Sept. 2, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. m 
NEW PRODUCTS ; 
SUNFLOWER AND CASTOR OIL. 
There is no end to the revivals of so- 
called "new pi'oducts"' in this island. It 
would be a great saving of time and patience 
if newcomers inclined to publish their 
views on such subjects could make them- 
selves acquainted with what has already 
been written and done in the columns of 
the Ceylon press and even in the annals 
of the Planters' Association in past years. 
There is scarcely any possible product for 
local exjjloiting, about which much practical 
information, with a bearing on Ceylon con- 
ditions, cannot be found in the past volumes 
of the Tropical Agriculturist. We see that 
at present there is a good deal of discussion 
in regard to the sunflower and castor oil 
plants. How often, and from how many dif- 
ferent points of view, have both products 
been discussed in past years I In 1889, a 
Colombo Firm made known its re;idiness 
to take as many as 400 gallons of castor oil 
a month, but without result. Possibly, 
inattention to this offer at the time was 
due to the difficulty attending the ex- 
traction of the oil ; but, on the other hand, 
there can be little doubt that soils in Ceylon, 
as a rule, are too poor to yield, for long, 
profitable crops of oil-yielding seeds such as 
appertain to the sunflower and castor-oil 
plajits. The former especially reiiuires good 
soil and it is a question whether it would 
not, in situations suitable to it, be more proflt- 
able to grow cacao. On the other hand, the^'e 
are districts in the island where the castor 
oil plant has been found growing like a 
weed. What would suit the native and 
even the planter best would be to gather 
the seed and forward it to Colombo for the 
extraction of the oil, if the cost of carriage 
were not prohibitory ? A practical Engineer, 
writing to our contemporary, says that 
hydraulic plant to extract oil would cost 
£500 to £600. Would it ]iot be ujore 
economical for a suitable "plant" <o be 
established in Colombo or in some central 
spot upcountry — say on Katugastota estate 
— to which the cultivators could send and 
sell their crops of seed? Individual planters 
could scarcely fate an experiment of this 
kind ; but a Firm, with an Engineer who 
knows all about it, might well do so, and 
if a suitable Oil Mill were found successful 
North of Kandy, we would recommend 
another to be fitted up in Uva ; for, it was 
in Walapaue that "the castor-oil plant was 
reported to grow as a weed." Perhaps, however, 
the best way to make experiments in regard to oil- 
seed, as well as fibre extraction, would be to 
V establish suitable machinery on the Government 
Farm at Gangaroowa, the result being given in 
periodical circulars for the information of the 
planting and native community. 
Colombia.— The Board of Trade have now 
received Decrees dealing with these matters, 
dated April 30th, and May 1st, 1901, respectively, 
* that export duties are to be levied in gold as 
follows : India-rubber, 1001b. Opes. 60 cts, gsSd.— 
}ndia-Eiibber Trades^ Joiirml, July 22, 
INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION. 
Royal Exchange Building, Calcutta, July 30. 
Present :— Mr H S Ashton (Chairman), " Mr A 
Tocher {Vice Chairman), Messrs H W Boyd, W 
Brown, D A Campbell, K H A Gresson, A C Law- 
rie, and li Magor. MrRKToynbee was absent 
from Calcutta. 
GREEN TEA MANUFACTURE. 
Letters dated 5th and 12ih July, from the 
Secretary, Indian Tea Association, London, 
were brou;»ht up for final consideration and dis- 
posal. The principal question raised in these let- 
ters Jiad reference to the bounty to te granted to 
Companies and Proprietors manufacturing green 
teas suitable for the American market. With his 
letter dated 23rd May, Mr. Tye had sent a state- 
ment of the views of Mr. W Mackenzie, the India 
and Ceylon Commissioner in America, upon this 
question. This statement was summarised in the 
proceedings of the General Committee meeting 
held on ISth June. In the letter dated 12th July 
Mr. Tye stated, in reply to enquiries made by tne 
Committee, that the opinion had been expressed 
in London that " green '' tea of the Ceylon type 
would no doubt in the long run take the place to 
some extent of the green tea now used in America. 
But the manufacture of a pure green tea resembl- 
ing the Japan type, but without any mineral 
facing, would be more likely to find a ready 
market. It was also suggested by the London 
Connnittee that a Sub-Committee should be 
appointed in Calcutta to deal specially with 
the production and shipment of green teas. 
After discussion it was decided to appoint a Sub- 
Connnittee as suggested. The Vice-Chairman 
consented to serve upon it ; and Mr L C Baines 
(Messrs. Moran & Co.) and Mr H B Yuille (Messrs 
Balmer, Lawrie & Co.) were to be invited to 
act. The Sub-Comaiittte were to be asked to 
consider and to report upon tlie feasibility of 
inducing growers to manufacture green teas of 
similar quality ; and of making arrangements 
whereby such teas might be bulked in Calcutta, 
the object being to ensure greater uniformity and 
to enable orders to be duplicated without difii- 
culty. 
3. Considered letters dated 16th and 24th July, 
from the Honorary Secretary, Central Travancore 
Planters' Association, respecting the proposal that 
steps should be taken to induce the Colonial 
Authorities 
TO ABOLISH THE IMPORT DUTY LEVIED IN CEYLON 
upon Indian Tea. Reference was made to this 
proposal in the proceedings of the last meeting. 
It was there recorded that the Committee had 
decided to ask the Planters' Association for further 
information with regard to a statement made by 
their Honorary Secretary that there would be 
no objection to an ad valorem duty of 5 
per cent being levied in Ceylon as in India. 
In replying to these enquiries the Honorary Se- 
cretary of the Planters' Association had stated 
that the members of that Association were quite 
agreeable to the suggestion that Government 
should be asked to move for the abolition of 
the Ceylon duty. The Committee understood 
that the question generally had been considered 
at the Annual Meeting of the Assam Branch, 
which was held on the 20th July. They decided 
to await the report of the proceedings of that 
meeting before addressing the Government of 
India. 
H. S. ASHTON, Chairman. 
H. M. HAYWOOD, Assistant Secretary, 
