May I, 1894.J 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
773 
agreed with Sir William lioberts in believiag that 
tlie alleged ill-effecLs of the tanuin in the tea, were 
probalily very ihUlIi exagguratod, aiiJ th»t tbe ill- 
affeot of (irinkiug toj much tea tn\\ to^i stroup; tea 
were due to the thoino aud vol.itilc cx'ractives of 
the tea, and not to the tannin. It was quite a 
fallaoy to sjppose, alibouyh he olten saw it otale 1, 
that comiuon teas ouitained more laiuiu tbiin the 
choicer varieti !f. In ni iuy casts the opposite was 
the fact. Vttiistits oi tea, htiwiiser, such ts the 
"iligejtive" tea, might b' bid iu vvhioh the tannin 
of the tun w 3 B.) a'tured by oiectrial tre:ttmea6 
that it did not precipitate gel.itine, and inttrfei'td 
but Jittld with the dig j8'i')u of 8tBi\;h ; of thefe Mr. 
Hart showoJ spjoimeua which he cou^iderod desurving 
of no' ice. 
The mott eiscslial point of a'l for making good lea 
of the finest quality, and with the least waste, was 
tbe tliorojgh crushing of tlie leaf, aud its subdivision 
in such a manner that tlio largest possible surface 
waa rapidly exposed to the boiliuij water in infusing 
it. Henoo the traliliouil preferetica by tbe Japaue e 
who in this m ittcr hid shown their cnstoaiary in- 
telligence and refiuoiuont of la^ta, for their carefully 
prepared and selec ted " teapowder," v, hich produced 
the finest loi in tbe world, llenca, tto, laobably, 
the eupfcriority of tho thoioughly Ciushed tea 
brioUa of tbe btsfc quality lor.-nerly eeut from 
China tj Hufsia. Xbis matter h^d been gre:itly 
overlooked in the Wts' but uu loubtedly it was 
the kay to any furtlier progrers in the art and 
economics of tea driukm^'. Tho diflicullies and dis- 
advantages of lei po*der ob aicablo in Europe at 
present were ita linLility to adulteration, its 
uncertain mixture, aud the discomforts attending 
its use. Some nioulba ago be bad sent to biui a series 
of Tea Tabloids made by tbe compresrion into the 
tabloid form of carefully selected and finely ground 
teas of Japan, India, iiud Oeylon, some of ihem 
already sweetcnel. During his recent travels be had 
used these largely aud with excellent re ults. lu- 
veatigatiuK the matter accurately be found that we'ght 
for weigbt the finett teas in small compresstd tabloids 
gave results at leist three times better than tho sime 
tea in le^f. Thfise tabloids were a scientific appli- 
cation of tho exp3iience of the great tea using nations 
of the El^t. Theirextreme portability, the automatic 
an I accurate measureaieut of quantity which they 
tacilitat.'d, and the saving of lully 50 per cent, in 
cost, togolber with the readiness willl which a 
cup of tea might be prep ired .from them in a few 
second*', were advantages which lie thooght wira likely 
lo be highly appreciated by others as they had beew 
by liimtelf. 
Specimens wire shown of thete and of the beverage 
prepated from thcui. Passing to cotfee, f jr which he 
bad left him elf little time, I\Ir. Hart said that 
coffea U8 in Frauoe hag justly lost its reputation, and 
uaj eommouly hardly drinkable by re-iBoii of its lar^c 
admixture with chicory, which cLeited the eye but 
defrauiod the Bjstcin uf tho needful and necessary 
alk»ioid, Uhiocry was worth 21. a pound, and good 
coffee Is, 61, or If.Sd. There was only one secretin 
making ooifee, and that was tbe berry should bo good 
iu quality, fretbly roasted, freshly ground, and that 
not lees than au ounce should be used for every pint 
of coffee, baittr two ounces. AVeak coif to was an 
abjuiiuatioii, but it was wbat was aliuo t universslly 
drunk iu tbis country. Strong ooffoe would cust not 
leas tliau Id, a cup without sugar or milk, aud the 
only pt-rmissablii dilution was with milk, not water ; 
a pint uf watviy eolfic, thickened and darkened with 
cbicury and burnt :iQgar, and toloareil with milk could 
be ptoduood at 'Id a pm', and this wa? what was oidi- 
u»iily drank by tlie working classes. Il \va- nut a vtry 
uKr<u»blc and not a really restoralivu fluid. No 
woiid'-r the use of colfoc iiuion^ tbe woikiiii; olaseea 
was decliuiug ralh^'r thm advancin;;. Gcol tea oould 
\ c HI Id lor a fourth of tho price of gooJcoHee, bunco 
tho universal prelereneo fur it among Ibo working 
I lasses and in it.o ordinary Unti.-b bousi lndd, a 
prefureliou which was (pulo 1 atural and jiis'.ili ilde. 
Alter iliscUoMii g coco.i ai d cliocolule, Ibu lu.luior 
coueludud lhat only cocoa essences wliieli w^ro live 
from heavy a '.mixtures of starch aid sugar should be 
drunk; and he showed specimens of ehooolate which 
were notable and much to be commendei, in ibat 
they were a'so wholly free from added 8iig»r or 
starch, aud which he hoped woul I be largely 
introduced into connnerce for tbe sake of the gouty 
and rheumatic, the diabolic and the obese, to whoii 
a eupeiflnity of stiir b and feugir was liighly ub. 
jectionable. — IleJicul Journal. 
— 
CINCHONA EXPORTS FROM JAVA. 
From a rolinble quarter we have received the 
following figures 
Exports from Java in F bruary 1894. 
Piiv.>te lb. 412,1:0. Governmbut ib 4(5,543. Total 
458,G63 lb. 
Kx ports Irum Java from 1st Jidy 1893 to 28tb 
February 1894:— 
Private. Gov^roment. 
lb. ilb. 
1894... ... 4,366,420 367,382 
189J... ... 4,69.5,.397 478,714 
1892... ... 5.463,815 493,184 
1891... ... 4,838,965 404,645 
lfc90.. ... 3,012,630 394,780 
♦ 
A DUTCH CINCHONA ASSOCIATION. 
An " association for the promotion of the 
interests of cinchona cultivation " has been 
established in Holland. The object of the associa- 
tion is to xiromote tho interests of the cinchona 
industry in the Dutch East Indies. It is proposed to 
carry out this object chiefly by collecting facta relat- 
ing to the industry, giving lectures on the subject 
and publishing literature concerning it. Members 
are admitted upon payment of an annual contribu- 
tion of 10 florins (lUs. 8d ) Tbe management of the 
association is vested in a council of from three to seven 
members, who must have their domicile in Holland 
and who must be connected with the Dutch Indian 
cinchona industry, either as plantation owners or as 
directors of companies. It is pi-oposed to hold quarterly 
meetings of meaibersof the association in Amsterdam. 
— Chemist and Dntygist. 
♦ 
HOW TO GET RID OF ILLUK GRASS. 
An old planter writes: — " Illuk is a nasty weaJ in 
eradicate. The most tflectuRl way with a small 
acreage ia to dig ovir tho whole surface lo a depth 
of 18 inobes, oareiully removing all tbe roots and 
having thim burnt. I did tbis onco in BadulU to 
about 7 acres of IlUik and Bracken, and it was most 
succeseful , and tho growth of tho coffee alter it 
was wonderlul. There is another way whicb might 
bo t'icd iu the wet weitl er. Lst coolies bo armed 
with pieces of guunybag to def. nd ih-.-.r hands, aud 
then begin from one end and pall up eich stun of tbe 
grass. Once a week, or every ten days after this, 
let this be repeated with each fresh Krowth, lor a»y 
two n.onths. Tbe ro its, being deprived of f.)od and 
air through the leaves (lungs), tbe reserve nuurisbment 
laid up in tbe roots is exhiustid in r:i'i-ing frosli sboots, 
will rot in the greu-)d and the nuisance will c a e." 
CEYLON TEA IN NEW ZEALAND. 
GOOr ADVICE TO PL-INTEES. 
MesJis. Ninian llyslop & Oo., of Obrittohurch, New 
Zialnnd, write to ask us to aOd their firm tu the list 
of those who lell pure Oylon Teas given in our 
0('('(7();i(/ and 'I'roj'icdl Aiji icul turht , and tliey add: — 
"\Vc have hid printed and eirculatud 20,11110 of the 
enclosed ciroulars /cCeylon Teas tthe oirenlar oiu- 
p lod and printed by nn. — Kl>. 7'..I.J and wu ibiuk 
tlio t)eylo:i Tea Assooialiuu ought to make us a 
grant 01 l.dO.I or 2,(JO0 lb. of tta as we have adver- 
tise I and imshoil t a hard during Ibo lanl ;> or 6 )e»r». 
Uur Mr. Niuiau llyelop had lUo pleaiure ol luoctiug 
