Januarv i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 1.63 
having an agreeable aromatic odour resembling cloves 
and nutmeg, and as being mutable as a perfume for 
cheap toilet soaps. The plant from which the bark 
is derived was discovered by D' Albertis in South 
New Guinea and named by Peccari Massoia dramatical 
Gmelin, who attributes the bark to Cinnamomum 
Kiamis, Nees, gives in his 'Handbuoh' (iv. the 
constituent 8 of the oil as follows : (1) an almost 
colourless thin light oil, with an odour of saeafras; 
(2) a thick, heavy, less volatile oil, with a weaker 
odour, but tasting strongly like sassafras ; and (3) 
massoy camphor, a white powder, heavier than water, 
loss soft to the touch than fatty substauces, odourless 
and almost tasteless, allied to lanrin and caryophylSin 
and soluble in hot alcohol and in ether. In preli- 
minary experiments Messrs. Schimmel have obtained 
from the bark about 7 per cent, of an oil having a 
specific gravity of l - 04, boiling between 200° and 300° 
O., and containing about 75 per cent of eugenol. 
Tbo portion of the oil insoluable in soda liquor boiled 
between 210° and 245° O, and among other bodies 
contained safrol. 
Matiu Oil. — The Japaneso oil mentioned under this 
name iu a former report, and supposed to have been 
a distillate from a birch or beech tar, has now been 
ascertained to have been derived from a tar of either 
Piiw.s Massoniana or P. densiflora, both of which trees 
pass under the name "matsu" in Japan. The former 
is said to show great similarity to Pinus austriaca, 
and the latter to /'. sylvestris. 
Citronelle Fruit Oil. — A Urger consignment of the 
small round barries of the size of a pea, designated 
"citronelle fruit," has been received from Java, 
and has yielded about 34 per cent, of essential oil. 
This oil resembles verbeea oil, and is unusually powerful 
and rich ; its specific gravity is 0 980 and it boils 
from ISC' 3 to 240° C. It contains a terpene and citral 
(sec under Eucalyptus oil). In the Indies it is known 
under the name " niinjak sereh " and is credited 
with being a panacea. 
Eiitt Indian Oils. — Messrs. Schimruel also report 
upon fifteen samples of essential oil received irom 
India, only one of which was found to be a pure 
distillate. This was described as "lemon oil" aud. 
bad a fine lemon and meliesa odour, essentially finer 
than that of citronelle oil, and at a moderate price 
would probably prove acceptable. The others were 
all mixtures having a basis of sandal wood oil, and 
were all condemned as useless. 
From St. Domingo samples of oils have been re- 
ceived under the following names : — 
Jivrgamot Oil. — A distilled yellow oil with a power- 
ful aud line aroma, resembling oil of petit grain in 
odour, but not recalling bergunot oil, Probably the 
distillate of the leaves and unripe fruit of some specii i 
of < itrns. 
Lavender Oil. — A witter-clear essential oil, quite 
different from the European varieties of lavonder oil, 
ami rather recalling spike oil in odour. 
Roiowaty Oil. — V powerfully armatic oil, approach- 
iug nearer to European lavauder oil iu odour, and 
probably utilizablo if the cost allows. 
Bay or Mountain Laurel essential oil 
with an odour like that of laurel oil. — Phannact 
Journal. 
~+ 
THE EFFECT OF FIRING ON TEA. 
Ono hears so many complaints about mistakes 
made over the tiring of tea in Ceylon that anything 
which way add to the knowledge of your planters 
as to what should be adopted, and what avoided 
in respect to the practice, cannot but be useful. 
It is with the object of extending such knowledge 
that the following extract from /'A. Timi i ; cut 
you. What is therein stated has caused mo per- 
sonally some surprise. Only a week or so back a 
sample of Ceylon tea was submitted by me to a 
flrst-olass Loudon linn. It is claimed (or this 
Speoial brand that it is particularly suited to weak 
digestions, and my own experience with it bears 
out that claim. But the report mado to mo was to 
the effect that the sample had been so highly 
fired that it was as the fact specially unstated to 
persons who suffer dyspeptically. (Is that a coined 
word of my own ? ) Now the paragraph extracted 
says that firing, by decreasing the amount of 
tlieine, — " which is said to be to tea what alcohol 
is to liquors, — decreases the effects of tea-drinking 
on the nervous system." It is generally thought 
that ' nerves ' and ' dyspepsia ' are convertible 
terms. Therefore, why should our authority de- 
precate firing as injurious in such oases while the 
Japanese experts recommend it ! " When doctors 
disagree " &c. It must be left to your local 
preparers to decide for themselves therefore whether 
tiring is judicious or not. Perhaps it is a question 
of degree only. As to the practice of colouring, it 
is not quite unusual in Ceylon to adopt it ? It 
has never been stated to me that any of your tea 
exports have passed through such a process : — 
The Effect of " Fihino " on Tea. — Certain in- 
vestigations have lately beeu mado in Japan into the 
chemical effects on tea of the process called " tiring," 
which it always undergoes. This is a kind of roast- 
ing, the tea being worked by the hands in pans or 
bowls heated from below. It takes place prior to 
packing for shipment, aud usually under the super- 
intendence of the foreigu tea merchant, aud is said 
to be necessary to preserve the tea on the voyage, 
the process, according to the investigations referred 
to, diminishes the capacity of the leaf to absorb 
moisture, the proportion of theine, and the quantity 
of tannin in solution when warm water is poured on 
the leaf. The latter is thus rendered less stringent, 
aud on the whole, " firing," so far from producing 
deterioration, is pronounced a beneficial process, as 
it strengthens the aroma, diminishes the astringent 
quality of the leaf, aud, by decreasing the quantity 
of theine — which is said to ho to tea what alcohol 
is to liquors — decreases the effects of tea-drinking on 
tho nervous system. The colour is also improved in 
consequence of the employment during " tiring " of 
certaiu colouring matter. When the latter is a pre- 
paration of iudigo, it is quite harmless, while Prus- 
sian blue is deleterious, and is said not to be used 
now for the purpose. The cousumers insist on having 
tea with a certaiu colour on the leaf, and it is 
solely to please them that the colouring matter is 
employed. The investigators — two chemists — say that 
te» is very rarely coloured with any traudulent in- 
tent, and they quote the remarks attributed to a 
Chinese Minister in Washington to this effect: — 
"Our producers will give you tea with all tbo colours 
iu tho rainbow if you wish. But why will you drink 
coloured tea — what is the use of tho colour 'i Be rea- 
sonable, like us Chinese; wo use uncoloured tea, aud 
we know why." The suggestion in the last sentence, 
say the chemists, is not correct. Tea is coloured be- 
cause the consumers will have it so, not because it 
IS of any advautage to the merchant or producer. 
— London i.'wr. 
+ 
CEYLON'S STAPLE PRODUCTS. 
The Ceylon mnil received this week brings particulars 
regarding the exports from the island of its staple 
products during the commercial year 1887*8) which 
closo on September 30 last. A study of the moaning 
ol these li ,'iin s n voa.s some curious facts regard - 
ing tho place occupied by this fertile island among 
the raisers of tropical produce. Cinnamon, cocouut 
oil, plumbsgo, tea, and cotfee are in bulk the main 
products of the country, tea being; the only oue 
among these which is of rccc nt introduction. Qrylon 
plumbago was lii st introduced into coinnurco iu io - Ji> 
by .Mr. Joseph Dt\ n, of the American Crucible Com- 
pany and toe industry created by this gentleman has 
been lor years a source Of Considerable profit to tho 
revenue ol the island, in the shape ot export duty. 
This tax nt one time amounted to 2) per cent. 
o<i talorcm, but it has been gradually rvuuoed to its 
present rata, which, we belive, is on. per too. But 
