Jan. 2, is99.j 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
457 
CEYLON TEA IN GERMANY. 
We are glad to see that tlie important 
question of pushing our staple product in tlie 
land of the Teuton is gradually gaining serious 
attention at the hands of the Planters' Coni- 
niittee. We can testify from a recent tour through 
several towns in Germany that the class 
of beverage supplied there under the name of 
" tea is, in many cases, of tlie poorest 
quality of China ; au'l it is, therefore, no 
wonder that the drink has not hitherto become 
popular among the Germans themselves. Hence 
the introduction of tea of real excellence ought 
to make rapid progress directly the new taste 
has germinated. In Southern Germany the worlc 
of "pushing tea" was begun some time since 
by Messrs. Boliriiiger, and no doubt the bene- 
ficial result will soon be felt ; and Mi'. 
Hagenbeck's work in Berlin and the North 
is too well-known to need more than the passing 
reference of approval. Special thanks, which we 
note were duly accorded by tlie "Thirty Commit- 
tee," are due to Mi-. James Westland of Gammadua 
for his persistent advocacy ot the energetic 
furtherance ot the sale of Ceylon tea throughout 
the Getmanic States. Germans, like most • 
new har.ds, require perhaps some little 
education in the brewinrj of the beverage — 
upon which so much depends. And we venture 
to make a suggestion, which we made to Mr. 
Westland only a short time ago, that in order 
to win over the (Jerman " Frau " — a great point 
in the contest— to appreciate the merits of the 
inimitable and stimulating afternoon drink, we 
ought to bethink ourselves of the uses of the 
pamphlet and a small sample of fine tea. A pam- 
phlet might well be drawn up, and submitted to 
the Planters' Association before translation into 
the tongue ot the Kaiser and his people. It 
should describe in a racy and instructive manner 
the history of tea in all its vicissitudes 
from the estate to the table, and it should 
be illustrated with a number of represen- 
tative views of the estate, the factory, the ship- 
ping, the sale and jjeihaps even the consump- 
tion jf the article, concluding with brief but 
carefully, worded instructions as to the " mak- 
ing" of the tea pot drink, If some such publi- 
cations were produced (with all necessary attrac- 
tiveness in printing, paper anil illustration) ac- 
curately translated, and discreetly distributed by 
Mr. Ilagenbeck, for instance, and other agents, 
together with a small but choice packet of tea, 
by a house-to-iiouse visitation among the upper 
and middle classes in the chief German towns, — 
we feel sure that large results would accrue to 
an original etfort of this kind. No one need be 
alarmed by tlie apparent extensiveness of tlie 
proposal here put forward. l''or, in commencing, only 
one town of large size, some city where the Ceylon 
article is not well-known, need be selected and a 
tost distribution maile there. A short interval 
would be sullitdent to judge of the effects of the 
enterprise and estimate, from the forthcoming in- 
crease or develoi)metit of demand in the locality, 
whether it is worthwhile to pursue this method of 
advertisement with redoubled \ igour. The experi- 
ment seems to us worth a t'ial, or, at least, some 
consideration. 
ALOE FIBKE. 
We are apparently on the eve of an important 
development in regard to i he utilising a-id culti- 
vation of the aloe plant in our midst. The new 
machine to ^\■!lich we referred the other day is 
a patent of Mr. A. Silbnrn who has come tons 
from South Africa, where he has ali eady secured 
patent riglits, and who is going on to India, where 
the patent is also being arranged for and where 
extenssive experiments in cultivation of the plant, 
and in working the machine, are to be uwler- 
taken. Meantime Mr. Silburn's attorney Mr. 
Parkinson is anxious to learn where aloe 
leaves in quantity can be obtained in a ilistrict 
not too far from a sea-port, and also where land 
suitable for a experiment in cultivation can be 
obtained. W e have recommended Kurunegala as 
a gooil centre for their enquiries and a place to 
which possibly the natives couki bring an appre 
ciable quantity of the leaf if a factory were es- 
tablished, and cash paid for the leaf on delivery. 
We may, however, be mistaken as to the aloe being 
as common in this district as it was in "days of 
old." In local experiments made a good many 
years ago with a jirimitive macliine invented by 
Mr. C. Shand, the best results were about "o 
per cent got from the Sanscvicra Zcijlanka, the 
small parti-coloured garden aioe conuncn in Co- 
lombo ; but the short fibre of tliis aloe is of no 
use for Mr. Silburn's purposes. On the other 
hand Mr. Silburn's patent machine is said to 
give up to 7 per cent of good marketable fibre 
from leaves of the Agave. Fuiircroya and the 
longer they are the better, 7 or 8 feet if possible. 
At present, Mauiitius has an export trade in 
Aloe Fibie equal to from I-{250,00J to R3(]0,G00 
a year. W^e wish all success to Messrs. Silbnrn 
and Parkinson in promoting a new industry in 
Ceylon, and one which, if successful, would be 
certain to benefit many native landowners as 
well as many of our labouring class. 
Since writing this we learn that iMr. Silbnrn, 
having securc<l preliminary protection here, has 
gone on to India, leaving Mr. Parkinson to re- 
jiresent him. .One of the patent machines is now 
under construction and should be ready in about 
six weeks. It is indispensable that it should 
work alongside a river on account of the 
quantity of water requi'ed in the crushing and 
washing process as well as in the final prepara- 
tion of the fibre. The banks of the Maha-oya 
between Ambepussa and Polgaliawela would seem 
to oll'er a suitable choice of site. 
♦ 
Ceylon Tea and Mr. Kelway-B.amb-r — 
A recent mail has brouoht us, from a Dimbula pro- 
prietor in the West or Scotland, the folio iving 
ex[>ression of opinion as to Mr. Kelway-Bambei's 
mission and work :— 
" I am glad to see that you have got a chemist 
appointed to study tea manufacture and cultiva- 
tion; I only hope that he will not be asked to 
attempt too much at first. The point in which 
chemists have so helped brewers is ' fermentation,' 
ami that is where I expect ]Mr. Bamber or some 
chemist will eventually assist tea manufacture, 
and it is to that (>oint that I hope you will use 
your iiitluence to conhiie his researches at first." 
The above is very much what ^Ir. John ughes^ 
meant in his word of warning to planters, namely,' 
that the Chemist should be tlistracted as little 
as possible from his work in the factory until 
he had arrived at definite results. 
5G 
