Dec. I, 1893,] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
To ihe Editor. 
COFFEE AND TEA IN GUATEMALA. 
Guatemala, Cantrdil America, Sept. 19. 
Colombo, Ceylon. 
Dear Sir, — I ventura to ask you for the kind 
inforraa'ion whether frost hurts the tea plaot. In 
addition to a ooffae estate, I have recsQtiy pur- 
chased a beautiful piece of land 4,800 feet high, 
the only disadvantage of which is that in certain 
seasons slight frosts occur, which fact prohibits 
me from plaoting coffee. But as the soil is very 
fine and over a hundred Indian families are living 
on the land, I should not like to leave it un- 
cultivated, and I am oonvincad that tea would 
grow very well, if the rare and slight frosts would 
not interfere. I should be glad to receive your 
reply to the question asked aud hope you will 
with equal frankness aek for my servioea when 
required. — Yours very truly, 
E. P. DISSELDOEFP. 
[The tea plant as well as coffee is affected by 
frost though perhaps not to the same extent. 
Opening in small clearings with bells of forest 
sheltering them all round might protect both 
plants from frost, and it tea is to be tried the 
hardy China variety, though not so prolifio as the 
Assam, might suit hotter. But as there is much 
danger of tea beiog overproduced, while tho sup- 
ply of ooffoo ia greatly falling oil', we would strongly 
advise Mr. Disseldoiif to try coft'ee even at 
4800 feet, in his latitude, by opening in small 
clearings in the way we suggest.— Ed, 2'.^!,] 
CEYLON TEAS IN MONTREAL, 
CANADA. 
Montreal, 3ri Got. 1893. 
Dear Sir, — I send you particulars of our last tea 
sale amounting to about E150,000 to R200:000 
which may be interesting as showing the iQci.\a:ed 
esteam in which Coylou tea is being held in the 
Dominion : aud I have no doubt that our market 
here for Oeylon teas cin be increased by judicious 
shipments of high middle class teas and fine grades: — 
.Japans realized from 13 to 39 cents. 
Young Hysons ,, 12| to 31 ,, 
Gunpowder ,, 11 to 35 ,, 
CJongou ,, 17:V to 21 ,, 
Ceylons „ 214 to 37 „ 
It will be noticed that while Ceylon's did not fetch 
the very highest price (by Id), yet the lowest price 
Oeylons brought double and over double the pricea 
of the lower grades of other teas (with the excep- 
tion of congous). 
The prices equal say Is Jd to Is 6Jd. All the 
leas were soli at our periodic auction sales. 
I sliall ha happy to give any information regard- 
ing through rato3 ol; freight or other particulars at 
any time.— Yours truly, WILLIA.M BENTHAM. 
CINCHONA BARK IN JAVA. 
Soerabaia, Java, Oct. 28th. 
Sir, — You know the most deplorable condition 
of the planters of Peruvian bark and it is super- 
fluous to expaliate upon it. 
The manufaoturcrs impute the overproduction 
rosuUiug from tlio colossal harvests of Ceylon 
some years ago, and they say that, with a little 
inorease of prices, Ceylon will be able to furnish 
6 or 0 millious of pounds a year for somo years. 
49 
For us Javanese planters it is of the greatest 
importance to know, at a rough guess, how much 
bark Cejlon will be able to furnish during the 
next years, and it is therefore that I take the 
liberty to ask from you as expert and cd tor of the 
Tropical Aririculturht, the favour, to give us some 
information on it, if you can do so. Your infor- 
raaiions are destined for the Soekaboemiseha 
Landbomoveruniging. 
With my siocerest thanks I remain, your obedient 
servant, J. H. SCHMIDT, 
Chevalier of the Dutch Lion, 
CEYLON TEAS IN THE AUSTRALIAN 
MARKET. 
Colombo, 28'h Oct. 1893. 
Dear Sir,— We publish the following extract from 
the letter of a large tea firm in the Australian Colonies 
iu the hopes that it may lead to better teas being 
offered on this market. We are distinctly of 
opinion that the large proportion or more or'less 
spoilt teas seen on this mirket, is due to faults 
in plucking and manufacture.- Yours faithfully, 
inr ino. BATHGATE, PIM & CO., 
F. F. STREET. 
li tract from Australian letter- 
"There is every appearance at present of this merket 
being ovmdofle by icnporta aad even now we ara 
buving bettfr than we could import in some kind^. 
" Ihero is aleo much tea bera mora or less out o£ 
condition, that looks as if mixed with old spoilt leaf 
and tastes sour. It will take very little of this 
sort of tiling to drive tbree-atths of the present 
Ceylou business on to Indians, which ate showing 
better valoe at tho present time. 
"There seems to be a prey dent notion both ia 
Colombo and Cileutta that quality will not sell at a 
profib here, that in fact anything is g od enough for 
the Colonies. The sooner this nation is got rid of 
the bitter for all concerned; its operation is simply 
to hinder the more rapid growth in consumption 
of both Indian ami Ceylon sort". The consumption of 
fine to finest t' as is now as large per head as anywhere 
else and would rapidly grow with very little encour- 
agement acd opportunity." 
THE VALUE OF MANURE FOR TEA : 
HOW TO SECURE 100 MILLION LB. OF 
TEA IN CEYLON " NEXT YEAR." 
Upoountry, Oct. 30th. 
Dear Sir,— If you wish to see your estimate of 
tea for 189G secured next y,ar, advocate manuring 
one-fourth o£ the acreage in full (?) beariog. Lipton 
will then have his work cut out to dispose of the tea 
from the acreage not yet in full bearing. Manure 
and medium plucking has doubled the yield in 
fields in this neighbourhood.— Yours truly, 
AN OLD COFFEE STUMP. 
[Good for individual proprietors ; but in the 
interests of the entire tea planting community, 
wo Btmd in doubt as to whether we should wish 
to s'ean outturn of 85 million lb. tei excecdad 
in 1894 ? !— Eu. r..l.] 
PRACTICAL CULTIVATION OF CACAO 
AND RESULTS. 
IMarakona, Nov. 7. 
Di-.AR Sir,— In my lold^r of 17th August last 
I have shown the results of practical cultivation 
of oaoao on a laud which many thought not fit 
