Sept,  i,  1892.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
189 
coffee  from  it.  As,  however,  no  one  appeared  to  have 
experienced  a similar  condition  of  things,  the  antici- 
pated harm  most  be  regarded  as  purely  conjectural 
and  based  on  the  assumption  that  as  the  monsoon  had 
began  light  it  would  continue  so.  In  the  meantime 
coffee  everywhere  is  looking  as  well  as  could  be  wished. 
These  fears  must  have  completely  subsided  on  the 
setting  in  of  the  next  burst  on  the  5th  inst.,  since 
when  the  monsoon  seems  bent  on  makmg  up  for  lost 
time.  The  heaviest  fall  was  4 64  on  the  8th  inst.  and 
over  3 inches  here.  Ithad  worked  up  to  this fr.-m  IT 
on  the  5th.  From  the  14th  to  the  17th  inclusive  there 
has  been  light  weather  with  appreciable  bursts  of  sunshine 
but  it  has  begun  to  pour  very  heavily  again  since  yester- 
day. Tamils  do  not  find  this  sort  of  weather  con- 
genial, and  many  of  them  cause  much  inconvenience 
and  annoyance  by  absconding,  in  spite  of  all  the 
inducements  held  out  to  them  to  stay.  Mercara  pre- 
sents a moat  dismal  appearance  at  this  time  of  year. 
It  is  almost  always  enshrouded  in  a pall  of  mist, 
and  rain  descends  incessant^,  but  it  is  very  healthy. 
The  mist  sometimes  lifts  disclosing  grand  scenery 
in  all  its  verdant  beauty.  Tbs  effect  each  time  is 
like  that  of  a new  view  bursting  upoD  one- 
SUPPLYING,  HANDLING,  WEEDING  AND  DIGGING 
are  now  in  hand,  but  the  weeds  are  being  got  under  but 
slowly  even  on  places  fairly  well  off  as  regards  labour. 
More  coolies  are  required  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  they 
will  soon  be  coming  in.  Where  clean  mamoty  digging 
has  been  done  considerable  wash  has  been  caused 
by  the  recent  heavy  rains.  “ Agricola  ” once  writing 
to  the  Madras  Mail  characterised  mamoty  digging  as 
robbing  Peter  to  pay  Paul,  but  I am  afraid  Paul  is 
also  eventually  robbed  to  the  benefit  of  our  neigh- 
bours the  paddy  field  owners  down  in  the  valleys. 
The  mamoty  shovels  whole  spadefuls  of  earth  down 
the  slopes  and  the  lain  does  the  rest.  The  clear- 
ings in  the  bamboo  fared  rather  badly  during  the 
long  break  in  June,  I hear,  but  I daresay  the 
rain  has  been  in  time  to  save  most  if  not  aU  of  the 
plants.  Some  plants  put  ont  early  last  year  looked 
very  siok  duriDg  a break  of  about  fortnight  and  as 
if  they  would  all  go ; but  they  were  saved  and  look 
very  well  row.  It  is  satisfactory  to  bear  that  im- 
provements are  to  be  made  in  the  mail  arrange- 
ments with  Coorg.  It  is  most  inconvenient  to  have 
to  wait  days  and  days  for  parcels  after  the  letters 
advising  their  despatch  have  been  reeeived.  And 
these  parcels  often  contain  medicines  whioh  may  be 
urgently  needed.— Madras  Mail,  July  22. 
THE  TEA  TKADE. 
“ Mazawattee  ” Enteepbise. 
Few  departments  of  commerce  have  displayed  greater 
aotivity  or  more  marked  development  during  recent 
years  than  the  tea  trade.  There  are  instances  no 
doubt  where  it  has  been  marred  by  unscrupulous 
traders  and  speculative  advertisers  who  have  taken 
advantage  of  a successful  epooh,  and  foisted  cheap  and 
inferior  teas  on  the  public  to  the  detriment  of  the 
legitimate  merchant ; nevertheless  many  instances 
could  be  giveD  of  the  great  strides  which  have  marked 
this  branch  of  commerce,  notably  in  the  Ceylon  tea 
trade,  and  where  the  enterprise  of  some  of  the  princi- 
pal firms  have  had  a material  effect  in  bringing  the 
productions  of  this  colony  under  the  notioe  of 
the  public.  Perhaps  Messrs.  Densham  and  Sons, 
the  proprietors  of  the  well-known  Mazawattee 
packet  tea,  have  done  more  than  any  other  firm  to 
popularise  this  article ; certainly  they  are  one  of 
the  largest  firms  of  tea  merchants  in  the  Kingdom, 
and  have  developed  a trade  in  Ceylon  tea  wtich  is 
little  short  of  phenomenal.  ThiB  firm  have  recently 
taken  new  offices  at  Ceylon  House,  East-cheap,  and 
it  was  in  the  course  of  a visit  to  these,  that  we 
gathered  a few  particulars  of  the  extraordinary  growth 
of  the  Ceylon  tea  trade,  and  the  important  part  which 
the  Mazawattee  Tea  Company  in  particular  has  played 
in  Its  development.  They  were  among  the  first  to 
recognise  the  deterioration  in  China  teas,  when  China 
was  formerly  the  great  emporium  of  the  world’s  supply 
— a deterioration  which  was  probably  largely  due  to 
the  proverbial  cunning  and  trickery  of  the  Chinaman, 
who  cultivated  the  art  of  “doctoring”  teas,  with  the 
result  that  a temporary  gain  has  almost  ruined  the 
tea  trade  of  that  country.  Yanous  districts  of  India, 
and  Cejlon  in  particular,  provided  teas  which  were 
in  every  respect  equal  to  the  teas  of  China  in  their  most 
flourishing  days  of  halt  a-ceutury  ago.  It  wsb  this 
acourate  gauging  of  the  state  of  affairs,  and  the 
splendid  system  which  they  put  in  operation  with 
regard  to  the  manipulation  of  these  teas,  that  gave 
the  business  of  Messrs.  Densham  and  Sons  its  great 
impetus  ; and  it  is  by  the  rigid  way  in  which  they 
have  always  kept  their  teas  up  to  each  particular 
standard,  both  in  quality  and  flavour,  that  they  now 
control  a trade  of  such  maguitude  and  importance. 
The  new  offices  in  Eastcheap,  entered  in  March  last, 
were  taken  to  meet  the  increasing  requirements  of  the 
business.  They  have  a fine  and  commanding  frontage 
from  Eastcheap,  but  even  this  conveys  a very  in- 
adequate idea  of  the  interior  which  extends  back  and 
spreads  out  to  a considerable  distance.  They  are 
fitted  with  every  modem  improvement  as  regards 
light  and  general  facilities  for  the  transaction  of 
the  business.  A visit  to  these  will  convey  some 
idea  of  the  magnitude  of  the  trade  controlled,  for 
we  may  say  that,  in  addition  to  the  gigantic  business 
done  in  Mazawattee  tea,  Messrs.  DeDsbam  and  Sons 
carry  on  a trade  as  general  tea  blenders  for  grocers 
second  to  none  in  the  City. 
The  front  part  of  the  premises  on  the  ground  floor 
is  utilized  for  the  various  offices.  There  are  the 
private  rooms  of  the  different  members  of  the  firm, 
the  advertising  and  correspondence  department,  with 
numerous  type-writers,  shorthand  clerks,  etc.  Pro- 
ceeding, the  invoicing  and  oiearing  department  is 
reached,  where  there  are  quite  an  army  of  clerks 
engaged  at  their  different  duties.  Then  there  is  the 
ledger-room,  which  preseots  another  scene  of  activity, 
twenty-two  ledgers  being  kept  for  Mazawattee  tea 
alone,  independently  of  the  other  branohes  of  the 
businees.  Adjoining  the  offices  are  the  sale-rooms. 
One  large  space  is  devoted  to  blending  for  grocers’ 
own  canisters.  This,  as  we  have  previously  remarked, 
is  a special  feature  of  Messrs.  Densham  and  Son’s 
busihess,  and  a department  in  which  they  stand  facile 
princcps.  Grocers  entrusting  their  teas  to  this  house 
may  aiways  have  certain  blends  matched,  and  rely 
upon  the  standard  being  maintained.  The  moat 
perfect  methods  are  adopted  for  ensuring  this  ; a 
sample  and  register  (with  remarks)  of  every  paroel 
of  tea  sent  out  being  kept  for  future  reference.  Up. 
wards  of  15,000  samples  of  different  teas  sent  out 
are  held  in  the  offices,  so  that  at  any  time  afterwards 
a particular  blend  can  be  referred  to  at  a moment’s 
notice.  Another  important  department  is  the  buying 
of  India  and  Ceylon  teas,  and  during  the  morning  a 
large  number  of  experts  may  be  seen  tasting  and 
sampling  the  teas  to  be  sold  at  the  Mincing-lane 
public  sale-rooms.  The  whole  place  is  a scene  of 
business  activity,  a visit  to  which  gives  a good  idea 
of  the  perfection  of  their  trading  system.  No  firm 
has  made  a greater  study  of  the  tea  trade  in  all  its 
different  bearings.  Even  the  water  of  the  different 
distriots  in  all  parts  of  the  kingdom  is  noted  for 
in  many  instances  this  has  different  effeots  on’teas 
and  has  to  be  taken  into  account,  so  that  teas  may 
be  blended  to  suit  requirements.  J 
These  offices,  important  as  they  are,  convey  after 
all  but  little  idea  of  the  trade  done  in  bulk  in  Maza- 
wattee  and  blended  teas.  That  can  only  be  appre- 
ciated by  a visit  to  the  immense  warehouses  on 
Tower-hill,  which,  with  their  commanding  sky-sign 
are  well-known  to  visitors  to  the  metropolis.  Spaoe! 
however,  forbids  us  entering  into  any  description  of 
these. 
We  may  say,  in  conclusion,  that  the  new  offices 
furnish  another  instance  of  that  high  spirit  of  enter- 
prise which  has  so  eminently  characterised  this  firm’i 
career,  and  placed  them  in  the  front  rank  of  the  tea 
trade  of  Great  Britain.— British  Journal  ofCommrec, 
