Sept. 
1901. 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
181 
Messrs W J and H Thompson in their last annual 
report point out tnat Russia is a most hopelal 
market - " because it requires black tea, appreciates 
"uailty: and is taking ).ore from us every year by 
direct importation, or troni London ; it, too, is 
calling for better tea." 
The committee are now in negotiation with an 
aeent who has been in the tea business for many 
ylars, and who, it is thought, will prove a good 
medium for carrying out the measures which may 
be considered desirable in order to push the sale of 
our teas in Russia. 
TEA SAMPLES BY POST. 
Further correspondence has taken place 
between your committee and the Postmaster- 
General on the subject of permitting samples 
of tea to be sent by the sample post in hermeti- 
cally sealed tin boxes so as to fully preserve 
th«ir condition. Unfortunately, it appears that 
the department is precluded under the condi- 
tions settled by the last Congress of the Posta 
Union, which met at Berne, and which will not 
rsassemble until the year 1903, from al owing 
samples of tea to be sent at the sample-post 
rate of pastage, except when pa.ked in such a 
manner that the contents can be examined, ihe 
Postmaster-General has therefore been asked to 
take the earlist possible opportunity to get;,this 
particular rule amended, 
DOCK TRUST FOR THE PORT OF LONDON. 
As was mentioned in last year's report, it was 
considered advisable, in the interests of the tea 
industry, to support the opposition to the proposals 
of the dock companies, and a donation of lUs. 
,vas given to the London Chamber of Commerce 
towards the necessary expenses. The Royal Com- 
mission appointed to consider the whole question 
of dock accommodation for the Port of London is 
now engaged in taking evidence on the subject 
PRIVATE AUCTIONS 
Importers having been approached by the buyers 
with a view to the restriction of the publication 
of prices realized at auctions, a meeting was 
held on December U. 1900, to consider the ques- 
tion It was then suggested that the printing of 
garden marks in the catalogues might be dis- 
continued, but this proposal was not approved of 
bv the Association. 
Afterwards a proposal to establish a Tea Eschaage 
was put forward, and a meeting of the committee 
was held to discuss the matter on April 2.3 last. 
Considerable divergence of opinion was found to 
exist on the subject, and no decision was come to. 
As an outcome, however, of these proposals, some 
importers, with a view to meet the wishes of the tea 
buyers, expressed their willingness to the experi- 
ment of ofiering their teas at private auctions, and 
the Tea Brokers' Association was asked to draw up 
rules for holding these. These rules have now been 
formulated, and the first sale under them took place 
on July 4, when a quantity of Ceylon tea was 
catalogued. , . , ^ ^ e i 
[Reference is also made in the report to the fol- 
lowing subjects, all of which have been fully dealt 
with in our columns during the past few months— 
Seduction of output ; the import duty on tea ; the 
Labour Bill ; Consular reports on the position of 
the tea trade in various countries; Indian tea at the 
Paris Exhibition; regulatioo of sales; and tea 
Itatistics.] 
TEA BLIGHTS, &C. : THE DISTRIBU- 
TION OF FUNGI SPORES. 
A USEFUL SCHEDULE FOB OBSERVATIONS. 
The following schedule of observations to 
be taken by the co-observers in the taber- 
nacle experiments, planned to gain inform- 
ation as to the distribution by wind, insects 
and Other agencies of spores of parasitic 
fungi, has been issued from the Scientific 
Department at Peradeniya Gardens : — 
The Mycologist, while wishing to reduce the 
amount of trouble taken by each observer, will be 
glad to receive as complete answers as possible. 
If the terms suggested in the footnotes only are 
used the comparisons of the observations at the 
different stations will be simplified. When con- 
venient the returns should be sent to Peradeniya 
next day, so that the diseased leaves can be 
examined with little delay. All the diseased 
leaves should be sent unless too bulky, when they 
should be weighed and the weight sent, with as 
many of the leaves as possible. The tabernacle 
should be kept closed and only the kangany or 
cooly who is to pluck the bushes admitted. 
Name of Estate; Date of Plucking; Weather 
Conditions (very wet, rainy, no rain, no sun, 
sunny, hot sun) ; Wind (no wind, little wind, 
variable, constant wind, strong wind) ; Weight 
of leaf plucked from enclosed bushes (gieeu) ; 
Approximate number of bushes from which the 
diseased leaves came ; Conditions of nearest bushes 
on north side of tabernacle ; Condition of nearest 
bushes on south side of tabernacle ; Does the flush 
on enclosed bushes fairly agree with the rest of the 
field? Remarks or Observations. 
[The tabernacles are all erected or will be 
by the end of September. They are at 
rarious heights from 50 to 5,000 feet above 
sea level and in various districts in which 
the areas over which the wind has passed 
is different. Nothing has been done to solve 
some of the knotty questions as to spore 
distribution by wind, heretofore, and as this 
has a most important bearing on the spread 
of diseases caused by parasitic fungi, all 
knowledge gained by these experimental 
screens will be valuable. - Ed T.A ] 
PEARL OYSTER INSPECTION. 
Captain Donnan's last inspection was a 
very full and exhaustive one and his Report 
is now published in a Sessional paper, the 
summing up of which runs: — 
The result of the inspection may be summed up 
thus. There are nine pearl banks with oyster beds on 
them aggregating 8,338 acres in area, and estimated 
to contam nearly 543 millions of oysters, most of 
which have survived their first year on the beds, 
which is the most disastrous period to young pearl 
oysters. Of the nine banks the two chief aud largest 
ones, the Cheval and Muttuvaratu, attract the most 
attention. Both of these banks are now largely stocked 
with young oysters, and judging by their present 
condition they ought to be capable of giving two large 
fisheries in succession each, the first one coming off in 
March 1903, by which time the large number of 
oysters now estimated to be on them will no doubt be 
much reduced, probably by half. Of the remaining 
seven minor banks the Periya Paav Karrai, Koudatchi, 
Paar, Karaitivu Paar, and Alautura Paar may 
probably keep a due proportion of the oysters now on 
them until they arrive at maturity but the timea 
cemaiaing ijank^ I have no faith in, 
