Oct. 1, 1902.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
2d9 
aa a coionring agent, and dimiuishes the excitant 
quality of the coifee and corrects its taste — save the 
mark ! Several establisliments in Algeria now 
mannfactare fipr-coffee, which is already used ia 
Europe. — II. and C. Mail, August 8, 
TEA IN PACKETS : COLOMBO 
THE MODEL. 
Mr, H. Drummond, Deane writinj? from 
Peerniaad, under date, IStli August, to tlie Madras 
Mail, says: — "I have read witli interest the 
articles on the 'Tea Markets Expansion Com- 
mission' in your issue ot the lotii instant, and 
I am at one with you in wishing all success to 
the enterprise of Messrs. Yule and Co. But ib 
is to be deplored that the teas are not packed 
either in lead or at least damp-proof paper as 
made in China. Another fatal economy, peculiar 
to Calcutta merchants, is the want of fuing 
machines for retiring teas before packing into 
packetSi Contrast this with Colombo where I 
venture to state from experience no firm of any 
importance dealing iu packet teas, or indeed 
acting as Agents for tea estates, is without some 
sort of firing machine, without which no repacked 
tea will maintain its flavour or aroma for any 
reasonable time. The consequence of this fatal 
parsimony will be that in damp whether within 
a month of distribution the teas will become 
mouldy and unfit for consumption. Yet the 
small dealer, as is well-known, will sell every 
packet if possible. Consequently, for every two 
packet of tea going into consumption and appre- 
ciated, the probability is that the moiety will 
cause disgust to the would-be convert. If it is 
found too expensive to put up one-pie packet 
in lead, at least give the tea a chance by pack- 
ing ib liot from a firing machine, and with every 
100 packets supply an air-tight tin case with 
printed instructions urging the necessity on small 
dealers of keeping the tea free from damp. Any 
tea expert will bear me out in these remarks 
which apply to any teas sold in a climate such 
as Calcutta and Southern India. Possibly in the 
far North the climate, being drier, more resembles 
Europe where such precautions are not so 
necessary." 
GREEN TEAS— AND GREEN TEAS. 
We trust our readers will feel themselves 
enlightened by the " prodigious " correspon- 
dence with which Mr. Judge of Calcutta 
favours us today as Agent for the "Drunimond- 
Deane green tea process." It is marvellous, 
however, iiow hard it is to get some people 
to give vip misconcei)tions. For instance, in 
an editorial in "Indian Gardening and 
Planting" of August 21st, discussing Mr. 
Hart's letter which has set Mr. Judge to 
write, the editor says : — 
A comparison of Mr Robert Hart's letter and 
our article, which it professes to set right, will 
show that iNIr Hart and ourselves have been 
■w-riting about different things, and that theretore 
his letter is no criticism of our article. In the first 
place, our article was called for by certain 
statements in the Ceylon Observer praising and 
advocating the artificially coloured teas produced 
&t the Central Factory in Ceylon. 
Mr. Judge himself too, uses the same 
term iu this application-. Bub surely he 
and the editor have not still to learn that the 
teas produced at Ainbewatte Mills are nat 
" artificially coloured,'' and that this has 
been vouched for not only by local and Ameri- 
can experts, but demonstrated to the 
satisfaction of leading Ceylon ]ilanters on 
the " Thirty Committee," who have been 
allowed to inspect the process? The sooner our 
contemporary, therefore, withdraws this alle- 
gation and apologises to the Ceylon Observer, 
the better. Even the local "Times" has 
been lately coming round to admit the 
superiority (including the purity) o£ 
Arabewatte-made teas, 'J'he sales in 
the London and American markets 
and the prices realised, have long 
ago shown where the superiority lay ; 
but the drawback is in the comparatively 
costly means of preparing these teas as com- 
pared with the easy and economical 
Drummond-Deane process. Were it not for 
this, Ceylon planters and .agents would 
probably ere now have freely followed 
the example set them in the Amba- 
watte Mills. As matters stand, we can only 
wish well to both processes ; for we want to 
see a greatly increased quantity of green tea 
made before the end of this year, and although 
the Ambawatte Factory 'was stated to be 
squal to turning out 3,000,000 lb. per annum, 
we fear it is not going to do much more 
than one half of this quantity for 1902; 
although it is expected to turn out 250,000 Ibr 
a month from now up to the end of the year 
and will no doubt continue at that ratte 
during 19C3. 
REDUCTION OF OUTPUT: AND TEA 
FROM LOW AND MEDIUM ESTATES ; 
THE DUTY, &c. 
It is pointed out that without any com- 
bination the proprietors and managers of 
estates at a, low elevation, to a great ex- 
tent, control the situation as to the quantity 
and quality of teas that may be turned out 
If they pluck carefully and fine, to make 
good tea, estates higher up must go one 
better in order to secure proper value for 
their teas ; and the result will be careful 
plucking all round and a considerable res- 
triction of output. This, of course, would 
quite meet the proposal of Mr. E, J. Moss, 
of Foochow ; and so long as there was a 
satisfactory demand— as at present— for good 
and fine teas, to study quality rather 
than quantity should be the more pro- 
fitable policy. But, unfortunately, there 
are apt to be swings of the pendulum even 
in Mincing Lane, and when one of these 
occurs, there is a great temptation again 
to go in for the manufacture of com- 
mon teas. 
The Mangosteen on the Nilgiris— is now 
well established, and yielded a fairly good crop 
at Burliyar. It will surprise many people to learn 
that. ' the first two fruits of the season were re- 
ceived on 25th June 1901, but the main crop did 
not ripen until October and November : " an in- 
terval of five months between the first ripening 
and the main crop '.—Indian Gardening and 
Planti)ig, Aug. 21. 
