for 
improving our teas as regards their keeping qualities. 
1 have letters from London from people interested 
in the welfare of Ceylon tea in which they write : 
"The opinion is gaining ground that Ceylon teas 
do not keep," and, whether true or not, we may be 
sure that our India and China competitors are not 
likely to let the idea drop. 
At the moment, as we are getting fair prices and 
our Btock at home represents, say 2!, . months' supply, 
the shoo doos not pinch us ; but later on when the 
stocks are trebled and probably reach an average of G to 
7 months' supply of a largely increased consumption, 
the keeping power of our tea must make or mar us. 
Primarily it appears to me that the Planters' 
Association should devole attention to the subject, 
and now that they have funds in hand and in- 
coming more than sullicient to meet the cost of 
representation at Exhibitions, I suggest that probably 
the best plan would bo to offer substantial prizes 
for practical essays giving results of tests, say 
KGOO or more for 1st prize and proportionate 
sums for 2nd and 3rd. 
If I am wrong as regards the P. A. funds, I 
should be willing to contribute to a special fund 
for these prizes. 
If our teas do not keep ; in other words, if they 
go oil in about 3 months' time after landing in 
England or elsewhere,, one cannot help thinking 
whether we are not putting the cart before the 
horse, in forcing new markets and having our teas 
ultimately condemned on this ground, before first 
correcting the faults of our manufacture. 
I have for some time thought that in one or 
two directions we have pushed economical working 
too far at the expense of ctlicieney : 
iBt. In duration of dual firing by machinery, 
the remedy possibly being a reversion to " chulas." 
2nd. In thickness of lead used for paoking. Tho 
standard in vogue, viz., 5 oz., is thin compared 
with lead U3ed by the Chinese, but with a tendency 
to try 4.. J oz., '1 oz., and probably thinner sheets, 
wisdom would suggest careful trials to show the 
happy medium between safety and economy. 
3rd. Is it not tho case that in s >mo factories 
where they pack as th< y muko and sell in the 
local market, that teas ure not linal fired at all ? 
— Yours truly, M. 
CEYLON TEA AND THE LONDON DOCKS. 
Sin, — Loss in weight of tea at the London decks 
appear-i to mo deMtfing oj attention by Ocylon 
shippers. 
My experience during tho past eight or ton yuan 
shows an al.uuiing loss although the quantity mint 
bo inlinitosimally small compared to what pvoplo 
