Aug. 1, 1903.j THE TROPICAL AGEICULTUKIST. &3 
for on Is id ov lower-priced Teas." Bayers 
who get a little more when they sell will 
be readier to f^ive a little more when they 
buy and it is not too much to hope that 
this resolution may in a short time raise the 
price of tea to the average for which tea 
planters having been waiting so patiently. 
From American advices dated May 6th 
we learn that " The imports this year are 
largely in excess of a year's requirements 
fully 10,000,000 pounds, ' and points to a 
supply far enough ahead of the demand to 
make a weak market. Consumption must 
make a bij; leap forward to keep the market 
steady to firm. New crop Formosa tea is 
coming forward unusually early. Receipts 
over 46,000 packages. The tea market in 
Japan is firm, and tending higher." 
CEYLON TEA NEW ZEALAND. 
Ceylon tea has been getting a capital free 
advertisement in New Zealand. In a copy 
of the New Zealand Weekly Iree Press 
a large and influential illustrated paper, 
recently to hand, an excellently written and 
splendidly illustrated article appears from 
the pen of Mr. Robert Wardrop which should 
do much towards popularising and improv- 
ing the sale of Ceylon's staple in that 
quarter. In a letter to us Mr. Wardrop 
says : — 
"I would like to call your attention to the 
amount of rubbish sold as Pure Ceylon Tea. The 
enclosed is a sample of some of the advertisements 
here and you have no idea the run there is on this 
class of stuff. Low class cheap Indian teas are 
at many instances sold as Ceylon, owing to the 
large margin of profit and it would pay the 
" Committee of Thirty " in the interests of the 
Ceylon growers to institute a few prosecutions 
against the sellers of the spurious article. There 
is really nothing to lose and a ^leat deal to be 
gained in publicity, if only in the interests of the 
buyers by drawing their attention to the ways in 
which they are imposed upon." 
The advertisement referred to runs: "5^ lb. 
Tin Pekoe Tip Ceylon Tea for 5/6." The 
" Thirty Committee " might appropriately 
advance the cause of Ceylon tea by for- 
warding a small quantity of the genuine 
article to Mr. Wardrop to be distributed by 
him where it would be most likely to make 
an impression. 
♦ 
CEYLON GROWN COTTON. 
We have been interested in seeing three 
samples of cotton grown in Ceylon which 
Mr. C. Drieberg has sent us. Mr. Drieberg 
is growing a number of varieties experi- 
mentally and for seed (for distribution) in 
the stock garden, and the samples sent are 
taken from the plants sown there. They 
are of fine texture and thoroughly white 
and clean, the species being Goro Hill, 
Louisiana, and Nankin. We are glad to 
hear that these experiments are already well 
under way . 
An expert, who hasrinspected the samples 
of Ceylon-grown cotton we refex-red to the 
other day, sent by Mr. C Drieberg, writes : — 
"The 'Louisiana' and ' Goro ' are very 
white and clean, but the staple is poor and 
short, very like Bengal 3otton, and unde- 
sirable as a sort to grow in Ceylon. The 
'Nankin' is longer in staple, but not much, 
and cotton of this kind is not required to 
any great extent. The New Orleans, white 
Egyptian and Peruvian are the kinds I would 
recommend for planting in Ceylon." 
BRITISH EAST AFRICA. ; , 
(Extract from Report by Mr. AWhyteon his 
recent travels along the Sea-coast Belt of the 
British East Africa Protectorate.) 
London, Jan. 30. 
A careful examination has been made of the 
country from Lamu in the north to Wanga on the 
German boundary in the south. A visit was also 
paid to the German coconut and fibre plantations 
iDeyond Wanga, and to the clove and other estates 
in Zanzioar Island In the intervals of travel, a 
considerable amount of work was done at Mombasa 
(headquarters), in planting up avenues of ficus 
and other trees along the main roads, and in re- 
planting and laying out public gardens in the 
town and suburbs, as also in forming nurseries 
for seedlings at the old fort. The coast tour was 
made in two trips from Mombasa, one to the 
north as far as Lamu, the other to the German 
boundary in the south. 
The coast region between Mombasa and Taka- 
ur.gu and for several miles inland is admirably 
adapted for the cultivation of the coconut palm, 
and along with it could be grown to advantage a 
variety of products, such as the sisal hemp, other 
aloes and sanseviera fibres, castor oil, tobacco, 
cotton, sem sem, ground nuts, Liberian coffee, 
and the small-beaned coast coffee grown by the 
Portuguese and known as Inhambane coffee, and 
last but not least, indigo (the native local species 
Incligofera arrecta.) 
The only species of American rubber which I 
think might do in this district is the Mexican 
(Castilloa elastica), Para (Hcvea) is difficult to 
manage, and has proved in German territory, 
Ceara, {Manihot Glaziovii) does not pay. There is 
a considerable export of rubber from Takanngu, 
which is principally procured from the Arabuka 
forest and those in the immediate hinterland. It 
has now been proved that the best and highest- 
priced article is procured from the vine Landol- 
phia Kirkii, and that a very inferior quality is 
got from Landolphia florida. . As the latter yield 
more latex than the former, the result is that 
collectors frequently mix the two species, and the 
Zanzibar and Mombasa merchants either give a 
much lower price for this mixture, or reject it 
altogether .- , 
KiliS, the .shipping port of THkaungu, is 1^ 
hours' march distant, and is a luie. wide, deep 
lagoon, at the mouth of the Kiliti Kiver. This is 
one of the finest and best-sheltered harbours on 
the coast, the anchorage opposite the Custom- 
house being about half-a~mile from the sea ; and 
here, too, is one of the finest bits of scenery to 
be met with on the coast of this Protectorate. 
From the high clifl's above, one looks down on the 
decks of vessels at anchor, and the many varied 
