822 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June i, 1889. 
the question has been carefully considered and the 
opinion of our leading spice brokers j a that provided 
the export of cinnamon chips from CeyJon be stopped, 
Hot in par' but wholly, it would no doubt exercise 
an important influence over cane cinnamoni eold in 
London ; but there would always be the risk, of somo 
growers breaking through the arrangement, induced 
by the advance in the value of chips which would 
probably take place if any small lots came forward. 
It is estimated that chips have been imported during 
the past few years to an extent equal in weight on 
the average to nearly 4,000 bales of cane cinnamon per 
annum, and there can be no doubt that a large portion 
has been used in place of quills." — London Broker. 
RATNAPURA AND RAKWANA NOTES. 
April 28th. 
I hardly know what to think about the weather. 
Have we been having the little monsoon since the 
middle of March I wonder, for it has scarcely ceased 
raining for about forty days and forty nights. I 
notice, however, that we are getting it up from the 
S.-W. now. I hear even tea planters are having too 
much heat and moisture, for they cannot get over their 
fields although the order of the day is " pluck fine." 
HOW TO MAKE TEA : 
LESSONS FROM A COLOMBO BROKER. 
The head of the firm of Messrs. A. H. Thompson 
k Co., tea brokers, was up in Rakwana during Easter 
week teaching the men of that" puckam"how to make 
tea. So we may expect to see some of their teas top- 
ping the list at no very distant date — at all events 
Barra estate, where some valuable lessons were given 
in the way of curing. 
PROPOSED COMPANY FOR THE PURCHASE OF RAKWANA 
ESTATES. 
It is rumoured that most of the estates in Rakwana 
are to be, or have been, already realized for the purpose 
of disposing oi them to a Company about to be floated. 
May it prove as good an investment as the Ceylon Tea 
Plantation Company Limited, has done. 
♦ 
AMBROSIAL TEA. 
A gentleman who reoently returned to Ceylon, 
Bays that when he came back he could not drink 
even half a cup of the vile tea made by his 
servants. It had gone off on account of its being kept 
loosely in the sea air, besides which the leaves 
were left in the pot and allowed to stew. A friend 
who always drank whisky, as he said that the tea in 
the morning always disagreed with him. Now, 
with his tea properly kept and infused, he drinks 2£ 
breakfast cups every morning as soon as he gets 
up, and it is really splendid. 
TEA CULTURE AND PREPARATION. 
A FEW PRACTICAL ENOCIRIES BY A PRACTICAL MAN. 
(1) Is not Mr. Armstrong responsible for the state- 
ment that the quality of the tea is best when the 
bushes flush most freely ? My own observations lead 
me to rather an opposite conclusion, and it would be 
interesting to know what the general opinion on this 
subjeot is. 
(2) Have you any information to indicate that tho 
application of manure improves the flavour or strength 
of the tea ? Aa regards quantity, several enterprising 
proprietors in Dikoya and Maskeliya can testify to the 
efficacy of both natural and artificial manures; but I 
have not yet been able to satisfy myself that highly 
cultivated estates produce teas of exceptional merit. 
(3) A good deal is now being said about fine pluck- 
ing and high prices, but surely the men whose success 
we should emulate are those who combine quantity 
with quality. These are the people who are making 
the money and not those who study quality only. 
[We shall be glad to have the opinions of practi- 
cal men on the above question and opinions, for 
the benefit of planters generally.— Ed.] 
NOTES ON TEA. 
(By a Colombo Wallah.) 
Here is a hint for any enterprising local firm 
with a big mill house and yard to utilise! I 
copy from " Rucker and Bencraft," 24th February 
1887 :— 
"There will be room by and bye for a Public Blending 
Machine at Colombo like the enormous structure at 
Orutched Friar's warehouse, which planters at home 
should not fail to see in operation." 
Big breaks must go forward or Dealers will not be 
able to contend with increased number of small ones — 
lower prices must come if larger breaks are not sent. 
Then again, here is a paragraph worth reproducing 
from the same firm, over two years old : — 
"Invalids and doctrinaires may here and there forsake 
tea for cocoa (until someone tells them they might 
drink tea with impunity if they did not iusist on having 
it so strong), but the consumption of tea will in all pro- 
bability continue to increase now that prices are bo 
moderate." 
Bad trade in the United Kingdom means always a 
large increase in the consumption of tea — good traed 
has quite an opposite effect ! 
♦ 
TEA NOTES. 
Rain is wanted in Kamroop. Tea is doing well in 
Sibsaugor. Tea prospects are good in Durruhg. The 
weather has been warm in Cachar. Tea plucking is in 
progress in Luckimpore. Hot weather with high winds 
is reported from Goalpara. Weather dry and warm is 
the news from Nowgong. Darjeeliug, 19th April.— 
Heavy hail on the 14th and some gardens in upper 
portions suffered severely. Since then daily showers 
nearly 2 inches being gauged for the week. Dehra Dun, 
16th April. — It is cool here for this time of year, rain 
has been threatening, but as yet we have not had any. 
We have made much more tea than last year. 17th 
April. — Weather splendid for all work on tea estate. 
The latest news from Muohikandi: — Good rain has 
fallen in this district and the prospects are now brighter 
— Indian Planters 1 Gazette, April 23rd. 
COFFEE. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE LONDON "TIMES.". 
Sir, — One cogent reason why " coffee does not 
move " might have been mentioned by Mr. Goschen 
on Monday. I mean the adulteration of coffee which 
th« law now permits, and under coAer of which, as 
the annual reports of the Local Government Board's 
analysts show, the labelled " coffee mixtures " some- 
times contain no more than 20 or even 10 percent, 
of coffee. As long as the Hale of these mixtures 
is allowed, or the proportions of coffee to the admix- 
ture are not required to be specified, so long will the 
revenue suffer, notwithstanding the equivalent duty on 
chicory, and coffee-growers be discouraged. Another 
result is that consumers, chiefly among the poorer 
classes, are shamefully defrauded, and large profits 
made by retailers and others ; while probably 19 con- 
sumers out of 20 do not know the taste of genuine 
coffee, and believe it to be, when infused, a black, 
cloying liquid, thick in the mouth, insipid, and 
almost sickly, instead of the most refreshing, gently 
stimulating, aromatic drink which Nature supplies. 
Of course people can protect themselves by buying 
their coffee and chicory separately. But they do not 
and will not, as experience proves ; and the mixtures, 
which include much cheaper ingredients than chicory, 
flourish accordingly. Teetotalers might do good 
service in helping to make popular an eminently tem- 
perance beverage. Representatives of working men, 
again, might consider whether, by further legislation or 
otherwise, something coukl not be done to save working 
men's families from impudent frauds. I can speak for 
countrymen of ours, growers of coffee in Mysore, Coorg 
and Ceylon, who produce some of the finest coffee in the 
world, but are depressed by the facts to which Mr. 
