June r, 1895.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
799 
able increase in the demand for non-intoxicating sti- 
mulants, principally tea and coffee. There would 
appear therefore to be a distinct and steady reaction 
setting in against general alcoholic imbibition — afact 
which lends support to the view that the evil of 
intemperate drinking, as its wretched consequences 
become more and more painfully manifest, will finally 
work out its own remedy. It is beginning to be re- 
cognised — if we interpret the return correct^- — that the 
effect of alcohol is comparable to the flick of the whip, 
which for a brief period urges on the horse, while 
the rational use of tea and the allied beverages, of 
which theine is the base, is more like the corn out 
of which a more real and lasting energy is derived." 
Bussia and its Tea Trade. — There is some stir 
amongst importers of tea in Russia about the frontier 
tea trade, which injures the maritime trade in tea. 
According to the St. Petersburg correspondent of 
the Daily Chronicle, the Russian Minister of Finance 
has discovered that, notwithstanding the exceedingly 
heavy duties on frontier-imported tea, a large quantity 
of Chinese and Indian tea still finds its way to 
Russia from Hamburg and London, to the detriment 
of the maritime trade carried on by the State-pro- 
tected volunteer fleet, the vessels of which convey 
cargoes of tea from China to the ports of the Black 
Sea. In order to do away with this unwelcome com- 
petition, it has been decided to call as soon fta 
possible a meeting of Bussian tea merchants and 
shipowners, who will discuss this question. 
Another Tea Substitute. — There is grown in the 
Caucasus a tea substitute which is referred to in a 
recent issue of the Keio Bulletin. It is Vaccinium 
Arctostaphylos, and as far back as 1887 Mr. George 
Maw, f.l.s., brought from Asia Minor a small 
sample of tea made from it obtained at Broussa, in 
Anatolia. Mr. Maw said it was sold for about 8d. 
per pound. The tea next came under notice in the 
report by Consul Biliotti : ■■ On the town and port 
of Samsoon, and on the Circassian colony in the 
district." Mr. Biliotti states that the Circassian 
families " consume large quantities of sugar and 
have introduced the use of tea ; but there being a 
sort of native tea produced at Amassia and Tokat, 
the yearly importation of this article from Great 
Britain does not exceed 1,5001b." Mr. Biliotti 
took a good deal of trouble, and obtained and 
forwarded to Kew specimens of tea and of the 
plant producing it from Amassia and Tokat, in the 
province of Roum, and also from Rizeh in Trebizond. 
Writing from Trebizond he says: "As it grows pr-o- 
fusely here wild on high mountains (not below an 
altitude of 500 ft., so far as I have been able to 
ascertain), it would be of invaluable advantage for 
the population to know whether the plant belongs to 
the genus tea, and whether cultivation would improve 
the quality of the tea now produced, which lacks in 
flavour. This may be also due to the natives using 
unskilful means of drying the leaves." The tea sent 
has exactly the appearance and aroma of coarse black 
tea ; so much so that the customs authorities insisted 
on charging duty upon it. The Board of Trade, to 
whom samples of the tea were communicated, sub- 
mitted them to Messrs. George White and Co., tea 
brokers. They remark that common China tea, selling 
at 5Jd to (id per pound, shows better value in every 
respect, and the admixture of the "Trebizond Tea 
could hardly reduce tho cost, while it would certainly 
not improve its flavour. Though the aroma of the 
"Trebizond Tea" was so agreeable, the taste of a 
decoction was harsh and mawkish, with no appre- 
ciable resemblance to that of true tea. 
New Southern Indian Tea Company. — Under the 
title of the Southern Indian Tea Estates Company, 
Ltd., a company has been registered with a capital 
of £10,000 in £10 shares. Object, to acquire the 
Kaduwa Karnuin Estates, situate at Travancore, 
Southern India, to adopt an agreement for that pur- 
pose, and to cultivate tea, coffee, tapioca, coconuts, 
sago, Ac. Tho first directors — to be not less than 
three nor more than five — are W. F. Laurie, T. C. 
Owen, and A. V. Holland. (Qualification, £100. Re- 
muneration to be fixed by the company.— 1(. ami 
SALES OF TEA AND AVERAGES. 
DURING THE 1ST QUARTER OF 1895,.AS COM- 
PARED WITH 1894. 
COLOMBO. 
^ - r2 
o 
Late. 
Forbes 
Wall 
% o 
CO 
Late. 
Somei" 
& ( 
Forbes 
Walkei 
1891. 
uo. of Av. 
Av. 
1S95. 
No. of Av. 
Av. 
lb. sold 
c. 
c. 
lb. sold 
c. 
c. 
Jan . 5 
452394 
34 
35 
Jan. 
4 
449737 
53 
53 
„ 10 
334417 
34 
35 
9 
360885 
53 
53 
17 
430414 
34 
35 
16 
600718 
53 
53 
„ 24 
21(3486 
34 
34 
23 
53 
52 
„ 31 
208689 
36 
37 
Feb. 
30 
274720 
53 
52 
Feb. 7 
256273 
41 
39 
6 
291994 
55 
53 
„ 14 
322194 
41 
40 
13 
342622 
55 
53 
„ 21 
305100 
43 
43 
20 
52 
53 
„ 28 
259177 
42 
39 
Mar. 
27 
286384 
52 
53 
Mar. 7 
2225S5 
43 
42 
6 
316625 
53 
52 
„ 14 
377611 
43 
42 
13 
380857 
53 
52 
„ 21 
216445 
42 
42 
20 
358006 
50 
50 
„ 29 
27 
376653 
50 
50 
LONDON. 
Late. 
1894. 
Jan. 5 
>■ 12 
„ 19 
„ 26 
Feb. 2 
» 9 
16 
„ 23 
Mar. 2 
» 9 
„ 16 
„ 22 
>. 29 
° O 
o cc 
16000 
15000 
16000 
17000 
19000 
22000 
14000 
17000 
20000 
12000 
14000 
14000 
"d. 
84 
8k 
8'i 
8i 
8i 
9 
83 
Late. 
1895. 
Jan. 3 
„ id 
„ 17 
„ 24 
31 
Feb. 
Mar. 
14 
21 
28 
7 
14 
21 
28 
6io 
55 
9000 
21000 
14000 
20000 
16000 
22000 
16000 
12000 
11000 
22000 
20000 
15000 
18000 
HOBART INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION : 
LETTER FROM MR. R. V. WEBSTER, 
CEYLON TEA AWARDS. 
Hobart 3rd April, 1895. 
On the 1st inst. ( April) I arrived in this pretty spot 
at the foot of Mount Wellington, and facing the Ler- 
went river, "Hobart Town." On alighting from the 
steamer " Rotomahana" I met a friend who greeted 
me — " Glad to see you back, Ceylon, (one of the names 
by which I am known in these parts). Lid you hear 
that your Bee Brand carried the only gold medal 
awarded for Teas ? Ingles of Sydney came next with 
a second class certificate." I told my friend to wait till 
the Jury saw my gold and silver tips from Aucooni- 
bra Garden ! 
That afternoon and the following morning I was 
very busy getting the Ceylon Court (vvhich I 
had erected near the cud of the foreign sec- 
tiou) into something like ship-shape. Having 
previously arranged with the Committee (ap- 
pointed to give the awards in Class 63) 
at 3 p.m. I called and drove them to the Exhibi- 
tion grounds where we met Mr. Joubert. General- 
Manager, Hobart International Exhibition. After a 
short delay we proceeded to the Ceylon Court, One 
and all wero very pleased with what they sa was 
the following result will prove : seven Gold Medals, 
and one Silver were awarded in this Court, three 
of which were accompanied with a special first- 
class certificate, " Ceylon Co-operative lea Gardens, 
Co., Ancoombra Gardens, Bee Brand Teas. Messrs. 
Baker & Hall. Ceylon Plantation coffee, MessnL 
Lee, Hedges & Qo., Ceylon J^k.UvJ WWOUttt," 
