April 2, 1894.] ^^HE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
70s 
BacUanan ts to conoiliatme all the big distributora 
and he would be inclined to ask them to render 
s'atementa of the biisineas they h»d done during 
tlie Uat three yea'a and then offer an allowanoe for 
every 1,000 lb. of luditn and Oeylon Ten sold in excess 
of the livera^e, the oommission only to be, of course, 
on the increased business. 
Mr. Ahthtjb s»id Mr. Linton agreed with this p'an. 
Mr. Bruce asked whether any good wou'd result 
from having tr vfiUing leoturers on the merits of 
Indinn and Ceylon Tea. 
Mr. Buchanan said he thonght not, but he approved 
oftheiile»of having natives of India to travel. 
Sir John Muie said America wis an enormons 
market and Caiadft was a fair one, and he thonght 
they fnight look for a sale ef twenty million lb. bv 
energy and perseverance, and probably thi^ wonld 
increase, and this would be a tremfindous relief to the 
London market. The tea of coarse must be gool tei. 
Mr. Watson asked where the funds wpte to come 
from for the enterprise proposed. He agreed that 
both Indian and Ceylon tea should be pushed but 
there were many pronrietora and planters who would 
not subaorib^ to push Ceylou tea. 
Mr, Buchanan thnuijht an arrangement might be 
made' by wliich both ladia and Ceylon might pay their 
reppectivs commissions. 
The Chairman agreed with Mr. Watson as 
to the jealousy exiatiog betwe ?n India and Oeylon 
and there were many planters who wonld not agree to 
work jointly. 
Mr. Aethur thought one advantage of a joint or- 
ganization would be that it would work cheaply. 
Sir John Muir said that if it were possible to get a 
meeting of all interested ia the trade the reisonable- 
nessofthe proposals wonld aoon carry conviction to 
their minds bat as thi^ was not practicable he would 
suggest a (letnlsd report of the prooeediags of the 
present meeting being circulated. 
Mr. Watson thought that the use of a term such as 
"British grown Tea" without referring to either Indian 
or Ceylon might solve the difficulty. 
Mr. AbthuR sa'd that Mr. Lipton only wanted a 
special commission antil the trade had been firmly ea- 
tftblishe 1. 
Sir John Muie suggested two years for th9 trial of 
the scheme. 
The Chairman s\id the principal Companiea were in 
London, and of coarse, they must be consulted. A 
reference bad a'reiidy been made to them in con- 
nection witli further operations by Mr. Blechynden 
and the coUeotioQ of new snbaoriptions. 
Mr. Aethur suggested a strong recommendation in 
lovor of the scheme going from this meeting to London. 
Sip. John Muib was so satisfied that the scheme was 
a good one that he was prepared to aubscri'ie two 
anaas per acre and half an anna per miund for all 
the gardens connected with his firm. The disp jsition 
in Oeylon generally was to work with India. 
Mr. Buchanan read the following letter which he 
had received from the E iitor of the Ceylon Observer: — 
" Cevioa Observer " Office, Colombo, 26th Jan. 1894. 
My Dear Mr. Buchanan,— I find that there is no 
chance of our Planters' Association taking the 
lead in asking co-operation from India, though 
there is a general acknowledgment and a strong 
under-current of feeling that the starting of a 
Ceylon Retail Store in Chicago was a blunder, and 
a determination, I think, to subsidise no new indi- 
vidual efforts for America, but rather to do general 
advertising. 
I believe, however, that if a proposal came from 
Calcutta on the basis you mentioned, it would be 
accepted by the Ooylon Planters ' Aaso 
ciation. There is too, approval of Lipton as a 
tea advertiser and dealer in America, and, if 
he approved of joint action, I think it would 
carry weight. (Ho ia on his way to Calcutta, I learu). 
I think if you saw your way with Sir John Muir 
to sound the leaders in tho Indian Tea Trade and 
Assooiitioa, and got tham to ngrea to on i b^g Adver- 
tising Fund for America, and suggeit or invito Ceylon 
tJ join wivh QanttlbaU)a9 in ptoportioa to e»pott, ^Us 
fund to ba administers i by a Joint Go nmit^ee, thit 
success would follow. 
The danger is of Indii and Oevlon going on fep-irately 
in a peddlicg way end creating suspicims of each 
other, in place of uniting forces on beh If c f pur ' cHan 
tea.q against the "ficel," inferior Japan and China 
80 millions. In the former case, it means a slow 
advance over many years; in tlie latt-^r, a big and 
fapidly progressive gein.— Yours faith ully, 
J. Ferguson, 
Sir John Muie saw no rensoa why, with a Joint 
Committee, India, should not pay her own shire of the 
Comraission and Ceylon hers. 
Mr. Arthur said thsit 1150,000 would pay 1 per cent 
on ten million lb. of T^a. 
Mr. Davenport thought that when the oonaumption 
reached ten million lb. the subsidy might be stopped. 
The Chairman thonsht that before any scheme of 
the kind could be taken np the opinions of Planters and 
Proprietors should be taken. 
Sir John Muir sa d he was lea^ving India on the 
5th and he would take an opportunity of meeting 
Propr etors in London and discussiDg the matter with 
(hem. 
The Chairman said he thonght the pr 'smt meeting 
waa agreed «a to tbe advanta?ea of union. 
Mr. Begc} asked in the case of individual companiea 
sending tea direct to large dealers ia Amerio i whe'her 
the commission would have to be paid by the Com- 
panies or from the funds which it was propoaed to 
riise. 
Tbe Ohmeman thought it certainly should be paid 
from tbe Special Fund. 
Mr. Watson thought that it should be borne in 
mind that funds would ha required forother expenses 
besides commissions such as a Ivertising, etc. 
Sir John Muir. however considered thit Mr, Lipton 
and other agents ahould advertise themselvef. 
Mr. Watson thought that a sum sl)ou!d ba gnaran 
teed for advertising purposes in case the sales did not 
resch a remanerati"e figure. 
Mr. Buchanan also thonght there ought to ba • 
guarantee. 
The Chairman said that, before the Aasooiation 
could becommiited to any thing, they must find out 
what fun Is tbey would be likely to ootain aid ha 
would propose to issuri a circular to Ai?ents and Plan- 
ters soon after Mr, Blechyuden'a return. He thought 
they were all agreed as to the advisability of an effort 
of .some kind ami would do their host to collect fuudf. 
Mr. Wat.son thonght th it the management of the 
whole Bchetjue ahould He ve<ted in a Joint Oommittea 
in London representi jg both India and Ceylon. 
Mr. Buchanan asked if he might infer n the plan< 
tera in Ceylon of the views expressed at the present 
meeting and this was agreed to. 
Sir John Muir then thanked the Chairman for the 
manner in whii'h ha and Mr. Buohtnin had been met 
a id they would d> their bast w;ien th»y arrived ia 
London, to promote the object-all had in view, 
J. N Stuart, Cbairmaa. 
: ^ , 
PLANTING NOTES FROM UVA. 
Badulla, March 21. 
We are having very extraordinary weather for 
March. The North-East monsoon has returned with 
r>>newed vigor and we ha^e been hivinz exce.^diBgly 
heavy rain storms for the past woek. 3 91 being tlia 
heaviest fall Ihavemyelf gaug d. The rains have 
done a great desl of good to everything, but wa 
have had enough nov and I hope we mav have a 
good spell of fine weather before tho burst ol the 
little monsoon. 
Tea nroiind Ba InlU is flushing extraordinarily woU 
and the fl'iahes have been very heavy. But arinnd 
PASsarft it is hardly ao f^r advanced. Ttio bu»he> 
arc full of bu 1 and April will bo the busiest oiOotH 
ia faotoi'tea Uy^ baj esea yet. 
