August i, 1881.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
and August the south-east monsoon makes fishing 
almost impossible. 
Mr. Bernard concludes his report by saying that 
on account of the great extent of the shoal of Saya de 
Malha, of the extraordinary abundance of fish, and 
the numerous facilities which the operation oilers, it 
might bf come the place of an important and lucrative 
trade, capable of supplying large quantities of manure 
rich in azote, which it weulcl not be possible to 
procure in the ordinary courso of commerce. —Colonies 
and India. 
CEYLON TEA AGENCIES IN THE MOTHER 
COUNTRY. 
We give special prominence to the following re- 
lation of the practical difficulties in the way of push- 
ing a trade in Ceylon Tea in the old country, which 
comes from the correspond cut who contributes our 
"News from tho North." The writer's suggestions 
aro deserving of careful consideration : — 
I am glad to see by last recoived Observer that 
Sir Wm. Gregory's suggestion of a London Agency 
for Ceylon Tea is likely to be carried out by a 
Ceylon Syndicate. I now feel called on to break the 
ominous silence I have maintained respecting the 
success of the "Ceylon Tea and Coffee Agency" 
established by me in this town some eight months 
ago, as the experience of the first and only retail 
agency in this country solely devoted to Ceylon pro- 
duce may afford hints for the guidance of the Syndic- 
ate, when arranging how they shall place Ceylon 
teas before the Briti b 
also to those who, hav 
the Syndicate, and 
jpinion of the ex- 
iffore entering on 
v of taking up a 
I address my re- 
r : Don't let your 
;he belief that you 
ounce the sale of 
demand. If you 
on, vou will iiud 
ving ue- 
is on the 
ving are 
cellence of Ceylon tea (as I 
this business), and who may 
special agency for Ceylon pro 
marks. To the latter, I won 
individual tastes delude you 
have only to open a shop an 
Ce>lon tea to meet with a 1 
have not already a good co 
the public slow to make trial of a new thing, unless 
it be constantly forced on their attention by advert- 
isement. To do this efficiently involves an expendi- 
ture that few private individuals are able to meet, or 
■would care to risk, as the prospect of return would 
be too far off, tho taste for Ceylon tea having to be 
acquired. The great majority of people do not ap- 
preciate good tea and don't know it when they get 
it. This is no mere opinion. I have proof of it. 
British notions of tea, to a great extent, are ruled 
by the darkness of the cup, with almost universal 
ignorance as to the shade of colour a really good 
tea should have. To simply anuounce that you have 
Ceylon tea for sale and expect to draw customers is 
certain to lead to disappointment. You must advertise 
persistently— chant its praises, issue circulars and dis- 
tribute handbills. Have I done these things? Yes, 
more perhaps than my means warranted. On to the 
glass of my shop-window I have pasted a largo poster 
which says :— " Important Announcement. Ceylon 
Tea surpassed nil other Teas at the Melbourne Ex- 
hibition of tho present year 1SS1." 
The Committee of Ladies having charge of the 
Ladies' Refreshment rooms at the Melbourne Exhibi- 
tion (elected Ceylon Tea for use, and placarded the 
walls of the rooms thus :— " Ci.yi.on Tea, iiik Bi>t 
IN THE WORM)." In my handbills which have been 
distributed iu the streets and sent round to families 
(a stylo of advertising now much practised) I say :— 
"Pcbi Ceylon Teas imported direct from the 
QbOWXNG Estate*. 
Finost quality, 4 per lb. I Liberal Discount given 
Second ,, 3,— ,, ) on Quantities. 
" W. VV. begs to intimate that, 
business, he has sent Large Parce 
Tea all over Scotland, to many 
to Wales, and as far south as Bi 
English Channel; that he is cons 
peat Orders and the most flatted] 
superior excellence of his Tea. 
specimens : — 
" It is really the most refreshing cup I ever tasted. -> 
" 1 never knew what good Tea was till I got 
yours," "Your new Ceylon Tea is perfectly de- 
licious." Scores of times has he been informed : — 
" I have tried all the principal shops in town with- 
out getting Tea to please me like yours;" and "I 
would never wish to drink better Tea." — A lady, 
whose husband is a family grocer in Union Stree* - , 
being entertained to a cup of Ceylon Tea at a friend's 
bouse, said, " Oh ! what delicious Tea this is. Whero 
did you get it ? What a beautiful colour it has when 
the cream is added ! My husband never sent me 
Tea like this." 
"Having abundant proof that Ceylon Tea only wants, 
to be tried to become popular — in fact, to supersede 
the taste for China, Assam, and blended Teas, ho 
most respectfully solicits a Trial. 
"The Ceylon Tea Growers wish their Tens supplied 
to Cousumers in a thoroughly pure condition, without 
any admixture, having every confidence in its growing 
popularity." 
On the window I have a copy of this handbill. After 
each fresh distribution of bills there comes a crop 
of customers who make trial of a quarter of a pound. 
Of them a very small percentage become regular 
customers. In geneial, those who do come a second 
time speak highly of the tea. "They never tasted 
better," but slowly indeed is progress made in 
public favour. A few like Ceylon tea at first tabting, 
aud pronounce it delicious. One fact that indicates 
tli e future popularity of the tea is that — almost without 
exception, — those who at once ordered 7 lb. have re- 
peated their order. Some of them tell me they did 
not like it very well at first and did not intend 
having more, but by the time they got 
it they found they liked it very well, 
months I have been " casting my brea 
itaters," paying for an experience I offer f 
w may concern. In no single 
months has the sale of Ceylon tea yielded me a pro- 
tit equal to half the salary I gave up for it. Having 
' has probed the market with so little success — of 
ultimate success I have no doubt, as I am now having 
a slow but steady increase of sales — my experience 
points to another method of bringing Ceylon tea be- 
fore the public. I fenr it 13 hopeless to expect whole- 
sale tea merchants to sell Ceylon tea as long as they 
have such a conceit of tin 
wholesale tea merchant h 
those who buy blended te 
aud China teas and bleuil 
I former, it is most likely be would recommend his 
I own blends iu preference to Ceylon tea that does 
not need his skill, and the latter confess their pre- 
ference foi the harsh teas of India to regulate quality 
I with the weaker growths of China. One thing to be kept 
1 in view is, as Ceylon tea gains favour, there is a 
danger of blends being offered as pure Ceylon t.a, and 
so check the reputation of the genuine article. \Vero 
I asked for my opinion as to how the Syndicate 
might proceed, I would tender the following hints : uni- 
form quality must be maintained by blending the b< st 
tea*, aa quality of an estate's tea varies The objections 
to blending teas in Colombo have already hem discussed 
in the Observer'* columns. Consignments could be made 
to in "Agency' in Loudon, where an expert could 
value, credit the e? tato according to his judgment, and 
make blouds of Ceylon tea of different qualities, to 
th 
ery well. For eight 
my bread upon the 
e I offer free to whom 
week of these eight 
ng. jMiry 
custt nii/i s : 
buy India 
. To tho 
