262 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct.  i,  1892, 
THE  BRITISH  CUSTOMS  AND  SMALL 
BREAKS  OF  TEA. 
Our  London  Correspondent  informs  us  that,  hav- 
ing read  in  the  last  of  our  Overland  issues  reoeived 
by  him  the  letter  written  by  the  Secretary  of  the 
British  Customs  stating  that  the  amalgamation  of 
small  breaks  of  tea  would  be  permitted  for  the 
purpose  of  duty-paying,  he  sought  further  infor- 
mation on  the  subject.  He  appears  to  have 
satisfied  himself  that,  although  this  departure  from 
established  oustom  had  been  made  permissible,  it 
was  not  in  the  least  likely  that  the  permission 
given  would  bo  availed  of.  Indeed,  it  is  hardly 
eonoeiveable  that  the  Customs  authorities  could 
have  properly  understood  what  had  been  demanded 
of  them,  for  we  do  not  see  that  it  could  be  within 
the  power  of  the  head  of  the  great  department 
responsible  to  overrule,  even  for  the  purpose  of 
collecting  duty,  the  stringent  provisions  of  the 
Merchandise  Marks  Act.  And  it  appears  to  us  to 
be  very  certain  that  the  object  of  those  who  first 
addressed  the  Customs  on  the  subject  could  not 
have  been  solely  amalgamation  for  the  purpose 
of  paying  duty.  There  was  an  ulterior  object,  that 
of  rendering  it  legal  to  put  up  such  lots  as  might 
be  constituted  for  duty-paying  purposes  in  the  gross 
at  the  publio  auctions.  We  have  before  referred  to  the 
great  difficulties  the  handling  of  a number  of  small 
breaks  of  tea  entails  on  those  to  whom  they  are 
consigned  for  public  sale,  and  we  can  fully  appre- 
ciate the  desire  these  must  feel  to  be  relieved  of 
a duty  which  must  weigh  heavily  upon  them  and 
tend  greatly  to  confine  their  business  transactions. 
But  so  long  as  the  brokers  are  willing  to  accept 
the  dealing  with  such  small  breaks,  so  long,  we 
apprehend,  must  they  be  content  to  put  up  with 
the  inconveniences  inseparable  from  such  dealing. 
We  have  already  pointed  out  the  objections  pro- 
prietors must  entertain  to  the  vending  of  their 
produce  in  association  with  that  of  other  parties, 
Tea  sold  under  suoh  conditions  could  not  be  pos- 
sessed of  the  advantages  to  be  expected  from  the 
authority  of  well-known  and  favored  marks. 
Parties  purchasing  would  scarcely  know  what 
proportion  of  the  lots  bought  by  them  could  olaim, 
or  be  possessed  of,  the  much-valued  imprimatur 
of  highly  reputed  marks,  and  it  is  not  to  be 
doubted  that  for  this  reason  both  proprietors  and 
purchasers  would  feel,  were  the  proposal  made 
carried  out,  that  their  interests  had  been 
sacrificed  to  suit  the  convenience  of  the 
brokers  and  Customs  authorities  alone.  There- 
fore, we  say,  let  the  former  of  the  two 
parties  who  desire  to  reap  the  benefits 
of  the  suggested  innovation  show  a spirit  of  in- 
dependence in  the  matter  if  they  think  it  would 
be  worth  their  while  to  do  so.  Let  them  notify 
to  their  constituents  that  they  will  refuse  to  accept 
the  responsibility  and  trouble  of  dealing  with 
breaks  below  a certain  fixed  standard  of  quantity. 
We  have  always  admitted  that  we  regard  it  as  a 
mistake  on  the  part  of  our  planters  and  shippers 
to  forward  to  Europe  for  sale  the  small  breaks  as 
to  whioh  complaint  has  arisen.  And  we  have 
done  fo  because  we  oannot  but  consider  that  it 
is  inimical  to  their  interests  to  do  this  ; for  it  is 
-well-known  throughout  the  wholesale  tea  trade  in 
London  that,  exoept  for  qualities  of  tea  of  ex- 
traordinarily fine  character,  these  small  breaks 
command  less  attention,  and  consequently  fetch 
lower  prices  at  the  auotion,  than  do  breaks  of  more 
important  dimensions.  But,  nevertheless,  the  practice 
of  forwarding  these  small  consignments  continues, 
and  probably  will  do  so  until  the  brokers  take  the 
Btep  we  have  suggested  that  they  should  do  and 
refuBe  to  be  troubled  ffith  them.  This  seems 
to  us  to  be  the  only  practical  course  to  be 
followed.  Any  attempt  such  as  that  indica- 
ted by  the  application  apparently  successfully 
made  to  the  Customs  would  be  sure  to  be 
resented  by  those  whose  interests,  as  we  have 
pointed  out.  must  be  injuriously  affeoted  by  it 
And  thsBe  last  must  be  possessed  of  the  whip- 
hand  in  the  matter.  No  broker  oould  be  bold 
enough,  or  imprudent  enough,  as  regards  his 
personal  interests,  to  include  in  a large  break 
for  Bale  consignments  intrusted  to  him  by  con- 
stituents without  previously  seeking  and  obtaining 
permission  from  the  last-mentioned  to  do  so.  We 
may  be  sure  that  this  would  be  withheld  under 
almost  any  conoeivable  oircumstances  ; but  even 
presuming  that  suoh  might  not  in  every  instance 
be  the  case,  it  may  well  be  asked  whether  the 
trouble  and  delay  caused  by  reference  to  parties 
here  would  not  much  more  than  counterbalance  the 
saving  of  trouble  and  labour  which  the  existing 
system  entails  on  the  brokers.  We  feel  assured 
that  the  permission  granted  by  the  Customs  must 
remain,  as  our  London  Correspondent  assures  us 
will  be  the  case,  a dead  letter  in  praotice.  There- 
fore let  the  brokers  take  the  matter  into  their 
own  hands  if  they  deem  it  to  their  interest  to  do 
so ; and  notify  to  consignors  that  they  will  refuse 
acceptance  of  breaks  below  a certain  standard. 
The  praotice  complained  of  is  an  evil  one  in  every 
respect,  but  it  is  not  to  be  got  rid  of  by  any 
high-handed  measure  such  as  the  brokers  seem  to 
have  thought  to  be  of  possible  adoption. 
THE  ORANGE. 
AND  THE  FOOD  REQUIRED  TO  PRODUCE  IT. 
The  latest  Bulletin  (No.  17)  of  the  Florida  Ex- 
periment Station  gives  the  results  of  a number  of 
analysis  of  oranges  made  during  the  past  year.  The 
oranges  were  contributed  by  Rev.  Lyman  Phelps  and 
Mr.  H.  S.  Williams.  The  bitter-sweet  and  sour 
oranges,  as  grown  in  Lake  City,  were  also  analyzed, 
and  the  following  table  gives  the  average  composi- 
tion of  all  the  oranges  examined : 
COMPOSITION. 
Moisture  . . . . per  cent 
(a) 
87.710 
(b) 
Organic  Matter 
(exclusive  of  nitrogen) . . 
7 7 
.246 
Nitrogen  . . . . . . 
71 
11.124 
«... 
Silica  
7« 
.009'] 
1.00 
Sulphuric  acid 
17 
.042 
4.86 
Phosphoric  acid  . . . . 
77 
.077 
8.63 
Ferric  oxide 
.006 
0.68 
Lime  . . 
.207 
>■0.916  2 2.77 
Magnesia 
.045 
5.01 
Potash 
.479 
52.05 
Soda 
.039 
4.26 
Chlorine 
77 
.Ollj 
1.23 
Less  oxygen  for  chlorine 
99.996 
100.49 
.28 
100.21 
Column  (a)  gives  the  percentage  of  the  consti- 
tuents in  the  fresh  orange  as  a whole ; ( b ) those  in 
the  pure,  dry  ash. 
Our  analyses  of  the  ashes  give  sulphuric  acid  3' 3 
to  6.8  per  cent. ; average,  4'86  per  cent. ; [phosphoric 
acid,  7'5  to  9.8  per  cent. ; average,  8.6  per  cent.  ; 
lime,  13  to  32  per  cent. ; average,  22.77  per  cent. ; 
potash,  42  to  59  - per  cent. ; average,  52  per  cent. ; 
magnesia,  3‘5  to  6.4  per  cent.;  average,  5 per  cent. ; 
soda,  2.8  to  5.5  per  cent. ; average,  4.26  per  cent. 
What  proportions  of  the  various  constituents 
should  an  orange  fertilizer  contain  ? 
Taking  our  average  analyses  as  a basis,  a fertilizer 
which  is  to  restore  to  the  soil  the  plant  food  re- 
moved by  the  orange  should  be  composed  as  follows ; 
