THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[April s, 1894! 
into the mysteries of a coffee planta'ioa » * • 
the crop is very gco.l Ihii year; an ncro yif Ms o^on 
of coffee; the expenses £15; the profit £'100 *»* 
I roet two men r^wniDg an estate in th's valley who 
bad made £12,000 one year." A. M. Feboubon. 
CEYLON AND INDIAN TEAS IN 
AMERICA. 
We call attention to the oflScial report (see below) 
of the Calcutta " Tea" meeting, wbiah has reached 
us. It includes a hurriedly-written letter of 
our own, addressed to Mr. P. B. Buobanaa so far 
back as 2Gi.h January — before the retum of the 
Ceylon Commissioner— and at a time when we 
were difacussing the advantage of joint action in 
the Observer. It was not written wiih the expec- 
tation of being read on so important an oocaeion, 
thoui;h, of course, it conveyed to Mr. Buchanan, 
the impression left on our mind by the remarks 
made by planters on our editorials at the lime. 
We have corrected some obvious misprints. On 
the wholp, it will he seen the Oilculta meeting 
fully reco^jnized the difficultieti and jealousies 
attending joint action and therefore— it contrary 
to our anticipation in January — tbe Ceylon 
Planterb' Atsooiation deaide against tbe proposal 
recently formulated, we suppose we ehall sea (a 
thousand pitses it should be so !) two Agents in 
place of one perambulating America, — Mr. Ble- 
ohynden for Indian and Mr. Grinlinton for Ceylon 
teas. We feel sure that there will be cause, 
eventually, to regret such a coaree if it fce adopted. 
INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION. 
Proceedings of a Joint Meeting of the Genera! 
Committee and of the Cbicaao Sub-Commi'tee held 
on F'i'lay, tlie2Dd March 1894. 
PuEEBNT :— The H'jn'ble J. N. Stuatt, Chairman, H. 
S Ach rn Esq., H. C. Begg E q., A. F. Bruce Esq., 
F. G. Sieuirt B-q., '1. Trail Esq.— Membera of 
the G ncrsl Committee. 
J. Daviinport Esq., A. G. Watson E q.— Members of 
the Chicago Sub-C >mmittee. 
Sir Joiiii Muir, Bart, P. R. Buchanan, Esq , Allon 
Artliur Esq. — Frfsent by invitation. 
The Chairman paid the lueeting had been ciUcd to 
discuss with Sir J hn Muir and Mr. Biichaoan the 
best means of carrying on future operations in 
America lu the interests vt Indian Tea. Mr. Blechyn- 
den after he had finished his work in connecMoo 
with the Chicago Exhibition had been to New York 
and shown his exhibits at an Exhibi'ioa in that city, 
the expense connected with which had been rather 
more then was anticipated, aud the results not alto- 
gether satisfactory. Mr. lilechynden wis now on his 
way back to India in coiis^qaence of ft suggestion 
made by'the Indian Tea Distriota' Asiooiation, London, 
who tboiiiiht it was better that; he should return and 
oonsolt with the committee here before carrying on 
•ny further operations in America. The General 
Committee here had suggeste i that the London 
Committee should control and supervise auy further 
efforts made in America as they were so much nearer 
to the scene of operations. 
The Chairman then rend an extract from a letter 
dftted the 22od Deoem'^ er 1893 which had been re- 
ceived from Mr. Bl'chyi-den detailing his proposals 
for the farther pushing of Indian Tex in the Unit d 
States. The Chairman said that Messrs. Eeid Mur- 
doch & Co. had been apnoioKd agent t for the 
Western States and Messrs. Leggett & Co., agents for 
New York. Mr, Lipton with whom he had had ui 
intervi&w a few days previously, thjugh he spoke 
of what Mr. Blechynden bad done iu terms of the 
highest praise, was inclined to deprecate the appoint- 
meiit of special agents for the sale of Indian tea, as 
llQ thought it kept other large traders away from 
tbe article an j ha considered that dealers ftenerally 
ought to be attracted to it. Tbe following i$ tbe 
extract from Mr. Bleohynderi's le'.ter re'^ctied to 
above: — [See page 088.— Ed. T-A.] 
The C'BAIBMAN then asked Mr. Bucbanau if b« 
would kindly give the meeting bis views oa what bftd 
been done in America in conaectioa with Indian tea 
as he had had an opportunity of personally becoiuiog 
acquair:ted with the efforts made, 
Mr. Buchanan said that when be went to America 
in 1892 and talked to people about Indian tea the 
replies were very discoaragiug. Sii muotbs later, 
however, before tbe Chicago Eshibitioo was open tbe 
feeling was distinctly ditt'ereut and gradually more 
iotrrcst was shown. Id Aogu^t after the Kxbib tion 
had been opened it was freely adiuitted oo 
all sides that it would be culy a quest ou of timeaa lu 
when a general demand for Indian and Ceylou Tea 
b' gao to S't in. The American dealers were not kteu 
about pushing thetrale, but they were qu.t't sure th«> 
demand would come, sooner or later, aud tbe feeliug 
generally had ohsngnd from one of opposit on to one 
of friendliness. He was much p'eai-ed with tbe 
Pavilion aud EzhiSit of the Indian T^a Association 
He thought Mr. Blenhynieu bad done extremely well 
and deeerved every credit f ^r big work, as he had had 
to surmount very ereat difficulti<^8. He was also vt-ry 
muih pleased with tbe Ceylon E^sbibit altbou{;h he 
thoQght the ludiau one was p:rba|>stbe be'ter of tbe 
two. Mr. GriiJinton's metbodi werd in suuie respects 
more suitable to the country and mere appreciated 
by the Americans than Mr. Blechy iiden'a. Befcra 
leaving Chicgo he had seen Messrs. Keid !lilurdocb <ft 
Co., and they were of opinion that a good traie was 
Fure to fol'ow tbe Exhibition, but it most be pa<'hed 
by assisting tbem to advertise and -ho by having 
natives of India t« travel and a't-'itd at tbe dif- 
frrent stores np and down the coomrf. H« thf uijbt 
this would be the best and ohiapei't method. Ue 
was strongly of opinion, however, tLat the Asso:ia- 
tion should work with all the present diitiibutors of 
tea and rot give the preference lo auy particniar 
firm. It would be a mistake to oppose the principal 
dealers in the iStates aud a very serious competition 
to enter upon. He would suggest a conceesion in tbe 
shape of a commission to a 1 large dealers in the 
States on all new business in Tei they were able to 
trsDsact. 
Tha Chaibman refer ed to a proposal which h»d 
been mooted by tbe Editor of the /rt-Jian Planters' 
Gazette of holding tea aucti ns at different places in 
the States, but with regarJ to this be might say that 
ft had been previously tried with the result that the 
ten was bought up cheaply and re-sbippod to London. 
Sir John Muir stated that Mr. Lipton had called 
upon his firm and he wou'd aek Mr. Arthur to slate 
what bad passed. 
Mr, Abthdb said that Mr. Lipton described him- 
self to them as the greatest adverti.-er of tea in 
Am^rica and he had no less than 400 wagons with 
his advertisements upon them, moving about through 
the States. One suggestion Mr. Lipton had made 
was that he should get a commission on every 
pound of tea he sold for India and Ceylon. The 
principal tea consuming States were New York, Ohio, 
and Pennsylvania. The Eastern States would be 
better supplied from India than from China and he 
would leave the Western States alone. Mr. Lipton 
thought that Mr. Blechynden had done excellent 
work but had made a mistake in placing himself 
in the hands of one large firm in Chicago and leav- 
ing nine others equaliy good, alone. Messrs. Reid 
Murdoch & Co., were, however, good dealers, but 
he 1 bought inducements should be offered to all. 
The main question to consider was whether India 
should go hand in hand with Ceylon or work 
separately. 
Sia John Muib said it was hardly worth while tct 
discuss at the moment whether Indian or Ceylon, tea 
should be pushed, he himself would rather push Indian 
tea, but the question should be considered as a 
whole as to which was the best way of raising prices 
in LoiidoB, and pushing Indian and Ceylon Tea »s 
agaiuat China and Japan. He sgreed with Ijix 
