34 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[June i, 1881. 
So that the average maximum temperature at Co- 
lombo in the shade is under 92 degrees. This will 
not seem very much to residents in India, or even 
Australia ; but let them remember that the temper- 
ature with us never falls below summer heat, that in 
fact, the average of maximum and minimum is up to 
81°— the highest so far recorded for any station on 
the world's surface (outside Ceylon) ; and yet Colombo 
is an exceptionally healthy city for European residents. 
TEA PLANTING IN CEYLON. 
We have received a letter from a gentleman on his 
way to manage a tea estate in Assam, in which he says : — 
" I was much struck (in my rapid journeying through 
Ceylon by rail and short residence on a tea estate) 
with the capabilities of the island to produce tea, 
and with the lack of experienced ten planters." 
He goes on to say that since seeing Ceylon his views 
have considerably modified, and he is desirous of pro- 
curing a berth at R700 or R800 a month, as a pre- 
liminary to investing on his o^n account. We have 
advised him to stick to India if he can get such a 
salary as this : not half that sum being at present 
procurable in Ceylon, although the prospect before tea 
planters investing on their own account is, we believe, 
exceptionally good. It is most satisfactory to learn 
on all sides how favourably impressed our Indian 
visitors are with the prospects of Ceylon as a tea- 
growing country. We travelled down by the Gam- 
pola coach this week with a young Assam tea planter, 
and he fully realized all our advantages in ready means 
of transport, full supply of labour, healthful climate, 
as well as suitableness of soil and climate in so many 
districts. The severe lever and epidemic cholera which 
carry off so many Assam labourers — each costing the 
planter a heavy bounty — have no parallels here. A 
beautifully regular and vigorous field of young tea 
(from 15 to 20 months old) on Helbodde estate, Pus- 
sellawa, attracted the attention of the travellers by 
coach and justly received commendation ; a good deal 
of the land planted was patana. — The following ex- 
tracts from the Tea Circular of Messrs. Layton & Co., 
dated London, 10th March, are deserving the atten- 
tion of Ceylon as well as Indian tea planters : — 
' ' Indian Tea. 
" The chief feature is the large increase in the 
deliveries, it being remarkable that those of China Tea 
in the same period have fallen off very materially ; 
buyers do not, however, appear to have been influenced 
in consequence, for while the public sales have con- 
tinued moderate, and comparatively small, prices of 
common grades— perhaps in sympathy with China- 
show a slight decline ; the only qualities for which 
the demand continues unabated are good and fine, 
these bringing fully former rates. 
"Managers ofgardens in India will do well to remember 
in the manufacture andpreparation of Tea for the coming- 
season, that although the article has hitherto deservedly 
—as compared with China leaf— taken root in the trade 
of this country, it. is nevertheless patent that unless the 
inferior character and "washy" liquors are replaced, 
by hard pungent flavour, the result and average prices 
of next season must be again disastrous." 
Agriculture in Cyprus. — The Homeward Mail 
reports that an agricultural show will be held at 
Nicosia on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, April 
27, 28, and 29. Prizes will be given for horses, mules, 
donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats, pigs, turkeys, 
jieese, ducks, and pigeons. The committee will also 
award prizes for wheat, barley, caroubs, potatoes, 
best samples of each vegetables (best basket of 
these in season), silk (best skeins), cotton (best 
sample), cheese (best sample), butter (best sample). 
An exhibition of agricultural machinery is invited, and 
merit w ill be awarded according as the funds will allow. 
CEYLON AND INDIAN TEA AT THE 
MELBOURNE EXHIBITION. 
By last mail I wrote you about the great eale of 
Indian tea — the greatest by far ever held in the 
Australian Colonies, including as it did 200,0001b. 
weight— whic'i was to be held at the instance ot 
Messrs. James Henty & Co., on their own account 
and that of the Calcutta Syndicate. The sale has 
been held, and although the prices realized were 
somewhat lower than those obtained at the earlier 
sales the results are deemed very satisfactory and 
very favourable for the future of Indian (let us add 
Ceylon) tea in the Australian markets. Every " line" 
was sold, although some of the lots included large 
numbers of heavy packages, and as there were at least 
fifty purchasers of the teas they are sure to be well 
distributed. There is "ne dealer, Mr. Walker of 
Swanston Street, who sells only Indian and Ceylon 
teas, and who states that be has a large demand 
for the latter. Measures are being taken to establish 
another dealer in Indian t-as exclusively in Collins 
Street, and in due time by such means as these pre 
judice will be overcome and a taste formed for pure 
first-class teas which must be gratified. Of course 
existing tastes have to be consulted, and many ot 
the Darjeeling teas and those from Cachar, Kangra 
Valley, &c, are, equally with the Ceylon teas, fit for 
going into consumption on their own merits. Others 
must be mixed and blended. One of the great diffi- 
culties is about price. It is so difficult to get peo- 
ple to understand that a tea which yields 42 to 52 
per cent of extract (Mr. Dunn has got the lattei 
result from a Ceylon tea), soluble salts in proportion, 
is worth much more than a tea which cannot be 
made to give more than 30 per cent of extract, if so 
much. Preparatory to the sale, Mr. Moody diffused 
information as to the merits of Indian teas, includ- 
ing the following testimony from a source which 
even the most conservative of Melbourne dealers 
must admit to be valuable because beyond doubt 
spontaneous and disinterested : — 
"The Tea of the Future. 
" Under this head the Anglo- American Grocer gives 
the following interesting comments, which bear out, 
from a trade point of view, nearly all we have said 
on this subject : — 
" Of all the articles of produce which claim the at- 
tention of our readers, we believe there are none that 
have shown the same remarkable expansion in their 
production, during the last score of years, as Indian tea. 
"It will seem but as yesterday, to many of our country 
friends, when the London tea traveller first showed 
them a sample of Assam Pekoe. What excitement it 
produced ! How speedily the kettle was boiled, and the 
new silver-tipped product submitted to the test.' And 
how well it stood that test ! Nothing approaching to 
it in strength had been seen before ; little wonder, 
therefore that fancy prices were asked, and easily ob- 
tained for it. With the enormous increase in the pro- 
duction — the present season being expected to turn out 
45,000,000 lb. - prices have obtained a very reasonable 
level, and it is now the standing complaint of all 
Indian tea growers that their teas bring actually less 
than their relative value when compared with China 
tea of similar quality. 
"It was in 1842 that the attention of the Indian 
Government was first drawn to the subject of tea culti- 
vation in Assam ; and seeing the immense benefit that 
would naturally result from the encouragement of 
the industry, they imported experienced cultivators 
and manipulators of leaf from China, who superintended 
the early efforts of the Indian tea growers. 
" The tea plant grows naturally on the slopes of the 
Himalayas, and thrives best on a rich soil of decayed 
vegetation, with a humid atmosphere, and considerable 
heat. . . . The first ten or fifteen years of Indian 
