Nov. I, 1 89 3. J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
To tht Eiittr, 
MANGOSTEENS IN THE PLANTING 
DISTRICTS : PRACTICAL HINTS. 
September 18. 
Dear Sib, — You were good enough to taka 
notice of my niangosteets and theiefore I am 
taking it uton me to send you the foUowicg 
notes : — 
The margoettea (Gareinia mangostana) is a 
native o£ the Moluooas Islands and is a veiy slow 
growing tree, but most certainly worth the small 
troub.e o£ paliently watahiog its gradual develop- 
ment, and he is selfish indeed who thinks thus : 
' ob what's ihe use, I won't get the benefit, I plant, 
and another reaps the Iruit thereof.' Katber be the 
benefactor to your species in even makiog one 
mangosteen tree grow where none grew before ! The 
plants 1 got from the Fecadeniya Gardens in 1872, so 
that they are now twenty-one years old. The first 
crop was in 1883, so that one nas to wait some ten 
years before they can enjoy this fruit, — a delicious 
blend of sweet and aoia — af their own planting. 
Don't be discouraged, keep in mind the Auld 
Laird's advice to bis son : " Aye be sticking in a 
tree Jock, it will be growing while ye are sleep- 
ing. ' They are growing on very fair soil at an 
elevation of 1,70U feet and have received no special 
oare or treatment. Bainfall is about 180 inches. 
They look very healthy with their l»rge leathery 
leaves, and are free from insect pests. Height of tree 
which has a tapering stem and regular form is 25^ 
feet, and the diameter of foliage the i^ame. The 
stem has a girth of 28 inehes at a foot from the 
ground. Crop is once a year, August-September. 
—Yours truly, JOHN DRUMMOND. 
THE BANDARAPOLA CEYLON COMPANY, 
LIMITED. 
London, E.G., Sept. 27tb. 
Sib, — We beg to inform you that the Board of 
Directors of this Company have declared an interim 
dividend at the rate of 6 per cent, per annum (free of 
income tax) tor the haif-year ending 30th June 
last. — Your obdient Servants, 
ANDJiRSOiN BROS., Agents and Secretaries. 
THE QUALITY OF TEA IN THE LOCAL 
MARKET. 
Sept. 30. 
THE ENCOURAGEMENT GIVEN BY BUYERS. 
Dear Editob, — In your issue {Ohserver) of 25th, 
there is a letter from Mr. Street, in which he com. 
plaiDB that there is a lack of good teas in the Colombo 
market. This may be so; bui, do planters get encour- 
agement from the Colombo buyers to send really good 
teas to their market ? 1 for one think that good teas 
don't get that attention in Colombo they ought 
lo get. 
I will give you an instance that came under my 
notice, which will bear out what I have stated. 
A parcel of tea was tent to Colombo for last 
Wednesday's sale, but previous to despatch samples 
were sent to one who is Ueservedly thought to be the 
best taster and valuer in Colombo. He valued the 
Broken Pekoe at 88 cents. The teas were sent away 
to another broker for sale and he at once sent bis 
vkluation: SiokeQ Pekoe 7a oeatB (seveotj tbi^e oeote), 
I may here mention that in the interim there was a 
rise in the market. When this valuation was 
received by the parties interested, you may be Bure 
they were put out. They at once wired "B. P. not 
to be sold below 90 cents." Well, the teas were put 
up and 76 cents was bid at the sale ; but would you 
believe it— the tea was sold the following day at 
90 cents. 
Now, Mr. Editor, what do you think of the fore 
going. Here was tea 
valued by one broker at , . . . 88 cts. per lb. 
Do. by the selling broker at . . 73 do. 
And afterwards bought by a well-known 
Colombo man for . . . . 90 do. 
You will see we planters are really at the mercy of 
Colombo buyers and usually we have to take what- 
ever is offered. In the case mentioned above some 
of the parties interested have an idea what good tea 
IB ; otherwise this fine sample of tea would have 
been thrown away. — I am, H H, 
COFFEE IN DOLOSBAGE: LIBERIAN 
AND COORG-ARABIAN PROMISING 
WELL: A CORRECTION. 
Dear Sib, — In a recent leading article you re- 
marked that no cofiee was grown in this uistriot. 
If yon will refer to one of the rtcurus fur- 
nished for your Directory, you wiil find that 
there are 20 acres of Liberian anu 3.5 acres 
Arabian (Naalkanad-Coorg variety; growing on one 
estate. 
The Arabian is now 18 months old and pro 
mises to be a great success. DOLuSBAGE. 
TALAGSWELA TEA COMPANY LIMITED. 
Colombo, Oct. 16. 
Dear Sir, — We have been asked to invite your 
attention to the Brokers' Circulars, which are usually 
issued with your paper, in whicn the estimate of 
Talgaswela 'Xea Crop, for 1893 most persistently 
appears at 180, QUO lb. made tea. 
The estimate for 1893 was revised in June last 
to 140,000 lb., ano information to this effect was 
made public, but evidently not availed of by the 
brokers lor the benefit of the eharehoiObrs. 
The following iiave been the crops since the 
manufacture of tea was oommenoea on the Com- 
pany's property. 
Year ending 31et Deo. 1891, 80,0001b. made Tea. 
do do ao 1892, 118,00010. ao do 
Preeent estimate for 1893, l35,U00ib. ao do 
The Crop for 1893 which bo far iiaa averaged 45 0. 
per lb., will shew a jiald of about 20u ID, per acre, 
and a substantial aividend wiil be declared in 
February next, — Yours faithfully, 
BAKER & HaIiL, Secretaries. 
Dietetic Proddcis. — Of the popular beverages 
for the breakfast table, the home tonsuiijptiou of 
cocoa keeps pretty steady at 21,0u0,i00 lo. yuatiy. 
Coffee is stationery at about 266, OOu cwt., cn.cory 
coming in largely to replace 11 with 93,000 cwt. 
Tea makes giant progress, at the advaLCou raie 
of 5,000,000 or 6,000,000 lb. yeail/, Inuidu aud 
Ceylon teas forming the bulk ; for out of 207,OU0,uOO 
lb, taken last year, only 33,000,000 lb. ot Cn.uese 
tea were consumed. The average is now uOuut 
i5i lb, per head of the populauou. The import 
ot refined sugar were about 700, OOj owe. Ibbs inaa 
in 1891, but those of unrefined tu^ar stiow a siigut 
increase over the previous year, iho quantity of 
raw sugar consumed per head of the poijuiation is 
now about 47i lb., and of retiued 33 10,— Journal of 
{/W fiQoktj^ of Ari 
