June i, 1894.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
To the Editor. 
THE PRODUCTION OF CARAMEL. 
Georgetown, British Guiana, April 3rd 1891. 
gjB^_Herewith I have the honour to forward 
a copy of a resolution of the Royal Agricultural 
and Commeicial Society of Britiah Guiana, refer- 
ring to a Premium for improvements in the pre- 
paration of Caramel for colouring rum which 
the Society Wili be glad if you will notice in your 
magazine, —1 have the honour to be sir, your obe- 
dientjservant, THOMAS DALY, 
Honorary Secretary. 
ROTAL AGBICULTUEAL AND COMJIERCIAL SOCIETY. 
Georgetown, British Giaiana, Maroli 189-1. 
At a meeting of the above Soc'ety, held on Thurs- 
day, March 8ih, 1894, the fcllowiug reaolation was 
sdopteJ : — 
'That the sum of two hundred doUara be paid from 
the funds of the Society, on the award of its Agricul- 
tural Committee, to such persoQ cr persons b3 shall 
by the 30th of September next, inform this Society 
of some improved way of prodnoiug Coramel,— coin- 
blntd wi h its ecenomicel manufacture, for colouring 
ram fur market aud producing the least degree of 
obscuraiioD." 
Iq accordance with the above reaolution the under- 
6ign(d ioviti-'B comn)UQica,tions, to be addreesed to 
him not lattr ihan the 30.h of September next.— 
Thomas Daly, Honorary Secretary. 
[Oaeamel.— Burat sugar; a black, porous aub- 
stanoe obtaiuedby heating sugar. It is soluble in 
water, formin? a dark brown folntion, and is nsed 
to color spirits, gravies, etc.— Ed. T.A.'] 
TEA MAKING AND HIGH PRICES. 
London, April 11th, 1894, 
Dear Sib,— The letter on the above, written 
by the London Correspondent of the " Ceylon 
Times " and copied intc the Tropical AfjricuUurist, 
page 691, hua int nested me very much, be- 
cause it lays special stress upon the fact that the 
succeesful manufacture of tea depends largely upon 
the careful observation of chemical principles. 
Until it is recognised that the manufacture 
should be carried on with certain definite objects 
in each stage, and that each proaess of the manu- 
fdoture should be regulated upon some Boientifio 
basis it will be quite useless to expect uniform 
and satisfactory returne. 
With a variation of climate and Eoil, there will 
naturally be a variation in the quality and strength 
of the tea made. 
But in what respects does the tes differ, and 
bow far is the difference due to the soi7, and how 
far to the climate ; or still more how far is the 
difference due to the mode at manufacture ? 
These aro the points which I have pat forward 
from time to time in your paper, with a view of 
exciting the interest and support of your Planters' 
Association. 
The manufacture of tea involves obemicai, phy- 
sical and mechanical principles and, as the writer 
to your contemporary, truly remarks, though no 
one suppoaea that the Chinese tea makers have 
any special scientific training, they are neverthe- 
less following, though p:.rhaps of late years in an 
imperfect manner, the riiUs imprueud by agt;s of 
past experience. 
103 
The climate ard soil of Ceylon doubtless vary 
considerably from those of China and it therefore by 
DO means follows that an experienced Chinaman 
would make the best Ceylon tea-maker, but his pre- 
vious training would probably soon direct thim how 
far to modify his process of manufacture^ 
It is therefore a matter of regret, and possibly 
of distinct pecuniary loss to the Ceylon tea enter- 
prise, that, up to the present time, the Planters' 
Association have not considered it desirable to pro- 
mote scientific investigation info the prinoiplea of 
tea manufacture. 
As was pointed out in my Report upon tha 
Tea Analyses made last year in London, the market 
price of the samples examined, varied according 
to the amount of the soluble ash contained, and 
the results certainly suggested further reeearch aa 
being likely to yield useful as well interesting 
results. 
It is probably only a question of time ; and very 
likely a large Tea Company will first lead 
the way in scientific research and attach an 
experienced Chemist to the Factory staff, 
who, if a good man, would soon be found most 
useful, for instance in reporting on the quality 
of the green leaf delivered from different estates. 
In saying this I feel sure I am not simply 
expressing an opiaioo, but predicting a fact. — Yours 
faithfully, JOHN HUGHES. 
LIBERIAN COFFEE IN MATAI.E 
Kandy, April 27. 
Deae Sib, — I send a Liberian coSee cherry 
picked at TFiharagama Estate Matale, and which, 
I think, is a very remarkable specimen. It is 
a double-triplet and contains 6 beans and the 
cherry is nearly inch long. 
I send it to you as you have always ehown 
much interest in Liberian coffee, and I cannot 
recollect ever having seen or beard of euch an 
abortion. 
It may be useful as the big gooseberry, if your 
" Eilly season " is on, J. M. 
THE RAVAGES OF BEETLES ON COCO- 
NUT TREES. 
Haldummulla, April 27th. 
Dear Sib,— A letter from Puttalam on page 
725, complains of ravages committed by the 
beetles on oooouut trees. If these insects crawl 
up the stem, I fancy we can master them ; 
and the same will apply to rats. The latter 
I believe cause a lot of miscbie< when the tress are 
young. My remedy is to hoop the tree with thin 
sheets of " Mioa '' say from 4 to 6 inches in width : 
one such band would be a sufficient preventative 
if attached to every tree. " Mica " is impervious 
to heat, cold, rain or drought ; neither can any 
living thing crawl over its polished surface. I 
would wish to mention that although I could 
not guarantee success. I will be glad to send 
your correspondent a small quantity of Mica bands 
for trial if be will kindly write me. I would also 
suggest the same remedy to prevent Equirrela 
attacking cocoa pods.— Yours truly, 
EDGAR HEANLY. 
ENCOL^RAGEMENT OF NATIVE LABOUR. 
Nuwara Eliya, April 28ib. 
SiK,— Allow me to aaggest to Government to 
call upon the Mudaliyare and Ratemabatmayas to 
keep a register of people in their Kuraloe, who 
tre willing to go and nork m iAbouiMS ou ealittei, 
