612 
THE TROPICAL AGMCULTUEIST. [March 1, 1902. 
travelled intelligently in remote and unhealthy regions. 
I may say that my own experience gained from several 
years spent in Siudh and Burma, two provinces 
notorious for malarial fever, does not accord with 
the mosquito theory — for instance, in the Southern 
Shan hills between Hlandet and the plateau of Phenlah 
more especially in the neighbourhood of Singu, the 
country is deadly during the raius from malarial 
fever, and yet, during this time it is cool enough to 
keep ones self covered, and so ward off the attacks of 
mosquitoes, and i found the mosquitoes more numer- 
ous in these parts before the rains thau during the 
rains the fever season. Again in Sindh the fever 
season is coiueideut with the falling of the river, 
roughly 15th September, and continues to the middle 
of jjecember, the weather during this time is cold, 
and people of course keep themselves covered at night 
BO^here the mosquito is not in it. Lastly, Major 
Waddell, Indian ;;Medical Service, in his excellent 
work, In the Himalayas, makes frequent mention of 
the deadliness of the valleys in Sikhim from malarial 
fever, but nowhere is any allusion made to the mos- 
quito in this connection, indeed, it would appear that 
the doctor did not come across mosquitoes at all ! 
—Pionedr, February 6. T. D. M. 
INDIAN TEA MARKETS EXPANSION, 
We take the following extracts from the Report of 
Messrs Andrew Yule and Co., the Commissioners of 
the Indian Tea Markets Expansion Commission, for 
the period ending the 31st December, 1901 :— 
The offer of Messrs. Andrew Yule and Co., to 
manage the operations of the Commission, was accepted 
by the Indian Tea Association at a meeting held on 
the 16th July, 1901. This report, therefore, deals 
with the work of the Commission for the first five 
months of its existence. 
Grant-in-aid. — Grant-in-aid of E40,000 was received 
from the Indian Tea Association, on the 26th July, 
1901, and deposited with the Bank of Calcutta, Ltd. 
Tea contributions promised to 31st December, 1901, 
amount to 680,744 lb. Of this quantity 269,395 lb. 
or about 39 per cent, has been received up to the 
31st December. 1901. 
Purchase of Tea. — To meet the demand for classes 
of tea. other than those contributed to the 31st 
December, 1901, 9,615 lb of tea were purchased at a 
cost of R4,102-14-2. 
Tea in HyDERABAD.-— The Hon'ble Lieutenant- 
Colonel D W K Barr, c s i, resident at Hyderabad, 
forwarded the Commissioners' copy of a letter which 
conveyed the consent of His Highness to the announce- 
ment of the Nizam's approval of the scheme for 
developing the consumption of tea in India, and 
promising the support and countenance of His High- 
ness to the effort of the Commission to increase the 
use of tea within the Hyderabad Dominions. 
The Post Office. — The Director-General of Post 
Offices of India, Mr A V Fanshawe, c s i, sanctioned 
the Lommissioners approaching the extra depart- 
mental agents of the Post Office, not being regular 
servants of Government either as Postmasters or 
Schoolmasters. A start has been made, and pice 
packets are now to be procured at 46 extra depart- 
mental Post Offices. 
The Railways, — The Sub-Committee of the Indian 
Tea Association attached the greatest importance to 
the supplying of tea to native passengers on the 
various Railways. It was estimated that there 
are something like 160 million passengers annually, 
and an average consumption of only 1 oz of tea 
per head per annum would absorb 10 million pounds, 
'i'lie Commissioners have approached the principal 
Itailway Companies in India for permission to sell 
tea at iiuch stations us they might deem most suitable. 
Pjhizb Essay Competition. — With a view to elicit 
the opinion of the native community theCommissioners 
offered a prize of RlOO for the best essay on " How 
to bring Indian tea to Indian homes." Seventy-three 
«)BRay« wei'« submitted, of which ten arrived too late, 
and 20 were disqualified for various reasons. The 
prize was awarded to Babu Sures Chundta Dutt of 
Sikarpur Post Office, Nadia, Bengal, who has since 
been taken on the staff of the Commission. 
One Pice Puize Packets. — In order to encourage 
tea drinking it was arranged to issue from the Head 
Retail Depot of the Commission in Calcutta, as from 
the 2nd September, 1901, one pice packets containing 
about three-quarters of an ounce of good tea. Each 
r.f these packets bears a separate number, and RlOO 
is offered monthly iu prizes, viz., oub prize of R50, 
five prizes of R5 and 25 of Rl each, the winning 
numbers being declared on the 1st of each month. 
At first the issue was contioed to Calcutta, but as 
the idea caught on, was extended to other places, 
and daily applications for agencies are now being 
received from all parts of India. 
Brewed Tea in Calcutta. — The soppljing of brewed 
tea entails a small loss to the Commission, but it 
is a valuable means of introducing the custom of 
tea drinking among the people, and also of removing 
the erroneous ideas now largely held by the Hindus 
as regards the effect of tea on the constitution. The 
tea is prepared by high caste Brahmins, who have 
been carefully trained to the work, and the orthodox 
Hindu can, therefore, drink it with safety. Most of 
the larger Government and Mercantile offices in 
Calcutta are now regularly supplied with this tea. 
Fashionable Native Gatherings. — There are 
evident signs that tea is being regarded with 
greater favour by high class Native society in Cal- 
cutta. In September last, at a meeting of the 
leading medical men of this city, brewed tea was, 
by special request, supplied by the Commissioners, 
and over 100 cups were taken. Tea has been also 
supplied to several Indian wedding and social parties. 
Indian Industrial Exhibition. — In December last 
tea was supplied to the Indian National Congress 
and the Indian Industrial Exhibition, and was much 
appreciated. 
The Star Theatre, Calcutta. — Tea is served to 
the public attending this place of amusement, and 
a play which is now running there has a tea drink- 
ing scene called " The Morning Tea," with verses 
in praise of tea, which are well received by the 
audience. 
Other Places of Amusement in Calcutta.— Tea 
was supplied nightly at the Circus tents with satis- 
factory results, the native patrons of these per- 
formances expressing appreciation of this effort to 
provide for their comfort at a cost within their 
means. Tea has also been available to the syces 
and coachmen waiting for their employers at Euro- 
pean theatres in town. All round the tea supplied 
by the Commissioners has been regarded as a boon 
and a great improvement on that obtainable from 
the Mahomedan hawkers. 
Calcutta Port Commissioners. — Mr Dumayne, the 
Vice-Chairman, has kindly issued instructions to 
officers in charge of the Docks, Jetties and Wharves 
to afford every facility to the employees of the 
Commission iu the sale of tea to coolies and others 
frequenting these places. 
Calcutta Students. — The Commissioners obtained 
the sanction of the Principals of the Presidency 
College and the General Assembly's Institution, 
Calcutta, to supply tea within the compounds of 
these institutions, and made a start, the result of 
which, however, did not come up to expectations. 
Calcutta Mill Hands. — To place pure tea at a 
cheap rate within reach of Mill workers, pice packets 
are now sold at many of the Jute Mills and other 
centres of labour. 
Collieries. — The pice packets of tea are now 
being sold in the bazaars of many of the Coal Con- 
cerns in Rane^gunge and Jherriah Districts, and the 
quantity taken is encouraging. 
Mica Workers. — The Commissioners record their 
thanks to Mr. W D Olyburn, of Bhaghitand Ko- 
derma, via Giridhih, through whose kind assistance 
they have been able to place the pice packets 
within reaich of the micai wQKkers of his District 
