Dec. r, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
411 
ODD3 AND ENDS. 
[Frjii an tx-B.awjo.lix Planter.) 
Coffee Injurious ? — I see that in Greenland 
it has been found necessary to prohibit the use of 
coffee by the young, and the remarkable fact has 
been discovered that it is especially injurious to the 
human system the farther one travels north. 
" Abebdonensis" and Tea in Australia. — I was very 
pleased to see AharJoaeiiiis' letter in support of wh it 
I said about the stewing of tea in Australia. Of course 
I was writing of the Australia of 30 years ago, and 
he of the present day. In my day the squatter was a big 
swell when he went to town only ; but, when on the 
station, he drank his ' post and rail ' tea stewed like 
his men. The squatters I refer to are amongst the 
wealthiest in Australia now, and live in very great 
style ; but, when I was forgathering with tnem, 
mutton, ' post and rail ' tea and damper was their 
general bill of fare. Your correspondent evidently 
thinks that the knocking down of cheques has more 
to do with lunacy amongst shepherds than tea stewing ; 
but other classes knock down cheques in the same 
way, and yet do not gravitate to the Yarra , Bend. 
Hence my argument that the lazy life of shepherding, 
coupled with tea drinking, might have the same effect 
as the loafing life which the low Irish lead, upon 
whom tea is said to have such a result. 
Rubijishy Tea. — What are the planters of Ceylon 
thinking about, when one sees tea selling at the 
Chamber of Commerce sale-room at prices ranging 
from twelve to fifteen cents per pound? Surely the 
manufacturers don't consider such tea an article to 
be proud of. Does it ever strike them that these 
paragraphs are the ones that Indian planters re- 
loice to circulate or Chinese merchants take de- 
light in retailing. In Britain there are in- 
spectors of food, who condemn tons of beef, mutton, 
butter, fish &c. every week, as unfit for human, 
food. It strikes me Ceylon would be all the better 
of an inspector of tea, and one who would con- 
demn every pound of such rubbish as that to which 
I am referring. 
Tobacco. — One never hears of the Dumbara cigars 
now ; but I was reminded of them the other 
day by reading that the tobacco grown in 
Beluchistan is so strong that it cannot be 
smoked by any but the most vigorous white men. 
The natives do not appear to be affected by it, 
and children of 10 or 12 years puff away all 
day long without any discomfort. I recollect dining 
with a friend in Colombo, when a well-known plan- 
ter from Rangala district was also present. When 
dinner was finished and cheroots produced, the 
planter handed round the table his cigar case filled 
with most beautiful and tempting cigars of the cele- 
brated Dumbara kuock-me-down brand. All the 
smokers at the table helped themselves, and began 
putting away ; but, before 5 minutes had elapsed one by 
one they began to drift from the table in the direction 
of the verandah, until I was left alone with the 
Rangala brick. When he had finished his cheeroot, 
wo also adjourned, and found the whole household 
lying prostrate in lo.ig armed chairs, holding their 
lieaus, cursing the strength of Dumbara tobacco, and 
wondering lu.v their Rangala friend could possibly 
smoke msb strong tobacco and live. They did not 
cil-mlate on his being so well sea;oned Perhaps 
my leaders may wonder how it was that I did not 
also woud my way to the verandah at an earlier 
fjriod of the evening, but that is easily expl lined. — 
don't am k j. COSMOPOLITE. 
TEA IMPROVERS. 
Tho cheapness of cheap tea has often been a 
wonder to porsoiu who have seen it offered in shop 
windows at prices ludicrously low. Some interesting 
light was thrown upon tho subject at Worship 
(street on Saturday, when two men, named White 
and Ofthiil, stjod their trial for certain tricks which 
tlioy had played with tea. Their m.-thod, it seems, 
wm to buy up a quantity of old tea leaves, heat 
them in a red-hot pipe, and sell the result as 
" damiged" tea, and the name under which they did 
business was that of " tea improvers." The practice, 
it seems, is forbidden by an old statute of George 
III., which foresaw the possibilities of human de- 
ceitfulness in an age when such deceitfuhiess was less 
ingenious than it is today, and Messrs. White and 
Cahill were duly fined for their misdoings. The fact 
that they found a ready market for their peculiar 
wares, and managed to sell about 6.000 lb. of it, 
speaks unfavourably for tho taste and discrimination 
of London tea-drinkers, for tho allegation that it 
"made a very good brew" will hardly find credence 
with any one" who is critical of brews. — Daily Gra- 
phic, Oct. 22. 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA- 
The following is the correspondence with the 
Ceylon Association in London, which we men- 
tioned yesterday as having received from Mr. Aj 
Philip, Secretary to the Planters' Association of 
, Ceylon : — 
Kindy, Sept. 26. 
1 To the Secretary, Ceylon Association in London, 
, 4, Mincing Lane, Loudon, E.C. 
Dear Sir, — I am in receipt of your letter of the. 
7th inst., and note contents. 
Under the heading of Ceylon tea in America the 
Committee had under consideration the enclosed (copy) 
I letter from Mr. A. M. Whito, and I now annex lor 
the information and consideration of your Association 
i copy of the resolution passed thereon. — >I am, dear sir, 
yours faithfully, A. Philip, 
Secretary to the Planters' Association of Ceylon. 
( Resolution referred to.) 
" That the Secretary do write to the Ceylon_ Asso- 
ciation in London inviting attention to Mr. White's 
suggestion in reference to the Hudson's Bay Company 
and also to the Board of Trade Returns." 
Belugas, Madulkele, August 22. 
The Secretary C.P.A. &c. 
Dear Sir,— Mr. T. N. Christie in his travels in 
Canada found that the Indians were very considerable 
tea drinkers and suggested to me that as the Hudson 
Bay Company have very extensive trading connection 
throughout Canada and the Hudson Bay territoiy we 
might make an attempt to get the H. B. Co. to 
introduce Ceylon tea, by negotiating with their 
London Office. The matter is one which I think 
might be more easily and expeditiously dealt with by 
the Ceylon Association in London, who I am suae 
would take the matter up very willingly. 
2. It seems to me some arrangements might be 
made for the supply to the C. P. Association, of the 
London Board of Trade returns referring to the 
Import and Export of Ceylon Tea. 
At present a great deal of tea is shipped from 
Ceylon to foreign countries which is entered at 
Colombo as for London. It seems to be impossible 
' to provide for a suitable alteration in the Colombo 
arrangements and returns, but if the Board of Trade 
(London) returns were regularly supplied, the difficulty 
of following the increase or decrease in use ot 
our teas would be to a great extant overcome. — -I am, 
6>c. (S.gnei.) A. Melville White. 
■f, Mining Lane .London, 19th, October 1891 E.C. 
A. Philip K jq., Secretary Ceylon Planters' Asso- 
ciation, Kandy. 
D.o.ut Sin, — I am in receipt of your letter ot 26th 
ultimo en;ljnng copy oi .11:. A. Mjlville White's 
letter of 22a A Augait last and of the resolution of 
your Ujuiuictej ui.-.-eoa. 
I have seen tue Soorotary of the Hudson's Bay 
Company oa the subject of the Tea Trade in their 
territories. He inform ; me that at the Company s 
establish uj:h at Winnipeg they do a considerable 
trade in Tea, chiefly in packets. Their supplies are 
drawn from Montreal where they h ue a depot. The 
Company are quito satisfied with theirj present 
arrangements aiul have alrea ly d eclined proposals 
1 from and. others to juppiy thorn. ^jj 
It is probabl* that the packet teas are blended. 
