258 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
I Oct. 1, 1898. 
There are portions of cinnamon estates where the 
pure white sand prt-vail? and which are devoid of 
Bnrface vegetation und v.heve cinnamon bushes are 
stunted in growth. Such places in native parlance 
are said to have '' maradang valle." I leave to 
philologist the question whether the '-ding'' in the 
first word lias any referenc.5 to the /•Juannia jambolnna, 
and whether the word Sliradah ii a corruption 
or an AnKlicizad fcrtn cf " ni iradan^. " What is 
noticeable in these soils i^ th.it while aiuface vege- 
tation refuses to grow on them owing to the entire 
absence of vsgetable matter or mould in their com- 
position, yet trees grow fairly well on them. It will 
be noticed that the particles of sand are coarser 
here than elsewhere, and consequently the spaces 
between the pivtic'es are greater. This alloys of 
the free passage downwards of any accumulation of 
mould lyii!g on the .surface. The decay of the leaves 
of trees forma a mould which, after a shower of rain, 
is to be found on the surface in depressions. This 
gradnnlly finds it vv.y bolo.v tho surface by the ac- 
tion of the feet of man or cattle. A little observa- 
tion will show that though tho soil on the surface is 
bleached perfectly while, a little below the surface 
particles of black can be seen which flow to the 
surface of tho soil ho placed in water. My idea, 
is that all the elements of fertility In these 
"barren soils" arc, owing to their open composition, 
to be found in the soil bplow tl;c surface, and in 
the water always to bo found not far from the sur- 
face. This explains tlin apparent paradox of fertility 
to be found in these chemically infertile soils. Tho 
subsoil and the water in it oui^ht to be analysed for 
an explanation of what now is regarded as a liddle. 
Most of these soils have a kind of frame a few feet 
below the surface formed by particles of sar.d closely 
packed. It is probably here that all the f utility in 
tho soil is to be f jnnd, and becomes available to the 
roots of deef -feeding trees. 
THE FllENCH TEA TRADE. 
BV F.DWAKD CORXKR. 
( Special. ) 
Althou<;li the usuge of tea in France does not 
progress by leaps and bound-s, it is making it.s 
way slowly buD siirelj'. Cofl'ee h^s had a j^ooil 
half century of a notoriety start upon tea, and 
was only first used in Pari.3 in IC69, though 
known in the country lifi.e?n years previi)n-;ly. 
Both beverages were bitterly opposed when they 
appeared. Colt'ee, (lecl.Hroil the iloctors, was "a 
tlangerou.s drink," and (Jui I'atin fulminated against 
tea, as an " impertinent novelty." Buth products 
have lived down thea' detractors. Tlie customs and 
manners of France are against any rapid growtn 
in a taste for tea. The iirst breakfast in France 
■when not soup, is cafe an lait ; after the second 
breakfast or dejeuner h\-Ac& cotF^e, the la( ter also 
succeeding the dinner in the evening. Hence 
there is no room tor a tea to come m. True 
there is the very modern institution called " Five 
o'clock tea," but that is -a mere social bagatelle 
for exhibiting toilettes and indulging in gossip. 
It is not a "meal." Another cause for the non- 
consumption of tea in France, resides in the repu- 
tation it has enjoyed as a " niedicameni" since 
its introduction into the country. T'he French 
do not dispute tlie refreshing qualities of tea, 
but do not lose sight either f.f the comforting 
eirects of a cup of black cofi'ee, fir a glass of 
generous wine. Wlille the French faculty de- 
clared their hostility to tea Cardinal Mazavin, 
about 1630, asserted it cured him of his gout. 
That was the year wlien Samuel Pepys took 
"his first cup of tea," and when the leaf sold 
at £6 to £10 per lb. 
Wiilioiit going the length of IJoutokoe, a Dat*li 
eiitlui'<iast, who proclaimed that lea tunhl cure 
every l)umaii ill, and that <-\i\>H >>{ ili<? in- 
fusion miglit l>e taken daily, it i« an «-n -"^llt^Dt 
stoniaciiic ; it uliglilly eNcites tlio eircnUiio-i, 
stimu'alcs ti e work of digontion, aclu on Ik* 
nervous system by imparting to it more ptiyRicai 
anil intellectual enersy, w>iii« at tli»j same liiii* 
keeping it nmre healthily active. Tea ii* excel- 
lent for traveller!', it aisna^v.-* thirst, nnd dinii- 
iii«lies fatigue as tli<; l»n.^>iaii army (<•-■. 1 lie*. 
The active iiiiticiiile of tea, cafeiiie, is ^old by 
Frencii jihoriiiacifits or clieniists ; it i» I he •■-anie 
}iriiiciph3 an i^ in coH'ee, only tli<i percenia^e ia 
liigiier in tea. It ih lliat principle and tAiiniB 
Avhieh iiniini-t to ten its Hli .tnlaiing ainl diuretic 
properties; while il« Rtotnaftne rihI pently heat- 
ing qualiiics are due to its es-(>»i!i.il oil. The 
a'M'iil llavotir of •.-rcen, as romiir.rcd willi hiturk 
tea, i-t due to the greater |)ier«nce of tannin. 
French connncrce hftTi<lle.^ the two chiet varieties 
of ten, green an-l blaek. Among the grecn>f nio«t 
in demand, are Ifyion, Pertc nn<i tuudrt n canon, 
FO name<t from its lar"C grain* recalling gun- 
powvler. fn (h>« bl.ack tens, the favourite* are 
■Soncli'juf! and I'ekitr. I'la\ f)ur, colour and \ M furnc 
are left to llie jnd};nient of the te.*-t!i>iM>, who 
as scrupnlonsly and minnloly te«t the t<M> as do 
the wine tasters of the wiue brands of iSordeanx 
and lJurgundy. J'ohea is tho most coninion of tdacTc 
teaf, ai'd \* the variety on which aclntierai ion is 
most praeti-iOil. The Caravan teas h.ad purchasers 
among the wc.illliy till some years ago, when the 
denian<l died away. It was too dear, and its 
le.L'endary qualiiics asserie<l to bo at-finirt-d by 
overland cairiige on caniels' back.-, were in lime 
found not to be superior to the lea couNc^cd in 
the lold of a shin. Cara,v«n tea will never Ije 
more than a Kussiau iuiporlalion, for Uust-ian 
markets and will so continue till oiifcteJ by 
British t<:as. 
AduUoratio!! is not much piacli.si d ; lea being 
better known, there is no demand for s-loe and 
ash leaves ; it is only the lowest grades of tea 
that are doctoreil, and for which the buyer is 
jireparcd. But tea is relatively good and clicap, 
and each impoiter lia.s his own laboratory, ia 
addiiior. to that organizeil by the Municipal 
Council. The l itter's lalioratory in 1890, auHlyscd 
1S2 samj)les o( coffee, chicory and tea ; settaiate 
icsulis are not given. Only 9 samides weie 
hanc'ed in by piivate individuals; the others 
were cllected by the Food Inspectors. Uf the 
182 examined, IIS were pronounced te be " good." 
'J'hc rema'nder coniaiued " foreign matters." 
France, imports the greater part— or two-thirds — 
of her tea direct from China, |) iving for it either 
in cash br in merchandi.se. Id is iOngland, and 
in a very minor uieasme Kitssia that fnrni-hes 
the rest. The history of her importations is as 
follows ; the average in the decennial peried, 
lS27-IS3fi, .35? tons'; 1817-1S56, 237 tons; ami in 
t!ie year 18')9, 4G9 tons ; now England in 18-58 
imported 3+,O0u tons of tea. The mean decennial 
consumption, IS'iT-lSJiG was 119 tons, while fur the 
year 1S59_ it was 284. In 1894. France imported 
1477 tons of tea, of a value for 4i millions of 
francs. Of the total imported, 702 tons were 
consumed, being 418 tons more than in the year 
];;59. Of the i477 tons imported in 1891, '900 
came from China; 331 from Engl md ; 6) from 
British India; 21 Japan; 40 Tr.rkey ; 7 Egypt ; 
47 Belgium ; and the remainder from sundry 
countries. In 1S94, France exported tea to the 
amount of 862 tons, valued at 2^ fr. millions ; 
of this total 51 tons were sent to the Biis.?iai} 
