m 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec. 1, 1900. 
ia at stake, but the well-being of thousands of natives."' 
It is to be hoped, in the interests of te-i growers, 
that the "growing disposition" here referred to 
is not general, and that it will be promptly 
abandoned where it is practised. If the idea 
becomes prevalent amongst consumers that India 
and Ceylon teas are losing their reputa- 
tion for purity it will be a sorry look out for the 
industry. From inquiries made in London, we are 
sorry to find that there is some ground for tho 
warning of the "Englishman," although we cannot 
think that the practice referred to is carried out on 
a large scale. It would, indeed, be a Buit;idtil policy 
if rubbish finds its way to market, and surely plan- 
ters do not need to be told that it vrould be likely to 
inflict incalculable injury on British-grown tea, 
which has hitherto been held in high repute on ac- 
count of its purity. 
r Not so Good as it Looks. — Tea growers have been 
under the impression that tea dealing was a lucrative 
pursuit, and that in the matter of profits it left the 
poor grower a long way in the rear. It is quite 
certain that large sums of money have been made 
by certain firms who advertise largely, but that 
prosperity in the tea trade abounds seems to be a 
delusion, if we may accept the following on the sub- 
ject from the "Produce Markets Review." This 
journal, referring to the wholesale tea trade, says : 
*' The great changes in the methods of the distribu- 
tion of tea during the past few years have had a 
very ip.arked effect upon the wholesale branches 
of the trade. Everyone regrets the disappear- 
ince of many highly respected firms as a proof 
of this, and it is well known that those who 
remain in the business find it a very dijficult thing, 
in some cases, to make ends meet, and in others, 
to maintain a sufficient return on their capital. 
When the difficulties commenced a wrong remedy 
•was unfortunately adopted. The wholesale tea trade 
had been for so many years a very prosperous one, 
that it was thought that the way to make its pros- 
perity return was, not to cut dov/n expenses, but to 
add to them, by making concessions to buyers, 
especially in the length of credit given. The result 
is notorious in the grocery trade, for while the re- 
tailer pays promptly for hia sugar and other goods, 
as in fact he is obliged to do if he is to buy pro- 
perly, he keeps his wholesale tea house waiting. 
Another inducement to trade has been to offer 
special discounts to buyers, which the sellers cer- 
tainly cannot afford. Such concessions simply add 
to the crushing expenses current in tea, which are 
far away and above a reasonable amount, and very 
much in excess of those in any similar branch of the 
grocery trade. It appears likely that a crisis is at 
hand, and that something will have to be done to 
check the tide of futile endeavoars to attract trade at 
thecostof the seller, who gives away more than his 
profit in unrecognised additions to his expenses. 
The only way to increase business is to sell cheaply, 
but to do this is impossible if expenses are to be 
still further added to and then lost sight of. Let 
people openly cut in prices as much as they please, 
BO long as they know what they are doing, but in 
tea a vicious system of private concessions is end- 
ing in the ruin of the wholesale trade without real 
benefits to the retailer. Indeed, he also undoubtedly 
loses, if he is a man of means, by the encourage- 
ment of people with none, through the lax system 
of credits." — Home and Colonial Mail, October 12th. 
^ 
PARAGUAYAN FRUIT. 
Guava is one of the mcst abundant of Para- 
guayan fruiLs. There are immense numbers of 
trees throughout the country and women bring 
the fruit in bushel baskets to Asuncion. It 
is a round yellow-skinned fruit about as 
large as a five shilling piece and contains 
many small seeds. The tree Icoks like a plum 
tree and yields about one bushel and a half. The 
guava season is from Jan. to April auri commences 
again in August. Thisfruit, says tlie United States 
Consul at Asuncion, makes a delicious jelly, 
clear and light red in colour. ' The fruit is also used 
to make paste. Naranjitas, or small bitter oranges, 
produce excellent preserves. They are about the 
size of a lemon. The bitter taste is removed by 
immersion in running w-ater, and the orange 
entire— skin and pulp— is preserved. This orange 
is said to hold the flavour much better tlian the 
sNveet variety. Three years after plauiing the 
tree is ready to bear and it sometimes bears twice 
a year. The lemon, or limon as it is called in 
Paraguay, is not found in as great abundance as 
the naranjita, but is also of extensive growth. It 
is not quite as large as our lemon and is pre 
served entire like the naranjita. The lemon tree 
produces from two to three bushels. Aguai is a 
most delicious fruit, the size of a plum, with two 
or three shiny seeds. The tree is the size of a 
large apple tree and yields about four bushels. 
Many are found in the vicinity of Asuncion, es- 
pecially in the town of Lambare, also in Campo 
Grande. Ahacaxis is a kind of Brazilian pine- 
apple that lias been introduced into Paraguay 
and grows abandantly. It is very juicy and ex- 
ceedingly sweet. It is stated by experienced 
persons in Paraguay that the abacaxis when pre- 
served will retain its flavour and remain fresh 
for ye&vs.— Journal of the Society of Arts, Oct. 12. 
SNAKE RITE AND EUROPEANS 
IN CEYLUN. 
Our evening contemporary is wrong in say- 
ing that no European previous to the sad 
death of Mr. L F White, Railway Engi- 
neer, had been killed by snakebite in Ceylon, 
that is if Colombo hai-bour be considered 
part of the Colony. In the olden days 
when all the Colombo trade with Europe 
was done by sailing ships, barques and 
even brigs via the Cape, one of the last- 
mentioned lying low in the water was 
climbed by one of our deadly sea-snake.s 
which got up the cable and lay close to ayoung 
sailor who was sleeping on "deck. The latter 
tow^ards morning turned round, Avas bitten 
and screamed out. His companions saw 
the snake, and at once a boat was launched 
and the poor lad taken to hospital ; but 
he died either on the way or soon after 
arrival there. That, we have always reck- 
oned, was the only authentic case of a 
Europsan victim previous to this most 
lamentable occurrence in Jaffna. " Most 
lamentable," because, clearly, if Mr. White 
had known what to do, there is a possibility 
that his life might have been saved. (Each 
Engineer and indeed new arrival for the 
Ceylon jungle should have a copy of 
"Medical Hints" or some such useful pam- 
phlet for guidance.) First there ought to 
have been a simple, but very tight ligature 
tied round his arm above the bite ; but even 
before this, or simultaneously, the part 
bitten ought to have been cut freelj' with a 
penknife or razor and the part made to ble^d 
freely. But let us give specific advice on 
the authority of the late Drs. Elliott and 
Dickman : — 
Snake-Bites.— Pinch up the skin between the 
finger and thumb and cut out a piece about the 
