THE TROPICAL A.GRICULTITRIST. 
[Dec. 1, 190??. 
EEPOKT. 
The Agent's report referred to in the resolutions 
is as follows :— 
I now beg to give yon the result of my enquiriea 
into the cardamom trade in Germany, 
from enquiriea made at all the principal sausage 
manufactories, as for instance, to mention only one 
in Brunswick, I was informed that these manufactories 
employ a very minimum quantity of this article ; 
spiced meat preparations are not nearly so macli 
in favour as formerly. In Gotha and the south yon 
may be able to do more, Enquiries made at the 
oilmanstore-dealers in Brun'jwick and Hannover con- 
vinced me of the truth of this statement, and, farther, 
I was assured, that pastry cooks, confectioners, bakers 
and private families only use cardamoms in really 
infinitesimal quantities. Here again I found this fact 
confirmed by personal enquiries in the confectioners' 
shops. These respective businesses find one or two 
pounds more than enough in one year. 
A very important firm in Hannover referred me to 
the large fiims owning Bpioe mills in Bremen, Ham- 
baig, Leipsic, and Hanan. which certainly use the 
largest quantity of cardamoms. But for these in- 
ferior sorts suffice, as the less good or somewhat 
.damaged qualities only are ground up. The full per- 
fect capsules are never milled. In jBremen I visited, 
amongst others, the largest spice firm, who admitted 
that their firm buy large quantities of cardamoms. They 
gat these fiotn firms in Ceylon, who consignthegoods to 
Bremen. One of their principal places where they make 
good sales is Russia, where spice is consumed in larger 
quantities than in Germany. But I do not consider it 
advisable to work in Russia, unless you have trust- 
worthy and direct representatives. Other represen- 
tative firms in Bremen spoke in the same way so that, 
as far as Bremen is concerned, the article is entirely in 
the hands of the importers, who have their own mills, 
who sell to dealers, who in their return supply the 
retail with very minimum quantities. The demand 
by the last is so small, it would not pay to supply 
tbem direct ; then the carriage on the small packets 
of one or two pounds would only pay, if sent with 
Other goods. 
The representatives in Bremen of are in daily 
touch with all the important houses, as they meet 
always on the exchange. I have asked them to make 
more enquiries, obtain more prenise information and 
let me hear from them. They themselves would not 
be indisposed to take up the article themselves on 
commission. i 
Hamburg is for cardamoms, as for all Colonial pro- 
duce, by far the largest market on the Continent. 
The article is imported in very considerable quanti- 
ties, as the statistics, which I obtained at the Bureau 
for Trade and Commerce, show : — 
Imports in 1900 ... 106,000 lb. 460,000 marks £23,000 
I 1901 .. 64,800,, 280,000 „ £14,000 
< The returns for 1902 are not yet available. The 
'shortfall in 1901 is astounding. This must be a result 
of the outturn of the crop for that year, and con- 
sequently the crop for the following year must be all 
the bigger. For cardamoms have never been so cheap 
and depressed as at present, in consequence of large 
offerings from so many quarters. 
On the other hand, the consumption does not 
appear to have decreased, though at the sarne time it 
has not increased — as confirmed by the opinion of the 
largest spice firm in Hamburg. This firm buys 1,000 
chests of 70 lb yearly, and principally cardamoms in 
capsules, as the so-called cardamom seed, finds less 
employment. The first is ground with the skin and 
distributed in this way through second and third hands 
to the consumers — by confectioners, p'jstry-cooks, and 
private families in small doses at a time. The quality 
and prices vary much ; and what is remarkable is that 
the fruit with the skin is often dearer than the pure 
seed. Russia especially provides a large field for 
diepoBal of the article, Prices depend upon the 
quality, and rnn from 4 to 6 marks per kilo. 
fee tifcftittd t9 CeyloBi 
Two large firms of spice dealers in Hamburg, confirmed 
the report that cardamoms are an important article 
in the Hamburg trade, and are often bo13 100 chests 
at a time. One buys generally at auction in London; 
he had just bought 200 cheats of 70 lb each. The 
price at present fluctuates between 3 and 4 Bhillings 
per lb. (V) all depending on quality. There are other 
firms in Hamburg and Altona interested in cardamoms. 
A London firm says it can buy li'O lb. chests atSOO, 
220, 250, and 300 marks but these must be damaged or 
inferior quality. They can sell in small quantities to 
the consumers — the seed at 2 85 ; the better frait in 
capsules at 5 marks per lb. (?) This firm manufactures 
special preparations for confectioners, etc., and car- 
ries cardamoms and cinnamon as accessories to their 
regular trade. 
My private opinion is that it will be exceedingly 
diificult to increase the consumption of cardamoms by 
any outside or artificial means. The only pcisible way 
would be to advertise in a large way, in order that 
the article — which is known only by name in certain 
circles — may awaken further interest and become 
more enquired for. Cardamoms are a spice which 
outside of North Germany are hardly know in the 
trade, and it may be possible, by suit ible advertise- 
ments, to create a real increase in the consumption. 
I cannot, though, conceal the fact that a very large 
sum will be required, and that the return in increased 
teonsuraption on the capital thus employed for adver 
isement will be very slow in coming back. 
Bremen 2nd June ; Hamburg 13th June, 1903, 
NEEDLE-LEAF TEAS, 
It may be remembered that a prominent firm of 
brokers expressed to us the opinion that no machinery 
could imitate the hand-rolled Japan needle-l^af teas, 
but some months back our contemporary now learns, 
Mr. A. H, Ayden, of Messrs, Whittall & Co.— hiving 
known from his own experience the value of imitating 
the basket-fired teas of Japan, and of an invention, 
which would achieve this — began experiments which 
have been continued ever since, and with such en- 
couraging results that samples are now before us of 
Ceylon leaf, rolled lengthwise by a machine which 
he has taken adequate steps to patent both in 
Ceylon and in India. The machine was made by 
Messrs. Brown & Co., Ltd., at Hatton ; and tho 
principal features of it are that an outer cylinder, with 
blades, revolves flowly in one direction, while an 
inner cylinder, similarly fitted, rotates more rapidly 
in an opposite direction. The leaf is thus constantly 
moving, with air freely circulating through it. It 
is also twisted entirely in its length, and not rolled 
in a mass as in the existing machines. It is cooled 
in the process, and comes out at a lower tempera- 
ture than it went in; and there is an exceptionally 
small percentage of dust and fannings. 'Ihe machine 
which has been experimented with takes 70 lb 
of leaf, but it is expected that better results can 
be obtained from machines taking 300 lb, and further 
tests are to be made on this larger scale. The 
finishing process now carried on in Colombo for 
practically all the teas for the United States will 
also be used. There is a considerable saving of fuel, 
and the machines, when put on the market, will be 
obtainable at half the present price of black tea rollers. 
The Gangaroowa Expiibimental Sta- 
tion. — It is indeed satisfactory to note the 
already good results in connection with 
the Gangaroowa Station. The obtaining of 
12-acre experimental tea plots in various 
districts will, we have no doubt, prove 
exceedingly useful. This new departure 
marks the originality and earnestness of 
the Ceylon authorities in striking out on 
n^w lines. We also notice that improved 
cacao machinery is being introduced. We 
hope that good results will follow each 
department of the Peradeniya staff's epter- 
prise. 
