Sept. t, 1894.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
Essays on the Proposal to Spend E100,000 in 
Introducing Ceylon Tea into America. 
(1ST PRIZE-E100.) 
(Paid by " Planter:') 
In making an effort to introduce Ceylon tea into 
America it must be borne in miud that the 
importers, the large dealers, the distributors 
and the consumers (of 70,000,000 lb. of tea) 
all exist, as wa3 the case in the United Kingdom; 
and that it ia desirable to make use of these ex- 
isting trade channels to the utmost extent possible, 
avoiding competition at any point, and seeking only 
to substitute Ceylon tea for China to such an extent 
as the taate of the country will admit. Now any 
attempt to interrupt the channel in the middle is 
out of the question : it is only at the two ends 
that action is possible. Dither the importers must 
be induced to give up an established and lucrative 
business, and to transfer at least a portion of their 
operations if not to a new country itself, to the 
produce of a new country ; and to take on themselves 
the trouble and risk of creating a demand for the new, 
produce ; or, the consumers must be dealt with in 
detail, and the demand for the change created 
at the other end of tho line. Ueyond bringing our 
produca to their notice, introducing London houses, 
if necessary, giving them samples, and nuking them 
acquainted with the effort wo were about to make to 
bring Ceylon Tea under the notice of the consumers, 
little then can apparently ba done with importers. 
The propoaiil to offer them a "bonus" may be dis- 
missed, for many cogont reasons which it is urine "es- 
eary to refer to here. Our propar field of action lies 
amongst the consumers at " the other end" of the chan- 
nel and with the grocers who supply them. The grocers 
are to be found in every town, acd are supplied 
by the larger dealers and middle-men much in the 
same manner as in England. 
This principle admitted, the atrangemenk necessary 
seems to be very simple. They have already appeared 
in the Observer signed " The given quantity, " but 
may be re-state J as follows : — 
Our agent, (in New York,) would purchase tea in 
London ; have it bulked in New York and made into 
£ lb. eample packets. Each packet should have an 
outer oover, with a printed label, s ating that the 
packet is forwarded by the P. A. of Ceylon, with the 
view of enabling the recipients to judge f < r them- 
selves what Ceylon tea is; in the hope tbafe they 
will give it a trial, sta'iog olso where it can be 
obtaiued (the house of u local tradesman) the pre- 
sent price per lb. in different forms of packago up 
to 50 lb. boxes (to be arranged with the losal trades- 
man) acd " direction as ts infusion," A short printed 
pamphlet should also be largely circulated. 
On selecting a town or district which would in 
most cases be visited by tbe agent, bis duty would 
be first to iuterview or send printed circulars to 
the tea dealers or grocers in the town, or district, 
informing them that samples were being distributed 
and asking them to undertake to supply pure Ceylon 
tea, telling them where they oould obtain it, either 
through bis office in New York in the first instance, 
or direct, or through their own New York friends 
Iroai Loudon Houses (several well-known firms 
should bu named) and offering to pay for 
loc»l advertisements in the event of their asree- 
iugto supply pure Ceylon te» only, to such of the'r 
customers as would take it. The importance of tot 
interfering with oxiating trade chanuels must be 
impressed on tho ai;ent, aud it must ba understood 
that only in tho eveut of the grocers desiring to do 
so should they draw their supplies direct from his 
apeucy at Now York. Our agent would then obtain 
a list of the officials, club", hotels, aLd principal re- 
sidents in the town, or ilietric' ; and forward samples 
direct to them. Liu would also put advertisements iu 
tho local pnpora and seud ssrnploa and pamphlets to 
thg editors, 
Our agent's proposal to the local tradesmen, would 
simply be this I offer you this business— will pay 
for your advertisements if you like to take it up (not 
exceeding $ ) obtain the tea through yftnr own 
Iriend?. I would rather yon did so — or, if you prefer 
it, in the first instance, from ma in New Yortc — at a 
price to cover cont only — cr from any sifch and 
such firms in London, but understand that the 
Planters' Association has no wish to compete 
iu any way with the trade — only in the event of your 
declining to take up tho business I ahalj supply 
your cneiomer direot from New York. 
There can be no question that tho extraordinary 
rapidity with which Ceylon tea took tbe place of 
China tea in the United Kingdom was very tnuoh 
owing to tli e free distribution of to* all over the 
country. There is no reason to suppose that tho 
result would not be the sime in America if arrange- 
ments are at the same time made to insure supplies 
being readily obtained. The amount of expenditure 
can be determine 1 by the number of town or districts 
in which operations ure oonduoted, and these opera- 
tions, begun on a email scale, in only a few towns, 
can if found successful, be rapidly extended over 
frer-h grourjd to any amount that may be desirable. 
The expenditure would bo the salary of the New 
York Agent and his assistant and office expenses. 
The cost of tea for simples, forwarding, advertis'ng 
in the local papers — through the dealers chiefly— 
and the printing and distribution of pamphlets. A 
certain amount of tea would in all probability, in 
the first instance, have to be supplied from the 
New York office, which would wire orders for tea 
to London as required, and such orders would bring 
something in the way of a Commission towards 
the expenses of the establishment, but the principle 
of non-interference would prevent this business from 
at any time assuming large proportions or rendering 
a larye effice staff necessary. The Agent should be 
under the direct controlof the Planters' Association orof 
a Joint Commmittee of that body and of the Chamber 
of Commerce appointed for the purpose. 
There ia noihing in the above scheme that the 
Government of America or the Government of Ceylon 
can take the exception to, and it is probable that 
the litter, were this scheme agreed to, would have 
no objection to continue the present small duty on 
tea— or to double it if asked to — and to hold thej 
sum so collected at the disposal of the Committee. 
The advantages of rai-ing the entire sum require! 
in this manner are so obvious that it is scarcely ne* 
cess»ry to add a word on the subjeot, but it is 
pretty well known that a large number of proprietors 
will decliuo to subscribe to any voluntary fund for 
the simple reason " that it ia unfair that those who 
will p'y should pay for those who won't." Equally 
divided, the R100,UOO which it ia proposed to raise and 
spend in six mouths would soaroely be felt at all. 
CCSTOS PAUPERIS HOETI. 
SECOND PEIZE (A)— R50. 
(Paid by "Planter,") 
It may at first sight seem superfluotis, if not 
visionary, to offer a prize of R250 for the best 
Essay on the best means of spending E100,000 in 
America, iu order to bring Ceylon Tea to the notice 
of the American public; and already some people 
have begun to cavil, and others to wax funny, over 
the offer aud its object. Looking slightly below the 
surface, too, one might question the need of Prize 
Essays for indicating means for pushing Tea in 
tho American market, when the very obvious one 
cannot escape attention — ADVERTISE ! While my- 
self seeing in that single word the surest and best 
solution of the difficulty, connected with falling 
prices and an inelastic demand, which stares the 
producer in the face, I cannot admit that " the 
call to arms" is needless. Advertise, certainly; but 
how? Closer and deeper study of the question can 
alono explain tho need of the offer which has. 
tempted mo to outer the lists. The reward ia offered, 
I take it, to ascertain what tho special nivthovlj 
