Dec. 1, 1839.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
'403 
changes, however, are matters for the future, 
and the present necessity is for a simplification 
and modernisation of the tea trade, sutli as will 
greatly reduce the present unnecessarily high cost 
of distribution. 
CONCLUSION'. 
In the above remarks we have given a short out- 
line of the main changes required whether at home 
or abroad, for it matters little which section of the 
trade is benefited so long as expenses can be 
lessened. The necessity for reform must come 
home very forcibly to the producer, in consequence 
•t the present great depression in values. It is 
true that, for temporary reasons, very common 
teas have recently very considerably advanced, 
but we do not think that this can possibly last 
for long with the supplies coming forward. It it 
do so, and the price of common Indian tea is 
maintained, we shall shortly be swamped with 
common China Congou, which will bring prices once 
more down to a lower level. If there is no hope 
for a rise in the price of tea, but rather a strong 
prospect of a further fall in it, the only way to 
save the planters from ruin is economy in produc- 
tion and distribution. The mixture of the two 
branches of the trade in the above remarks is 
apparent and not real, for we hold that the whole 
tea trade is organised far too expensively, for the 
present scale of prices, and that economies in cost 
in any direction will benefit all sections alike. 
WILD AlsD PLANTATION CINNAMON 
FOR EXPORT. 
The following circular has been issued by the 
'..Customs ; — 
H. M. Customs, Colombo, 9th November, 1899. 
i: It having been brought to notice that wild cin- 
j,iiamon has been entered for export as cinnamon, it 
is hereby notified that fiom this date the descrip- 
' tion " Cinnamou " will not be admitted at the Cus- 
' toms and Exporters must declare the bark as being 
either " Plantation Cinnamon " or" Wild Cinnamon." 
' The attention of Ships' Agents is requested to 
' the rale that the description of goods in the '' Out- 
! ward Contents " must correspond with the descrip- 
■ tion in the boat notes. 
o ' H. L. MoYsEY, Principal Collector, 
The Steamer Agents, Colombo. 
SNAKES FOR THE PARIS EXHIBITION, 
Tlie Portuguese barque " Atlantico," from Para 
; to Brazil, has reached New Orleans with a cargo 
■ Consisting entirely of snakes, valued at fifty 
_^ thousand dollars. They were gathered along the 
'Amazon River, and include Boa constrictors 
thirty-three feel long. They will be shown at the 
Paris Exposition. French snake-charmers own 
' the collection, which represents the labour of 
twenty-five years spent in gatliering the rarest 
•pedmens from America, Asia, and Africa. — East 
African and Uganda Mail, Oct. 20. 
n ^ 
5: THE MINERALS OF CEYLON. 
- Mr. Archibald K. Brown, a mining expert of 
'!. considerable experience and influence, who is at 
. present on a visit to Ceylon is anxious to obtain 
;a concession from Government and if it is granted 
J-,. to him he points out that it will cost the Go- 
(•Vernment nothing, as he is willing to bear the 
whole cost of prospecting operations throughout 
the island. From a contemjiorary we learn that 
Mr. Brown has already been to the Colombo 
Museum wjiere he was favourably impres&ed witli 
ci good many specimens - of the stones and ore he 
saw there, and he has interviewed some of our 
local experts. He was a little surprised that so 
little was known in Ceylon about its mineral 
capabilities. 
< ^ 
MORE LIGHT ON THE TEA QUESTION. 
We have already referred more than once to 
the complaint made by cyclists and others as to 
the difficulty frequently experienced in getting tea 
served at country inns. A correspondent now cornea 
forward with what he claims to be an explanation 
of the reluctance of inkeepers to supply anything 
except beer and other alcoholic liquors. He says it 
all comes of ttie tied-house system. Many a publican 
has tried to improve the character of his trade by 
selling something else than intoxicating drinks, and 
as surely as he succeeds the sale of beer falls off. 
Then comes the brewer's agent, who reminds the 
publican he is there to sell beer, and that if he 
allows the brewer's interest to suffer, someone else 
will be found to do the work better. Many a pablicaa 
is said to have been turned out of his house for this 
reason, and this correspondent declares that it is 
because the publican is afraid to supply it that people 
find it so difficult to get a cup of tea in a tied public 
house. — Borne <£• Colonial Mail, Oct. 27, 
PLANTERS' MEETING IN CENTRAL 
AFRICA. 
(Central African Times, Sept. 30.) 
In response to several requests an informal meet- 
ing of the Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce 
was called for Monday afternoon, 18th September, to 
meet the Mlanje planters who had come in for the 
Agri-Horticultural Show. 
The Chairman in his opening remarks explained 
the object of the meeting and stated that it was a 
quite informal and not a regular meeting of the 
Chamber, it had been suggested that a meeting 
between the Mlanje men and the Chamber would 
lead to good results as there were many questions 
of common interest which were ripe for discussion. 
Mr. Bradshaw then referred to the name of the 
association and stated that he was in favour of a Plant- 
ers' Association such as they had in Ceylon and 
India. He did not doubt that the Chamber had done 
good work in the past, but he thought it would be 
much better for the country if it were a Planters' 
Association. At present there was a certain confu- 
sion of interests, whereas planters as a body would bo 
more able to do good work for the industry. If a 
purely Planters' Association were formed he would 
be one of the first to support it for all it was worth, 
but he did not see his way to support the Chamber oa 
its present footing. 
The matter was then discussed by those present. 
Mr. Moir said he agreed pretty much with all 
that Mr. Bradshaw had said. He recognised the good 
work which had been done by the Chamber and he 
thought it had fully justified its existence, At the 
same time if it were thought that it would better ful. 
fil its functions, as a Planting Association he was also 
quite willing to go n with the proposal. 
Mr. Israel agreed with the proposal to change 
the name and thought that it would be better to have 
two separate Chambers, one for the trading interest 
and one for the planting interest. 
' Mr. Moir then referred to the new Mining regula- 
tions and pointed out how they would affect certain 
titles. The position of such titles was not clear and 
he suggested that the Chamber Committee should go 
into the matter and make it clear otherwise it might 
seriously affect the titles of many holders of land. 
The Chairman pointed out the danger to the grow- 
ing tobacco industry in B. C. A, by the proposal of 
the Ehodesian Legislative Council to tax tobaccos. 
Several other matters, such as Labour going south 
and the need of the natives being made to work 
for their taxes, or the tax being raised were refer- 
red to, and after an interchange of views on thesQ 
and 9ther questions the meeting terminfi,tedi ^ " 
