Sept. i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
agenoies and advertising and in the e"d our sprat 
will surely catch the mackerel, end there will be 
no more five penDy average-, c«u*ed bv supplv ex- 
ceeding [demand. " OPEN SEASAME." 
THIRD PEIZE (A.)— R25. 
(Paid by "Planter.") 
In considering the question as to the best means 
of promoting the sale of Oeylon Tea in America, 
one must at the outfet recognize the fact that the 
Colombo market can only supply a very small 
percentage of the teas imported by dealers in 
the United State?, and it is extremely unlikely that 
there will be any increase in the supply until there 
is a regular and greater demand for that class of 
tea, which would induce competition and afford the 
producer a better price than he at present obtains 
in Colombo. 
My suggestions as to the best means of carrying 
out the scheme are : — 
1. — Appoint a man with the confidence of the Plan- 
ters' Association and Chamber of Commerce at a salary 
of £1,500 to include travelling expenses, but not 
the cost of lecturing, which should be additional. 
2. — If the appointment is made in Oeylon let the 
representative start at once for San Francisco via 
China en route to New York, touching at the prin- 
cipal cities where he may, as it were, feel his way, 
and be in a position to arrange a program on arrival 
in New York. 
3. The Committee of the Planters' Association to 
obtain, through the London Association, names of 
the principal buyers and wholesale dealers in London 
willing to do business in America; also samples 
of tea most suitable for the American trade 
with approximate prices at which they could bi 
landed in New York. These samples to be sent 
direct to the representative in New York. 
4. The representative, after having carefully con- 
sidered the best means, should start on a lecturing 
tour carrying the samples with him to show American 
dealers on enquiry ; or, if he thought it necessary 
or advisable, call at their offices, aud induce them 
to visit his rooms, where the samples would be laid 
out. Prices should be attached to the samples, but 
the names of the London dealers given only when 
samp'ea were se'ected, and a promise given that 
orders would be sent. 
5. Abolish all thought of the bounty system, and 
let all surplus funds be spent in advertising in news- 
papers or by handbills, as is deemed best; with the 
small sum available, the latter would appear to be 
the better method. 
It may be said that objections would be made by 
London dealers who are already doing a large trade 
with America, to our representative interfering with 
or interviewing their constituents, and possibly some 
might oppose at first thought, but, if the matter be 
taken rip with firmness and carried out with deter- 
mination, opposition from them would cease, and 
co-operation be the result. 
The chief advantage of the above scheme is that 
the representative would be unknown to the London 
buyers, and there would be no suspicion of favouring 
one more than another, " Alfyso." 
THIRD PRIZE (B) R25. 
{Paid bxj " Planter.") 
It is a well-known, and generally admitted fact 
that any enterprise is better carried on under the 
direction of one captblo man than if the same work 
were entrusted to a more or less irresponsible council 
or committee of men; and the reasons for this arc 
obvious. When some decisive action has to bo 
taken, and delay means disaster, the general of an 
army decides the- matter for right or wrong according 
to his ability j but »ere it necessary to convoke 
some committee of generals, all of equal authority, 
and discuss tho matter from their individual stand- 
outs, the chances are they would only hasten their own 
ostruction. The pushing of Ceylon tea in America 
must bo looked upon as a battlo, where the enterprize 
and decision of one able man will accomplish far 
more than the studied " canny " wisdom of many ; and 
the first question to be decided is: What sort of a man 
will answer the purpose ? Americans are reputed to 
be unusually smart men of business, therefore, our 
hero ninst be a first-class man in business. He is going 
to sell tea, and must therefore know all about tea. 
It goes without saying that he must be a man who 
enjoys the confidence of the vast majority of Ceylon 
planters, to enable him to leave our shores feeling 
that we believe in him, and if he feels this, he will 
believe in himself, and to a determined man such a 
frame of mind is a guarantee of success. From a 
purely business point of view I daresay there are 
men who do not belong to the planting community, 
who would take up the work and attain considerable 
success, but I think a planter pure and simple would 
be a more acceptable delegate to the Yankee dealer, 
\ than a London broker or Colombo merchant. 
We will assume that the right man has been found and 
we hand him our R100,000, telling him to use his own 
judgment in spending it, and to consider some R18,000 
of it as payment for his own services, exclusive of 
travelling and entertaining allowances. The first 
question to be settled is : How is he to provide 
himself with tea samples aud how to fulfil orders 
when received ? It is obvious that in order to 
facilitate business he must be prepared to supply 
a definite article at a definite price, and it will 
not do, merely to show a merchant certain 
samples and have to say :— " I can't guarantee 
that you will get this ti a at tlie price I mention; but 
if you wire or writa to Golomb", I've no doubt yon 
will get s mething near it." This will never do! 
Our man must have large quantities of te\ in bulk 
at hand, aud when be has imiuctd the merchant to 
look at his samples, be able to Bay : — '• I can let you 
have 5, 10, or 20,000 lbs (as tbe osse may be) of this 
tomorrow morniug at such and 6uch a figure." If he 
thiuks the price too high, then re luce it, but cell the 
tea. Our Representative should coneequeLtlj take 
say 50,0001bs. or 100,000 lbs. of tea with bim, and having 
si lected a suitable warehouse inNow York aud having 
put an assistant in chargo to attend to orders prompt, 
ly. he can now p ocee 1 to business It should bano 
part of bi9 policy to m*ke a profit on the tea sold, 
of course if that can be done, well and good ; but bis 
main object should be to sell cur ta&s, and to do this 
ho need have no scruple in selling at a loss ; it will 
ali come back later on, when the teas are askeJ for 
as they mutt be if only good samples are supplied. 
As to getting supplies of tea from Colombo, that can 
easily be arranged for in the ordinary way. 
I have said he shou d put his Assistant in 
charge of tbe New York Warehouse, I think an 
As iitint a necessity, and in my opioiou a 
smart young panttr chosen by the Representative 
woull suit admirubly. A large stock of literature 
cracking up our staple, a quantity of photographs 
of the It-land generally and tea cultivation in par- 
ticular, should be provided for distribution. A few 
moJels of tea machinery to be exhibited in (hop 
windows, as a proof of the ceauly manner in which 
our teas are made as compared to those of China 
and J .pan would be a telling and attractive advertise- 
ment. Acting on these lines and providtd he sells 
his tea cheap enough to begin with, our Representa- 
tive woull have little difficulty in placing 100,000 lb. 
a month with tbe wholesale dealer?, of course any 
hard and fast estimate i f cost is impossible, but 
roughly the plan I have iudicatel would cost for: — 
Marajer'a salary .. .. £ 1,000 
Do Allowances .. .. 600 
Aasi-tant's Ealary .. .. 400 
Do Travelling expei.ses ... 150 
R<nt of store for 5 mouths .. 500 
Fittinss &o. for same .. .. 100 
Photographs and models ... 200 
Pamphlets &*. .. ... ... 60 
Cost of 50,000 1b. Ua in N.Y. .. 1,850 
Stationery and postages .. 100 
Advertising .. ... ... 600 
£ 5,400 
