404 
tm TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec. I 1&95. 
tea-drinking established. Hence is it tliat " their 
complexions fade early, and leave a sallow and 
muddy colour upon the skin. Tea is drunk for 
breakfast, for dinner, at tea-time, for supper, and 
again before going to bed. That alone would be 
five times a da^ ; but, as the tea-pot is always on 
the hob, there is no end to the potations." Let the 
theory of the diarist stand for whatever it may be 
worth. The tea-drinking has not deteriorated the 
patriotism, industry, and pluck that the hill-men 
received as a heritage from their forebears. Nor 
is the new altogether bad. 
CITRONELLA OIL ADULTERATION. 
From the Semi-Annual (Drug) Report of Messrs. 
Schimmel & Co. we quote as follows : — No alteration 
has taken place in the value of this important article 
since our last Report. On the other Laud adultera- 
tion is being pushed to such extremities in Ceylon 
that it has become impossible for the middleman to 
guarantee the supply of pure oil. In order to strike 
ut the root of tliis evil we have thought it expedient 
to place ourselves in direct understanding with the 
rodacers and shippers of citronella oil in Ceylon, and 
ave forwarded to them a circular of which the fol- 
lowing is a re-print : — " The sophistication of citro- 
nella oil has extended in Ceylon during recent years 
in such a remarkable manner, that we feel compelled 
to call the attention of the firms engaged in the ex- 
port and sale of this oil to this grave deterioration 
and to indicate the means of confronting this mischief 
which threatens to entirely spoil the reputation of the 
e,riicle. By long experience we have stated that the 
adulteration is effected by admixture of either a fatty 
oil (probably cocouut oil) or petroleum (kerosene 
oil). In both cases it can easily be detected by the_ 
following test, vrhich, by its extreme simplicity, is' 
practicable in buying the oil from the native distillers 
and therefore, strongly recommended by us. One 
part of citronella oil snould yield a clear solution when 
well shaken with ten parts of spiri t of 80 per cent. In 
applying the testa graduated measure is used, which 
We thinK may be obtained from any Ceylon chemist. 
A certain quantity of the oil to be examined is put 
into the measure and 10 times as much spirit of 80 
per cent (sp gr. 0.8645 at 15° C), also procurable from 
any chemist, is added. Pure oil of citronella yields a 
clear or feebly opalescent solution not separating 
out after standing. If the oil should be adulterated 
by the addition of fatty oil or kerosene oil, the mixture 
is quite turbid when shaken and drops of the adulte- 
rant will separate out from the spirit after standing 
for about 12 hours. Fatty oils will of course sink ou 
the bottom of the vessel, while kerosene oil will fioat 
on the surface of the solntioii. All oils not standing 
tbe above test are decidedly sophisticated and should 
be rejected as not being marketable. Our method of 
examination is so absolutely reliable and proved by 
our practical experience, that it will be unnecessary 
to require a certain specific gravity, the determination 
of which, on the spot, is often attended with diflicul- 
ties. We are convinced that those Ce^on firms who 
will abandon the objectionable system of selling the 
oil in their contracts under the meaningless term: 
"Pair average quality of the season" ; but apply in 
their reports, offers and contracts the words : " stand- 
ing Schimmel & Co.'s test" will increase their sales 
and profits in the same way, as the Hongkong firms 
have done, since our well-known re organisation of the 
trade in cassia oil, a product now entirely saved from 
adulteration by our energetic interference and ex- 
amined all over China by the test published as the 
result of our investigations. We, therefore, request 
all firms interested in the citronella oil trade to adopt 
our system of examination and shall be glad to 
publish their names in our next semi-annual Report. 
Moreover we shall be pleased to supply them with the 
described graduated measures, in case they should 
not be obtainable in Ceylon." We have no doubt 
that the favourable effect of this step will soon begin - 
to show itself in a practical manner. With regard 
to the original packages we have experienced fresh 
^|sa{>pQiiitm§Qts, smftll diums lately iatioduc«d| 
and coDtainiog about 97 lb. of oil, have proved alto- 
gether unfit for use. In the first place the oil, upon 
arrival, is mostly cf a deep-brown colour owing to 
oxidation, and, secondly, the exterior coating red 
oil-colour often comes into contact with thcconteuts 
of the drum oo account of the ixitteuca of leaking 
places, the citronella oil being thereby cou(aniinalea. 
After having tried all imagiuable modes of packuig 
with negative results, we have come to the accisiou 
to give up our transit-stocks and ship uiiroiieUa oil 
only, re-packed either iu demijobus or in tins, 
according to the wisli of the buyer and the di8lanc« 
of the place of consigDment. Citronella oil la 
exhibited at Chicago by the firms of Clark, Buence 
(k Co. and Deknege, Reid & Qo., both of Ualle, 
Ceylon. 
a'EA AND SCANDAL 
I htve ju«t oome ncrosn a( the British MMenm a 
maougcript ent tied "Tbe Qualities end the Operalioi^ 
of the Herb c»lled Tea or ol ce, ' by Jlobl. Uvokf. 
which I thought wcrtby to head my letlfr to ycu 
this week. It ha<, accordiiig to .tbe description, (be- 
iug Irinslated out of tbe China language) , tbete 
following virtues: — I. It purifitK the blood that wliich 
is groEse it heavy. 2. It Tanquisbftb heauy 
dreams. 3. It ea»etn tbe briin of btavy damps. 4. 
Kasetb & cureib gii^dioeeae & pa'nes in tbe headf. 
6. Prevents tlie dropsiF.ti. Urieth n^oist homoari io tbe 
hrafl. 7. Coosumea rawnesse. 8. Opoos obttructiooa. 9. 
Cleares tbe aigbt. 10. Oleoaetb & puribelh a dust 
bomours & a hot liver. 11. Pnrifietb defects of 
tbe bladder & kiddoejs. 12. Vanquitheth ruper- 
fluoas sleep. 13 Drives a way diesineaa makes one 
nimble & valient. 11. Eucoaragftli tbe heart & 
drives nway fiare. 15. Drives away all paiueo of 
(he collick which proceed from «ii>d 16. Sirt ogtbeneth 
tbe inward paris & prevents coiisumptiooe. 17. 
Strengtbcns tbe memory. 18. Sharpens tbe wiit and 
qniokeos the uoderstsndiog. 19. Purgetb safely the 
gaul. 20. btreDgtbeni tbe use of due dae Lene- 
Toleness. 
(TraoBoribed from a paper of Tbo). Poaey, Esq. 
October 20, 16S6.) 
Here are some mf rc Tea Names & Items to add 
to tbe list ; — Domvera, Matngala, Venoyo, Liodoo 
Valliy, Oopaok, Paokoo, & Oopoog, " Pure Ceylon 
Te«, Ceylonia, imported direct from tbe platitationb' 
(which). "Tea 1/10. This is not the fioeet tea tbe 
world producer, but it cannot be beaten at the price." 
The following proverbial cayings cODcertiii g lea 
cotitaio good advice: — "'Another pot ' try the teapot.' 
' L^s9 in the pewter pot, & more in the iron pot.' 
'spend your evenirg at the sign of "the le» kettle." ' 
From tea we naturally pass to tarte, (o I copy this 
from Everybody's Scrap-book of Curious Facls: — 
" From some experiments made at the University of 
Kansas, it appears that the average person can ta«te 
the better of quinine when one part is dissolved in 
15-2,000 parts of water. .Silt was detected in water 
when one part to 640 of the liquid was used. Sugar 
could be tasted in 22S parts of water, &: common 
soda iu 48. In nearly all cases women could detect 
a smaller quantity than men." A. M. FERoibON. 
♦ 
JAFFA ORANGES. 
The British Consul at Jerusalem has recently 
sent to the Foreign Office a translation of a report 
by an engineer of the Turkish Government on a 
scheme for irrigating the plains and orange gardens 
of Jaffa, in which, incidentally, some interesting 
information is given in regard to the famous Jaffa 
oranges. The town, it is said, owes its importance 
to its climate, which is extremely favourable for 
orange growing. In consequence, the port is ear- 
rounded on the side by orange groves, covering an 
area of about 1,780 acres. Jaffa oranges, on account 
of their excellent flavour, have of late years acquired 
a world-wide reputation, and while some 18 years 
ago they were known only at .Beyrout, Alexandria 
and Constantinople, enormous quantities are now ex- 
poxtecl to Eoiope, America, ereo t9 lAdi»> mi 
