April i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
891 
compared to other kinds, and we, cannot hope to cult- 
ivate the consumer's taste for Indian teas to any 
marked extent, for some time to come ; for, while we 
might readily succeed in turning our trade for China 
Congous on to Indian teas (as has been the case iu 
England and Australia) you must remember that, in 
the countries named, ihe consumption of China Sou- 
chong and Congou teas was far in excess of all other 
kind ; while in the U.S., out of a total consumption 
of, say, 72,000,000 lb. yearly, only 5 to G per cent, 
are Souchong and Congou teas, while 73 per cent are 
Green and Japan teas.* 
We are fully alive to the actual merit of Indian 
teas over the other descriptions that are so popular 
here (Greens and Japans), but it will not be an easy 
matter to change the taste that has been educated on 
such teas to a tea so entirely different in every part- 
icular as those produced in your country. 
Again, the larger portion of Souchong and Congou 
teas sold here are comparatively low-priced teas 
under 40c. running as low as lGc. per pound, and 
at this latter price a great many are placed. Indian 
teas do not ruti ae low as this, and the trade will 
therefore be forced to buy China leas for their cheap 
grades, even if they use Indian teas for the higher 
grades. Handling so few Congous as compared to 
other kinds, our jobbers and retailers have come to 
regard them as rather au outside article ; and con- 
sequently they charge excessive profits on same, so much 
so, that teas of this kind, going from the hands of the 
importer at 40 cents per lb. usually cost con-sumer $1-00. 
We have written the foregoing not for the purpose 
of discouraging the in' reduction of Indian teas in 
this country, hut simply to show you a few of the 
obstacles to be overcome before the teas can begin 
to he called "popular," as, in reading over your reports 
and circulars, we fenl that your expectations in regard 
to the American trade can hardly be fulfilled, as 
promptly as you anticipate, to say the least. Wo do 
not know what the nature of your advices are from 
your other agents in the U. S., but, from our knowledge 
of the trade here, we think creating a demand for Indian 
teas will he a slow process, requiring a great deal of time 
and attention before the end sought for can be attained. 
If the additional cost of so doing is not loo great 
(say 3 cents per lb., or less) we think it would be well 
to pack a few cases iu your next shipment, say half 
the inv .ice— 4 tins of 201b net each, in a case, and 
Bay 8 tins of 101b. each in a case. We have had a 
few leas from Calcutta packed iu this way, and they 
have proved quite attractive. 
In regard to the value of your shipment per "Compta," 
on this market, we do not feel competent to say w hat 
these- teas will bring, as wo have never had an estab- 
lished market for this description of tea. We must 
therefore feel our way as to pi ices, until we find at 
■Dal figure the trade will take them, hoping to be 
able to increase their value, as we can slimulato the 
demand. We have made one or two sales as follows: — 
t5 Pkga. Break No. 4 45 cents. 
6 » ii „ 11 37 „ 
14 „ „ „ 5 50 „ 
Wo do not oiler this as any standard of value, and 
in fact we ihink No 4, for instauce, is really worth 
more money; but the purchasers do a large distribut- 
ing trade, nnd we sold the goods more to got them 
started than with an idea of obtaining what seems 
to uh to bo their real value. We are as yet unable to 
tell you what descriptions are aomg to suit our market 
Hh , but later on wo hope to be able to report intel- 
ligently on this point. 
'Balance probably Oolongs. 
8. d. 
tl'owul, Katigni, I'okoo Souchong, valued in C»l. (§) I 6| 
Miirencimrru Cellar, P. koo Sxu'luiiig ,, „ 1 3 
Dewal, Kanjrni, Pokoe Souelumg ,, „ 1 • 
FUNGUS PESTS AND LIBERIAN COFFEE. 
Whether the Liberiau coffee is or is not really 
proof against the destructive fungus or "leaf-disease" 
which affects the ordinary varieties of coffee, not only 
in Ceylon but also in Fiji, Java, the Straits Settle- 
ments, Brazil, and other coffee-growing countries, is 
a disputed point. One planter at least in Fiji asserts 
that it is not, and plauters in Ceylon are not fully 
agreed that the tree possesses the immunity from this 
disease, which was one of iU principal claims to notice 
when it first attracted attention. It is evident, how- 
ever, that the tree is subject, to the attacks of another 
kind of fungoid growth, similar to that which is 
found in badly-cultivated cocoa and sugar plantations 
I in the West Indies. The experimental plantations of 
Liberian coffee in the Botanical Gardens in Trinidad 
are, accordiugto Mr. Prestoe, the Government Botanist, 
liable to this parasitic growth. Most of the trees are 
in perfect health, but about six years ago a large 
Tonga bean-tree, in the prime of life, suddenly died, 
owing to the attack of the fungoid growth at the roots; 
and since then several of the Liberian coffee trees 
have been seriously affected, two being killed outright. 
This pest is liable lo work its ravages for a long 
time unnoticed, but sometimes makes known its exist- 
ence by developing huge spore-bearing plates of great 
thickness and solidity. Fortunately the pest has not 
the fecundity of the Ilemileia vastatrix, and it is easily 
deteced in the seed-bearing state ; but, if measures 
for its destruction are not promptly taken whenever 
found, it may easily increaee and multiply, and, when 
once it has established itself in a locality, it is diffic- 
ult to get rid of it. The Trinidadians are, however, 
alive to the necisrity of allowing the enemy no quarter, 
for, although Mr. Prestoe has long wished to obtain 
a specimen containing fully matured seed to send to 
Kew for identification, he has been unable to do so, owing 
to the fact that the pulbic take good care to destroy 
the growth whenever it is found! — Colonics and India. 
COTTON CULTIVATION OF THE MADRAS 
PRESIDENCY. 
The Madras Board of Revenue, in their report to 
Government on the cultivation of, and trade in, cotton 
for Fasli 1,290, state lhat "in most of the importa it 
cotton-producing districts, the season was unfavor- 
able for cotton cultivation. In Tinnevelly and Kistna, 
the rains were insufficient and untimely ; in Kurnool, 
they were excessive in some taluks aud scanty in 
others ; and iu Bellary, the season though favorable 
at the outset, proved adverse in the end owing to 
excessive rains. The crop in this district suffered also 
from blight. In all other districts, the season was 
favorable." The report also says that " the cultiv- 
ation in tho year under report is in exeese of that in 
the preceding" year by 141,329 acres. Tho increase is 
chiefly in the districts of Kurnool, Oaddapnh, Madura 
aud Bellary, and is due to expectations founded on 
the largo profits obtained in Fasli 12S9, and in some 
cases to a favorable season. The only districts in 
which there is a decrease in the cultivation are Tri- 
chinopoly, Tanjoro and South Canara. Tho docn>aso 
in the last-mentioned district is trifling and that in 
tho other two districts is due to a heavy storm which 
occurred in November." As to tho species cultivated 
the report Bays :—" The cotton growu in this Presid- 
ency is generally raised from tho ordinary count it 
seed. A small area in B-llary wna cultivated with 
Bourbon cotton, but without success. Tho soil i« statod 
in be unsnited to the crop, and the season was un- 
favorable. Iu Coimbatore nlso the Acclimatized Bour- 
bon and American species wen cultivated, but the 
Collector does not state to what extent aud with 
I what effect" From tho estimated outturn of cleaned 
