Oct. i, 1894.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
2 67 
VALUE OF COCONUTS. 
Negombo District, Sept. 1st. 
Dear Sin, — In response to your reqasst I give 
below the range of prices and the average value of 
cooonuts, par thousand, in lhi3 district for the 
ooncludiog years of the quinquennial periods ending 
with the ye»r3 1865, '70, '75, '80, '85, and '90, and 
for the last 4 years. 
It will be observed that the valu3 h&i s'eali'.y | 
advanoed sinoe 1891, owing partly to the iuereasei 
exports of the raw materiil and pconac, and partly 1 
to the very largs demand creited by the new i 
industry of prepiring desiocated coconuts. 
A notable feature here just now is th9 demand i 
for seed nuts from this favourite locality, and the ; 
price of these has gone up by leaps and bounds. [ 
la this connexion let me add a word of advice 
to the inexperienaed who intend to plant up with 
this invaluable palm. They should bs careful to | 
projure nuts, for nursery purposss, from a reliable j 
source, as the suioass of a plantation largely depends j 
on the proper selection ot the S9ed nut3 — a matter 
whioh does not seem generally to receive the 
attention wbiah its importance demands. 
—Truly yours, POLGAHi. 
Ye»rs. Range of prices, per thou- Average value j 
sand, for 12 months. per thousand' 
for 12 months. 
£ 
s. d. 
£ 
6. 
d. 
£ s. d. 
1865.., 
3 
2 0 
to 
3 
5 
0 
3 4 8 
1870... 
2 
18 0 
to 
3 
7 
6 
1 10 
R 
c. 
B 
a 0,'- 
R c. 
1875... 
26 
25 
to 
33 
75 
29 46 
1880... 
26 
50 
to 
33 
25 
29 01 
1885.. 
27 
50 
to 
33 
75 
3) 25 
1890... 
30 
75 
to 
35 
123 
32 89 
1891... 
28 
00 
to 
37 
25 
32 02 
1892... 
30 
50 
ti 
40 
50 
31 21 
1893... 
36 
00 
to 
47 
75 
40 81 
1894... 
37 
25 
to 
39 
50 
to end August. 
TEA RUBBISH FOR CAFFEINE. 
Talawakele, Sept. 4th. 
Dear Sir, — I read with much interest your 
article on the scaroity of Tea Rubbish for the 
manufacture of Caffeine. 
I fancy that a great amount of va'ualve rubbish 
is being daily thrown away by every tea factory, 
viz , the delicate hairs of the tea leaf oommonly 
called "fluff." I hive advoaated the use of fluff 
for this purpose amongst the planters here. On 
Saturday I advised a gentleman to send some to one 
of the German firms for a trial. 
I have made a rough analysis of "fluff" and I 
estimate that it contains as much theme weight 
for weight as what the leaf does. 
It would also be easier extracted as there is 
cot so muoh oolouring matter etc-, to be got rid of. 
With regard to the value of the large leaf for 
this purpose I am not quite sure. But from 
results I have obtained in studying the ohemistry 
of the mauufaoturo of tea, I would say, that a 
greater percentage of alkaloids would be obtained 
from the green leaf. 
I am of opinion that in the process of firing 
there is a splitting up of a portion of the Their e 
into its conrtituent parts. But I would Btrongly 
advise some enterprising planter to send a packet 
of "lluff " to the firm you namo for trial,— I am, eto„ 
P. M. SHORT. 
[We must arrange ourselves for a packet of 
" green leaf " and ot "fluff -' to be s?nt to Mr. 
Christy for the purpoBe in view,— Ed. T.A ] 
THE CEYLON TEA SALES CONDITIONS. 
A general meeting of those interested in lh9 tea 
trade was held on the afternoon of Sept. 12,h in the 
Chamber of Commercs room, just before the weekly 
sale3 commenced, to consider Rule XII. of the pre 
seat Conditions of Sales, and to vest in the Colombo 
Tea Traders' Association the power of dealing 
with the conditions of sale generally under the 
following resolution to be vrrposed by Mr. J. H, 
Ronton, and seconded by Mr. F. Duplock ; — " That 
Rule XII. of the conditions of sale be altered to 
read as follows : — Additions or alterations to the 
above rules may be made from time to time, as 
occasion arise?, at the general meeting of the 
Colombo Tea Traders' Association to be called for 
such purpose in eccordanee with the rules of the 
Association." Mr. J. H. Ronton occupied the 
chair, and among the others present were : — 
Messrs. C. A. Lsecbman, H. Worship, A. C. Gale, 
C. E. H. Symons, A. H. Ayden, F, F. Street, W. 
Ha3lam, fl. S. Jeaffreson, A. M. Gepp, E. M. 
Leefe, J. N. Campbell, H. Tarrant, F. Duplock, 
W. Seale, W. E. K^ele, John, Barber and Foster. 
Mr. J. H. Benton, Chairman of the Chamber of 
Commerce, who presieled explained that they had 
been called to oonsid6r rule 12 of the present 
conditions of sal9 which was as follows :— " Addi- 
tions or alterations to the above rules may be 
made from time to time as occasion arises, at a 
general meeting of the Tea Trade to bs called for 
such purpose, by the Chairman of the Chamber of 
C)mmeroe, on the written request o( not less than 
5 of those interested. At least a week's previous 
notice must be given in one or more of the local 
newspapers." Ho had ca!l» d the meeting in accord- 
ance with a letter addressed to him by five mernoers 
of the Tea Trade. Most of them had now jo'ned 
the Colombo TeaTraders' Assooiation,and they wished 
now to hand tb.9 conduct of the Trade over to 
that As30cia ioD, It was, therefore, necessary that 
this rule should be altered and he had given natice 
of a motion that it should be altered to read as 
follows : — 
Additions or alterations to the abive rules may 
be made from time to time, as occasion arises, at a 
general meeting of the Colombo Tea Traders' Asso- 
ciation to ba called for such purpose in accordance 
with the rules of the Association. 
The Committea of the Colombo Tea Traders' 
Association had met and adopted a3 their ruies 
all the rules in the old oonaitions of sale, with 
the exception of Rule 12, which they had altered 
as above. The Colombo Tea Traders' Association 
having adopted all thesj rulas, it natucaliy only 
remained for the general tody of the trade to 
hand the conduot of the business over to the 
Association, and they could best do so by adoptin" 
his resolution. 
MR. DTJPLOCK. 
Mr. Doplock in seconding said they had hitherlo 
been a very important body as Leing engaged ia the 
tea-trade of this island, tut more or less a nonCc- 
acript one, no oue knowing who the he id wa*, 
or with whom they had to deal, and they htci 
done things in a hap-hazard sort of way. Now 
that they had a President, a Seoretary, and a 
Committee, they hoped to get on swimmingly. 
It was enly right that the conditions of sale 
under which they bought and sold their tea 
should be under the guidance and control of 
a properly organised and constituted AssooiatioD, 
suoh as the Colombo Tea Tialers' Associatiou. 
AN OBJECTION. 
Mr. J. N. Campbell :— I regret that I am 
ompelled to oppose the resolution proposed bv 
