46 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July 1, 1899. 
Cattleya maxima var. Peruviana.— Oxi&oli\ie> several 
varieties of a species which represents a genus 
almost unrivalled, both for beauty and size of flowers. 
The genus is indigenous mostly to Central America 
and Brazil. Flowers very handsome, each 6 inches 
across; petals and sepals of a rich lilac colour ; l:p 
large, with crisped and sinuate margins edged with 
a paler line, the inner side variegated with violet-red 
veins, with a pale yellow band in the middle. 
nohile.— Oae of the most beautiful of 
orchids when in flower, native of China. Flowers 
3 inches in diam., in pairs, produced towards the 
ends of tho stems, each pair being opposite to a 
leaf ; thus the green flacid leaves are effectively 
intermingled with the flowers. Sepals and petals 
white at base, merging into rosy-pink at the tips ; 
lip large, cup-like, white, tipped with rosy-pink, 
and blotched in the throat with purple-crinisou, 
Pseudo bulbs to 2ft. long. 
Dcndfobium atroviolaceum.—Thii is now in flower 
here for the first time, the plant being only in- 
troduced last year through Messrs. Sander & Co., 
of St. Albans, England. Though not strikingly 
showy, it is a distinctly handsome species. The 
petals and sepals are creamy white, tinged with 
yellow and dotted with purple; lip 3-lobed, the 
side lobes dark violet coloured on the inside ; the 
front lobe being striped v;iih the suae colour ou 
a green ground. 
Miltonia Warscewiczii, var. Wcltoni.—k.n epiphytic 
orchid from Peru. Inflorescence a panicle, ispuing 
from base of pseudo-bulbs, about 2Jft. long, rather 
slender and drooping. Fiowers nearly 2 inches in 
diam., petals and sepals very similar, light brown 
with much crisped margins, white at the tips; lip 
large, flat, almost circular, undulated, maroon, 
fringed with pale grey, blotched with yellow at tho 
base and with a shining spot of chocolate colour 
in the middle, the underside being marked by a 
semi-circular grey ring. 
Eria arineniaca.—Th\s ia perliaps tho most showy 
epecies of the genus, nearly all the others being 
considered more curious than beautiful. Grrowing 
in the forks of a shrub, it sends out several stalks 
of racemsse inflorescence from the base of the 
short and flattened pseudo-bulbs, each stalk about 
15 inches long. The large bright orange red bracts 
at the base of the flowers are the showy part, the 
flower itself being rather small and of dull greenish 
brown colour. 
The following among others may also be seen in 
flower ; Dendrobium Jeukinsii ; D. moschatum ; D. 
cretaceum ; D. sanguinolentum ; D. fimbriatum, var. 
occulatum ; Phalsenopsis amabilis ; P Parishii ; Epi- 
dendrum ciliare ; Lycaste Candida, var. Lawrenceana ; 
and species of Oncidium. — Yours faithfully, 
H. P. MACMILLAN. 
CE¥LON "THIRTY COMMITTEE." 
- CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
Kandy, June 9. 
Sir, — The enclosed letter from Mr. Mackenzie 
to Mr. Lane is forwarded for publication as of 
some £ceneral intere.st. — Yours faithfully, 
A. PHILIP. 
Secretary, Thirty ComrniDtee. 
London, May 17. 
Dear Lane,— I have yours of 4th. I have al- 
ready written to you, mentioning the very sum 
you suggest as what should be spent in America 
next year. It would be chiefly in subsidies and 
demonstrations, as we could not also keep up tlie 
advertising with that amount. 
When writing to you about what I saw in 
Germany, I forgot to mention that the indefati- 
gable Yankees have got hold of the banks of 
the Rliine. Sailing down, one sees huge wooden 
)>lacards, on the most prominent points of tlie 
famous "Castled Crags" with " Eat Quaker Oats" 
in very large white letters " Nothing is sacred 
from tlie sapper" may well be applied to the 
Yankee. I could not help wishing it were "Drink 
Ceylon Tea." An iuve.stigating Committee has 
been appointed in tlie States to enquire into Food 
Adulteration : some of the evidence is startling. 
Cheap as coliee is, it is manufactured in large 
quantities ot Hour paste, &c. , pres.sed by machin- 
ery into the shape of cottee beans. I send two 
notices with our advertisement on the subject. 
I have arranged for a lar^e advertisement to 
appear when tea is examined, provided ours are 
found pure. In one of the cuttings sent, you will 
sec something about the green colouring matter 
used in some tea. I enclose one of Fin- 
lay, Muir's Seeta Ceylon advertisements. 
Also a letter addressed to the ladies of Canada 
by the Blue Ribbon Co. (Gait & Co.)— one of 
those lirms specially induced to help us in Canada 
last year. I also send you in separate envelope 
a list of the papers in which they are advertising 
and copies of the advertisements which are strik- 
ing. Tiiey have .sent me a huge bo.\ of news- 
papers with the ad", ertiseinent, lor which I liad 
to pay 10s cartage, &c. One likes to keep an 
eye on all our friends, and this was their crush- 
ing reply to a suggestion from me, that I would 
like to know what they were doing. 
I send also a lot of our advei tisenieuts and 
those of others from recent Canadian Grocer 
papers, as you said lately iu one of j our letters 
that you took an interest in them. 
Read the articles in Neic York Herald show- 
ing how politics come into every thing, and the 
lengths in robbery, &e., one may go provided he 
has a strong political friend. 
There is an in.mense number of things one 
has to watch, follow and keep in touch with. 
Tliis is more difficult now, that Blechynden is 
no longer on the spot and working with us. I 
may have to go over in June, but I won't unless 
actually necessary, as I do not wish to put the 
Committee to the expense. In July and August 
we will, as la t year, practically stop, although 
correspondence is incessant However, there will 
be neitlier salary nor travelling expenses. 
I am giving our allies the hint, that "Ceylon" 
must now be the prominent feature, as "India" has 
ceased subsidising— although still assisting in ad- 
vertising. — Yours truly, 
(Signed) Wm. MACKENZIE. 
Sib, — In its Editorial of the 30th ultimo, in re " Our 
Staple and Foreign Markets," the " Times of Ceylon" 
suggests matter, both seasonable and comprehensive, 
for thoughtful, deliberate consideration, and all in- 
terested in our staple should gire heed to it. 
My object in now addressing you is for the purpose 
of again begging that greater concentration of effort 
be given to the markets of the United States where 
ground has been broken, but not yet thoroughly cul- 
tivated, and from which only a small harvest can, at 
this stage, reasonably be expected. 
The Acting Secretary of the Indian Tea Association 
declares the operations in America " have admittedly 
been successful." 
This satisfactory outcome is the result of work in- 
augurated and executed by Mr. Blechynden, who is 
deservedly entitled to great credit for satisfactory 
labour performed prior to, and during the opening of, 
and also subsequent to, the closing of the Chicago 
Exposition. 
Mr. Blechynden was wise to study Ameri3an 
methods, quick to accept ideas that gave promise 
of aiding him in accomplishing his designs ; and the 
success he achieved was, in a measure, due to hia 
power of assimilating what he felt would bring satis- 
factory results. 
