36 
THE TROPICAL 
AGPJCULTCRl.ST. Jily 1, 1898. 
can imporlers, until we now nuiubcr many f^u'-h 
among allies. These lirmis employ many tra- 
vellers who call on the grocpis, and supply 
them with stocks of Tea, Coli'ee, etc. Instead 
of uifiiut,' the {,'rocers not to liold our Teas as 
was the case two or three years afjo, these tra- 
vellers now show them samples of Ceylons, and 
insist on leaving a ease of packets, put up by 
their American employers, for exiiiliition on the 
shop counters. lam safe I think in sayinj;, that 
there are eight to ten tliousand f hop-t in the large 
towns between New York and Chicago, where 
Ceylon and Indian teas are sold, and that three 
or "four thousand of them have the words "Ceylon 
Tea" in large white letters on their window. The 
word " Ceylon " must be read m:iny times a 
day by all who freiiueiit the marketing ([uarters 
of Chicago, Bulfalo, I'itsburgli, Detroit, Hochester, 
Cleveden, Boston, New York, 15'ooklyn, Philadel- 
phia, etc. 
In the West too, beyond Chicago.— Tetley, 
Lipton, and some Chicago housse", are gradually 
puvshing our Teas in Kansas t;ity, Cincinnati, 
St. Louis, Denver, St. I'aui etc. etc. In all these 
cities, advertising and demonstrations are being 
done. 
Two Indian Houses have helped Ceylon very 
materially by holding stocks, circulating samples, 
etc. I think it a pity tiiat the strong Colombo 
Firms have not seen their way to help us more 
than they have done. Several h ive made eflorts 
more or less successful, but in a spa-niodic way. 
Grants have l)een askeil for, but the Committee 
does not make grants, ahhougli always glad to 
make grants-in-aid. I do not think it falls 
withi.i my province to give a bonus to any lirra 
in America, merely because a Colombo firm re- 
cohimends it — on tiie ground of the .-liiijment of 
a few thousand lb. of Tea. The American or 
Colombo Kiins must show tliat they are them- 
selves speniling money in advertising or pu.shing 
our Teas. So far Mr. Webster alone has satisfied 
thfe conditions on which t-rants-iu aid are made. 
Figures frequently pnl)lislied lave shown the 
progress hitherto made. What is to be our 
posUion this year I cannot tell. Dining my 
recent visit to "Cliicago, Pittsburg .and other towns, 
frequent complaints were made of the ditliculty 
of selling our teas with coU'ee down lo 4d per 
lb., and the ojiinion generally held seemed to be, 
that we could not do as well in 1S98 as we did 
in 1897. In any case we must per.severe for 
another year, as if we stop now, the United 
Stales' dealers would certainly relapse lo agreitj. 
extent to China Tea, as the ditterence in e.\- 
change gives that country so great an advantage. 
In Canada our position is more secure. 
But we must not forget that as in England 
and Australia, so in America, there are only a 
few millions lb. more of China black Tea to be 
displaced. Against such tea our progress has 
been comparatively easy. But the vast bulk of 
the tea used in America is green or unfer- 
niented tea. 
To convert Americans from unfermented to 
fermented tea would be a long and costly pro- 
cess. The ]iiesent generatini'. r f jdanters would 
Eay the piper, witlioui, .-s^-fUig much of the 
enetit, whether or not Ceylon men care 
to make the tea, the Americans drink, is for 
them to say. I can but repeat what I pre- 
viously said", that a few million lb. taken off the 
London market would greatly relieve the ten- 
sion there. 
I have no new tjugges-lious to make. If Im-« 
are to go on I wunbl a<lvi«e cuniinuitig bo Itelp 
and stimulate th<we who are u>iii; their own 
energy and capital in the work ; at the iiaiue 
time Keeping up our general advertitsiug iu tbe 
magazines and daily pa|>er«, — the circulating aa 
hitherto of cards, feallets, etc., and of deiuous- 
trations at all good Fo<jd Shows, Bazaars, and Social 
Eiitertainmenis. Your.- truly. 
WM. MACKENZIE. 
FUItTIIEK LKITICB KBOH MR. M ACICE.VZIE. 
Kandy, May 30th. 
Sir,— At Mr. LaneV request I encloKC a further 
letter he has receive*! from Mr. Willi.-uii Mac- 
kenzie. — I am, Bir, Vour olMidient servHiit, 
A. PHILIP. 
Secretary to the Thirty Cunimiltee. 
Colombo. May 'JCth. 189« 
Dear Lane,— In a letter which appeared a few 
days ago it was said, I sent no annual report. 
I have done so each year. Tliat I write <jrca- 
.s'toniill 1/ to somr ollicial of the PlHnt«rH' AsKocia- 
tion. 1 have written almo>-t weekly to the Cliair- 
inan of the Thirty Commitlee. I have been 
accused of giving no information, as lo reci- 
pients of subsidies. 
My accounts shew names in every case. Besides 
everything, save stamps and wires, is paid by 
cheques and the account does not stand in my 
name, and is always open lo the Chairman. The 
Bank will at any time furnish a copy. There 
is no secret service money in our trork. 
In a leaddr in yesterday's "Times" we are 
told we should not aitemjit to make "greens" 
because we cannot make thetu similar to Japans. 
Our " hlucloi " are not bi'i.ilar to niiiias, yet we 
are dis|dacing them, notwilnstanding dill'erence in 
exchantre, ju-^t because of the dishimilariiy ! 
Again Sir. Blechynden i-; iliameti ically opposed lo 
me in this matter. He iva.i, but, is now very eniliu- 
siastic over the success of some gieen samples 
from India. Of several (irms to whom those 
samples were shown. Jice offered to taJcc the 
tchoic crop. 
Of course the firms able to cx]doit the Pacific 
slojte rops uji. But I have not yet heard of their 
olier to "put up" some of iheir own money, 
I have had seveial oH'ers to do it from men who 
weie convinced they were in a better position 
than any oiher to undertake the work, but who 
always to meet the test of their own CAPrT.\L 
as well as eneugy. All wished go on the old 
principle of " your money and our brains." — 
Yours truly, (Signed j W. MACKENZIE. 
LIBERIAN COFFEE STILL PROSPEROUS 
IN SEKDANG, SUMATRA. 
Sir, — la your issue of 6th inst., you throw me a 
sort of of challenge as to Tea r. Coffee on the East 
Coast of Sumatra. Tou say, '• How does Mr. 
Mackenzie, ex^jluin Mr. Baker and his Dutch Snperiora 
abandoning LiLsrian Coffae for Tea ? " My reply is 
short. I don't attempt to explain ii-, because I 
know uothing of the estate or the circumstances. 
Further: my little confidences to you have all beea 
from, and of, Serdanir ; nnd Serdang only. Mr. Baker's 
estate is in Deli or Liiiigkat. 
However, as you 've got me on the war-path, let 
me repeat my conviction that Serdang, :icre for 
acre, will be one of the finest Liberiau Coffee 
producing districts in the East. I hope shortly 
to give you some account of ..the progress made 
in the district daring the last three years. Mean- 
