Sepx. i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST 
i93 
the attraction and the effect would be obviously 
greater^ ^ Sinhalese and Tamil servants in 
their dis'inctive national costumes, caunot fail to 
draw, judging from past experience in America. 
The opportunities and occasions when their services 
might be requisitioned must depend on circumstances, 
of which the Commissioner and his staff would ba 
the best judges. . 
5th. — The preparation and circulation ot a booklet 
with tea views and explanatory letterpress, setting 
forth some of the chief facts and figures connected 
with the small beginnings and wonderful develop- 
ment of the tea enterprise here, the distribution of 
our teas, the mode of preparation, &c, should be 
a special instruction to the Commissioner. The 
books— the basis for which could be found m the 
statistics and publications which were compiled for 
the Ceylon Court at Chicago-might either be sold 
at a nominal sum, or given away to purchasers of 
special quantities of tea. It should be both attractive 
through its illustrations— photographs, perhaps, 
would be best— and light and interesting in style ; 
and a special edition de luxe should be struck for 
gifts to notabilities, to big commercial Houses, and 
to the Editors of the leading newspapers, who 
should be interviewed and asked to accept a small 
box or a packet of choice tea, with an advertise- 
ment for toe paper. A frontispiece with a bird's- 
eye view of tha Chic 'go Exposition buildings would 
appeal to the amour propre and the sympathy of the 
American people, and thus help the cause. 
gth.— Advertisements proper, to be published m tie 
more prominent newspapers in the States attacked, 
and to run for a fixed period, turn nbout. I mean, 
if there a-e 50 reputable newspapers in a State or 
Diet ict, it would be tetter to advertise a week in 
eacb and thus conciliate rival editors, while reaching 
their' special clientele, which will include every 
class of newspaper reader, than to advertise for 50 
weeks in one newspaper, or even for fivo weeks in 10. 
7th —The Commissioner should have the command 
of a limited quantity of tea for distribution among 
friends, and of a consignment for a special purpose 
hereafter discussed. _ 
The above ara the principal suggestions I rave to 
offer for the profitable expenditure of K100.000 within 
six month*. The details will have to be filled up by 
the Commissioner to suit varying circumstances. I 
have assumed that he will be lurnished with some of 
our choioest growths, purchased in the local market 
though I nm not unware of the oljections which 
may b9 raised to such a course. It seems to me 
essential that he should have a limited quantity for 
free distribution; and I can sse no objection to 
his having the control of eay 10,000 lb. .to start with, 
consigned to some Firm or Ageucy which already 
haudles our tia, eo that present demands may not 
ha neglected. Resolutions have a way of resolving 
themselves to nothiDg, and enthusiasm often dies off. 
If a House should say, " Well, wj should like to 
make a beginniug at once. Where can we get_ your 
toa y— the Commissioner should be in a position to 
belv 'There is a small quautity available; you c\u 
haVe no more than 1,000 lb. from X—, and mean- 
while you must write or cablo your orders to 
Londou or to Colombo, as I am not autborizad to 
sell any Tea." As has often been pointed out, it 
is of lutle advantage t3 tell a nisn, and even 
convince him, that Ueyion tea is the lest, ;ind not 
bo able to refer him to a house or dealer in tlo 
neighbourhood where he can be supplied. The 
advantage of tho procedure I have suggested is that 
a customer will at once be enlisted, and perhaps an 
important name secure 1 f< r tho fly-'eaf to go with 
the booklet, ns oonnect* d with Cejhntea, or from 
whom Ceylon tea could be obtainid. It would be a 
double advertisement, accruing t > tho benefit of the 
island, and also of the firm whose willingness to 
handle Cnjhm's would thus bo made public. The 
10,000 lb would thus serve to enlist and proclaim 
at leaBt 10 big names, which would lo insertid on 
the fly loaf witli tho names and addresses of the 
Finns and individuals who ore already our allies. 
aa importers, distributors or sellers of our teas in 
America. In the suggestions I have offered, I bn ve 
i'ui ther recognize t and given weight to the fo'lowing 
facts :— 
Is*'. — That the rorsamption cf Tea in America is 
already large, ai_d that a ta6ta for Tea has not to 
be created. 
2nd. — That the quantity of Cejlon and Indian 
Ti as consumed is out of a 1 proportion to their as- 
certained merits, and that it is only by publication 
of their merits that they could be expected to oust 
China and Japan Teas, as (hey have dono in ttie 
U i'ed Kingdom. 
3rd. — In the Unite! Kingdom they advertised them- 
selves, so to spaak, through the fact that most of 
tha Tea grown here an i in Ind'a has been planted 
with British capital. London capitalis's being thus 
directly interested in our Teas took them up at 
once ; bnt the quality of the article helped to establish 
it firmlv in the market, and in publio favour. In 
tho United States special methods have become 
necessary ; and those metboJs should run, as far as 
possible, on lines familiar to Americans. 
4th. — Bff ort3 have already been put forth to make 
our Teas known in America, and they have beeD 
successful in varying degrees The increased, and 
yet increasing, importation into America of our Teas 
is due obiefly to tho-e efforts ; and these have neces- 
sar ly had to run counter to (he business or the 
methoils, or both, of American Houses dealing witb 
other Tea. It wou d be futile, therefore, to expeot 
to ga>n our object oily by conciliation, although 
conciliatory means should be specially studied, and 
causes 0' offenca avoided, whenever practicable. One 
special in-tructiou to the Commissioner will have to 
be oarefully to consider on the spot whether it would 
be wiser; wi h the funds at hi3 disposal, to spread 
his efforts over several States, or to concentrate thera 
on the principal commercial centres in whose hands 
are the importation of Tea aud its distribution 
among the in'aud States. 
In conclusion, though it strictly forms no part of 
the Sahema for the expenditure of RIOO.OOO in America, 
I would venture to make special mention of the 
need of the most watchful care in the manufacture 
of our Teas, and tho prosecution of all sellers of 
impure Teas. This is essential to our sucoess in 
America. Lavish expenditure in advert : zing might 
sacure us a good foothold in America ; but quality 
alone can retain a high position. Is it not by the 
quality of our Teas that we hope to oust our rivals? 
It were idle to attempt to increase the demand for 
our Teas oo the ground of their purity aud cleanli- 
ness, when it can be proclaimed with truth that our 
customers have taken, for good cause, to returning our 
Teas as rubbish. The reproach earned by a few, 
will stick to the whole enterprise. If the good name 
of Ceylon Tea be protected by legislation, then and 
then ouly will the prompt expenditure of 11100,000 in 
judicious advertizing, to be followed by a moderate 
expenditure for 2 or 3 succeeding years', through the 
Tea cess — yield the results so earnestly desired and 
so pluckily striven for by Ceylon Planters. 
EXCELSIOE, 
SECOND PRIZE (B)-B50. 
(Paid by " Planter'-.") 
Max O'Rell says : — " The Americans of today are 
so blase on the matter of advertisements, that it 
is difficult to attract their attention without getting 
up extravagant baits for their eyes." "After the 
ordinary," he coutiuues, " it is necessary to adopt 
the extraordinary, and in these times it is as much 
as the marvellous can do to produce an effect." 
Let us attempt the marvellous and so produce that 
effect. 
Wo have to find the key that will unlock the 
gate aud open to us the American market. 
A temperate natiou, they should certaiuly be 
judges of good tea, and where the thick, dirty China 
teas are drunk at present let us change them for 
* Of course " Planter" 's R2&Q defrays all the prizes, 
