Oct; i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE P. A. AND AN ENTOMOLOGIST. 
The Ceylon Plinters' Association lately approached 
Goverancent with a suggestion that an entomologist 
should be appointed to the Museum, their objects 
being to pet further information regarding tea prsts. 
It is unfortunate the authorities have not seen their 
way to incur this expenditure, but suggested a com- 
promise that an Entomological referee;might be ap- 
pointed, who would not be paid a regular salary but 
fixed oharges for consuliation by letter or for visit- 
ing estate-, etc. 
It ie, we think, a pity this suggestion hea not 
met with more support in Ceylon and we h pe it will 
not be long before the Indian Tea Association will be 
able to find funds and a suitable person willing to 
continue the experiments aud researches commenced 
by Mr. Banber. 
That there is still a great deal to learn no one 
will deny, aud while individual planters do collect a 
certain amount of knowledge, very few really have 
the time or ure always able to gather together the 
necessary particulars and to take the very careful 
notes in order that their conclusions may be accepted 
by others. 
With special subscriptions for the American Tea 
Fu'.d perhaps this proposal will not meet with so 
much favour this time, but considering the great 
advantages the industry may expeot to reap, we 
think it would be a mistake to postpone matters for 
some tin.e. 
The more light and knowledge we can get on all 
subjects oonnected with tea, the better will we be able 
to cope with our competitors and improve our older 
properties, which in several instances sufFu - to 
severely from blights and all kinds of enemies. — 
Indian Planters' Gazette. 

TEA AND SCANDAL. 
Five o'clock Tea. 
(Written for the Owlet Society, and Amateur 
Essay Club.) 
1 
My dearest Jane, 1 fear you'll think 
I'm very poor in pen and ink ; 
For seven months have passed away 
(How quickly I) since my wedding day, 
And you have never had a word 
To tell you what has since occurred. 
2 
Well, nothing great, I'm bound to own ; 
For Hugh and I live much alone ; 
And being rather short of cash, 
And mu' h averse to " noing smash,'' 
We take our modest pleasure here— 
Within our own domestic sphere. 
3 
For rre, I'm growing quite a c ok 
For Hugh, he means to write a book ; 
We fi'rm a hundred plans a day 
How to contrive to pay our way, 
Nor altogether Ioec the power 
Of asking friends to spend an hour. 
4 
Now, in the present race for wealth. 
When all is bought but joy and health, 
This would be rather hard to do, 
Hut for one fact— or rather two. 
The first, that friends care less by far 
For what you have than what you are. 
The second, that without a shock 
One may drink tea at five o'clock. 
5 
Oh! excellent five o'clock tea! 
Unparalleled five o'clock tea! 
A muffin, a " bunn," and cup of Bohea ; 
The peoployou like best to hear and to see; 
Nome gOstip and chat, A song aud all that. 
And your duty is di ne, You've had plenty of fun, 
And of worries, and fuss, and extravagance, —none. 
6 
Just think of the angui-h <f people of taste. 
Of 'liuners to give and no money to waste ; 
The fish over-boiled. The side-dishes spoi'od ; 
Your servants can't wait, Aud your ' lions 1 come 
lato, 
And the whole's overruled by inimical Fate 
I eon'l Ml you the oomfort nnd saving to me 
Of tula j «,'(,'-■: Institution of five o'clock tea, 
7 
And then, my dear Jane, there are people you 
know, 
Who are terribly fast, or tremendously slow ; 
Are gossips, cr suobs, or disgracefully mean; 
Old maids who are blue, or youths who are green'; 
And saints, in whose presence one feels quite a 
sinner 
(What a bore and a nuisance to ask them to 
dinner !) 
But now, since this fashion, one's quit, — don't 
you see ? 
— By asking them just to a five o'clock tea. 
3 
And then there are persons so sadly genteel, 
That they ma' e you quite wretched at every meal ; 
For if glasses for fingers, or claret, or hock, 
Are wanting, their feelings receive such a shock. 
That at mutton and beef aod such trifles as 
those, 
They sit and do nothing but turn np their nose ; 
Of course one must bear them, but then, dear, 
you see, 
There's so much less of them at five o'clock tea. 
9 
So I wish her all joy, whoever she be, 
Who first invented the five o'clock tea 1 
And new-married people, who haven't much money 
Should 1 tea-pot ' that lady — that would be so 
funny ! 
Good-bye, my dear Jane, I will sign, for variety, 
Your affectionate Quills 
(Of the Owlet Society.) 
— The Argosy, p. 80, July, 1876. 
YOU. 
The Chinaman praiseth his T's, 
The mandarin praiseth his Q, 
The gardner praiseth his turnips and P's, 
But I praise U. 
The mariner loveth the C's, 
The billiardist loveth his Q. 
The husbandman loveth his cattle and B's 
But I love U. 
The foolish have need of the Y's, 
Tbe actor needeth his Q. 
The pilot hath need of two excellent I's, 
But I need U. 
The huutress seeketh the J's. 
The shepherd seeketh his U. 
The College boys seek their final " B-A's " 
But I C, Q. 
—"Jaffna College M'Scellany." Laphsoi* SMILES. 
4, 
CEYLON AND INDIAN TEA Vs. CHINA, 
(London Times, Aug. 6.) 
Oue of the most striking episodes in the annals of 
modern commerce is the struggle between India 
and China for the tea supply of the world. Under 
the general heading China tea we include Japanesa 
and small supplies from other non-British sources. 
As regards the consumption in Great Britain the 
result of that struggle is no longer doubtful. The 
Indian and Ceylon tea grower has won the battle; 
but at a serious cost to himself. During the past 
13 years he has displaced China teas in the British 
market to the extent of 76 million pounds ; in doing 
so the Indian planter has had to reduce the 
price of his competing product by nearly one- 
half. In 1881 Great Britain consumed 112 million 
pounds of China teas; in 1893 she consumed 
only 36 millions. In 1881 Great Britain consumed 
only 18 million pounds of Indian and Ceylon 
teas; in 1893 she consumed 172 millions. While, 
therefore, the total British consumption of tea had 
increased by 48 million pounds dnring the past 
13 years, her purchases of tea from India and 
Ceylon have increased by 124 millions, and her 
purchases from China have decreased by 76 
millions. 
This great industrial revolution has been accom- 
plished by an international rivalry almost without 
a parallel in the history of the world. The 
j Chinese and the British tea growers have fonght 
1 with all the characteristic qualities of their two 
j races. British enterprise has been doggedly met 
I by Chinese persistence. The economies iu yroduc* 
