8 9 8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[April i, 1882. 
coffee, choolate, cocoa, mat tobacco, the kava bowl, 
the betel nut, or other similar substances, is evidently 
a natural one, and the system after a lime would find 
that the so-called "coffee" does not impart what it 
expects, and tea would be taken in its place. It the 
public simply want a warm drink, why should they not 
take diluted pea or lentil soup, which would cost far 
less than Is. per pound for the raw material, and would 
be nutritious as well as hot. The practice of mixing 
is reaching such an extent, that there is a feeling grow- 
ing among the coffee trade that these admixtures should 
be treated under the Adulteration Acts, unless the 
quantity of coffee they contain be clearly declared by 
word of mouth or by label at time of sale. Furl her, 
the long-suffering trade appear to think that no 
substance ought to be allowed to be labelled coffee at 
all, even with a declaration of admixture, unless I he 
preponderating ingredient be coffee, and that in any 
case the name of the substance admixed ought to be 
stated. It may be mentioned that the latest ' 'substit- 
ute" discovered for coffee consists of charred cabbage 
stalks, the precise value of which, as an article of diet, 
is not mentioned in the ordinary scientific handbooks. 
Wot even the coffee trade would desire to detract 
from the dietetic merits of burnt cabbage stalks, and 
all they ask is that tbey should be offered under their 
own name, so that they may owe the large sale to 
which they may attain, to their own merits, and 
not to the name of coffee. — Produce Markets' Review. 
TROPICAL PRODUCE IN AUSTRALIA. 
(From Greig & Murray's Circular.) 
Melbourne, 15th February 1882. 
Sugar. — We have to report a large business in this staple 
during the month, transactions covering 4,000 tons. Not- 
withstanding- the heavy shipments that have come forward 
the mirket has shown wonderful elasticity, and nearly all 
the cargoes to hand have passed to the trade. 
Queensland Sugar.— The principal feature has been the 
sale of 140 tons brewing crystals at £33 to £34. The 
quality shews great improvement, and is fast approaching 
Mauritius production. 
Fiji Sugar.— 50 tons, ex "Suva," principally from the 
Sfcinlake Lee Refining Company, sold at £31/10 to £32 for 
yellows. The quality is improved. 
Indian Tea. — Another extensive sule was held on the 
9th instant, when 4,650 halfchests, selected by the Calcutta 
Syndicate, was offered. As no auction of any importance 
has been held since last November, the trade were well 
prepared to purchase, and, as was fully expected, the cata- 
logue, consisting of 143 lots, was run through in a very 
short space of time. Owing to the prices going at full 
valuations many of the traders were not able to fully com- 
plete their anticipated purchases. A great deal of difficulty 
is experi. need in placing saleable valuations on these teas, 
consequently the biddings were in many instances started 
at prices much under which they ultimately fetched; this 
was very noticeable in brokon orange pekoes, which must 
be quoted at a good advance on late rates. Choicest Uar- 
jeelmgs were not offered in any quantities. Samples that 
we have seen, representing .sales made in London, too 
plainly show that this District's teas cannot be procured, 
unless at better prices than we are able to give. In one 
or two instances dnubt has been expressed as to the truth- 
fulness of the marking of this favored tea on the packages; 
it is to be hoped that such a short sighted policy will not 
be of frequent occurrence ; the Syndicate brand should be 
a guarantee as to the genuineness of their teas. 
Japans.— A bold attempt of the Japanese merchants, aided 
by their Government, to introduce on a large scale iheir 
black loaf Congous was tried on the 2nd instant, when 
a hipment comprizing a variety of qualities, aggregating 
2,15'JO lialfchests, were submitted lo auction. The teas how- 
ever did not seem to please, and the whole had to be passed 
with the exception of a few small lots. 
LIBERIAN COFFEE IN CEYLON : SIZE OF 
BEANS; "PERPETUAL PICKING " : THE 
UDAGAMA AND GALLE ESTATES. 
To some it is a conclusive objection against Liberian 
coffee that the beans are not large in proportion to 
the size of the cherries. The question was being dis- 
cussed on board a recently-arrived mail-steamer, 
when a Dutch passenger, proceeding to visit his estates 
in Java, intervened with an emphatic condemnation 
of the new coffee on this very grouud of large cherries 
but small beans. The objection seems as valid as 
that of the Irishman to the guinea which he saw 
lying on the road. "By jabers !" said Paddy, "I'm 
not going to be chated again : I lost two shillings 
by the last one I found." This was because for a 
worn coin he had received only nineteen shillings in 
change, instead of twenty-one. There are, no doubt, 
varieties of Liberian coffee which give small beans, 
but surely no one will have the temerity to assert 
that on the average the beans from a Liberian coffee 
plantation do not considerably exceed in size average 
beans of Arabian coffee. Certain we are that the 
beans from selected bushes on Udapolla. are larger 
than the largest which can be gathered from the old 
kind. Perhaps those interested will institute a com- 
parison between a pound of select Liberian beans and 
a pound of largest sized plantation, counting the number 
of beans which go to each pound. [Since the above 
was written, we had the opportunity of referring the 
question 1o so competent an authority as Mr. R. 
Porter, who writes : — 
"You will perhaps be surprized to hear that, in 
last year's Udapolla crops there were 43 per cent of 
extra large beans above No. 1 size, against 6 to 6£ 
per cent in very fine high-grown Arabian coffee. 
"It is quite true that there are many Liberian 
beans not larger than Arabian beans, but the above 
figures show that a very large percentage are much 
larger."] 
If the objection were that so large a portion of the ener- 
gies of the tree were throwu'into the task of elaborating 
masses of mucilaginous matter, wecould easierjunderstand 
it ; although the obvious answer would be that none 
of the pulp is removed from the soil, but is restored 
to it, when properly treated as manure. 
A very intelligent German gentleman, Mr. Mhor, 
the advantage of whose company we had on a recent 
voyage from Java to Singapore, he being en route to 
his properties at Deli, in Sumatra, offered a more 
valid objection by adducing the number of trees which 
grew up tall and slim, without sending out primaries. 
There can be no doubt that from imported seed a 
certain proportion of these objectionable plants re- 
sult , but, after all, they are only exceptions, and pro- 
bably their habit could be altered were they cut down 
to within a foot or six inches of the ground and 
allowed to grow up again. We should be glad to 
know if any experiments in this direction have been 
tried. A gentleman, who has gone extensively into 
the culture of the new coffee in the Southern Province, 
and who deems the experiment successful, writes to 
us : — 
"My experience with stumps does not agree with 
yours. I had two hundred, plants, most of them three 
feet high and more, sent out. They had been sea 
