February i, 1889.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. b'19 
PE PER CULTIVATION IN CEYLON : 
SUCCESS OF THE MALABAR VINES. 
We tender our beat thanka to Mr. Martin for 
his interesting contribution to the history of what 
we fool confident will yet be an important enter- 
prise in Ceylon. The experience which Mr. Martin 
records is common to all industrial pioneers. 
Pepper with jak and other trees, in addition to 
rocks on which the vinos are supported, was all 
that, remained to the writer hereof, when cacao, 
Liberian coffee, oassava and other products had to 
be superseded by tea (now a very satisfactory suc- 
cess) on a lowoounlry estate near Henaratgoda. 
Our pepper vines there look well and are growing and 
bearing satisfactorily ; and thus enoouraged we have 
been indenting for the beat kinds. Reoontly wo heard 
that cuttings prepared to be despatched from Singa- 
pore had perished, and the same fate befell several 
pounds of seed put into a nursery on the estate. The 
seed is supposed to have been rotted by over abundant 
monsoon rains, a cause which will not operate 
again for several months. Next month or early in 
March we hope to receive half-a-dozen pounds of 
seed of beat Malabar vines from Messrs. Hinde & 
Co. of Calicut, and we trust a fair proportion at 
least may be successful. Was seed tried on Eden 
estate ? and, if not, why not ? We suppose cuttings 
are more certain to grow, and they, of course, 
yield quicker returns. Cubebs it seems very 
diOkult, if not impossible, to obtain. If they once 
get established in Ceylon, there oan be little doubt 
the price will speedily bo reduced as was the case 
with cinchona bark. For the ordinary spice, black 
pepper and white (the latter being merely the 
former bloachcd in preparation.) the demand in 
the markets of the world is large and ia likely to 
increase" to the level of production even if peace 
should be restored to Achin. The consumption of 
pepper in the United States is very, large. We 
are glad to see Mr. Martin mentioning the jak in the 
forefront of trues good as supports for pepper vines. 
This tree, the value of which European planters 
do not properly appreoiuto, or ho many would not 
have boen in recent years destroyed, is the support 
for native pepper in Ceylon, and both supporting tree 
and climbing vine seem to thrive simultaneously. 
Should the vines wear out and there should be 
no desire to renew them, the tree is valuable as 
a fruit boarer and ultimately as ono of tho very 
best timbers which can be used for furniture, or 
lor house or boat building. Wo do not see how tho 
system described by Mr. Watnon as pursued in the 
Strait 1 of Malacca, of putting down large numbers of 
timber posts to support the vinos, can pay. In our 
own case, we find that the pepper vines do well 
on the sides and over the topB of rocks and boulders, 
and thus grown amongst tea, there is no necessity 
for the presence amidst the tea of supporting trees 
to the detriment of the staple plant. Our corre- 
spondent "W. B. L." has gone further and dispenses 
with all support, growing hie vines " gooseberry 
bush fashion." lie is to report progress, and we 
see no reason why pepper vines so grown should 
not llourish and yield fruit as well as do grape 
vines. But whatever mode of culture is adopted 
it is important that the bust varioty of vine should 
be available tor culture, und Mr. Martin's letter 
shown that, alter much disappointment and vipouoO, 
ibis ii now the cato on Eden estate Ambalangoda. 
Immediately our Manual " All about Tobacco" 
(likely to be a bulky volume with illustrations) is 
out of hand, it is our intention to begin one on 
the spices, — " All about Pepper, Nutmegs, Cloves 
and Cinnamon'' in one volume for the benefit of 
local agriculturists. 
♦ 
MARIA WATTE TEA PLANTATION AGAIN 
GIVES OVER 1,000 LB. PER ACRE. 
The original 100 ncres of Mariawatte have again, we 
hear, given over 1,0001b. of made tea per acre, making 
tbe fifth year in which this has been done. From 1st 
of Jan. 1888 to 3lst Dec. last, the 100 acres gave 1,033 
lb. of made tea per acre, whioh, considering the pour 
season (so far as yield is concerned) which has been 
experienced this year, certainly shows that no lack of 
vitality is exhibited by the trees. 
The following has been the yield of this 100-acre field 
since 1834 : — 
]«84 ... 1,092 lb. per acre 
188u ... 1,178 lb. per acre 
1886 ... 1,059 lb. per acre 
1887 ... 1,126 lb. per acre 
1888 ... 1,038 lb. per acre 
Our correspondent " Old Colonist" asked in our 
columns lately wishing to know what the knoll be- 
hind the superintendent's bungalow yields per acre. 
We have beeo favoured with the following infor- 
mation from the Oo.'s manager: — "The field referred to 
tiy ' O d Colonist' was plaoted in Juuo 1886, and 
was begun to be plucked at 22 months old, or in tbe 
month of April 1888. For the 9 months euding 31st 
Dec. 1888 it nave 114 lb. peracre." 
The plucking area of Mariawatte during 1888, includ- 
ing all young tea, was 406 aores, and the average yield 
was 47-1 lb. per acre. 
* 
Essential Oil in Tea. — Dr. Hassall, the well-known 
food analyst writes as follows regarding tbe essen- 
tial oil in tea-.— "Tho volatile oil is not preseut in 
fresh tea, but is developed in the course of drying 
and roasting. It is of a lemon color, readily solidifies, 
and becomes resinous on exposure to the air. It is 
to it that the aroma is maiuly due. The amount 
present in tea is stated to be about 1 per cent., a 
statement we consider to be open to much duubt. 
For the estimation of the volatile: oil, a considerable 
quantity of tea must be operated upon. This must 
be distilled with water and the distillate received in- 
to a cool receiver. The oil should be found floating 
upon the water. We may state, however, that, in 
certain attempts we have made, we have fai.ed to 
obtain any weightblo amount of the oil. The dis- 
tillate had the odor of lea, but no oil drops were visible." 
According to Mulder's frequently quoted analysis, green 
tea eon turns 79 per cent., und black tea 60 per cent 
of essential oil. — Indian Ten Gazette. 
The Origin of Tea.— Tbe tea plant grow for 
omlli'S* centuries in Central Asia, and the guileless 
Celestials blandly assert that the drink was inven- 
ted by Chin Nong some 6000 years ago. A poetic 
version makes it 1600 years ayo, aud gives tho follow- 
ing account of its earliest appearance: — In tho re gn 
of Yueu Xy iu t lie dynasty of Tain, an old woman 
was scoustome I to proceed ■ very morning at daybreak 
to the njarkct-jji.ii;.:, oarryiug a cup of tea in her 
band. Tbe peoplu bought it eagerly, and yet from 
the break of day to the close of evening the cup 
was never exhausted. The mouey received wu dis- 
tributed among orphaus and beggars. The people seized 
and confined her iu prison. At night sho flew 
through the prison windows with her little vase in 
her hand." If you caro to do eo you oau read this 
story and enjoy it in tho original Chinese of the"Cba 
Pu," or "Ai oient History of Tou,'' and will no doubt 
dud the translation exact. Tea was not heard of in China 
again for three centuries and a half, when a " Fuhi " 
priest is haid to have advised its use as a medicine. In 
tho uinth century an old beggar from Japau took lome 
of tho sued and plants back with him to bis native Und. 
Tho Japanese relished the now driuk, nud I nil: at 
Osaka a temple to the memory of thoso who introduced 
it. The temple is still standing, though now almost 
700 years old.— OH, Pan.: ami DtV0 Rrpcrtrr. 
