August 1, 1898.] 
THE TROPICAL AGEICULTURIST. 
123 
Skilful Adulter atiox.— la his quarterly 
report to the Chesliire County Council, the 
public analyst states that tlie samples examined 
by him included a sample of coffee which was 
found to contain an excess of sugar. This, he 
said, was probably due to a practice of roasting 
coffee with a certain proportion of sugar, which 
would increase tlie weight of coli'ee from 5 to 
10 per cent. This admixture was so skilfully 
done that each berry was coated with the sugar, 
and anyone buying such coffee in the berry 
would thinic he was obtaining it pure. Some 
might say that it was an innocent adultera- 
tion, but it was, at the same time, a most 
profitable one, for the sugar, which was not 
much more than one penny a pound, was sold 
at the rate of one shilling or more, — British 
and Colonial Druggist, June 10. 
"Ceylon Tea-Box Woods"; and "Mica." — 
Mr. Frederick Lewis, F.L.S, of our Forests De- 
partment, contributes a paper under this head- 
ing to the "Joumal of the Society of Arts" of 
June 17. There is not much that is new to local 
readers ; but tiie paper will be useful for refer- 
ence as reproduced in our TropKCil Agriculturist, 
seeing it gives a full list of all the local timbers 
in use for tea-boxes. From the introduction the 
following is of general interest : — 
Some notion of the voluine of wood required yearly 
may be arrived at from the fact that, assuming all 
the tea exported from the island to be packed in 
100 lb. chests, the total number of chests for one 
year's export alone would be over a million, or, 
roughly speaking, upwards of 18,000,000 superficial 
feet of planking. 
In the same number of the Journal there is a 
britf but very instructive paper on "Mica Mining 
ia the District of Nellore" by Eobert W. Thomp- 
son, A.M.I.C.E., M.S. A., which we must also give 
in our monthly, where it can be studied by those 
interested in mica mines in Ceylon. 
Ceylon's Perseverance — No one can read 
Mr. W. Mackenzie's letter of February from 
New York, which we reproduced in our last issue 
— says the radian Planters' Gazette —viiVaowt, ac- 
knowledging that the Tea Planters' Committee of 
the island liave secured the services of a man 
possessing not only energy, but also sound com- 
mercial views. The Indian Tea As.sociation will 
do well to bestir themselves in the matter of pro- 
viding additional travellers to push our teas, es- 
pecially among that class of French Canadians to 
which the letter commented on refers. It is not 
in the American niaiket alone that Ceylon has 
displayed more energy than India, but both in 
Southern Russia and Holland the Islanders are 
pushing the trade with success, and, in fact, all 
along the line are leading the way. As has 
been pointed out, the discovery of gold in the 
Arctic Circle will give an impetus to farming in 
British Columbia and the far west of the Domi- 
nion, the returns siiowing that an influx of emi- 
gration from Europe has set in with the summer, 
so that a vast field is opening for driving a lucra- 
tive business among a class more than any other 
that is partial to the "cup that cheers." What is 
required in the above and similar places is the 
taking of packet teas to each homestead, persis- 
tently forcing it into notice, and the establishment 
■ of central depots whence the pedlars and bagmen 
could replenish their stock to keep up the supply. 
That all this means money we fully admit, audit 
is the duty of those who have constituted them- 
selves the guardians of an industry that may truly 
' lie described as gigantic, to grapple witU. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING. 
The Battle op the Teas.— We notice that Mr. 
Mackenzie, the representative of ihe Ceylou tea in- 
dustry in the United States, suggests that an effort 
should be made to capture the green tea trade from 
the Japanese. This tension in the Loudon market 
has to be relieved somehow, and that fact must be 
recognised. It is not always pleasant to have to look 
facts squarely in the face, but the necessity for strain- 
ing every nerve in the direction of finding new out- 
lets for tea is paramount. A go-as-you-please policy 
will not do. Every opportunity must be taken 
advantage of, and every possible encouragement offered 
to those who have the work in hand. 
A Pp.omisixg Market. — That there is work to be 
done is certain. Here is a case of a new market for 
tea being thrust upon us. According to the consular 
report on Sicily, just issued by the Foreign Office, a 
taste for tea is increasing among the upper classes 
in Palermo, and with a little judicious education the 
demand would rapidly grow. At present tea can be 
obtained at only oho or two places, and that of a 
very inferior quality, while ihe price is very high, 
being about 8 lire, or 63 per lb. The duty on tea is 
about Is per lb if in bulk, and the cases are included 
in this rate. Taking everything into consideration, 
the Consul is of opinion that high-class Ceylon and 
Indian teas could be sold at a fair profit at from 3 
lire 50c to 4 lire oOcperlb, During the past year the 
total amount of the commodity imported was, accord 
ing to the Customs returns, only l.OCOlb, so that 
Palermo and in fact, the whole island, is yearning 
for more tea. 
Good Business. — The tea planter is subject to vicis- 
fitudes of climate and exchange which ilo not trouble 
the tea dealer- This latter business when properly 
organised and managed is clearly a very lucrative one. 
From the report of Messrs. Brooke, Bond, and Co., we 
find that the net profit for the year ending last month 
amounted to .£ 23,128 which with the amount brought 
forward, totals £36,861. The company spent £8,623 in 
additional freehold warehouse premises during the year. 
A dividend of 15 per cent is declared, ±'5,000 is carried 
to reserve, ±10,000 is written off goodwill and £1,170 ia 
carried forward. Thus in sis years the reserve has been 
built up to ±'32,000 and goodwill has been written down 
by £64,000. The share capital of the company ia 
£150,000.— Zf. and C. Mail, June 24. 

INDIAN AND CEYLON TEA IN FRANCE. 
To the Editor of the H. and C. Mail. 
Sib, — Your leaderette regarding the allusion by the 
British Consul at Bordeaux, to the increasing use of tea 
In France, and your remark that a little pushing was re* 
quired has an appropriate suggestiveness at the present 
moment, when the necessity for opening up new chan- 
nels of consumption is so urgent. It may interest your 
readers to know in this connection, that the money 
spent some years ago on the " Palais indieii " scheme 
in Palis was by no means altogether wasted, though the 
scheme at the time, was dropped in an altogether un- 
justifiable way for want of funds and the necessary per- 
sistence. Mr. W. de Peyster who was connected lat* 
terlywith the T'alais ;;irfic/j business has since done and 
is now doing a satisfactory and increasing business-- 
chiefly in Ceylon Teas — as No. 14 rue de Rome, Paria 
(near the Western railway terminus). His resources 
however, are small, and it is of coarse, impossible for 
him " off his own bat," to push the trade rapidly or 
ou a large scale. I believe however, that any aid which 
could be afforded to him by the Indian or Ceylon Asso- 
ciation in the way of subventions for advertising pur- 
poses, etc., would be amply repaid in the long run. He 
would, I am siu-e, himself willingly furnish information 
or the undersigned would be glad to speak for him, if 
anplied to.— Yours faithfullv, (Jeo. Seton, 
120, Bishopsgate St., B.C. 
June 19, 1898. 
P.S. — Mr. de Peyster is a Frenchman, who has had 
business experience also ia the United §tate3 
Bgeaks English fre^uentl^, 
