THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURI.ST. 
[Nov. 1, 1893. 
might well be expected in the ooorBe of yearB to 
consume a large proportion of the commoner leas 
produced in India, leaving the better kinde for 
export ; and there is no reason why the same ex- 
perience should not extend over the Bombay and 
Madras Piovinoes — though coffee is still available 
in the latter — and in Ceylon. We thitk every 
euoouragenaent should be givin by our tea planters 
and members of the public service, if not the 
Government, to promote the local distribution, 
and thereby foster a tatte for tea among the 
native population. Official approval of the opening 
of tea shops can be indicated without much trouble 
and wa know bow far some notice in this way 
goes with natives of all degrees in cur nnioter 
(listriois. In this connection we cannot help 
repealing the passage in which the veteran Gov- 
eruinent Agent for the Nurtbern Province relates 
his experience and evident approval of recent 
aevelopment in the habits of the people under 
his oare. In his Administration Beport for 1892, 
Mr. Twynam writes : — 
" Tea shops have receutly become quite a fra'.ure of 
the peuinsula of Jaflfna. 1 first noticed the liawkiog 
of te» at tbe pearl fishery of 1888, wben two or three 
tea cans were carried about tbe osmp. Id 18S0 tlie 
number inortAseJ, and in 1891, at Mariohohukkatti, 
there were ueveral tta boutiques, which were much 
freqaeiited by tbe Mnhammadau divers. There are 
notv tea shops at Jaffna near tbe Kscbcberi, the 
Courts, the Custom-hou' e, and in almost all tbn 
bazaars of tbe peuinsula. Tea is rela ted at 1 cei.t 
the tumbler without milk, and 2 cents with milk." 
iSo much for tea oonsumplion among the natives 
of the lowcountry. We do not know bow far 
planters would deem it wise to encourage a taste 
for tea drinking among their estate coolies, and 
to carry the same with them from time to time to 
Southern India. We fear they would consider the 
Tisk of appropriations from the factory too great. Wo 
remember how alarmed the late MeEsrs. Worms 
were at the thought of a taste for coffee spreading 
to the coolies or even in the wayside boutiques 
in tbe planting districts. According to one satirical 
visitor who wrote about the hill country twenty 
years ago, the way to horrify a planter and to 
create a sensation in a " restbouse," was to shout, 
— "Boy, bring a cup of cofiee," — the answer 
being " Coffee not allowed keep, Sar" 1 The 
story is a good one though apocryphal ; but cer- 
tainly no such prohibition or scarcity, even in 
lesthouses, applies to tea ; and while our Tea Fund 
Committee do well to give all possible attention 
to Ameri'^a, the Australian colonies and Bussia, 
let them not despise tea- drinkers nearer home 
with "the day of small things," seeing it may 
develop into a consumption following after that of 
China and Japan where the people drink a weak 
deoootion of tea morning, noon and night, and 
never touch unboiled water, thereby saving them- 
selves to a great extent from the fevers, dysentery 
and other troubles so prevalent among the natives 
of many difitriots of India and Oey Ion, "Nothing 
more dangerous to drink in India than brandy, 
except water runs the old saw," and certainly if 
the people in the country districts could, as a rule, 
be got to substitute a weak decoction of tea for 
the water they often drink, there would be less 
expenditure in the distribution of fever medicines 
and less need for multiplying dispensaries. Is this 
view of tbe case above the notice of the Tea Fund 
Committee, the Civil Medical Department and of 
Government? 
SAMPLES "OF FINE TEAS FROM THE LANE. 
We have rf^oeived a series of " Bamplee " from the 
" Lace" authority whose letter about Ceylon teas 
in our columns, some time ago, attracted so 
muoh aUention and was generally acknowledged 
to be the weightiest deliverance in lespeol of 
" quality " and alleged deterioration made in the 
whole coarse of the discussion. Our correspondent 
now writ. 8 : — 
"By Qiitil I am eeodiog you specimens of the new 
crop Indian teas, which may perbap* interest plaotera 
who lock in at yonr ofiice to Ulk over 'tea,' sud 
ask wb.i( like are tbe teus fetcLiog bi^b prioet in 
London. 
"The Darjeelings letveoie with high aroma on dry 
leaf, which may probnbly be lost io tranait : it eouoti 
much as a factor of valae. 
" Wishing you every kucoess in your tfTorta on 
behalf of plaotirg industry." 
Tbe particulars of the intereetiog aelection of 
i samples (which we may as well say come from 
' 38, Mincing Lane) are as follows, with tbe remarks 
of tbe sender : — 
161 h Sept. 1898. 
1. Goomtee, Darjeeling 
sold at ... 3s 3d Best of the season. 
(Above the average 
of crop valued for 
c o Di b 1 nation of 
high flavour with 
deep colour and 
fallnesB in cup : 
all in fair sized 
breaks. 
INot the finest in 
liq iior Bent from 
Assam, but speci- 
ally good in make 
and colour of tip. 
(Such teas were worth 2a 9d to 3b in the time 
of high prices for fine Ceylons). 
9. Kangra Valley Tea sold at Is Id. A particularly 
good specimen in make and liquor : sent to show 
how value of tea has fallen : this used to be 28 or 
2s 3d in days of high prices. 
10. Sylhet Tea sold at 8d. A specimen of well 
made tea of fairly good quality, but quite wanting 
"strength" "pungency" or "flavour." This is 
from one of the best estates, hitherto noted for 
fine tea — and shows how " character " may change, 
without fault of the tea maker. 
The selection can be seen at our of&ce, and on 
Wednesday next, we shall hand them to Messrs. 
Somerville & Co. to show in tbe Colombo Tea Sales 
Boom where they are sure to attract attention. 
Bbazil grows about four-fifths cf all the coffee 
consumed in the world. Its exportation of coffee 
berries last year amounted to no less than 360,000 
tone,— JEvening Standard. 
OUR CEYLON TEA INDUSTRY AGAIN : 
OUB BIGGER PLANTATIONS AND FACTORIES ; 
SOME INDIAN ANDOEILON TEA COMPANIES. 
With 273,000 acres planted with tea and con- 
siderable reserves in private bands, besides tbe 
amount of money sunk in factories and machinery, 
we cannot be above the mark in gi\ing 6 to 7 
million pounds sterling as the value represented by 
our tea industry at the present time. This may, 
indeed, be thought too moderate an estimate by 
many, seeing that tea plantations have sold as 
high as £55 an acre in the Eelani Valley and no 
less in the Ealutara distiiot. Thirty pounds an 
acre would therefore seem a moderate average 
valuation, but we prefer to take £25 which when 
turned in 10 rupees does not fall short of the old 
rate fixed for coffee of R400 per acre including 
stores and pulping machinery. Much more ela- 
borate and oosdy, however, are Tea Factories and 
tea machinery than ever were Coffee Estate Stores 
with their few simple appliances for all the preps- 
ration of the beans done on the estates. It is 
of interest in this connection to name a few of 
