Dec. 1, 1903,] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
415 
DECLINE IN JAPANESE TEA CUL- 
TIVATION. 
According to M Bare, Conaal-General of Belgium, 
the tea trade ot Japan is past-iug through a vtty 
severe crisis. la fact, Japanese tea is liatdlj exported 
anywhere, except to the United Stutes and Utmada, 
where it is threatened by Ceylon competition. There 
are no large tea plantations in Japan. Agents buy 
the tea from the small planters and sell the lot, to 
exporters, usually Foreigners, at the free ports. 
According to statistics, the number of families of 
growers iu 1895 was 737,000, and the cultivated area 
of 50,500 chos (the cho is equivalent to 2-45 acres), 
and a production of 8,698,000 kwan (8 2 lb). At the 
present day the number of families is only 586,000, 
the cultivated area 19,200 chos, and production 
7,643,000 kwan. Annual exports do not exceed 2i,000 
metric tons, valued at about £920,000, in which total 
17,000 tons go to the United States, and over 1,000 
to Canada and British America. Yet Japanese tea 
ia good. — Coimiurcial IntclUyence. 
♦ 
MK. HORNELL'S PEARL FISHERY 
COLLECTION. 
EXHIBITION AT THE COLOMBO MUSEUM. 
At a meeting of the Executive Committee held 
in connection with the Sb. Louis ExliibiDion last 
week, it was decided that Mr. Horneil's marine 
collection should be exhibited at the Colombo 
Museum for a few days. The collection of exhi- 
bits will leave Colombo for the Exhibition prob- 
ably on the 26th instant, and till then the 
public will have the opportunity of seeing some 
very interesting specimen? of pearl fishery, free 
of charge. The specimens, which are veiy com- 
plete, show the whole life history of the pearl 
oyster. They have been on view since yesterday and 
large numbers have already availed themselves 
of the opportunity. The specimens shew the 
oyster in its different stages of develop- 
ment up to the fully-formed oyster. Very 
interesting are the specimens of the "blister" 
and " cyst" pearls. The " blister " pearl is found in 
the shell of the oyster, while the "cyst" pearl 
is found in the body of the oyster. Then there 
were the valves showing the different formation 
of pearls and blisters ; and oysters, in glass bottles, 
showing the pearls iu a fully-developed state. 
The " trigger " fish was also on view in a large 
glass jar filled with water, and it may be of interest 
to note that this fish harbours one stage of tha 
pearl-inducing parasite. There is a large collection 
of different kinds of coral, while a varied collection 
of rocks found at the pearl banks is also exhibited. 
Another large collection of marine shells found 
at the pearl banks, forms a very interesting part of 
the exhibits. Some of them are really vei'y 
beautiful, and are well worth a place in a drawing 
room, Then there are also on view ihe different 
appliances required for a pearl fishery. These 
help one exactly lo form an idea and realise the 
different processes gone through at a Pearl Fishery. 
There are the pearl divers' baskets, a large collec- 
tions of nets, — one a circular net which is seven 
yards in circumference. This net is taken over the 
arm and dexterously thrown so that the neb spreads 
and the weighted circumference sinks to the 
ground. Then by means of a rope attached to the 
centre, the net is drawn up and the weiglita drag 
along the ground till they collect. There is also 
a tine collection of fishing exhibits, also to be sent 
to the St. Louis Exhibition. These comprise mo- 
dels of UsUiog uets from Chilaw, fishing lods, 
the different boats used for fishing, paddy 
field fish iraps, used also in rivers and lakes, and 
various other fishing appliaucesr. Tlie collec- 
tion is a very large and complete one. There 
are ironie large pieces of bath sponges .secured 
from Trincornalee. These are native cured, bub 
resemble very closely the sponges which come 
out from abroad and are for sale at our shops. 
A fine specimen of a star-fiah found in the pearl 
banks is also on view. 
MR. HORN ell's PHOTOGRAPHS. 
There is also on view a large number of photo- 
graphs showing the oyster in its different stages 
and the position in which the pearls are found. 
Other photos include scenes in connection with the 
last pearl fishery. They are all photographs 
taken by Mr. Hornell at the spot and 
afterwards enlarged. There is first the natural 
appearance of the Ceylon pearl oyster, then the 
pearl oyster shewing an area of ihell repair, 
which is denoted by a lighter colour, at the right of 
the picture. The Anatomy of the Ceylon pearl 
oyster is interesting. The dissection of a pearl 
oyster, furnishing an excellent example of a cyst 
pearl in position in the ventral region and the 
mantle, and the dissection of a pearl oyster 
shewing a cyst pearl in position in the dorsal 
region, give to the visitor a good insight into the 
formation of the pearl in the oyster. A good 
picture is that of the low water in Trincornalee 
Harbour with rocks covered with edible oysters 
between tide marks and the living mushroom 
corals often found associated with pearl oysters. 
Other photos show the valuation, the sorting, the 
searching by Tamils for blister pearls in shell 
refuse, and other mementoes of the fishery. 
THE TEA TRADE AND MR. CHAMBER. 
LAfN'S PROPOSALS. 
(FROM A CORRESPONDENT,) 
Mr Chamberlain's proposal to reduce the duty 
on tea from 6d to lid per lb is of considerable 
importance to the proprietors of tea estates in 
India and Ceylon. The question which is occupy- 
ing the attention of planters at the present monienb 
is this. How will this affect us ? 
It has often been argued that to abolish the duty 
on tea would not be an advantage to India and 
Ceylon, as it would encourage the importation of 
China tea which is of inferior quality, but of which 
there is suppo.sed to be a vast quantity sufficient to 
glut the Loudon tea market. This China tea is of 
too low a quality to induce merchants to import it 
with a duty of 6d a lb to bo paid. Will China tea, 
therefore, be largely imported if the duty be 
reduced to l^d per lb? We believe that Indian 
and Ceylon tea proprietors and planters need not 
be alarmed on this ground. 
There is such a vast difference iu the care used 
in cultivation, the plucking ot the leal, the wither- 
ing, the rolling by the best machinery, the ferment 
ing, the firing, the sifting into different grades of 
orange pekoe, broken pekoe, pekoe, souchong, &c. 
— in fact, in the whole process in Ceylon— as com- 
pared with the antiquated hand made China 
methods, that, apart from the natural qualities of 
the leaf itself, Ceylon must of necessity produce a 
much better tea. Only those who have lived on a 
Ceylon tea estate can possibly realise the exceed- 
it!g care which is euforced. As a body the tea- 
planters are a hardy, resourcefal, intelligent 
courageous body of men— all English, Scotch, or 
Irish— and proud of the fact that there is no adul. 
