398 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. TDec. l, 1894- 
er, unnecessary to select any particular kind. 
hey all yield a merchantable crop, and nothing 
as been discovered to show that one type is 
uperior in yield, quality, or flavour to another. 
These varieties are doubtless the result of hy- 
bridization. A true hybrid between two distinct 
types has not yet been produced. The Maragogipe 
is possibly a hybrid, but apparently not one ob- 
tained from the Arabian and Liberian. The selec- { 
tion of hybrid varieties for planting must be poet- j 
poned for another ten years. Till then there is money 
to be made by planting such Liberian as we have. | 
The planting of Liberian coffee, however, cannot be i 
carelessly done. I agree with Mr. Munton in saying that 
it needs shade but very scant, and that only in climates j 
below the Kandy table land. Topping is essential, but 
so also is handling. No tree should be topped umU i .. 
feet save in wind-blown places. I have seen a small plot so 
treated which black cattle can easily walk under. 
The last four upper primaries of these trees cur\e 
upwards and out, with ends only bending. I have ; 
seen much neglected Liberian coffee hacked, not 
pruned — unhandled, and covered with crows' feet yet 
vigorous, but with a poor crop on them. The owners 
of such coffee will be astonished at the results of 
proper treatment, and regret that they had not 
larger fields. Liberian or Arabian, the best selling 
product of the future is 
PARCHMENT COFFEE. ! 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
Niagara Falls, N. Y. Sept. 14. 
Deab Sib. — After my fourteen years' residence in 
Ceylon, eight years' experience in the Australian Tea 
trade, and two years of crmratroial life here, I am 
goirjg'to trouble you with my views as to the way of 
getting bold of the Am°rioan Market. 
First, have a res d*nt Manager in New York with 
a full stock of straight drinking (not blending) 
tees in all Bizes from chests to half pounds packets. 
The Manager to have suob capable American 
Assistants as he may require to send out th-ougb. 
all the principal oities end towns in the United 
StateB to piece jour teas for sale with one cr more 
merchants (well rated and of huh standing) in 
each city or town nocording to its siz<5. 
Give the said merchants such consignments of 
tea on sale for trial as he may desire at your 
prime cost, and allow the merchant to make his 
own profit (and if the American merchant can 
make bis own and the importer's prcfit at the 
business, you can depend upon his doing his level 
beet to create a demand) giving him to understand 
that if he do<s not push the business to the satis- 
faction of the Manager, the tei will be at any time 
taken up and placed elsewhere, 
The duties of the Assistants will be to personally 
and at stated periods look after the agenoies and 
consignments. 
This will demand a lot of very aotive work, but 
it is in my humble opinion the best way of intro- 
ducing your Ceylon teas. As I mentioned in the 
beginning straight-drinking teas (not too pungent) 
are the olass you should export to America, as very 
little blending is done in this country. 
The American merchants are as a olass strictly 
honorable, although what we would call sharp in 
practice and the oommeroial rating of every mer- 
chant jou oonsign tea to can readily be found on 
referring to Bradstreet or Dun.— Yours faithfully, 
D. W. CAMPBELL. 
SUGAR EXPORTS TO INDIA. 
DKAK SIR,— The latest Blue Book, i.e. for 1893 
ml 'the Return I referred to is a copy embodied 
it) • the figures you have taken come under the 
.heading — " Sugar candy— Palm and Jaggery*'— an" 
the article exported from Ceylon i*, I "believe, 
palmyra jaggery: S<> is it not misleading to call it 
Sugar 'f— Yours truly, MERCHANT. 
[We can only understand that the Indian 
authorities have included the Ceylon product- in 
Sugar-candy and Jaggery— under their head of 
"Sugar' 7 in makiop their returns. — Ed. T.A.] 
CEYLON AND INDIAN TEA IN AMERICA. 
Df.au Sik. — My letter in issue of Oct. 1st contained 
au unfortunate clerical error which you noted at 
once. The mistake was the word " bulla " instead 
of " China." " You must admit that Indian Tea is 
superior to Ceylon 'lea, and jet with the aauie 
breath you (Ceylon planters) say that Ceylon Tea 
is better than China Tea. Both, however, are too 
superior for the new markets, and we are left to jostle 
one another." This is what I intended to write, 
and I intended to convey the idea that superiority, 
judged by our standards, will not help us in gaining 
new markets. Our standard of quality is price ob- 
tainable in the London market. By this we find 
that Indian is superior to Ceylon — Loth are superior 
to China tea, and yet we cannot compete success- 
fully. 
I have, so far, given my poor opinion without 
the new light thrown on the subject by Sir J. 
Grinlinton. What he told you about "giving credit" 
seems to me so very like the bottom of the whole 
question, that I can only wait to nee what notice 
16 taken of it, and whether means will be found to 
either give credit to the present dealers, or to 
build up a new tea trade which can be trusted. 
With this new light, the combined efforts of Ceylon 
and India seem more than ever advisable, so that 
all risk of loss may be divided, and lightened. 
The risk to any individual must be too severe to be at- 
tempted, but the very fact that the American dealers 
do eventually pay the China merchants, should be 
sufficient guarantee that they will pay us, if we 
can onlv get a sufficient number to join in taking 
the risk. By risking the Association funds w 
toto, Ceylon and India could get a good deal of 
tea introduced. Judging by the last four years, we 
are due for 1895, a season of large outturn and 
low prices, so that it may be advisable to risk the 
surplus outturn by giving it to new market dealers on 
credit, leaving them to select the teas they require ; 
and to invite the chosen dealers to establish agen- 
cies in our local markets, because I do not think 
tbat many of our teas of unsuitable character would 
be sold, even by giving unlimited oredit. Indian 
Tea gained the British market by cheapness and by 
education ; the dealers smuggled in our tea without 
crying the fact from the housetop. Had thev pro- 
claimed the fact, the consumers would have objected, 
but in time our tea got to be liked. The superiority of 
ours over China tea took so long in being admitted 
in London, that the same plea does not hold out any 
hope of rapid success in new markets. If suitable 
teas can be supplied to the American dealers on 
credit there is little doubt that an extensive trade 
will be established, and although Sir J. Grinlinton 
has given a good reason for want of success. I still 
hold that, to gain any rapid and permanent results, 
we must suit the character of your teas to the mar- 
kets they are intended to occupy. 
The " Times of Ceylon," Sept. 26th has an editorial 
which advises the planter not to meddle in any 
way with dealers' work ; but to those who do not 
pay much attention to the importance of "character" 
in tea, surely the very fact that an immense quan- 
tity of China tea, (some of it adulterated) can be 
moved on the credit system, should lead us to 
suppose that the dealers could more easily move our pure 
tea with the same advantage. And also the fact that 
finding our dealers have reached a limit at which 
a great deal of tea does not pay expenses, it is 
time for the Planter to make the subject his special 
business. - " 1874,'' 
