June r, 1894.J TEtE TROPICAL 
AGRiCULTURlSt, 
833 
7. ETery year, every month and week since tea 
Was grown, fresh advioe and freeh experience have 
been gained as to what sells best. 
8. But tastes vary and changes come over 
fashions inexplicably, and ihe near future may 
see London IJrokera oiyiug out for flavor and 
delicacy. 
9. While the London warehouses were " chock- 
a-block " wi'.h low China teas, Indian teas were 
wanted with strength and astticg^ncy to mix with 
them, but this may not be bo when low China teas 
are no longer in supply, 
10. But I have seen samples made in Julia quite 
equal to China tea, but then it was made with a view 
to delicacy and flavor, not to astringenoy and 
fatrength. 
11. Make such tea and millions of pounds will 
go at 50 per cent higher rates than rule for strong 
teas, into Bu9sia and America. 
12. Let us ignore small measures, small men 
and small things in conjunction with such a big 
trade as the Indian Tea industry, and eo big a 
country as America. 
* * * 
Now then to work — the ideas are not new to me, 
but I have not seen them openly advocated. D.d 
not some one in your own poges sneer at the 
thought of consulting American taetes ? A few 
words on each of the numbered quotations : — 
Ist. See No. i, No. 5, No. 6, No. 10 and No. 11 
as applied to " new markets " not only for America 
and BuEsia, but tot the Continent and for the 
great numbers in England who will not take our 
strong tea. 
No. 12 oonies into each and all of the points 
under discussion. Let us ignore everything but 
our own interests as Planters. Our own interests 
run with the likes and dislikes of our customem. 
Let no small men or things come between us. 
2. India has not advertized much, Ceylon has 
done naore — her small retailers have advertised ; 
but they have gone the way of the trade and 
they have joined hands with China and other 
rivals, Dont blame them, they are justitied in 
getting rich ; they owe you nothing ; they are not 
your servants ; but don't depend on them, djn't 
Bubsidise them. Here repeat No. 12— let it be the 
lefrain to the song. 
No. 3. See No. 7 — emphasise the last two words. 
See No. 9, note the word " to mix with them." 
What advioe have we had from the auction room — 
Ask Philpot I 
No. 4. Points out the "grocer." Here is our ally, 
our agent ; ask his opinion, raise him if possible 
in the line of go-between, let liiin make more profit. 
Give him shilling tea which his customers will buy 
more of than their present shilling Chica tea, aud 
the grocer will be our friend. Let us embark our 
boat on the " Ganges "—leave the soda water to 
the small men. 
No. 5. Very true ; please introduce us to the 
men who know what the Americans will take. 
We now run the old danger, that we shall 
supply tea which will improve the American China 
tea. So that we shall not oust, but we shall 
establish our rival in the " New Market." 
No. 6. Nothing eaaier when we know what are 
the right sorts— " What (s good Tea." 
No. 7. Ho 1 Ho ! '. '. What sells best ; " Buyers 
10 sell" ; " Made to ehare." No 1 they ere made to 
sell one shilliDg & dozen"— every ytar ovcry 
day, we have attained such porfeotion that wo get 
a Bbilling a gross. By all that ia good and true 
let ua forget the experience gained. Here repeal 
»0.13. 
No. 9. Let me change the words into "But 
this may not be so when Indian teas are no longer 
iindrinkahle." 
No. 10. Of course we all know that— why make 
namplea ; why not here repeat No. 12, 
No. 11. I wou'd make you our prophet for these 
words and I would add to " Rutsia and Am eticft'' 
the whole world. 
No 12. Kindly have this printed in gold and 
colcur^ and many p'.eas'ng flourishes as a text 
and Eend one copy to each of these interested. 
Substitute " The World ' for "America." 
There is- time to retrace our stepp, there are good 
times before ua or th? big men would not be 
joining our ranks. Hold on like giim death to 
every tea bush you own. 
1874. 
TEA PLANTING IN INDIA AND 
CEYLON : 
WHEBE INDIA IS AHEAD OF CEYLON. 
May 3. 
Dear Sir,— There are many matters connected 
with the tea industry about which the Planters 
of India and Ceylon might well exchange ideas, 
with mutual advantage, and I purpose writing on 
two of them in this let er where India is ahead 
of Ceylon. 
1st. With regard to the system of European 
Supervision, 
2nd. With regard to the Management of Machin. 
ery and Construction of Buildings. 
First, then with regard to Supervision. We have 
in Ceylon an ubiquitous individual rushing about 
"like a bull at a gate," or flitting over large 
areas of tea (sometimes two or three estates in 
one day), tiniahing up with a long-winded and 
frequently diplomatically written Report to the 
Proprietor, who too often cannot make head or 
tail of it, except that it is a series of sentences 
in well-thought-out English, which might be read 
to mean several things. This gentleman is called 
a " Visiting Agent." What are his qualifications ? 
I fear the answer to this in too many cases is 
that ^'kissing goes by favour" or rather has gone 
by favour. How many among the Visiting Agents 
of Ceylon estates today have had practical know- 
lodge of tea estate managcmeut? or could take 
up a billet on a property and do the detailed 
work, as well as the Managers they visit ? And 
even if the Visiting Agent was a man who had 
gone through all the practical work in cue district, 
he would indeed need to be a veritable genius, 
to adviee men in other districts, with entirely 
different climatic and othtr conditions on their 
work, these men bring the accumulated 
experience of years of patieut labour and 
investigation to bear on it with the reEuU 
that in many, very many cases, thoy could aud 
" do teach their visiting agent all he knows." 
Looking over the past plauting history of the 
island, we can recall Uien.ameB of many a Vieiting 
Agent like K. 13. Tytltr and Sandy Brown, whose 
advioe was welcome, aud whose intimate 
knowledge of what they reported on contrasted 
strangely with some of their latter days followers. 
When we find a "Creeper " one month, blossom 
forth into a full-flcdgod Visiting Agent the next, 
and visit the man (of many years standing) with 
whom he had been creeping I When wo find the 
tea from the property on which a Vieiting Agent 
is resident, fetching tbo lowest or nearly ibe 
lowest prices of the district, in w-bich it is eitu- 
ate.l and when wo find that men p^iid (or visiting 
and in°poctiDg " estates manage to iuturpret Ihie 
into rushing over 2U0, 30U and eometimeii lOU ^Qiea 
