182 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Sept. 2, 1901. 
Captain Donnan concludes that rocklish run- 
ning from 5 to 15 lb, weight eacli, are res- 
ponsible for tlie destruction of young oysters. 
As regards the conservation and culture of 
oysters, there is the following interesting 
paragraph :— 
A few njonths ago in Colombo I had a visit from 
Dr. H Lyster Jameson, Fishery expert, on his way 
home from Conflict Group, British New Guinea, where 
he had been studviug the subject of peaii oy-iter 
cultivation on belialf of a London Company, wliich 
had sent liira out for that spsciil purpose. Dr. Jame- 
son told me that the oyster he had to deal with is 
commonly uamad the black lip, a different class of 
oyster to that of the Gulf of Mannar, but be had not 
doubt the system of cultivation or preservatiMU that 
would suit the black lip oyster would also be found 
suitable for the Gulf of Mannar oyster. He aUo said 
tnat after studying the question for some time, he had 
eome to the conclusion that the only successful way 
of dealing with the black lip oyster would be by plac- 
ing the young oysters in baskets made of wire mesh- 
ing, of a suitable size of mesh, and then placing the 
baskets on the oysters' natural beds and keeping 
them there until they were old enough to be able to 
resist attacks of their enemies ; then to take them out 
of the baskets and lay them back on their natural 
home without the baskets. And he was of opinion that 
beds similar arrangement would be likely to prove 
the most successful in dealing with the Gulf of Man- 
nar oysters. I quite agree with Dr. Jameson that 
his plan would be likely to prove quite successful as 
regards preserving the oysters, but I am inclined to 
believe that by the time such oysi era came to yield a 
fishery, what with the cost of the number of wire 
baskets that would be required to cover the bottom 
of a pearl bank — say, half a mile square or more — 
the cost of a staff of boats and divers required to 
place the baskets on the bottom, and to take them up 
again after (say) two years, remove the oysters, and 
place them back again without the baskets, there 
would not be much profit left from the fishery. 
Mr. Jameson (who called upon us) had 
much the same experience as Mr. ISavile- 
Kent. No doubt. Professor Herdrnan, f.r.s., 
who is coming out in charge of the Ceylon 
investigation, will inquire into all that has 
already been done oil! the Australian coast 
with a view to its bearing on the conditions 
found in the Pearl-oyster Banks of Ceylon. 
ASSOCIA- 
PROPOSED TEA-GROWERS' 
TION IN LONDON. 
THE MEETING OF IMPORTERS. 
(Special Report.) 
London, Jiily 19. 
There Was a meeting of some 20 of the largest 
Tea importers at Winciiesster House on 17th inst, 
to discuss a proposal to form an Association with 
a capital of £1,U00,0©0 to protect ludian aud Cey- 
lon Teas in the London and other markets. 
Mr. Thomson of Me.ssrs. Whittall «S£ Co. was 
in the chair and briefly explained the scheme 
wliieh was, lie said, to ief<ulate tlie quantity of tea 
for the Tradeby purchasing any quantity in excess 
of actual requirements and holding the same — 
until required. Some discussion was begun by those 
present on the details of the scheme, when Mr. 
H K KUTHiCRFORD pointed out that it would be 
advisable, before they went on to discuss the de- 
tails, that the meetiiif.' should come to a decision 
whether such a gigantic combination was neces- 
sary in the inteiesta of growers at the present 
time. He said that, after giving the matter his 
most careful consideration, he regretted he did not 
see how he couM support the scheme. Tlie pre- 
sent state of all'aiis .solely hinged ou' the quesiion 
of supply and demand, and he lirniiy l)elieved, 
with the influences now at work, that supply and 
deniand would become more evenly balanced in 
a shorter time than most of them seemed to think. 
The proposed scheme did not strike at tiie root 
of the existing evil ; as it would still leave the 
surplus tea in existence and act as a drug ou 
the market, whereas he contended, if a remedy 
was necessary, ic could only be found at the 
fountain head and that was either in the nou- 
produetion of tlie tea or the opening out of new mar- 
kets, or a combination of both, aud not in sinipiy 
holding the tea ©if the market for a given period. 
Poor lands i;oing out ot cultivation would, he 
thought, counterbalance the crops from new areas 
coming into bearing; the unlikelihood of 
a favorable season taking place concurrently 
in India and Celyou in I9(Jij and the 
expansion of new markets coupled with the 
severe lesson planters had learned from coarse 
plucking last year, would inevitabiy tend to brin" 
supply and demand into closer relationship, and 
prospeiity would leturn. This scheme, which was 
to protect the gro'ver, instead of diiuinisliiiij; the 
output wonla have tne tendency to increaie it 
as the proprietor with a non-paying estate would 
make as much tea as he could ii he were as 
sured of protection to t veii per lb over tiie cost of 
production. \Ve were unuoubtedly, as had been 
pointed cui; by Mr Thomson, at the iiresent time in 
the hands of the buyer.'-, as regards the price of our 
teas. 1 his was only the natural po.-i'ion, for, when 
there was an over-supi.ly of a coiumoditv, the 
purchaser had the .seller under his control, but 
the position becomes reversed when the supply is 
not in excess of the demand. This altered situation 
was bound to come about in the tea industiy 
in time, and we could not force that period bv 
any such scheme as the one proposed as ii did 
not permanently get rid of the tea. He con 
eluded by saying that, once this crisis of over- 
production was over, which he ventured to pre- 
dict was not far off, we would gradually euter 
a period of remunerative prices, and he did not 
think that in our time at lease we would agaiu 
suffer from over-production. 
Mr Alfred Brown said he regretted he 
could not share Mr Kiitlier ford's views, and he 
also had given this matter a great ' deal of 
thought, and willingly hailed the proposal 
tor the promotion of such an A.ssociation. The 
buyers had combined aud were strong, and 
unless we also combined we would continue to 
be in their grasp even if there was no over- 
production. Ic would require a vcy great 
margin between supply and demand to 
make them compete aud pay up for our teas 
He asked how it »vas that, before we heard so 
much about over-production, indeed since 1890 
the price of teas had gone steadily down entirelr 
in his opinion through the workings of the d'-alers' 
combination to keep down prices, and we would 
never be right until we put combination against 
combination. He certainly thought that some 
combination was necessary. 
Mr. AV McKenzie pointed out that the gradual 
fall m the price of tea dated from the time of 
the packet-tea man, aud that Lipton Ltd made 
nearly the entire profit of their business out of 
tea, selling most of their other comiaodUi^^ 
