Jan. 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
471 
so to a certain extent, but the public arc fickle, and 
the more they see or hear about an article of pro- 
duce, the more they feel disposed to take a practical 
inteiert in it. It may be noticed in this connection 
that one or two firms of wholesale and retail dealers, 
who do not make a speciality of Indian and Ceylon 
leas, have recently opened tea rooms in various parts 
of the country, where the sale of tea in the cup is 
combined with the fale of tea in packets. These 
rooms are tastefully ceoorated in Chinese or Japanese 
fashion, and ornaments from the Far East are also 
offered for sale. There is thus some iud^::cement to 
the purchaser to try the teas of China and Japan. 
So long as this idea' is limited in practice its effect 
ou the Indian and Ceylon tea trade will be littie 
or nothing. It is strange, however, that whereas 
shops for the sale of Chinese and Dapanese articles 
as well as tea are not uncommon, especially at the 
more prominent seaside resorts, it is not often 
that Indian or Ceylon tea rooms are to be found. 
The native ware from our own possessions does not 
seem to possess the same charm for the British 
buyer, or else it is not pushed so freely as the 
competing article from the Far East. We have heard 
of a scheme for opening tea houses in London and 
elsewhere after the style of those in Japan. We 
are aware that in a feeble way some attempt has 
been made to establish tea rooms at whiah natives from 
India or Ceylon were employed. But the idea has 
not been supported, we believe, by capital to any 
considerable extent. It is not to be expected that 
capitalist unconnected with Indian and Ceylon tea will 
take risks that those who are interested decline, but 
it seems odd that if capital can be found for kindred 
ventures, an object which would serve a distinctly 
useful purpose, so far as British-grown tea is con- 
cerned, should be deemed impracticable. We are not 
amongst those who believe that the majority of tea 
drinkers care where the product is grown; value 
for money is the main consideration. But if a thing 
is talked about, advertised, and the interest in it main- 
tained, the public are sure to demand it. That is 
why the need for advertisement in some form or other 
is particularly useful, and why there is constant 
necessity for reminding the public, lest they become 
indifferent on the subject that British-grown tea 
has the first claim on their attention for several 
reasons. 
Last Week's Tea Market.— Teas "for price" con- 
tinued in request, and were well taken at last week's 
rates, the lowest market quotation being still 6id. — 
Home and Colonial Mail, Dec. 15. 
^> 
COCOA IN ],OMDON. 
Messrs. tlaniel Smith & Co,, East and VVe-st 
India, merchants, report:— The demand for this 
article is very strong. Yesterday 20 ba^.s of de- 
fective and very inferior were sold at 59s, and 
some tiiin and broken mixed with dust at oQi^, 
A few weeks back such cocoa was unsaleable. 
Fine Ceylons would command fancy rates just 
now, but there are none ofiering. Some ot the 
makers of cocoa and clioeolate hope to have a, 
good Christmas, ps they expect the public. Avill 
follow the Queen's example, and make chocolates 
their Christmas present. 
It is expected that the Government will be 
buyers again next week, but if so I exjiect it will 
be mainly Guayaquils as at present there are 
only two sales advertised, No sales were held 
this" week, the trade preferring to buy privately. 
Today^s prices for Ceylon are :— 56s to 59s for in- 
ferior and defective, 65s for ordinary, 6Ss to 76s 
for low middling to middling, and 87s for fine 
red ; but prices are sure to go higher. The pre- 
sent) stock is 6,390 bags, against 9,080 bags last 
year. 
THE DETERIORATION OF GROUND NUTS. 
The Madras Government, like the French Ad- 
ministration of Pondicherry, is, says the Times 
of India, addressing itself to the task of in- 
vestigating the remarkable decline in tlie ground- 
nut trade of the Presidency. The rapid decay 
of this industry has almost spelt ruin to Pondi- 
cherry, which, in addition to the great deficiency 
caused by tlie deterioration of the crop, has had 
to suffer the diversion of a considerable export 
trade to the neighbouring port ot Cuddalore. 
The French Administration are seeking for a 
remedy in the direction of improving the quality 
of the seed, and certain superficial advantages 
have been obtained by the distribution of seed 
nuts from Mozambique and Mauritius. But 
although the deterioration of the seed is a factor 
in the decay of the industry, it is not the main 
one ; bad farming is undoubtedly at the root of 
the evil. The Madras cultivator crops the same 
land with nuts year after year, removes all 
vegetation from the land, and neglects even to 
replenish the soil by means of fertilisers. That 
exhaustion of the land lies at the base of the 
depression is still further established by tlie cir- 
cumstances that exotic seeds, after a year or 
two, suffer equally with the indigenous variety. 
On the suggestion of Dr. Leather, the Madras 
Department of Agriculture is arranging for a 
series of analyses to, determine whether the local 
nut is as poor as it is commonly reputed to be. 
The information, no doubt, will be useful, but 
we should be glad to see some more practical 
measure in proaress to conserve an industry 
which is well worth preserving. This is not a 
case of good groundnut oil being elbowed aside 
by inferior substitutes. The Marseilles soap 
boiling firms "await with impatience" the 
moment when groundnut oil shall again be pro- 
curable. It ought not to be beyond the powers 
of the Agriculural Department to direct the 
ryot to supply that demand. 
SPRING VALLEY COFFEE COMPANY, 
LIMITED. 
The following report was to be presented to 
the thirty-fifth ordinary general meeting of 
the Company held at No. 5, Dowgate Hillj 
London, on Thursday, the 21st December. 
The crop of tea for the past season amounted to 
396,800 lb., and this, together with 90,782 lb. bought 
from neighbouring estates and manufactured at 
Spring Valley, sold for £15,711 173 lOd, the average 
selling price being 7'73 pence against 8'24 pence 
obtained last year. 
The crop from the few remaining coffee trees 
amounted to 234 cwts. 3 qrs. 8 lb., and realized 
£738 6s Id, being at the rate of 629 lOd per cwt., 
against 96s 5d obtained for the 1897-1898- crop. 
The total proceeds from the sales of produce 
amounted to £16,450 3s lid, and expenditure in Ceylon 
and London to £14,314 13s lid, leaving a profit oa 
the year's working of X2,135 10s. 'To this, profit 
has to be added a sum of £363 6s 7d, brought 
forward from last year, and after debiting £26 103 
for Income Tax and £900 for Dividend on the 
Preference Share capital to 31st July, 1899, there 
remains a balance of £1,572 6s 7d to be now dealt with. 
The Directors recommend the payment of a Divi- 
dend of 1| per cent on the Ordinary Capital, which 
will absorb £1,200 of the above sum, and that the 
balance of £372 6s 7d be carried forward to next year. 
During the past year the sum of £3,522 lis 8d 
has been spent on Capital Account on the exten» 
sion of the tea area and factory accommodation, 
