494 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
[Jan. 2, 1899. 
The use of ludian tea in foioit^n markets is also 
showing a satisfactory development. We can, how- 
ever, look to the home market to take our extra 
suppliou from that country. We find that for the 
first four months of the season, namely, .lune to 
September, there has been an increase of five million 
pounds in the deliveries of Indian tea a remarkable 
expansion, while it is estimated that the total produc- 
tion from India will only exceed that of the previous 
year by some two or three million pounds. 
Trusting vou will see your way to publish thia 
letter.— We remain, dear Sir, yours faithfully, 
Gow, Wilson and Stanton. 
Bood-lane, London, E.G., Nov. 1. 
[We publish this communication with much pleasure. 
But we see no reason whatever, from the information 
at our disposal, to alter our view as to the pros))ect8 
for tea shares during the next few yearc— Ed. /••, )/.6'.J 
The H. & C. M.iil adds :— This is a long-ra.nge pro- 
phecy, even allowing that the editor of the I'all Mall 
Gazetta is in possession of information quite out of 
the reach of ordinary mortals. 
CACAO AND ITS MANUFACTURE. 
Although the consumption of tea is far 
ahea.d of cocoa, the proportion being 101b. of tta 
to lib. of cocoa, the public taste for the latter 
is increasing, and the (jnircr, in commenting 
on thip, calls attention to the fact that foreign 
cocoa manufacturers are seriously threatening the 
position of English manufacturers in their own 
markets. It gives the following table, which shows 
the quantities of the articles retained for home con- 
sumption in the United Kingdom in the years 
specified, and the increase or decrease per cent, in 
each year compared with the year preceding :— 
Articles. 1883. IStlc. 1896. ]8;)7. 
lb. lb. lb. lb. 
Cocoa .. 19,900,569 27,155,300 28,04(5,711 3G,201,lol 
p.c. p.c. p.o. p.c. 
Increase 13 3 8'8 3 3 291 
cwt. cwt. cwt. cwt. 
Chioorv and 
coffee .. 373,173 331 266 328,990 325,699 
p.c. p.c. p.c. p.c. 
Increase 13 1'7 — — 
Decrease — — 06 I'O 
Tea . .185,416,238 221,731,490 227,722,561 231,328.156 
p.c. p.c. p.c p.c. 
Increase 1 0 3-4 2 7 1'5 
Thus, says our contemporary, it appears that although 
the 'amount of tea consumed is enormously dispro- 
portionate to that of cocoi, the yearly amount of 
the latter has, at any rate, nearly doubled in the 
ten years. If the present rate of increased consump- 
tion continues it is estimated that our population 
will before long consume more cocoa than coffee. 
But when we examine the details of the import re- 
turns we find that it is the cocoa of foreign manu- 
facture which is reallv making headway. The import 
duty on raw cocoa is Id per lb. and on manu- 
factured cocoa 2d— a protection of Id a lb. to the 
home manufacturer. But the increased consumption 
of foreign manufactured cocoa goes on in spite of this 
protection. When the imports of 1890 and 1897 
have more than d oubled thosa of 1896 the posi- 
ti'on becomes alarming. It is clear that the article 
as made abroad finds increasing favour, and 
there is every sign that the public taste for what 
may be called the new style of cocoa will continue 
to grow. To explain the sudden rise in the con- 
sumption of imported cocoa, we must bear in mind 
that the Continental article is made on a different 
principle from that most generally adopted in this 
country. In the former, the suberabundant fat is 
reduced by pressure; in the latter, it is often diluted 
by the addition of another substance. We have 
British cocoa manufacturers who certainly have noth- 
ing to learn from Germany, Holland, or France. 
But, taking British cocoa all round, there is ground, 
at any rate, for asking whether the trade is not too 
conservative. Some of our manufacturers make a pre. 
paration similar to that of llic Contiaent ; but the 
sale is not pushed to the same exteot as is that of 
the old fasbicned mixtures. There is no resBOD 
why our mauufacturera sliouid not make rapid 
strides if they care to bestir themselve«. There 
are fashions in cocoa as in other things, 
and out manufacturers should be careful to* 
study thera. Are the public growing tired of the 
thick emolsion with which they have for so many 
years been supplied, wnd giving preference, to the lea- 
like preparation of the Continental ui inufacturers » 
Or can it be that what we see taking place is merely 
the result of the art of modern advertising What- 
ever may be the cause, the result is too important 
to be lightly overlooked, and the lesson taught by the 
sudden change in the public taste from China to Indian 
teas should not be forgotten. The fisjnres we have 
quoted above demand the serious attention of our Brit- 
ish cocoa manufacturers. — //. and C Mail, Nov. 4. 
TOBACCO '^"ULTIVATION. 
It is supposed that the discovery recently made hj 
Mr. W. Daroczi of Buda Pest, Hungary, editor of 
the Mariyai- Dohaniinj-.a'j, that the tobacco plant is a 
perennial — will work a revolution in its culture io 
Southern India, whence we derive our celebrated Trichi- 
uopoly and Dindignl cheroots, and where European 
capital and intelligence are employed in the industry. 
It does not, however, seem that this feature of the 
tobacco plant is altogether unknown to the ryot in 
the part of the country. To begin with, no second 
crop of tobicco is gathered, it bein» found that where 
the sprouts are collected in a second season, as is 
the case in some parts, the leaves instead of being 
superior to those gathered from transplants are al- 
leged by Mr. Daroczi, are a':tually of very inferior 
quality. Moreover in partially exhausted soils, tobacco 
is grown only once in two years, so ibat the method 
advocated by him is not practicable. 
Coimbatore and Madura are the districts that 
supply the raw material for the Trichinopoly and 
Dindigul manufacture. In the former, the 8'jpe- 
riority of the tobacco is attributed to the alluvial 
richness and suitability of the soil, the careful atten- 
tion paid to the cultivation, and to the irrigationl 
water which is obtaine I from wells containing much 
saltpetre. The Dindigul toba !C0 is derived from a 
division of the Madura district and is produced on 
soil selected with equal care and with an alluvial 
character artificially imparted tj it. In boih places 
only a small quantity of water is supplied to the field, 
and this is done by mechanical appliances, for exces- 
sive damp is prejudicial, and the soil used generally 
stands high. Before transplanting, the seedlings are 
gently watered by hand. Heavy rain detracts from 
the value of the tobacco, which is also the effect some- 
times of irrigation : not less, however, does deteriora- 
tion follow from scarcity of water. If there is an 
insufficiency when the plant is topped, it causes the 
roots to throw out a white growth like asparagus, 
which has the effect of preventing the full growth of 
the leaf and of injuring the quality of the prepared 
article. If too at transplanting time the weather is 
unseasonably dry, the leaves become covered with spots 
or a description of scald, which is equally injurious. 
Again if the weather is clondy and foggy at the time 
of topping, or if the east wind prevails, then th9 
leaves become white as if wood-ashes had been rub- 
bed over them, and they are entirely spoilt. The 
manures used are the droppings of sheep and goats 
penned on the land before cultivation. Cattle dung 
and urine with ashes and sweepings, and in as great 
abundance as the ryot can afford. Towards the end 
of the year is the period for culture. The seed 
germinates in a week and the seedlings are ready 
for trans-planting in about five weeks afterwards, 
when they are five or six inches high. The plants 
are placed from a foot to a yard apart, s metimes on 
ridges, sometimes on the flat surface of the field, and 
as they grow the upper leaves are nipped off to 
strengthen the dozen or so that are to be left below. 
Two mouths after transplanting, or as soon as som9 
