236 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [August i, 1881. 
THE CULTIVATION OF TIED BAEK AT HIGH 
ELEVATIONS. 
Nothing coukl be more satisfactory for the culti- 
vators of cinchona succirubra than the prices obtained 
for the Kirkoswald bark referred to the other day. 
If prices approaching to 5s Gd per lb. could always 
be obtained, the cultivators of the quick growing and 
heavy cropping species of cinchona might consider 
themselves as well off even as proprietors of the far- 
famed Ledgerianas. But it must be remembered that 
the Kirkoswald trees were fully eight years when the 
bark was harvested, and that period will be considered 
by many too loug a time to wait. The bark in ques- 
tion too was bought chiefly on account of its fine 
appearance due to careful harvesting and preparation 
as well as to its age. It is of interest, therefore, to 
know what prices may be expected for renewed red 
bark of younger growth, sold according to its intrinsic 
analytical value, and we think that from this point 
of view the following statement respecting the Ab- 
botsford bark disposed of at recent sales will be deemed 
satisfactory. It will be noted that renewed strips 
which had been under moss for only two years real- 
ized from 3s 3d to 3s 9d per lb. :— 
Cinchona Succirubra Natural and Renewed 
under Moss. 
Abbotsford Estate, Lindula. Elevation 4,600 to 5,300 
feet. 
Natural Baric— From trees 5 to S years old, some 
or which bad been stripped before, others for the first 
time : majority of strips 6 to S feet long— broken 
into lengths of 2 feet for packing. (Fetched 2s per lb.) 
Renewed.— Strips 3 to 5 f;'et in length, broken up 
as above for packing : hail been under moss 2 years. 
(Fetched 3s 3d to 3s 9d.) 
CEYLON AT THE MELBOURNE EXHIBITION. 
ADULTERATION of teas. 
The Melbourne Age of June 25th, which, with a 
mass of other papers, I send to the Editor of the 
Observer by the outgoing mail, contains Mr. Robin- 
son's trenchant article on the adulteration of China 
teas. In the same issue appears a mass of corre- 
spondence on the subject oE adulterated and pure 
teas, including a letter addressed by Mr. Moody to 
the Board of Health with reference specially to "faced " 
green. The information embodied in this letter is. 
interesting and valuable, but it is unfortunate that 
my good frieud should seem to plead for the use of 
Prussian blue and turmeric in the case of one class 
of teas. You will see that the Age does not allow of 
any exception. The difficulty is to alter pnblic taste 
once lorraed. I think I wrote . you on a former 
occasion that Messrs. Henty & Co. once got a 
consignment of unfaced green tea from China 
and that it was returned on their hands by the 
dealers. Following Mr. .Moody's communication is 
one from Mr. Everard, who, professing to b- a 
great friend of pure Indian and Ceylon teas, 
asserts, in the face of all the analyses published 
by Mr. Dunn, that only a few of the China tens are 
bad The very converse of the proposition is true, 
rind never in the whole history of the trade was such 
abominable rubbish poured into the Melbourne market 
as during the season just closed, while this season's 
to is are reported as not better but worse. "A Re- 
tail Grocer" follows Mr, Everard, giving credit to the 
leading Melbourne linns for setting their faces 
against the import of bad teas. Then comes my letter 
in which I point out that in view of all the dis- 
closures made an adulteration act is certainly needed, 
but that, meantime, the public can protect them- 
selves by using the perfectly pure teas supplied by 
their own countrymen in India and Ceylon. In the 
Argus of 28th June, Mr. Inglis, the Commissioner 
for India, followed, repeating my argument, with 
force and emphasis. "An Ex-Ceylon Planter'' 
follows in the same paper and shews that in some 
respects Ceylon teas are superior even to those 
of India. In the Argus of the 30th Mr. Everard 
came out at great length and most characteristically. 
Mr. Inglis, in the Argus of July 2nd, made excellent 
use of an article quoted into the Welch) Ceylon 
Observer from the North China Herald, shewing the 
pure Indian teas were rapidly superseding the inferior 
China produce. A very important contribution to 
the literature of pure versus adulterated tea is the 
elaborate review cf the tea season 1880-S1, by Mr. 
Robinson, in which he had the competent assistance 
of Mr. Moody. It appeared first in the Leader, a 
weekly paper published at the Age office, and in this 
paper I have marked it for insertion in the Observer 
as soon as room can be found for it. The figures 
shew that the import of tea into Australia last season 
was beyond all precedent, the amount being nearly 
23 millions of pounds against an average of about 16 
millions for the previous three seasons. Out of the 
23 millions 102 millions came to Melbourne, of which 
over 6 millions were delivered for home consumption. 
An overdone trade and lotv qualities led, of course, 
to a lowering of prices, from which the markets are 
still suffering. An extract from the North China 
Herald is taken to shew that in 18S0-S1 the incrcaft 
in exports of tea from China and Japan was 40 
millions of pounds, a quantity equal to the whole 
increase in eleven years previously ! No wonder 
if the markets were glutted and the prices of tea 
lowered to the injury of Indian and Ceylon teas 
as well as those from China, Of 4,395,000, sold by 
auction at Melbourne, of China teas, I notice that 
11,349,000 sold at 9id to 10Jd per lb. The range 
was between 3Jd and Is lOd. Such prices cannot 
possibly be remunerative to Indian and Ceylon tea 
planters, and it is doubtful if they left any' profit to 
producers in China, or at least to purchasers in the 
China markets. It indicates the approach of an im- 
portant revolution in the Australian tea trade, to 
find that nearly half the review of 1880-81 is devoted 
to the first appearance in appreciable quantity of the 
produce of India and Ceylon. Both countries owe 
much to Mr. Robinson of the Age and the firm of 
Henty & Co. The latter, I know, are determined 
to do full justice to the pure teas, even if. at first 
their operations should involve considerable loss. The 
quantity of Ceylon tea sold in Melbourne in season 
1880-81 was 54,000 lb., over which quantity, I doubt 
not, each successive following season will shew a 
large increase. Our planters must do their best to 
produce superior quality tea as economically as pos- 
sible. The traditions of low prices are difficult to 
eradicate. Besides the article and letters to which I 
have specially referred, there are numbers of para- 
graphs, which I have marked in papers sent to tlie 
Observer. — A. M. F. 
Cocoa-fields in the Kurunegala district aie reported 
on very favourably : trees little more than three 
years old are bearing a heavy crop, in some individual 
cases at a rate up to 7 or even 10 c» t. per acre. 
Ostriches are being successfully reared on a farm 
of 30 acres, four miles out of Sydney, by Mr. J. W. 
James, who two years ago brought some birds from 
the Cape. He has nine young healthy birds already 
from two pairs of imported ostriches. — Colonies <0 India* 
