Dec. 1, 1903.] 
THE TKOPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
393 
arrived in such good condition that not less than 1,700 
plfints weie ilistribuied and sold ai, lOo. a piece two 
months later. These seedlings are growing well every- 
where in Seychelles, and it seems that there is no 
plant that is better adapted to the climate, s' il, and 
labour supply of this colony. The seeds are easily 
avail'ble in Ceylon, where plauti. g an acre does not 
cost more ihau R7. All vail -yp, ravines, river banks, 
and e<pecially the numerous marshy lands, which 
amount to several th lusand. of acres in all the S *y- 
ohelles I-lnnils, should be planted without dehty. The 
price of Paia Rubber is rising every day, reaching 4s 4d 
in CejloD, whilst the cost of tapping is as low as 45o. 
in that colony, where an acre produces 200 lb at least. 
Oastilloa Rubber. — Seeds were sent twice by men 
from Ceylon, bat both consignments miscarried and 
reached Seychelles only four months after the date of 
shipping. Only a few seeds brought by me on my 
return from the East have succeeded and are now being 
distributed. A few plants bended out at the Botauio 
Station, on Capucin Urowu land, and on some private 
estates, are doing very well. 
"West African Rubber (l''untumia elastica) and Assam 
rubber (Ficus elastica) have also been introduced, the 
foimer from the Gold Coast and the latter from Java. 
Gutta-percha. — Seeds and plants of the following 
varieties of gutta-percha have been successfully intro- 
duced ; — 1. Pal. qium gnlta (best variety). 2. Dichopsis 
obovata. 'i. Palaqium Treubii. 4. Payenia Letrii. 
The plants have stood the long transit from Java very 
well, and som-' of thtm have been distributed already. 
— I. By Journal. 
«. 
"TEAS OB' CEYLON GROW IN FAVOUR,'' 
P. C. LARKIN, THE TEA KING OF 
AMERICA," SAYS THEY WILL OUST 
THE CHINESE AND JAPANESE 
PRODUCT." 
Overthe tea cups '' is when a;ossip is exchansed 
but ''in the teacups" was the topic of gossip 
which a "Herald*' reporter proposeil to the comniei- 
cial leader who is known as the " T^a King of 
America." This gentleman, Mr P C Lai kin, who 
is making his semi-annual tour of the United 
Slates in the interests of the Salada Tea (Jompany, 
is now registered at the Hoiel Touraine, accom- 
panied by Mr. James A McGuane, New York 
manager of the company. 
Discussing the trade conditions between this 
countiy and the eastern tea producing nations, the 
*' Tea King " related a number of facts of interest 
not only to business men, but to all users of the 
cheerful beveiage. 
" Last yeartlie eonsnnipiion of tea in America," 
said ite, " aiiionnte<l to 100,000,000 pounds. The 
important feature of the trade was the leniarkahle 
progress in the introduction of Ceylon and India 
tea, of which there was consumed in this country 
last year 27,000,000 pounds. 
. " These teas have been brought to the notice 
of tht American tea drinker only during the past 
few years, but so rapid has been the growth of their 
use that it is easy to see that eventually the teas 
I of China and Japan will disappear entirely, 
in England." 
When asked for tlie rea.son of this rapid growth 
I in the uso of Geylon and India tea, Mr Larkin 
replied : 
I " There are several reasons, One is that the 
' Salada Tea Company packs all iia lea in sealed 
, ' lead parkets, Iheieby delivering the tea fiesh 
t i from the tea gaideti to the teacup. Anntlier poin^. 
5 j is the purity of teaa from Ceylon and India, as 
\ i absolutely no artificial colouring or adulteration is 
permitted, whereas it is well known that teas 
fr.mi China aud Japan are largely coh ured with 
Pni-isian bhie, gypsum, and soapstone, 
" It is inieiesting to know that tea is not indi- 
genous to China, but was un lonbtpdiy taken there 
from India, wheie tea is found throughout the 
jungit-s. In China it is never found except in a 
culnvated state. Tea was not cultivated in 
India and Cyyion for the mark(?t until about 
40 years ago, when an experimenter cul- 
tivated the shrub and shipped a small 
quantity to London. Finding that he got four 
or five times the price that was paid for the best 
Cl'iiia growth, his experiment has resulted in the 
production of over 250,0ij0,000 pounds of Ceylon 
and India tea annually, 
" To .'-how you how rapidly this tea has displaced 
China growths, I might say that some years ago 
China shipped annually to Great Britain 160,000.000 
pounds. Last ye-^r this amount had dwindled to 
13,000,000 Douiids, and yet the consumption of tea 
in England has nearly doulded." " 
When a.>-ked if Americans can really be called 
great tea drinkei s, the tea king said : 
" English speaking people are practically the 
only consumers of tea. Australia leads with seven 
to eight pounds consumed per capital each year, 
England comes iipxt with six pounds, Canada five 
pounds. United States IJ pounds, Russia less than 
thif e q iarters pounti and various European coun- 
tries 1 i)t nnmi d practically none. 
•' Tea can Up. urown nearly everywhere," said Mr 
Larkin, when asked of the feasibility of great tea 
plantations in the new eastern possessions of the 
United States, " but the quality demanded re- 
stricts the area of production to peculiar co.ribina- 
tions of soil and climate. Another requisite which 
we have to advantage in Ceylon and India is cheap 
and steadfast labour. We must be able to depend 
upon sutiicient labour whenever we want it or the 
tea leaves woukl be spuiled in a very short time. 
" We believ" that with the advent of Ceylon 
and India teas in the United States the consump- 
tion per capital vvill if. crease rapidly, as it has (ione 
in England and elsewhere. This because the teas 
are inuah more delicious aud very much mote 
healthful. 
" The Ceylon and Indian Governments are going 
to spend a large sum in electing a magnificent 
buiignlow at the St. Louis exposition, where Salada 
Tea Company reprpsentativc- will Leglad to receive 
their friends." — Boston Eerald. 
INTERCHANGE OF BRITISH PLANTS. 
There is one sort of trade, if it may be so called, 
within the British Empire which has not waited 
for fiscal or any other artificial inducements to 
become fiimly established. It is related in the 
official report on the administration of Seychelles 
last year that the curator of the Botanic Station 
had ''personally conducted" himself to Java, 
Ceylon, and other lands in the tropical belt, to 
ascertain what plants there growing could be 
hopefully experimented with in his own little 
colony. This process is going on in most parts ot 
the Kmpiie; tiiere is constant exchange between 
tliein of plants ai d animals. Of course, many of 
these eniigraiiis refuse to become acclimatised in 
their new homes, but in numetous instances, 
brilliant success attends the endeavour, Aus- 
tralia, for example, is indebted to the process for 
.Iter finest fruit and salnion, both being derived 
