774 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [May r, 1889. 
kerb leaving an even surface, and on this prepared 
surface, lay down a coat of the prepared metal (2§ in. 
gauge) three inches thick, and well rolled and consoli- 
date same ; on this spread a coat (about one inch thick 
of the prepared machine metal screenings (from which 
the fine screenings have been removed by sifting through 
a quarter-inch screen) ; on this spread a coat (about a 
half -inch thick) of the prepared screenings, which have 
been sifted from the first coat of screenings ; and finish 
off with a light coat of sand. 
Each coat (except the coat of sand) must be well and 
thoroughly rolled and consolidated as it is laid down. 
The weight of roller used is about fifteen hundred- 
weight. Well ram, with iron rammers, those parts 
which cannot be reached by roller. 
The cost is about two shillings per square yard. It 
is advisable that the tarred metal and screenings 
should remain in heaps for a few days to drain, 
particularly if they are to be used for roadways for 
vehicles. 
The following shows the quantity of tar required for 
each description of material used in the process, viz : — 
per cube yard.] 
Metal Screened... .. ... 7 gallons 
Screenings as they come from the 
Machines ... ... ... 17 gallons 
Screenings Screened . . . . 11 gallons 
Screenings for Last Coat . . . . 28 gallons 
The excellence of this paving (the screenings being 
of the lava rock known as " blue stone") was 
beyond question. The considerations in Colombo 
would be the expense and the influence of our hot, 
moist climate. 
CEYLON UPCOTJNTBY PLANTING EEPOET. 
THE CEYLON TEA PLANTERS AND THE LONDON BROKERS 
— TEA CIRCULARS — THE YEARLY REVIEW OF THE 
CEYLON TEA TRADE BY MESSRS. WILSON, SMITHETT 
& CO. — " BOUGHT LEAP " — TEA SALES IN GLASGOW 
NOT A GREAT SUCCESS — QUALIFICATIONS OF A TEA- 
MAKER AS STATED BY HIMSELF — THE WEATHER AND 
TEA FLUSHES — BLOSSOM ON COFFEE AND THE RAINS. 
8th April, 1889. 
The Ceylon tea planter has been and still is the 
subject of much advice. It will not be for want of 
counsellers if he fails in the race of life. We are 
all very grateful to those big London broking 
houses, who have taken us under their care, and 
who, besides the usual monthly hints, which make 
their circulars so valuable, have a big "roundup" 
at the end of each year, when the past is reviewed, 
the future foreshadowed and the planter advised. 
These yearly efforts are evidently the result of 
much labour and trouble : they put prosaic trade 
into a handy aud picturesque form ready for re- 
ference and redolent of ideas, and they have all 
the ring of complacent authority about them. The 
firm that gets up one of these documents is clearly 
entitled to something like gratitude on the part 
of the planter and the business public generally. 
Human nature is however human nature, and 
the tendency of most teachers is to go beyond 
their text and often too beyond their knowledge. 
With an intelligent audience like the Ceylon planters 
such a temptation, however fascinating, should be 
at once resisted, as an indulgence in it is sure to 
lead to grief, and is apt to weaken the effeot of 
what is otherwise \ aluable. 
We have had an unhappy example of this lately 
in the yearly review of the Ceylon tea trade of 
Messrs. Wilson, Smithett and Co., dated February 
188'J ; and although the London brokers are per- 
haps a trifle more sensitive to adverse comments 
on their circular wisdom, than the planter is on the 
qualities of hia tea, Btill what is good to give can't 
be bad to take. In the circular in question we are 
favoured with advice on dull, pointless teas and 
the causes. " Bought leaf " is one of the factors 
which the keen eye of the London man has marked 
down as tending towards that absence of indivi- 
duality which is so much desired, and he wants us 
to make bought leaf " sit up " in this way: — 
"As regards 'bought leaf,' we throw out the 
suggestion whether it would not be possible to have 
the leaf manufactured by hand in an unassorted 
form, or at any rate withered and fermented, undue 
fermentation being checked by ' panning ' on the 
estate producing it, before purchasing." ! ! 
I hardly know what to make out of a curiosity of 
planting literature of this kind, and which comes 
to us with the imprimatur of authority ; for a more 
hopeless muddle could hardly be, or a clearer 
example of the folly of talking authoritatively about 
things of which one knows nothing. The writer 
of this extraordinary advice must be closely related 
to the man who maintained that it was Solomon 
who said in his Pilgrim's Progress that "A man's 
a man for a that." Anyhow that happy humble of 
authors and books does not appear more absurd to 
the literary student than does Messrs. Wilson, 
Smithett & Co.'s suggestions upon " bought leaf " 
to the Ceylon tea planter. 
If Messrs. Wilson, Smithett & Co. should in the 
future condescend to instruct the Ceylon tea planter 
in regard to his work, I would throw out the sug- 
gestion that when a bright idea occurs to them in 
London in connection with " how to do it," be- 
fore giving it a place in their valuable circular, 
they might submit it to a practical planter, so that 
they may avoid the pitfalls into which the unin- 
structed are sure to fall. 
The tea sales in Glasgow, however much they 
may suit the local grocers, don't seem from the 
prices obtained likely to enrich the tea grower much. 
I have before me the catalogue of 237 packages 
Indian teas which were put up for auction on the 
15th Feb. by Messrs. Simons, Jacobs & Co., of that 
city and the prices got : Souchong highest iB Did 
and the lowest 4|d ; pekoe is better, highest 9±d 
lowest 8|d ; broken pekoe there is but one lot, 12£ 
chests, and it attains into the magnificent figure of 
5Jd. It got a farthing a pound more than some 
congo that was sold, which is better of course than, 
say a farthing less. It would want the charges in 
Glasgow to be very much less than those of London 
before we would take kindly to the new opening with 
its ideas of price. 
It is well that a man should have a good opinion 
of himself; but perhaps with but eight months' 
experience of a tea factory the following from a tea 
maker's application may seem somewhat high : — 
* * * " I have been lately learning tea work 
for nearly eight months, and have thereby acquired 
a thorough knowledge of tea making, both Merchan- 
tile and Fancy. 
"I possess a profound sense of the vast importance 
that is attached to the tea making, and accordingly 
my qualifications backing me, I can fulfil the res- 
pective duties most laudably, especially make tea — 
' fine leaves provided ' — to meet the topmost 
market." &a., &c. 
In case there should be a run on this chap, I 
beg to say that he is ut present employed.^ 
The weather still continues all we can desire. 
It is a lively time we have been having 
with our flush, and although we have 
been doing our best to get full musters, 
there are always some who stay in and are a 
worry. All the same, labour is not scarce : we ha\ e 
just a big spurt on as is usual aft^r the early 
rains, which makes us all feel for the time being 
a? if we were sborthanded. 
