106 THE TEOPICAL AaRlCULTUEIST. [Aug.- 1, 1900. 
the reductio!! in pvice. Thus ;in incvease iu 
production iioui 850 to 500 1b. per acre would 
stand as follows :— 
(i c 
350 @, It) = 70 (0} 1/2 = H^SS- 
500 ,, 8 50 ,, 1/1 V:!:0 
IjOss ])i-r acre — U'y 
or 1 cent a lb. — to be covered by reduced 
cost of production, less ctist of manure and 
other charges attendant on dealing with the 
increase in bulk, i.e , transport, chests, etc. 
I cannot follow tiie question further, 
but would be glad tu .>('e it worked out and 
ventilated. — Yours truly, 
IGtNORAMLS. 
*[" Ignorauius " is true to his name, seeing 
he works out 350 © 70 c to equal R255 in 
place of R24;>— where is thelo^,s;-' There is 
actually a gain of R5 per acre so strengthen- 
ing his'argument ; but 50 cents is too high an 
average— many do not get 35 cents —Ed.T.A-] 
OL'U TEA INDUHTKY-THE (.QUESTION OF 
THE DAY. 
Upcountry, Jirly IOlIi. 
DE.A.R Sir,— Tr- is higlily iiueresmng to me to 
read all the different .sciiemes which are app'.'ar- 
iug in cur loc^d |_.:qjers wiili icgard to tlje best 
way CO face the burning question of our plant- 
ing" day. 
First, let u.s take Mr. Rutherford'.s plan of 
making 25 per cent, of an output into j^ieen teas 
and try if we can't ram, cram, and jam it down 
the throats of the Americans and Canadians. 
If Mr. Rutherford is sure we can produce as 
good an article, and place it in those markets as 
cheaply as they are now shipped from Japan 
and China across tlse Pacific, by all means let ui- 
dependent planters and Companies shew us the 
way as you wisely suggest- My impression is 
that this tea is landed and sold much cheaper 
than we can do it and that practically we s-hall 
be trying to capture these o;reat tea-drinking 
countries to little or no purpose or at any rate 
it will take a long time to get the wedge in. 
Those in the trade have always held, I believe, 
that the nearer we get to Cluna and Japan in 
prices the better our Indian and Ceylun Teas 
will take everywhere for the simple reason tliey 
are better worth the money, and the result will 
be, I think, that while the ousting process goes 
on our prices will harden. It is just possible we 
may manage to ship in th.i future 10 per cent, at 
)ea.st of our teas as greens, but it appears to me 
that it would pay us better than going on spend- 
ing the cess money in pushing and advertising our 
taoducts in places where they simply don't want 
black teas, if the Planters' Association would pay 
our planters a bounty on all greens we shiii 
and at the sau.e time promise a yearly bonus ou 
every acre now in bearing tliey discontinue 
plucking and pruning and allow to rest, suffi- 
cient to defray the cost of weeding such resting 
acreage. It would do our estates no harm to 
let 10 per cent of the plucking area grow up for 
a year or two taking another portion of the 
estate in due course, if kept free of weeds. By 
these means, I have no doubt our total export 
will be reduced i|uite '25 i)er cent, thus arresting, 
iu y, great Mieasure, overproduction which is pull- 
ing us down to close on non-paying point. 
iMaiiui ing and increa-sing the yield would find their 
own level, and, so haif; as the lonner is not in- 
creased Slid our plucking acitafie is reduced, we 
need not fear; and further exi ensions, loo, will, I 
think, be i educed to a mere nothing, once people 
see we are compelleil to pat on fhc breaks. 
By a judicious planting of siuide trees in suit- 
abif loc;iliiies, thcreiiy reducing cost of weeding, 
I thiiik a con&idtraljie savii.g can be effected, for 
p'aclically there will he no weeds ; at any frtte. 
i'liis work can easily be done by the pluckerf, 
tliey being made to weed each square leJOie 
plucking. Doing this work in this way iliree 
oi- lour times per mensem, there shouLl he little 
weeding to d ). Kama>amy, who has bad a grand 
innings the last decide or two, shonl I be made 
to ii'ivn up his high-ilown ideas re advances, 
which he has little intention of paying, and 
head kaiiganis' ))ay and kanganis' names should 
be stouily reftined. A long pull and a strong 
one, and a pull all to'^ether and we may get the 
ship olf the rocks; but, something, both here and in 
India, nnist be done or she'll bump herself to pieces. 
Railway freight should be reduced on our best 
paying lines at once, ou all up and down estate 
traffic. 
Direct supply of our teas should be encouraged 
by every possible means and theieby get rid of 
that monster, the middleman. — Yours faithfully, 
SYN AR Y HUND. 
FODDER, GRASS AND AUSTRALIAN 
'IREES. 
British and Colonial Seed Warehouse, 
Swanston Street, Melbourne, 22ud June, 1900. 
Dkar Sir, — We thank you for copy of your 
valuable paper of 16th May, duly to hand and 
note remarks re " Maram Grrass," VVe are 
at a loss to understand how it could be 
described as " A splendid fodder both for 
fattening and milk production," it being worth- 
less for such purposes. This view is borne out 
by reference to the following authonties : — Baron 
F Von Mueller, the well-known scientist and for 
many years Government Botanist for Victoria , 
in his work " Select ex'tra-tropical Plants," page 
337, he says, " like Psaniina Baltica and Elyniu.s 
arenarius, they can be used for paper material, 
for tying, and for mats. Th/iy are not touched hy 
grazing animals" Loudon's Encyclopedia, page 
57, describes its use for fixing sand against the 
action of winds and tides, adding : — " Mats are 
made of it, and it is used as thatch." Vilniorin 
Andrieux & Co. simply describe it as Reed grass, 
Seasand grass. 
We think these statements fully justify our 
description which was based on local observation 
and render any further coiinnent unnecessary. — 
We are, dear sir, faitnfully yours, 
LAW SOMNER & CO. 
P.iS. — By this mail we are sending you our 
catalogue thinking you may feel interested iu 
the timber trees of Australia now being largely 
introluced into India and South Africa, see 
pages 98, 99 and lOO. 
L. S. & Co. 
[The above letter refers to an extract given some 
time ago by a correspondent from a colonial journal 
praising " Marani Grass" for fodder puiposes. — 
The catalogue sent us is a very full one and the 
list of the " Hardwood Timber Trees of Aastralia" 
is particularly attractive.— Ed. '1\A.\ 
