820 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June i, r8 9 s. 
friends of our teas, in bringing the purity, economy 
and general good quality of our article, to the 
notice of the public. Our strong point must be 
the purity of machine-made tea. I explained my 
mission fully to M. Carnegie, the Pittsburg Millio- 
naire Ironmaster, and his reply was : — " In that 
point of purity, you have a handle to viork the 
public, which should enable you to sweep t lie 
board.' 1 
The American papers often quote articles from 
the English press, denouncing the unrestricted use 
of fermented teas. This, we must counteract by 
teaching drinkers to brew for only 3 or 4 minutes. 
I saw a brand which is extensively used South of 
New York which had printed on it directions to draw 
the tea for 25 minutes ! 
Hitherto no one has succeeded in making a living 
out of Ceylon tea only — the demand heing too 
small. Many have tried, and by their efforts some 
progress has been made, though at a vast expense to 
the dealers. Every step has been so costly, that wemust 
try to retain the ground already gained. We must assist 
men with capital ami entry!/, who in time will 
force the large importers and distributors to handle 
our goods. With stock available on the spot, small 
dealers can procure a few chests of what they want ; 
but, they would sooner go without it. than order 
from London or Ceylon, with the almost certainty 
of getting something different from what they ex- 
pected. 
We should have an Agent to watch our interests 
— assisted and advised by two gentlemen acquainted 
with American business, — say a teaman, such as 
Mr. Montgomery of Jardine, Matheson cV Co.. and a 
general business man. They would protect our Agent 
from cajolery, and would also serve to keep at a 
distance cranks and " hoodlums" [failures) who would 
otherwise hamper him. 
It would not be necessary for your Agent to live 
always in America, when he knows his people, and 
has got his scheme in working order, he would find 
it profitable to spend time in London, as many oi 
our allies have head-quarters here. His salary and 
expenses need not exceed £70 a mouth. 
He should be in touch with all the agencies at 
present pushing fermented teas as a specialty. 
All would be helped by general advertisements ; and 
some should have special grants, to be used as 
they think best, but accounts of expenditure 
should be shown to your Agent. These grants to 
continue until it be seen that yonng firms could 
run alone or until it was obvious results achieved 
were not commensurate with the assistance granted. 
In Canada an advertisement— to be frequently 
changed, in the Canadian Grocer, with perhaps some 
special assistance in Vancouver, would be enough as 
Our teas are already catching there, and are being 
Vigorously pushed. 
In Chicago, special assistance should be given to 
the Sylhet Tea Cos. who ai'e doing good work at 
considerable expense, and what is, at least, a very 
large field. 
In Boston we must interest Chase Sanborne & Co. 
in Philadelphia, Kester & Co. and Peake & Co., in 
Baltimore Gillett Co. 
Our work should be chiefly in the populous States 
of the East, where black tea is most freely drunk. 
In New York the Iowa Co., W. Farr-Alden & Co., 
Bottomley & Co. and the Sylhet Companies are our 
best friends. Consignments, if sent, might go to jardine 
Matheson & Co. who would offer and push them 
but not necessarily sell them by auction. It would 
be of no use our helping and encouraging private 
importers, if we are to send out lines of teas to be 
sold at less than cost price, and undersell those vie 
pretend to support. 
Many other opportunities of helping our teas would 
occur, and could be taken advantage of — such as 
Pure food Shows which are very common in America. 
These to save expense, and do away with appearance 
of rivalry, should be worked in co-operation with the 
Indian Commissioner. 
Expensive exhibits at large Exhibitions do not pay 
us. No further evidence is necessary on this point, 
than the fact, that all the vast expenditure at Chicago, 
ha* not enabled the iVrtmtiififlfrr to iun one small 
shop swcesHfully, although his oi' n jiersunalit*! $ectwed 
him many friends and customers. The suggested 
outlay of thousands, and establishment of a peima- 
neut stuff, for such purpose.*, would be madness. 
General advertising should be done in Journals of 
Commerce ; and special for the cowumar, in magazines 
and ladies' papers, through Messrs Hubbard and 
Thompson. 
Then it should be possible to have teas blended 
to lines in Ceylon, li this be done in Colombo, there 
will be tin- extra expense of repacking and refiling, 
agents' charges, &c. But it might be done on large 
estates, — Mariawatte, Great Western, the Holyrooos 
and Yoxford, or in factories such as K.A.W. The 
teas should be lightly but briskly rolled to show 
a wiry twist, ana should be under-f 'rmented — dust 
and fannings should be taken out. Shipments of 
■ i. "mi lb. weekly might be started to increase 
Gradually if demands justified it. But if stocks are 
held, and private firms show energy in pushing our 
teas, our shipments should be of teas to suit trie in, 
and they should have the refusal of them. Consign- 
ments, in fact, should be worked as aids to our 
friends — otherwise they would and speedily convert 
friends into enemies. — Yours faithfully, 
Wm. MACKENZIE, 
AN ABUNDANT MANGO <'R<>|\ 
Matara. May % 
Dear Sin, — There is at present in a garden down 
here a mango tree lately pruned of its branches, and 
from the Btump of one of the latter there ha* grown 
a bunch of mangoes; the cluster of fruit count- 
ing over one hundred. Has such a thing been ex- 
perienced in Ceylon or elsewhere before? 
FIBRES WANTED. 
School of Agriculture, 3rd May, 1895. 
DBAS Mis. Editok, — I return Mr. Collyer's letter 
you so kindly sent me and the specimens of fibre that 
accompanied it. There is little doubt that the 
material asked for is intended for ornamental work — 
baskets, frames, etc. There should be no difficulty, 
in the first instance, of supplying stuff like the ' Pia ' 
specimen, but it is a pity the" probable requirements 
as regards length Arc. are not given. — lam. yours very 
truly, C. DRIEBERG. 
VARIOUS PLANTING NOTES. 
Quinine in Bengal. — The sale of quinine in pice 
packets through the agency of the Post Office was 
introduced in Bengal two years ago, and the 
Director-General of the Post Office now reports that 
one-and-a-half million 5 grain packets were sold last 
year. — Chemist and Druggist. 
Cultivation of Fruit and Vegetables in the 
Northern Province. — The cultivation of vegetables 
promises to become one of the most paying indus- 
tries at no distant future, not to speak of its 
remunerative nature even at the present diy when 
farmers take to it on a very small scale. Although 
the money invested and the labour expended on this 
industry here is several times more than in the 
Western and other favoured Provinces, yet there is 
a margin of profit left, after deducting the cost of 
capital and labour. More land could be brought 
under cultivation if the produce could be trans- 
ported to the Colombo aud other markets. This 
drawback makes the case for a railway through the 
North-Central Province stronger still. W T hen tfce 
Northern arm of the Colombo breakwater is com- 
pleted, and when the Jaffna railway through the 
depopulated regions of the North-Central and 
Northern Provinces is made, a fortune is to be 
made by the cultivation of fruit and vegetables. 
There will be a large demand for supplies of fruit 
and vegetables by the steamers which will call daily 
I at Colombo. — " Jaffna Patriot." 
