March 1, 1904.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
60t 
Chamber ot Commerce and Planters' Association 
in approiichinK Government with a view to giving 
effect ro ihe recomtnendatioris." 
Vou have no doubt all read the recommendations 
of your Committee in this respect to tiie 
control of mutters in C-ylon of tea which, 
it considers, to be not altogether niifit for 
human consumption, but undesirable to 
be sold in this poit. The enquiry that came 
before your Committee vvas orit;iual I y sent down 
to us from Kaudy some months ago in the shape 
of a request to this Association as to what 
steps they could take to put a stop 
to the sale of rubbishy teas in Colombo harbour. 
Those who have taken an interest in matters 
relating lo the tea trade must have been aware 
that an attempt was made towards ibis end some 
years ago by aslcing the Collector of Customs to 
issue licenses to vendors and other steps taken 
which proved absolutelj ineffectual ; and we have 
come to the conclusion tiiat to get any really u-^eful 
reform we must go t" Government and ask for 
legislation. The Committee considered this matter 
very carefully and the outcome was the - recom- 
mendations which went to Kmdy, At a meeting 
of the Planters' Association Committee, generally 
speaking, these recommendations were approved 
and it was decided that at their next general 
meeting they would ask their Association to pa^s 
a resolution similar to the one I am now proposing. 
The Chamber of Commerce will do the same next 
week and it is hoped if the three bodies unani- 
mously desire what [ now suggest the Government 
would favourably consider the bringiisg in of some 
measure to Council to enable us to deal with this 
question. 
Continuing', Mr Figg said it was vi^ry necessary 
to prevent the sale ot some of the teas they had 
offered at their public auction and also to prevent 
the sale of some teas that took place in the 
harbour aud which was detrimental to the name of 
Ceylon tea. As a sample of some tea that was 
brought to the public auction he produced a parcel 
containing heterogeneous collection of t;hings, whole 
tea leaves, coir yarn, pieces of wood, picked fiom 
a break of tea sold at Colombo sales, &c. &c , anit 
asked if that was not sufficient lo justity thpir 
present action he did not know what was. He 
aeked them to be careful of the sample as he 
wished to send it to Kandy wiieu they were 
done with it here. The crux of the whole 
question was that they ask Government 
to allow them to fix a standard below which no 
tea shouUl be sold. Thai; meant that the sale 
would not be restricted to the Habonr alone, 
but would apply to all teas sold in the island 
and where the regulations were broken the vendors 
could be dealt with by law and that was the 
only way possible to deal with that question, If 
Government admitted their first recommendation, 
the \yhole thing would be put through. Provided 
sanction was given, they saw no difficulty in 
getting the machinery to carry out their recom- 
mendations. (Hear, hear.) He did not consider 
it necessary to detain them any longer. Those 
who went into the matter consideied reform very 
necessary and he had no doubt the motion would 
be heartily supported. (Applause.) 
Sir Wm. Mitchell :-I have much pleasure in 
seconding the motion before the meeting. First 
of all with regard to the sale of tea in the Harbour. 
The question of rubbishy tea is of much more 
coDse^uence than most people imagiae. In these 
days when Free Trade and Protection are very 
holly discussed, no one would seek to justify the 
Free Tra<le as practised in Colombo harbour. It 
is an abuse of freedom and all honest people 
agree that some measure of protection is necessary 
to guard the fair name of Ceylon tea. Over 37.00J 
lb. of tea were sold in this way in Colombo 
Harbour last year and the amount of damage 
that may be done through passengers is simply 
incalculable. When tliey get home to where they 
are going, they tnke this tea to show to their 
friends and inste d of showing what they think 
is Ceylon tea they show this rubbish which 
gives a bad name to Ceylon tea. It is a 
wi«e thing that a Government standard 
of quality be set up and all teas so sold should 
pass (hat standard. All sellers in the harbour 
should be licensed and all funds so provided should 
go towards the expense of the maintenance of 
the staff necessary to look after and see that 
the packets bear the name of the person selling 
and the person who packed it, (Applnuse.) The 
question of the appointment of a Government 
Inspector to inspect the teas for every sale is 
another matter and I confess there is much more 
difficulty in this part than in the former. I do 
not suppose it is necessary that the Government 
Inspector would require to inspect every break of 
tea offered. I feel it would not be possible to put 
such an idea into practice, but if the Customs 
had the power to open any or all of these packages 
the mere fact of their having that power would 
act as a strong deterrent to those who were en- 
deavouring to palm off tea which was not up to 
the standard. Ic might be sufficient if shippers 
gave a guarantee or made a declaration as to 
quality. If any of the packages opened did nob 
come np to the standard punishment would, 
I'i course, follow. Res;arding the details of the 
Inspector's work I do not think it is necesary 
for us to arrange it at this time. If Government) 
agree to the principle that their Inspector should 
be appointed, that could be arranged afterwards. 
I do not think there is anything more to say in 
regard to the matter at present. I have great 
pleasure in seconding the motion. 
The motion was put and carried unanimously. 
The Ch \iiMAN :— That, gentlemen, concludes 
the busiuess, 
, » 
TROUT-BREEDING IN CEYLON. 
( A Paper read before the Ceylon Fishing Club ) 
The following^ is the paper of Mr, Herv^ey 
Murly, of Barle Cottage, Dulverton, Somerset 
(who has excellent truut-fishinx on the River 
B.irle,) re trout breeding in Ceylon, read before 
the Ceylon Fishing Club. 
Keena House Hotel, Nuwara Eiiya, Feb 8 1904. 
Dear sir,— I think I promised to reduce into 
wiiiing the subject-matter of some of our conver- 
sations relating to your C ub Fisheries, I gladly 
redeem my promise, only you must understand that 
all my remaiks and suggestions go to the supposi- 
tion only that you intend to make your present 
fishery wiih requisite alterations (until you aspire 
lo much larger and different premises) a really 
productive one in income and breeding from your 
own stocking and to sell, and this from the Ova 
of your own present stock. And first as to your 
water-supply, I can only say it is excellent in 
volume and qtxality, free from iron sulphur and 
