262 THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Oct. 1, 1899, 
Thus, five companies distributee! from 12j to 15 per 
cent, seven from 10 to 11 per cent, thirteen from 5 
to 8 per cent, and nine from 2 to 4J per cent, 
while eleven companies paid nothing. The company 
which has distributed the best dividend is the Brahma- 
putra, whose shareholders have received 15 percent. 
The Amalgamated Estates, Assam, Dooars, and Doom 
Dooma companies have distributed 12i- per cent., the 
Jorehaut 11 per cent., and the Balijan, Consolidated 
Tea and Lands, Jokai, Lebong, Moran, and Rajmai 
10 per cent. 
Tea Cultivation in South Carolina. — Periodically • 
we hear of the success of tea cultivation in South 
Cftrolina, based upon experiments made on about 50 
acres at Summerville. In his report made to the United 
States Secretary of Agriculture, Dr, Charlt-s U. 
Shephard states that " last year 3,000 lb. of tea was 
sold at a profit of 25 per cent. The quality of the 
leaf is said to bo good, and as the plants lived 
through last winter, the coldest ever experienced in 
the district, Dr. Shepard expresses the belief that 
the weather conditions are suitable for tea growing. 
It is estimated that when all the plants now growing 
arrive at maturity they will yield lO.OdO lb. annually." 
This is satisfactory as far as it goes, but as these tea 
experiments have been conducted in South Carolina 
for a" long time now, those who have the conduct 
of them are evidently proceeding cautiously, 
aud South Carolina tea will not prove an important 
factor in the American tea supply just yet, notwith- 
standing the fact that a school has been established 
to educate the negro children in tea picking in order 
to solve the labour probem. 
Fresh Fields. — Will afternoon tea become a popu- 
lar institution in Abyssinia ? A correspondent of the 
" Times " who is journeying in that land has done 
something towards the introduction of tea. He says 
in the course of one of his letters : " On one occa- 
sion the wife of one of these generals determined in 
her own mind that she could never allow the Ingliz 
to pass through without giving him a tender shake of 
her delicate hand, and, true to her decision, she ap- 
peared in great state before the door of my tent, and, 
followed by her lady-attendants, was ushered into my 
presence. The questions she asked disclosed an in- 
tellect of no mean order. But whilst she was listening 
attentively to the best replies I could give her and 
thoroughly enjoying the first cup of tea she had ever 
drunk in her life, it was suddenly announced by one 
of her followers that the general was coming. 
'Oh I Oh 1' she cried, and something else 1 
did not understand, and, hurriedly swallow- 
ing the sweet dregs of the tea, she rushed 
out of the tent, mounted her mule, and swept away 
with her suite only just in time. When the general 
arrived I told him of the honour that had been 
paid me. He was exceedingly amused, and forth- 
with presented me with a magnificent riding mule, 
all ready saddled and bitted. I hope that lie was 
equally considerate to his charming wife." 
Detecting Adulteration. — Tei, coffee, and tobacco- 
growers will take some interest in the work done in 
the Government laboratory, iu the matter of testing 
adulteration. Among the Pavlimentary papers issued 
on Saturday is the report of Dr. T. E. Thorpe, p.e.s., 
the principal chemist of the Government laboratory, 
upon the work of that department for the year ended 
March last. Its business is mainly in connection with 
the Inland Revenue, of which it is practically a sub- 
department. Dr. Thorpe points out that the chemical 
and testing work in connfction with samples of 
foreign produce is done partly at the laboratory at 
the Customs House and at stations at the docks 
and outports, and partly at the laboratory in 
Clement's Inn Passage, Strand. The work of the 
Customs House laboratory is mainly to determine 
the dutiable value of samples of imported wines, 
■pirits aud beers, and a great variety of other pro- 
ducts are examined for alcohol, or for evidence that 
alcohol has been used in their preparation. Samples 
of leaf and manufactured tobacco from the factories 
under the supervision of the Customs are examined 
for the amount of moisture they contain, whilst sam- 
ples of manufactured tobacco, mainly seizures, are 
examined for sweetening material. "Offal" tobacco is 
also inspected for genuineness prior to its examina- 
tion for drawback value. Samples of tea, selected at 
the discretion of inspectors;, are also sent for chemical 
and microscopical examination, and during the year 
fifty-seven samples, representing 1,616 packages, were 
found to contain exhausted leaves or to be mixed with 
other substances within the meaning of the Sale of 
Food and Drugs Act. These were refused admission 
for home consumption, or were forfeited and destroyed 
or otherwise disposed of as being unfit for human 
consumption. It may be of interest also to note 
that tea which cannot be admitted for use a8 
a beverage is ''denatured" by being mixed in 
bond with assafoetida and lime, and used for the 
manufacture of caffeine, coffee is examined for 
chicory aud coffee substitutes, and several cases of 
adulteration were discovered, the payment of draw- 
back on these being refused. Roasted cereals im- 
ported for used as coffee substitutes are examined for 
chicory, which, if found, renders them liable to duty. 
Coffee Adulteration in South Africa. — Tea, for 
some mysterious reason, has not as yet increased its 
popularity in South Afiica, where coffee at present 
holds sway. It might be thought that consequently the 
coffee would be pure aud good, but this is far from the 
case. The '' Cape Argus " remarks that everybody 
knows that his morning cup of coffee is not the product 
of the pure berry, aud this view is corroborated by 
the report of the Cape Public Analyst, just published, 
—R. and C. Mail, Aug. 18th. 
_ , 
Tea Pests.— With reference to the Tea 
pest notes, given on page 271, we may 
say that the serial Indian Musettm Notes, 
from which they are taken, are issued hy the 
Trustees of the Indian Museum, Calcutta, 
under the authoi-ity of the Government of 
Indiii, Revenue and Agricultural Department 
to take the place of Nofea on Economic Ento- 
mology, of which two numbers have appeared. 
The ]iarts of the serial are published from 
time to time us materials accumulate. Com- 
munications are invited by the editor, Indian 
Mtiseum Notes, Calcutta. Correspondence 
connected with Economic Entomology should 
be accompanied by specimens of insects to 
which reference is made. Caterpillars, grubs, 
and other soft-bodied insects can be sent in 
strong spirit ; chrysalids and cocoons alive, 
and packed lightly in leaves or grass ; other 
insects, dried and pinned, or wrapped in soft 
paper. Live insects should be sent when 
there is a reasonable probability of their sur- 
viving the journey. Caterpillars, grubs and 
other immature insects can often be only ap- 
proximately determined ; they should there- 
fore, where possible, be accompanied by 
specimens of the mature insects into which 
they transform. Insects forwarded for deter- 
mination should, in all cases, be accompanied 
by a detailed report showing precisely in what 
their economic importance is believed to con- 
sist. When the Agricultural Department of 
Ceylon is established we trust we may not 
require the valuable assistance which is now 
offered by the Indian Museum authorities ; 
meanwhile Ceylon is not too far olf for consi- 
derable use to be made of it. 
