7o8 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[April 2, 1894. 
To the Edittr. 
ME. GRINLINTON AS AGENT FOR CEYLON 
AND INDIAN TEA IN AMERICA. 
Gammdiua , Eifiot i, March 17th. 
Dear Sib, — In replying to an enquiry from the 
Editor of the "Tinaes of Ceylon" my opinion on 
'•how to capture the American market with our 
teas," the followini? is a copy of a letter aidressed 
to the Editor, whiah ycu may hava something to 
say regarding : — 
I think the Indian planters show their gool eeosa 
by coming forward and asking to be allowed to 
join us in this American Campaiiin. Had they 
not done so I don't think the G-^yloa planters 
would have asked their help. Now they hava 
oome forward through their rapraseatative Sir 
John Muir th3 Bii^ges^jon derervea the serious 
oonsideralion cf tbe Caylon planters at their 
meeting next raoath in Nuwara Eliya. Hitherlo 
I have held the opinion that Ceylon should try 
and capture this juirket without the aii of Ii dii, 
but with the export duty producing only £5,000, 
BO little can ba done, wi h that amount in the 
way of advertising, unless in the hands of one 
like Lipton, that Sir John Muir's proposil has 
in a way captured my vote on cartain c:inlitions. 
These are : — 
1st. That Mr. Grilinton's Bounty Eoheme be 
abandoned. 
2nd. That Mr. Grilinton ba appointed if he 
will accept the pi&t oE Commissioner repreEenting 
the Ceylon and Indian planters for spreading a 
knowledge of Britiah-grown teas throughoat America. 
3rd. To enable him to do this he reoeive a 
salary of £2,500 a year for 3 years with £500 
extra for a privf.ta secretary. 
4th. That Mr. Grinlinton hava full control of 
the expanditura of the balance of the money ool- 
leotel Dy the Ceylon Government from the Tea 
Export duty, and of the £7,000 par annum cjn- 
tributed by the Indian Associations. This amount 
being guaranteed by * * * gentlemen in India. 
6th; That a Sub-Committee be appiotad con- 
sisting of Ceylon and Indian plantars or reprcEea- 
tatives of the latter resident in Ceylon, for 
receiving from the Ceylon Government and Indian 
Planters the funds to be forwarded to and in such 
sums as may be required by Mr. Grinlinton. 
6th. That Mr. Grinlinton furnish the Sub- 
Committee with a monthy statement of the work 
aooomplished. 
7th. That these reports be laid before the 
Ceylon and Indian Planters' Associations. 
If India and Ceylon planters agree to blending 
their interests in this way (and I sae no reason 
why they should not) Mr. Grinlinton is the man 
if be will agree to act in the interest; of British- 
grown teas.— Yours, &c., J- W. 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
Dimbula, March 21. 
Dear Sib,— In your leader of the 19th inst., (see 
page 652) you state that the average Caylon planter 
will have nothing to do with his brother plaoter in 
India, and can give no reason like Dr. Fell's prover- 
biaal pupil; this in reference to " tea pushing." Now 
answering tor myself and tboee of my way of 
tbinkiog there is a good and suffioient reason for 
pot joiniDg our plaatiog frieo<}s of Indian Out 
teas are quite distinot and ditiar from the Indian, — 
so experts bdve always held, — and - it slaada to 
reason that this ia, aad always will be eo, 
from the difference of soil and o imate between 
the tea growers of India and Ceylon. 
This being io, the necessity of keeping our 
name, and t^jas aejmraU—ia " puahiag " in new 
fields is obvious. 
Much haj been written on how to capture 
"America as a customer for our tea" but little 
has come of a really practical naluie, and not a 
few absurd ideas are about: — yet, I wjuld not go 
so far as one of your corrafpaodenti who prj- 
ponaded the idea that the gods were likely mad- 
dening U9--preparatory to our deTtruation 1 
The '' Bounty " Sohcuie is wrong on the faca 
of it, unworkable. So of some others. The 
" Ciiicago Hhow " has bean a great eucc^sa as a 
Sh'jw, thanks to our Oommissioner's great exer- 
tions, an 1 the lurnp^ of monay spsnt. At the same 
time it would not be surprizing, if the rasnlta 
may be alt bat— babbbn for want of being fol- 
lowed up. 
It was but a show, and will soon be forgotten. 
Of the multitude who tasted our tea, probably few 
were in the tea trad?, and the mass would but 
take a thirsty interest in the article, at tha moment. 
With eo many diatraoting surroundings, could it 
be otherwise ? 
It wfis lately laid before us by one of your beet 
correspondents that the American trailer has strict 
ideas ou bjsinesj, that part of hiacr^edis, that 
"there is no d i sentiment in businest." so our 
uopara'lelUd show of tiinhalesa and other products 
may have had but small effect on bis obdorata soul ? 
The idaa of ae'iiug our Commissioner to go back 
to America again, even for Ceylon atone, is absurd. 
The next move should be hard business — witliout 
a sliow. Lime-lighted lectures and that sort o( 
thingj won't ca'.ch the Yankea ; ha is a past 
maetar in tbe arts of " blarney " and " bunkum " 
No our Commissioner has dane his level best: 
let him be rewarded with a title (or his great 
exertions, trouble him na more, but let him rest 
in peaca with well-won honou'^s. 
What is to be done ? Advertizs— say soma ; yea, 
but it is of no use, till you have stocks of the 
article on hand, or it would not be unlike a Coster- 
monger bawling over an empty barrow. 
I believe, with many otners fron what I 
have heard and experienced of America that 
our tea cannat be placed there but by means 
of the legitimate tea trader there. The trade 
must be induced to take us up. This would be 
best done by one of themselves in our employ. He 
should be an expert in teas of all sorts. A man with 
a good business connexion — just a good "drummer" — 
well supplied with samples of trial shipments of g03d 
serviceable teas — (not stuff unfit for human food, 
as was said to be the case with Ceyloa tea con- 
demned at Melbourne lately (?). This should have 
been traced and tha wrongdoar publicly denounced) 
— not too fine teas but fair samples of what this 
country can supply. 
Who is to furnish these trial shipments ? Just 
yoursalves, planters ! 
All paying estates can afford the trifling risk. 
I have been engaged in sanding tea to America 
for my employers, made and sortad to order. 
The results wera fairly good for a beginning, and 
as things have gone it was a mistaka not to have 
followed the opening up and continu<>d the business. 
1 refer ta some years back. When a start is 
being made, t/td7i advertise and keep it up. Flood the 
places where you start with all the tea literature 
issued from the C'eylo'i Observer press. It you don't 
try this plan, " wakea eoabee," aa4 expel " OUU' 
