April i, 1882.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
To the Editor of the Ceylon Observer. 
THE ADULTERATION OF COFFEE : WANTED 
THE IMMEDIATE CO-OPERATION OF THE 
PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION OF CEYLON. 
The Scottish Trust & Loan Company of Ceylon, Ld., 
123, Bishopsgate Street Within, 
London, January 20th, 1882. 
Dear Sir, — I enclose copies of correspondence re- 
garding coffee adulteration, and, unless you stir up 
Ceylon, and the planters and merchants respond to 
my endeavours, we shall never obtain redress. 
I can make sure of several members of Parliament. 
— Ycurs faithfully, THOMAS DICKSON. 
P. S.— Messrs. Patry & Pasteur aro preparing a 
still stronger remonstrance. 
Copies of Letters on Coffee Adulteration. 
To the Right Hon. the Earl Cairns. 
My Lord, — As your name is associated with many phil- 
anthropic undertakings having for their object tho elevation 
of the poor in this land, and especially in the erection of 
Coffee Taverns, where the working classes can obtain a 
wholesome and nutritious beverage, instead of the alcoholic 
drinks which ruin their souls aud bodies, you will know 
by inquiry aud by tho numerous letters which appear in 
the public journals, how little success has followed the 
endeavours of your lordship and your many colleagues, 
entirely arising from the infamous decoction which the 
purveyors falsely call " coffee." 
I therefore address you not only in your quality as a 
philanthropist, whose purpose has failed, but also as a great 
statesman whose name stands high on the roll of Fame, as a 
great exponent of justice, and I appeal to you, in the 
name of every struggling cotl'ee planter, and especially 
those of our own possessions in India and Ceylon, to help 
our cause and to assist us in the petition winch the 
Chambers of Commerce and Planters' Associations of India 
and Ceylon will forward to Parliament, for the justice, 
that coffee shall mean coffee. In every country out of 
England, consumption of coffee increases with population, iu 
England only is it stationary. In every country other than 
England a good cup of coffee can everywhere be obtained, 
even amongst tin? reunite and rude inhabitants of Scandan- 
avia and the wilds of Continental Europe. The cause is 
not fur to seek, for it is fouud iu the vile adulterations 
obtained in this country. Dates, beans, acorns, peas, chicory, 
carrots and endless abominations have rendered cotl'ee vile 
to the taste and stomach of all but the wealthy, and this, 
not through the high price of the genuine article, for as a 
fact the deliveries of cotl'ee have iu noway increased, al- 
though t|,o price, is only one-half what it was n few years 
ago, and this to the great distress of the struggling coffee 
planter who has seen his crops decimal ed during tho same 
time by tho fearful pest Ettnilia Vadatrix, and will 
have to face tho decline of this enterprise, unloss your 
lordship and tho Legislature of this country affords him 
justice Cur appeals hitherto have been fruitless against the 
law which admits of coffoe being sold us a mixture. 
To your lordship's legal mind I read not demon- 
strate how this is abused. Tho failure of tho Coffee Tavern 
movement as n wholo points that moral, and the utter in- 
ubiliiy ..I a fitful excise supervision to do anything to check 
it Is pressing hard upon tho cofiee planter, who, in addition, 
ahs to t'aee tho overwhelming competition of tho slavo 
grown coffee of Brazil. This latter we can face, seeing that 
J'vf trade (which in this case is not free labour) promises 
no remedy, hut wo appeal to jour lordship to aid u^ from 
your Inch place, in our humble petition to Her Majesty 
to rescind the order in Council by which chicory and other 
ingredients aro allowed to be mixed together and sold as 
coffee. — I have tho honour to be, your lordship's bumble 
sorvun I THOMAS Dickson, 
ManiUjiiig Director, Scottish Trust & Loan Company . 
123 Bishopsgate Street Within, London, 17th January 1882. 
Charles Magnaic, Esq., M. P. 
Sir, — As your interest and connection with mercantile 
affairs is well known and has been frequently exerted for their 
benefit from your place in Parliament, may I solicit your 
able sorviccs in assisting a struggling enterprise to obtain 
what they consider justice? 
The state of the eoflco trade is very unsatisfactory, prin- 
cipally arising from the vile adulteration of the genuine 
article, actually leading to a falling-off in the clearances 
of coffee for home consumption, despite a fall of 40 per 
cent in value and an increase of population. 
As bearing upon this, I have addressed the Earl Cairns 
in hopes he may assist us in the Upper House, and I en- 
close copy of letter for your guidance. 
Our chief hopes however, rest in what you can do for us 
in the House of Commons, and I shall address the Cham- 
bers of Commerce and the Planters' Association of India 
and Coylon, and stir up Jamaica, and our other coffeo 
colonies to place their petitions in your hands. 
Brazil, Central America, Venezeula, and other coffee pro- 
ducing countries be ; ng equally in terested, I h ive addressed 
the Ministers accredited to this country (copy of letter 
enclosed) in hopes of thoir co-operation, and I will be happy 
to forward you their replies and follow out any suggestion, 
you may be good enough to make. 
In conclusion, I would draw your attention to the remarks 
upon this subject in Messrs. Patry & Pasteur's annual 
coffee circular. — I am, sir, your faithful servant. 
Thomas Dickson. 
Managing Director, 
Scottish Trust & Loan Co, of Ceylon, Limited. 
His Excellency the Baron do Penedo, Envoy Extraordi- 
nary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Empire of Brazil, 
I xcollency, — I have the honour to draw your attention 
to the printed correspondence herewith regarding the 
adulteration of coffee in this country, and to solicit Your 
Excellency's co-operation in pressing for some relief from 
Her Majesty's Government. 
Tho country Your Excellency has tho honor to represent 
is a large exporter of coffee to England and is deeply in- 
terested iD seeing the produce of its soil fairly treated in 
consuming countries, and I trust the Government here may 
listen to our appeal, if backed up by a deputation from 
those interested and by petitions from the various Chambers 
of Commerce and Agricultural Associations I havo named. 
Trusting to receive Your Excellency's co-operatioD, I 
have the honor to be, your obliged servant. 
Thomas Dickson, 
Managing Director, 
Scottish Trust & Loan Co. of Ceylon, Limited. 
123 Bishopsgate Street Within, London, January 18th, 1882. 
Letters to the same purport sent to: — The Minister for 
Contral America, The Minister for Venezuela, The Charges 
d'AB lires for Hayti, The Jamaica Agrieu tur.il Super- 
intendent, Tho Chambers of Commerce ot Madi as, Bombay, 
and Colombo, The Planters' Association of Ceylon. 
TRAYANCORE COFFEE. 
Gth Feb. 1882. 
Dear Sir,— I connot give the ex»ct figures of the 
exports of coffee from tho various ports, bnt I send 
you a copy of the Administration Report for 1S79 SO, 
the lust published. A reference to page 26 aud to pages 
give all the informatn u 
19 t( 
that is wanted, for acomp iri-on of crop with acreage. 
Details of what has been shipped from the various 
ports arc not necessary to correct the incorrect com- 
parison made in a former issue of vnnr paper. 
—Yours faithfully, TRAYANCORE. 
[The Report will bo duly noticed.— Ed.] 
SCARCITY OP INDIARUBBUR. 
Mntalc, 15: h Feb. 1SS2. 
Dear Sir,— I enoloH a cutting (forwarded to mo 
by a Ceylon planter now in Kngland) with reference 
to indiarubber : — 
The scarcity of Iudiu rubber:— Unless some means are 
