344 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov. I. i89j. 
ORCHID TKA 
One would not look to tlie Kew BuUdin. for a Liat 
upon Frjiioh customs. But toino wbo bave beeo 
thinking tliemselvea familiar with tho ^vays of Uaul 
may be surprised to loam from thiit recondite per- 
iodical that a tea of orchid Irbvcs hai long born 
popalar across the Channel. 'J'liere is record of it 
fifty years ago as a beverttgo fairly well established 
and of late coDKumption hsB increased. TIjo sagi- 
cions and onterpriiing people of this country are 
always glad to hear of Boratthing new for the toa- 
table and acquaintance with tbi'i bnou ehoald not 
be con6ned to the readers of the Kci'i BuUclin—9, 
peonliarly ostimablo claa?, but limited. The mere 
nime o£ orchid tea has some'hin.i lordly and im- 
pressive in its sound. We faccy a millionairo con- 
signing planlH worth their weight in gold to the 
housekeeper's room, there to be stewed and served 
up for royal guests. It seems a revival of the luxury 
of old Home. Vitolius should h^vo drunk orchid tea 
at his feasts. Cleopatra phould h'ive dissolved her 
posri therein. Jt is a theme for tho iuvectivo of 
those guileless mora ist.i who deuonnoo the unparalle- 
led extravngance of the Upper Classes. 
Looking more closely, however, we fail to sec any. 
thing really wicked in tho fashioa of orchid tea. 
The ariicle ii g^nuiuo enough. It is not compouiniod 
of some homely weed which botanists alone identify 
as akin to the gorgeous Cattlcyas and tbe stately 
Dendrobei of the tropios. The orchid from which 
tills tei is m\di) is a member of one of the handsomest 
and molt expenfive families — the ,lny;Y(C!i«i— and a 
v.ry pretty member too. It grows in the forestj of 
Bourbon and Mar.ritius, aud t!.e scieutiits know it 
as Angrcecum frar/rans. Probably the natives biive 
been ming it for a^es. Incidentally we may remark 
that those who fear the ext9rmination of the nobler 
orchils may find solace hero. If a eixall ^p.■cie8 
occupying a very narrow area, of which flowers an 1 
loaves alike are eagerly stripped, ran hold its own 
foe generations, there is not mucli c^use to dreid 
that the most ruthless of coUeclors cin do worse 
than retiri for a little while the inccasa of more 
ehowy species which are quite as prolific. 
Tbe commercial vittue of augrojoum fragram lies 
in the etrong perfume of its leaves. Tho genus is 
allied to vanilla — also an orchid, of course— aiid in 
this instance kinship displays itself. It is enough, 
we re\d, " to touch tho fresh leaves for the fingers 
to remain impregnated with the aronoa," which re- 
mains when the leaves are dried. This process is 
simple as could be, apparently. No he it is applied ; 
no colouring matter. Describing samples at Kew, the 
Bulletin observes that they oro unshrivelled and as 
" flat as we should find them iuauy herbariutD. And 
the decoction is equally simple. You just lay the leaves 
and Btaliisiu cold water, abjut one gramme to a teacup 
—more or less according to tiste— close the vessel tight 
and boil for ttn minutes. It m»y bs sweeteDoI ; milk 
and rum bring out the flavour of the vanilla more 
Btrcngly. It is as good cold as hot, and may be warmed 
up without deterioration. Finally, we are toM that 
material enough for fifty cups is sold in Paris for 2 
fr. 50 c, 105 caps 5 fr. It is called Fahnm, as in 
Mvuritius. — Ronylcong Daily Press. 
GALAHA TEA FACTORY. 
Going on the best information at our command, 
we entered Galaha among the big tea factoriea 
of the island as manufacturing aboat 500,000 lb. in 
a year ; but we learn in correction fi'om Mr. 
W, M. Hall, the Manager, tbat for 1893, his manu- 
facture will not aggregate less than 1,200,000 lb. 
making the biggest return for any single factory 
in the island, we suppose. Mr. Hall writes :— 
" We are at present very bn?y fixing a new steam 
engine and when eomoljte, the engine and tur- 
bine will together represent 120 H.P, At present I 
am taking in daily 20,000 lb greea leaf the 
buBy HeagoQ baa barely gt^rled yet. 
THE UllEAT WKSTERN TEA COMPANY 
OF CEYLON, LIMITED. 
r„l!°n 'i- °' Directors for I'rtseue.tion to tbe 
firs O dinary General Me ting of Bba-eholders. to 
bo held on TuesJay, 7th Novembsr, mi, »t uoon 
In order that no di-appointmen* may be felt 
tl.rougu the non-p.yu,cnt of an interim dividend, the 
Directors have dtc.ded to pre^ent this short report 
during tho first *,x months of tbe fiompanj'^ fio.u- 
itcZTx- P'^^ period vi".. 
14j,600lb., has been s-atiefactory, being 31.677 lb in 
<xcc>iis of that in the same months of 1H91 • ko 
• hat there IS every prospect of the eetimite for"the 
peasoD, vz., 330.000 lb. feu bung fully secured. 
Tha pnc?8 too realised, viz . about 56 cte. per lb. n«t 
by the C:mp»ny'3 tea', have been fa isfsctorv see- 
mfrket!' »° • Rss^ 
The coat of proJuc'ion per lb. of ti« during th 
MX months under review has necessarily b-en btaw 
sniee four out of the six months ace those in which 
the smallest yields »re always secured on the^e e«tate». 
The oxpendi'.ure, moreover, has Lc^n iucreasod by 
havjug to bear aime El,<IOO more than iti share of 
Buob Items as buildings, pruning, mauaring, 4- The 
crop of Uo.eOO b. tea has been p.t on b ard ship in 
Colombo at a little uuder 3'J cts. p r lb.- but the 
Directors estimate thU tho 185.000 ib. tea ezpected 
from 1st October to :Ust March next will not cost 
more then 30 cts. per lb. About 144 acrer of t °a have 
been mar.ured nuoe Ist April with bulk, compost 
and nrtific.l. Nc twitbttanding the short yield and 
comparatively h.ch expenditure, the result of the 
half-year s working should leave a profit equal to at 
^r! Company's capital, • ra.uU 
that the Directors cooMder augurs very favourably 
for the future of the Comp.-ny, having ?eg.rd to the 
t,mo of year it has hsen real a 3d and to the consider- 
abb eorfaje of tea, which, being stiil joutg. [, 
coutribating as jet but little to reverue. 
In not recomin ending the pavment of en interim 
div:denl the Directors are solely irflu.nced by the 
fact that they would have to borrow money to do 
this for the full sha-o capital of the CompaDy vi« 
paid over tj the vendors of the estate, and a coc 
siderable portion of the six months' profit is there- 
fore unavailable immediately f ,r distribution. Coast 
aavancoB taken over and preliminary expenses absorb 
a Inrge sum, though the former are all corsidered 
good and are recoverable. Some 3S 7ro lb of tea 
moreover are st ill unsold. Two of (he Dircctcr, have 
recent y vis.tcd the estates, and ,,ere iruch pleased 
w th the general appearance etd condition of the 
whole properly. " 
A PROFIT ON TEA. 
. Oui- esteemed Canadian contemporary, Jhrdmare. 
IS in line in advocacy of working for good profits 
r^'' 'P"^ °^ Pi-°fit« there are hei^ 
and there lines out of which the grocer can make 
a little profit. Tea is one of them ; and it is strangi 
that some do not make a greater eflort to culti- 
l^^fl ■ ,^^•^'•'"='^"1 tlie same sugars, fruits, canned 
goods etc., are sold by all dealers alike, but with 
tea the case is different, and the very fact of this 
difference prevents cutting and gives each grocer 
an opportunity of making money out of it The 
same class of tea will not suit every localitv". but I 
g09d tea will take anywhere. The peculiarities of 
cus omers m the matter of taste require a good 
deal of careful study. Bat the taste once gauged 
fhM/f *° P"sh the sail o 
the tea for all you are worth. It would be inadvisable 
to do so before you know whether or not you have 
got a tea that suits the majority of vour customers,"-. 
