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THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Sept,  i,  1892. 
merly  designated  fine  Go'den  Bin,  Brown  Old  Govern- 
ment Java  and  fancy  marks  of  Central  American  and 
Venezuelan  coffe’.  Another  canBe  for  the  change  is 
the  growth  of  ihe  business  in  roasted  coffee.  There 
is  not  as  much  attention  paid  to  stjie  as  in  the  days 
when  the  West  and  South  ii  sisted  od  buying  coffee 
in  the  raw  bean.  This  condition  can  only  result  in 
one  thing,  viz.,  a steady  appreciation  in  the  price  of 
fine  grades,  until  it  becomes  to  marked  that  planters 
will  regard  it  as  a preminm  sufficiently  large  to 
warrant  greater  care  being  given  to  methods  of  culti- 
vation and  preparation  for  market. 
While  there  has  been  ro  increase  in  the  consump- 
tion of  tea,  which  is  not  as  great  a favorite  or  as 
universal  a beverage  as  coffee,  there  has  been  a 
marked  increate  in  the  consumption  of  beer  and 
cocoa,  particularly  beer.  It  seems  to  be  the  strongest 
competitor  that  coffee  has  to  encounter.  The  cost  of 
a gallon  of  beer  at  retail  is  35  at  50  cents  while  the 
cost  of  a gallon  of  strong  coffee  is  from  15  to  20  cents. 
It  requires  no  care  nor  fuel  to  prepare  beer,*  which  is 
a cool  and  stimulating  beverage,  aud  hence  in  high 
favour  with  the  mass  s,  particularly  thorn  of  foreign 
birth  or  descent. 
Without  attempt  at  explanation,  we  call  attention 
to  the  fact  that  the  per  capita  consumption  of  beer 
increases  in  a greater  ratio  than  any  other  beverage. 
AN  EX-CEYLON  PLANTER  IN  AUSTRALIA. 
MILDURA  SCHEME — THE  BEST  WAY  TO  DEVELOP  THE 
MUSCLES — A DISORDERED  LIVER — ANGLO-INDIAN  SET- 
TLEMENT IN  SOUTH  AUSTRALIA. 
The  Barrier,  N.  S.  W.,  June  22nd. 
I enclose  two  cuttings  which  refer  to  Mildura,  and  I 
leave  your  readers  to  draw  their  own  conclusions.  It 
is  evident  that  things  must  be  arranged  on  a sound 
and  satisfactory  basis  before  sufficient  inducement  can 
be  held  out  in  order  to  attract  new  settlers.  An  in- 
fluential settler  like  Lord  Ranfurley,  who  has  such  a 
large  stake  in  the  scheme,  must  be  of  great  assistance 
to  the  more  humble  members  of  the  community.  I 
sent  you  cuttings  about  Mildura  lately,  and  I shall 
be  on  the  outlook  for  the  latest  news  regarding  the 
settlement. 
A greenness  is  gradually  appearing  everywhere, 
where  formerly  there  existed  nothing  but  barren  earth. 
Frost  is  keeping  off  in  a wonderful  way,  so  the  “ feed  ” 
will  soon  come  on  now.  This  climate  and  life  is  truly 
a contrast  to  Ceylon.  A “go”  with  the  axe  at  the 
wood-heap  in  the  early  morning  in  the  keen  cold  and 
then  a shower-bath  of  cold  water  that  makes  one  gasp 
and  gurgle  : — what  better  appetizer  could  be  found  ? 
There  is  nothing  like  axe-work  to  develop  the  muscles. f 
What  a contrast  to  the  biliousness  of  morning  muster  in 
a tropical  climate.  The  liverish  planter  is  as  cross  as  a 
bear  with  a sore  head,  till  the  sun  gets  up.  The  smoky 
toast  and  bazaar  egg,  and  the  hasty  scribbling  in 
Abram  Saibo's  pass-book  : “ 7 lb.  beef,  2 loaves,  4 lb. 
sugar  (don’t  send  any  more  of  the  beastly  stuff  you  sent 
l^st,)  1 bottle  table  salt,  3 lb.  onions,”  &c.,  and'  then  a 
note  at  tlie’foot,  “ I 11  try  and  send  you  a cheque  next 
beef-day.”  Poor  patient  Abram  Saibo ! Here  we  have 
fresh  mutton  chops,  delicious  butter,  fresh  scones, 
sometimes  an  egg,  and  sometimes  porridge.  The  worst 
of  porridge  is  that  it  is  too  suddenly  satisfying  and 
doesn't  last.  One’s  appetite  disappears  too  quickly 
with  a plate  of  porridge  and  then  returns  with  re- 
doubled vigour  far  too  soon  to  be  pleasant.  Then  with 
a pipe  in  full  blast  one  feels  ready  to  tackle  the  day’s 
work.  No  liver  here.  No  feverish  inertness  or  that 
peculiar  feeling  at  the  knees  which  the  Kelani  Valley 
men  know  so  well. 
Have  you  heard  anything  of  the  new  settlement 
of  Anglo-Indians  in  South  Australia  ? A Mr.  Christie 
has  been  prospecting  and  is  very  much  satisfied  with 
* A most  misleading  sentence.  Of  course  what 
is  meant  is  thnt  beer,  rfquiring  much  care  and 
Iqel  to  brew,  is  ready  for  use  aa  drawn  from  cask, 
or  emptied  from  bottle.— Ed.  T.A . 
t Vide  the  experience  “ the  Grand  Old  Man.”— 
Ed,  T.A. 
the  result.*  A number  of  civilians  with  each  a 
certain  amount  of  savings  intend  to  take  up  a piece 
of  land  and  cultivate  fruit.  The  great  danger  of  so 
doing  is  the  evil  of  inexperienced  men  risking  their 
savings  late  in  life  on  a project  that  depends  on 
their  own  efforts  and  knowledge.  Now  Mildura  fur- 
nishes a better  field,  as  settlers  can  gain  by  the  ex- 
perience of  those  around  them.  I still  believe  in 
Mildura.  but  evidently  there  is  a good  deal  to  be  done 
to  thoroughly  establish  that  colony  on  a satisfactory 
footing.  Mr.  Playford,  the  S.  A.  Premier,  has  re- 
turned from  India  highly  pleased  with  the  idea  of 
importing  Indian  coolies — Tamils  especially.  The  day 
is  coming.  Sir  Samuel  Griffith  in  Queensland  and 
Mr.  Playford  in  S.  A.  are  both  in  favour  of  black 
labour  for  tropical  latitudes.  Then  will  be  the  chance 
for  the  tropical  planter  when  the  selfish  white  labourer 
is  told  to  mind  his  own  business. 
Aberdoxensis. 
[But  the  latest  accounts  are  unfavourable  to  Mr. 
Playford’s  scheme. — Ed.  T.  A.] 
Customs  Weights  of  Tea. — Most  of  our  leaders 
are  aware  of  the  mode  of  sscirtaining  the  tare 
of  China  packages,  which  ar  made  of  thin  wood 
and  the  weight  of  a paroel  is  regular  ; but  in 
the  ease  of  Indian  and  Ceylon  teas,  the  weight 
of  the  wood  generally  varies  so  much  that  it  is 
necessary  to  have  each  chest  tared  separately. 
When  teas  are  weighed  on  importation,  represen- 
tatives of  the  Customs  authorities,  the  importers, 
and  the  warehouse  proprietors  are  present ; but 
there  is  no  one  to  represent  the  unfortunate  buyer 
and  as  the  Customs  and  the  importer  gain  by 
the  tare  being  as  light  as  possible,  there  is  the 
natural  inference  that  the  buyer  s interest  will 
sometimes  suffer.  In  the  case  of  average  weight 
it  is  the  practice  to  seleot  a few  packages,  and 
if  the  weight  ot  the  tea  does  not  vary  more  than 
two  pounds,  then  the  weight  of  the  majority 
of  the  selected  chests  is  aeoepted  as  that  of  the 
whole  parcel.  This  possibly  is  fair  as  regards 
the  seller  and  buyer  of  the  whole  parcel;  but  teas 
are  sent  to  grocers  in  consignments  of  single  or 
few  packages,  and  upon  the  tea  being  turned  out 
it  is  often  found  that  the  weight  of  the  wood  and 
lead  exceeds  the  tare  allowed  on  the  difference 
between  the  gross  weight  and  the  average  net 
weight  fixed  by  the  Customs.  This  is  manifestly 
unjust,  and  should  not  be  tolerated  any  longer. 
When  the  duty  and  price  of  tea  were  higher  there 
might  have  been  some  reason  for  ascertaining  the 
tare  to  almost  a fraction  nf  a pound ; but  now 
there  can  be  no  reason  to  weigh  so  finely,  much 
less  to  have  a system  in  operation  which  leads  to 
a grocer  paying  duty  on  tea  which  he  does  not 
receive,  and  which  was  never  imported  into  this 
country.  There  waB  an  attempt  to  alter  this 
system  two  or  three  years  ago,  and  some  oare 
was  exercised  to  prevent  buyerB  being  subjeoted 
to  unnecessary  loss  ; but  now  sufficient  time  has 
been  given  to  thoroughly  test  the  system,  and  it 
has  been  tried  and  found  wanting.  Every  pack- 
age in  a parcel  should  be  weighed  separately, 
exoept  in  cases  where  the  tares  of  the  selected 
ohests  are  absolutely  uniform.  Every  buyer  should 
insist  upon  getting  his  full  weight.  He  should 
not  rest  satisfied  until  the  mode  of  ascertaining 
the  weights  is  so  arranged  that  the  buyer  of  a 
single  paokages  of  tea  is  never  called  upon  to  pay 
for  common  woo'd  and  lead  at  the  price  he  paid 
for  the  tea,  and  the  duty  thereon. — Truth. 
* Yes:  we  had  a long  and  interesting  interview 
with  Mr.  Christie  on  his  return  from  Australia.  Our 
good  friend  Major  John  Adam  Fergusson  seems  to 
have  impressed  him  in  favour  of  South  Australia, 
dry  as  the  climate  is. — Ed.  T.A. 
