S78 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[March i, 1889. 
under which the cattle graze. Some parts are culti- 
vated with guineagrass, irrigated from the Eio 
Cobre canal : such grass being sent to Kingston 
for sale. As to the Show itself. There is a very 
passable grandstand and a small ring for the 
riding, driving and hurdle competitions. Several 
very handsome turnouts were exhibited, also some 
very fine horses and cattle, ponies, mules and 
other live stock, including sheep, dogs and cats 
were very well represented. As for the agricultural 
produce, it was exhibited on a high narrow plat- 
form. The exhibits were very badly and untidily 
arranged and could not be viewed to the best 
advantage. Sugar, rum, coffee, pimento, cocoa, 
annatto, fruits and vegetable were fairly represented. 
The Show was very well attended ; it is always a 
gala day for Kingston and the island generally : 
planters and pen-keepers congregated from all parts 
of the island, as also to be present at the races 
held soon after. 
We are about to lose our Governor, Sir Henry 
Norman, about one year before his customary time 
is up : he has been appointed. Governor of Queens- 
land. At first he prayed to be allowed to remain 
in Jamaica until his six years were completed, as 
he was desirous to stay with us. till the newly- 
elected Council members had been elected and the 
new Council was at work, for we are shortly to 
have a general election under the enlarged franchise ; 
but it having been signified that Her Majesty wished 
he should go to Queensland he, of course, obeyed 
and is to quit our shores on the 2nd January. 
Sir Henry has been a very popular Governor, 
except perhaps amongst the haut-ton of Half Way 
Tree (the fashionable suburbs of Kingston), who 
resented the Governor's tolerance to the colored 
members of Jamaica society, and for having them 
to his house as friends and guests. As a bona fide 
Governor he has been most popular, and deservedly 
so, and all the community will regret his having 
to move to another sphere of usefulness ; probably 
many a Quashie would say of him, as I heard one 
of the churchwardens of Olofton Church had said 
to their pastor who was going away to another 
parish, " Oh, parson, you should not leave us ; we 
were hoping that we should bury you." This, of 
course, was meant as a high compliment. As my 
letter is somewhat short I enclose an extract from 
the local Gleaner. It is an article by one Mrs. 
Kemp, of Bwings, Cayamans Estate ; it is a very 
correct description of the manners and customs of 
Mr. and Mrs. Quashie, especially in that part of 
the Island in which that lady resides. I am sure 
it will interest and amuse your readers. 
W. S. 
WHY NOT A TEA SYNDICATE. 
Our last issue contained a highly interesting com- 
munication from a London tea expert, one not only 
well acquainted with the trade, but of some experi- 
ence in regard to the Ceylon article. His remarks 
on the changes that have come over the tea trade, 
wholesale and retail, owing to the appearance of large 
and yearly increasing quantities of British grown leaf, 
are much to the purpose, and will, no doubt, be read 
with attention by all interested in the industry. 
So far as Ceylon growers are concerned, they do not 
look with disfavour on the large profits realised by the 
retailers, because the more gain to them the greater 
their inducements to push the article into consumption. 
Nor do they question the right of the retail dealer to 
sell any blend he chooses to offer his customers, but 
that to which they do object is the selling of blends 
incorrectly and improperly described on the packet. 
The writer of the interesting article to whioh we have 
alluded thinks the Public Prosecutor should step for- 
ward and take proceedings in all infringements of the 
Trade Marks Act. The task has already been taken 
in hand by the Ceylon Association recently formed 
in London and though the first prosecution callapstd, 
owing to a break in the chain of evidence, it will 
undoubtedly be productive of good. 
We are glad to see the new Association taking up 
this work, but to our mind a Tea syndicate is re- 
quired for more extended action than the new body 
contemplates by its prospectus. There are salt syndi- 
cates, tallow syndicates, and copper syndicates for 
mutual help and mutual defence, and why not a tea 
syndicate ? If for no other purpose it would be in- 
valuable as a means of gradually regulating the bulk 
of tea to be thrown on the market by public auction, 
a matter in which there is much need for co-operation. 
Only brokers, perhaps, are fully sensible of the serious 
losses often incurrred by " rushing " new landings of 
tea, when by a little mutual arraugement the market 
might be kept more evenly supplied, according to the 
trade requirements of the Week. We may be told that 
the project cannot be worked. Perhaps not just now, 
but we feel confident that the time will come when 
some plan of this sort will be a necessity, and will 
be found practicable. — " Ceylon Advertiser." 
TOBACCO IN AMEBICA. 
One of the important points in the Senate tariff 
bill is the protection it proposes to the growers of 
tobacco. Great complaint is made that under the 
present law Sumatra tobacco grown by the cheapest 
labor in the world is brought in to compete with 
the brand of tobacco most largely grown in the 
North, that used for wrapper. The Senate law 
proposes a duty on this, if not stemmed, of 75 
cents per pound, and if stemmed, a duty of fl 
per pound. Quite as important is the provision that 
if this leaf tobacco is imported mixed with other 
tobacco is paying a low rate of duty the whole shall 
pay the higher rate. This will stop what in 
practice has proved a great abuse. The duty on 
fillers tobacco is reduced so that Havana tobacco 
for fillers to cigars may be imported with advantage. 
This will assist the tobacco grower and the cigar 
manufacturer. — American Farmer. 
DEUG TBADE EEPOET. 
London, January 10(h. 
Bael Fruit. — Ten cases dried quarters sold at the low 
rate of Id per lb ; but for another lot of 10 bags of mouldy 
fragments only fd per lb could be obtained. • 
Calumba. — The quantity offered today was restricted 
to 100 bags of grey, medium to bold, slightly wormy root 
which was bought in at 25s to 30s per cwt. 
Cardamoms sold at extreme prices today, the ad- 
vance being about 3d to 4d on some lots. There were 
138 cases offered, including several lots of fine quality, 
but nearly two-thirds of this supply was withdrawn, 
although buyers offered high prices for some lots. 
Ceylon Malabar, grey medium, dull appearance, sound 
sold at Is lid. Mysores, good pale medium to bold 
plump 2s lOd to 3s, smaller ditto 2s 5d. For good 
yellow medium to bold long 2s 6d was refused. Seed 
brought Is lid. Wild Ceylon Is 7d to Is 8d per lb. 
A new feature in this article was introduced by the 
sale of about 1,280 lb. of cardamoms grown in New 
Zealand, and imported here from Lyttelton, in the 
central part of that island. These cardamoms were 
apparently grown from Malabar seed, and of good 
quality, but badly cured and harvested. They were 
round, small to medium size, not very well bleached, 
badly clipped, and mostly damaged. From Is to Is 4d 
per lb was paid for the better lots, 8d to 9d for mouldy, 
thin, and shelly, and Is 6d tor seed. The shipments 
of cardamoms from Ceylon show a great falling-off this 
season. They have been, in the periods between October 
1st and December 13th : 1888, 35.380 lb ; 1887, 76,777 
lb; 188b, 39,153 lb. 
