690 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[May  1,  1893. 
better  or  for  worse.  There  was  something  more 
than-  appears  at  first  sight  in  the  remark  of  the 
laird  in  Sir  Walter  Scott’s  novel  who  recommended 
people  to  he  ‘ £ aye  sticking  in  a tree.” 
In  the  last  number  of  the  Kew  Bulletin,  a 
periodioal  devoted  to  practical  and  economic  bo- 
tany, we  have  a remarkable  illustration  of  the 
influence  of  mankind  upon  local  climates.  In 
Africa,  the  country  between  the  Nile  and  the  Bed 
Sea  is  notable  for  its  general  barrenness.  It  is 
a desert,  and  the  effects  of  wandering  in  this 
region  upon  the  minds  of  Englishmen— as  I can 
personally  testify — are  very  depressing.  But  the 
Bulletin  shows  that  this  physical  condition  of 
things  has  very  pobably  been  brought  about  by 
human  agency.  This  is  largely  proved  by  the 
names  of  localities.  Thus  the  Arabic  names  of 
the  valleys  are  those  denoting  the  names  of  trees, 
although  now  not  a single  tree  is  to  be  met  with. 
There  can  be  little  doubt  these  valleys  abounded 
with  arboreal  vegetation  1,200  years  ago — about 
the  period  when  the  Arabs  began  to  extend  over 
these  regions.  The  Arab  and  his  camel  have  been 
the  means  of  converting  a wooded  country  into  a 
desert,  and  also  of  bringing  about  the  climatic 
changes  following  upon  such  a physical  revolution. 
The  camels  ate  the  leaves  of  the  trees,  and  the 
Arabs  converted  the  trunks,  branches,  and  roots 
into  charcoal.  Similar  vegetable  destruction,  it 
is  believed,  brought  about  the  semi-desert-like 
physical  appearance  of  Palestine,  which  so  strongly 
contrasts  now  a days  with  the  description  of  the 
country  in  the  Old  Testament  as  a land  flowing 
with  “ milk  and  honey,”  and  whose  tribal  wars 
show  that  it  was  capable  of  supporting  thousands 
of  horses,  chariots,  and  horsemen. — Australasian- 
♦ 
NOTES  ON  PRODUCE  AND  FINANCE. 
Bimetallism  and  Tea.— Some  correspondence  under 
this  head  has  been  published  in  the  Manchester 
Guardian.  A correspondent,  signing  himself  “ Dis- 
appointed,” writes:— “I  enclose  reports  on  the  tea 
market  in  London  for  1st  and  2nd  inst.  Indian  and 
Ceylon  tea  show  a falling  off  in  consumption  in  the 
United  Kingdom  of  nearly  2,000,000  lb.  in  February, 
1893,  as  compared  with  February,  1892,  and  the  de- 
mand has  been  running  for  weeks  past  on  common 
qualities  at  low  prices,  to  almost  the  utter  neglect  of 
the  higher  grades.  This  state  of  matters  corresponds 
so  entirely  with  the  state  of  the  Manchester  market  for 
Indian  makes  of  shirtings,  the  lower  qualities  only 
having  been  in  request  for  many  weeks  past,  that  I beg 
to  oall  attention  to  the  matter.  Whether  tea  and  cotton 
goods  are  being  over-produced  may  be  a matter  of  con- 
troversy, but  surely  there  cannot  be  two  opinions  with 
respeot  to  the  demand  being  now  confined  to  the 
lower  qualities  of  both,  i.e.,  of  tea  in  England  and  of 
ootton  goods  in  India.  Both  would  seem  to  prove 
that  it  is  inability  to  buy  the  better  articles  rather 
than  choice  that  has  brought  about  this  state  of  things 
Common  China  Congous,  once  so  neglected,  are  now 
owing  to  their  extreme  cheapness,  being  taken  readily 
by  the  trade.  From  this  point  of  view  the  figures 
may  prove  interesting  to  your  readers,  but  they  are 
the  reverse  of  encouraging.  Anyone  who  attentively 
reads  1 the  instructions  given  by  the  Government  to 
their  representatives  at  the  Brussels  Monetary  Con- 
ference will  see  that  it  was  never  intended  that  they 
should  concur  in  any  measure  whatever.  They  erred 
egregiously  in  not  following  out  their  instructions  to 
listen  attentively  and  make  notes,  and  this  brought 
the  Conference  to  on  abrupt  termination,  which,  to 
say  the  least,  was  bad  diplomacy  on  their  part,  for 
even  without  the  assistance  of  England  the  other 
nations  might  have  elaborated  a scheme  for  their  mutual 
benefit  if  England  had  not  so  stupidly  displayed  so 
hostile  an  attitude.” 
Fine  Teas  in  Gbeat  Demand.— In  answer  to  this, 
a letter  appears,  signed  “Peter  Keevney,”  in 
which  the  writer  says  “There  cannot  be  two  opinions 
with  respect  to  the  demand  beiog  now  confined  to 
the  lower  qualities  of  both— that  is,  of  tea  in  England 
and  cotton  goods  in  India.  I know  nothing  of  coiton 
goods,  but  fancy  I understand  tea,  and  I venture  to 
assert  that  the  finer  teas  have  not  been  in  greater 
demand  for  many  years  than  they  are  loday.  Admit- 
ting that  2,000,000  lb.  less  of  Indian  and  Ceylon  have 
been  taken  by  the  trade  last  month  as  c ’mpsred  with 
February,  1892,  that  does  not  prove  a greater  consump- 
tion of  oommon  tea  than  usual;  it  simply  points  to  a 
falling  off  in  consumption  from  tbe  great  depression  in 
trade  generally.  This  season’s  Ceylons  are  unusually 
poor,  but  the  Indians  are  exceptionally  satisfactory, 
and  hence  it  follows  that  the  falling  off  is  in  the 
Ceylons.  For  reasons  best  known  to  Ceylon  planters 
the  gardens  have  been  foroed  to  a point  of  exhaus- 
tion that  is  now  telliDg  against  the  quality.  The 
teas  are  flat  and  badly  made,  and  in  point  of  value 
are  fully  12  per  cent,  dearer  than  Indians.  Tbe 
great  bulk  of  oommon  teas  sold  in  London  are  for 
the  Russian  market,  and  never  find  their  way  into 
the  channels  of  home  consumption.  Those  people 
unacquainted  with  the  movement  of  tea  naturally 
conclude  that  the  low  prioed  congous  sold  in  London 
find  their  way  into  English  homes,  but  such  is  not  the 
case.  China  will  have  to  improve  her  quality  of  tea 
very  muoh  indeed  before  she  regains  her  lost  reputa- 
tion. Bad  as  Ceylons  are  this  season,  they  are  infi- 
nitely superior  to  Chinas.  Whatever  effect  bimetal- 
lism may  have  on  trade  and  trade  prices,  nothing 
will  force  the  people  of  these  islands  to  drink  low 
priced  congous.” 
Thh  Respective  Merits  of  Indian  and  Cevlon  Teas. 
— “ Disappointed  ” replies  to  Mr.  Peter  Keevney  as 
follows  : — “ In  reply  to  his  letter  of  the  6th  inst.  allow 
me  to  point  out  to  Mr.  Peter  Keevney  that  he  has 
introduoed  a question  which  I did  not  touch  upoD, 
viz.,  the  respective  merits  of  Indian  and  Ceylon  teas. 
The  proof  of  the  pudding  is  said  to  be  in  tbe  eating 
thereof.  The  aveiage  prices  for  the  above-named  teas 
realised  at  public  sale  for  the  past  two  weeks  were 
respectively  as  follows  : — Indian,  9Jd  and  9jd  ; Cey- 
Ion,  9|d  and  9Jd.  During  the  past  nine  montlis 
bonded  stocks  of  Indian  tea  have  increased  by 
2.600.000  lb.,  and  Ceylon  stocks  have  decreased 
2.700.000  lb.  London  deliveries  of  both  teas  during 
February  last  were  unsatisfactoiy  as  compared  with 
tbe  same  month  ia  1892,  viz.. — Indian,  8,689,410  lb., 
as  against  9,899,400  lb.;  Ceylon,  4,104.000  lb. , as 
against  4,760,000  1b.;  total,  12,793,410  lb.,  as  against 
14,659,400  lb  , or  a falling  off  of  nearly  2,000,000  lb. 
as  previously  stated  by  me.  It  is  not  clear  whether 
the  large  sales  effected  of  cheap  China  Congous  have 
been  for  home  consumption  or  for  export.  If  they 
have  been  principally  exported,  then  the  lessened 
figures  for  strong  Indian  and  Ceylon  tea  go  to 
prove  that  the  masses  are  extracting  more  from  them 
in  the  form  of  liquid  tea  than  is  good  for  their 
health.  All  the  tea  broker’s  reports  mention  that 
the  demand  lately  has  been  principally  for  the  lower 
and  cheaper  qualities,  while  high-olass  teas  have  been 
neglected  and  are  relatively  now  very  cheap.” 
On  the  Infusing  of  Tea. — Writing  on  the  subject 
of  tea  infnsing  and  “ Thoughts  on  Theine,”  a corres- 
pondent points  out  the  absurdity  of  calling  tea  that 
has  been  infusing  ten  minutes  “delicate”  or  “ nectar 
for  the  gods.”  He  is  of  opinion  that  tea  should 
remain  in  the  pot  about  a minute  and  a half,  or  at 
most  three  minutes,  and  he  argues  that  if  the  con- 
sumer would  abandon  the  absurd  and  harmful  prac- 
tice of  stewing  tea,  or,  as  they  do  in  some  poor  house- 
holds, using  the  leaves  a Becond  time,  the  popularity 
of  tea  would  increase  enormously,  and  both  the 
planter,  the  dealer,  and  the  customer  would  benefit. 
He  quoteBthe  opinion  of  Dr.  Hutchinson,  in  proof  of 
his  contehtion  that  tea  infused  fora  minute  and  a half 
may  be  taken  as  often  as  possible  without  injury. 
It  would  certainly  be  a great  boon  to  the  consumer 
of  tea,  who  likes  it  mild  doses,  if  at  the  various 
hotels,  tea-shops,  and  restaurants  they  would  simply 
infuse  for  a very  short  time  and  not  stew  tea.  The 
awful  stuff  sold  as  tea  in  the  cup,  in  some  publio 
places,  is  enough  to  prejudice  the  public  mind 
against  tea  for  ever.— R.  & C.  Mail,  March  10. 
