November i, 1881.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
46t 
®otitjcsponclmicc + 
To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer. 
THE CEYLON TEA-PLANTING INDUSTRY 
VNI) COLOMBO KXI'OliT TKADE : A C.OOD 
SUGGESTION. 
22nd Sept. 1881. 
i3 being produced in 
Sin, — I think, now th 
pay » 
troubl 
and h 
fully, 
lould set 
faring to buy tea in bulk, paying 
;o quality ; blending and exporting 
an institution of this sort would 
ve the producer much labour and 
mply to send away his store boxes 
jtiu-iied when empty.— Yours faith - 
TEA IN STORE. 
LIBER1AN 
Sir,— There 'is t 
a party with a dt 
tor abandoning the 
He is evidently a 
has very little idc 
time provinces wei 
COFFEE CULTIVATION, 
letter in the "Times" written by 
berate intent to injure the pro- 
dustry. He concludes by signing 
;t he gives not one sound reason 
ultivation of this variety of coffee, 
grossly ignorant individual, and 
of cultivation. When the mari- 
taken by the British, there ex- 
•ffee such as found its way from 
Several years after the capture 
ince, the cultivation began and 
before ,it began to attract much 
,nd stumps could then have been got 
lated a trade in 
tbe native gardens, 
of the Central Eri 
took nearly 10 yeu 
capital. The plants 
for the mere collecting. 
In these depressedtimes, with the price of Libcrianseed 
and plants is too high for the mass, it is a matter of 
surprise, that the cultivation of this species has 
made so much progress in three years. Now 
that the seed is approaching reasonable prices, 
the cultivation will rapidly increase and is 
increasing, if a comparison is made with the 
present and last year's planting. I know that mis- 
takes in the selection of land will be made. It was 
a mistake to suppose that it will suit any soil in the 
low-couutry ; but that there are between 20 to 
30 thousand acres available in and around the Central 
Province chietly.I have no doubt. In thrco years to 
expect a new cultivation to assert itself is absurd. 
Even the oldest estates can hardly expect much, so 
soon. The tree takes live to six years to be well de- 
veloped. Tho writer seems disappointed in not find- 
ing tho gentlemen he mentions millionaires nlready; 
but if his connection with the island lasts 10 years 
more, he will aee the day when it will export as 
much coffee as it did in 1875 and 1870, but of this 
coffee more than $ and likely a half will be of 
tins Liberian variety, realizing nearly as much as the 
Araiiun ; for John Bull's prejudices will be then con - 
■jdi rablv toned down, as it is now in the matter of 
China iu. Indian teas.- Yours, PROGRESS. 
! CEYLON TEA IN LONDON : TAMBIES AND 
QUININE. 
4, Oinldhall Chambers, London, 9th September 1SS1. 
DCAB SIR,— It V/ill, perhaps, interest you and your 
Dfeylon readers to hear what was said on the sub- 
ject of Ceylon tea by an export tea-taster and valuer. 
Ho said : — " The Ce'jlon vani ties show the thin pale 
liquor, large half rolled leaves, and dull infusion, 
whioli formerly marked the Java teas. But vast im- 
provement lias' been obtained in Iho hitter, now folch- 
,,, excellent prices. Formerly they were under the 
tan in the London market, as the Ceylon teas are now. 
The splendid bright iufusion so marked in the Indian 
no 
tea is conspicuous by its absence in those from your 
island, which have the da.-k color of China qualities, 
Get tho planters to pay less attention to the make 
of the leaf. Produce the yellow lip so much thought 
of in the London market, improve the infusion, and 
let there be fewer coarse leaves in the shipments. 
Prices are then bound to improve." This gentleman 
kindly supplied us with sample, boxes of Indian teas 
and one of Java tea. These we are sending on to 
you by a gentleman returning this mouth to Ceylon ; 
so that you can sec what is required. 
Let us cordially endorse all that was said upon 
the subject of the home sale of your teas by your 
Northern correspondent. Every word of bis letter was 
to us, working in the same field, pregnant with truth. 
A short time back in "Planting Notes" fiom the 
Matale direction your correspondent spoke of a tainby 
hawking quinine about the country at a low figure. 
The following may perhaps explain his query. We 
received from India not long ago an indent for 100 
ounces of sulphate of quinine. The label was sent as 
a guide and a sample bottle was to follow. We for- 
warded the label to the manufacturers, giving the order. 
VVe received a sample bottle from them. Shortly 
after, tbe bottle from India arrived. On compar- 
ing the two, it was clearly apparent that they were 
very different in quality. Both were taken to the 
manufacturers, and the matter was very simply ex- 
plained. The bottle from India contained cinchonidine 
(worth 3s 3d per oz.) instead of quinidine (worth 5s 
lOd per oz.). The process was perfectly simple. The 
cinchonidine label had been removed upon arrival in 
India, and a sulphate of quinidine label substituted ; 
the swindle being the more easily effected as the 
waxed impression of the English firm remained in- 
tact. Be careful when purchasing quinine from tambies 
and "see that you get it " is the moral of the above. 
It would, perhaps, bave been better, if Mr. \V. 
Turing Mackenzie's friend, who made the laborious 
hunt after Ceylon tea in London, had applied for the 
information he required at the offices of one of the 
firms connected with your island. Mr. W. Sabona- 
diere, Mr. Delmege, ourselves, and others, are esta- 
blished in London, and he could doubtless have obtained 
the tea from one of these sources. Our advertize- 
ment appears weekly in the Ceylon Overland Observer, 
and for Ceylon produce, passages, shipment of goods, 
and parcels, and all information regarding the island, 
we are at everybody's service who calls at our office. 
Trusting we have not taken up too much of your 
valuable space, yours faithfully, 
HUTCHISON & Co. 
ANALYSIS OF CEYLON LEDGERIANA 
BARK. 
Mattakelly, Lindula, 29th September 1S81. 
Dear Sir,— I enclose Messrs. Howards' analysis of 
eight samples of bark taken from eight cinchona 
Ledgeriana trees grown here, being about five and at 
half years old when the bark was taken. 
The results will, no doubt, be interesting to your 
numerous readers now engaged in cinchona cultivation, 
aud may bo doubly so to you, when I toll you, I 
am indebted to your senior for the seed from which 
these trees were raised. 
The selection for analysis from among the other 
treeB was made by Messrs. F. A. Fairlio aud J. A. 
Campbell, showing that selection botuuically may be 
cultivated to a high degree, as Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on 
tho list will prove. 
Sinco these were picked out for analysis, we hafe 
had tho advantage of seeing most of them blossom, aa 
w ell as a good many of the others grown from tho same 
8 ood;and judging botauically, we expect, at least, tho 
aamo avorago richness over the whole. 1 truat Mr. 
