May 1, 1902 ] THE TROJ^IOAL AGRICULTURIST. 
but they are undoubtedly at a disadvantage 
as regards appearance of leaf when com- 
pared with China Greens." But says Mr. 
Drummond De.ine, "this is merely the 
opinion of a Broker, not a Buyer." It is an 
expert's opinion and we have ahvays thought 
that buyers paid special fxttention to such 
reports. At the same time it may console 
our correspondent and other critics— who 
havp! thought that in making known Mr. 
(ialt's special success (basing our opinion 
on the expert Broker's report) we were 
giving an unneoessary avivertisement to the 
uew process, — that it is not at all the wish 
of its promoters to see the ordinary factory 
preparation of "green tea" cease. On the 
contrary, we believe, the owners of Ambe- 
watte Mills are considerable purchasers of 
our ordinary " green teas," the bonus, how- 
ever, in such cases fallingto the estates from 
which they come. Nor will such teas be shut 
out from the American— and especially the 
Canadian market -so long as thoy can be 
supplied cheaply. They are most useful 
for various purposes we are told, chiefly 
for "mixing"; and in this connection we 
would ask the " Thirty Committee," if 
they can .say, or can procure the inform.ation, 
as to how much, approximately, of the 
Ceylon " green tea" shipped last year, got 
into direct conftumption ? Our object is to 
get reliable information on all points con- 
nected with the subject; but by no means to 
discourage estates which have been making 
" Ceylon greens " from continuing their work 
so long as the bonus is available. The more 
"greens" of all kinds made, tlie less leaf 
there will be for black tea. At the same 
time there is undoubtedly one risk to be 
borne in mind, namely, that American 
buyers may get it into their heads in some 
cases, that the low-priced "Ceylon greens ' 
which we are told they use chiefly for 
blending with higher-priced .and therefore 
presumably better teas from China or Japan 
in order to reduce the price of the latter ?) 
are the best we can do in this island in 
respect of green tea. It is surely an ad- 
vantage if Mr. Gait and Ambowatte Mills 
(.according to the P. A. Brokers' report) are 
to show them how mistaken they would 
be in .adopting this opinion ? 
At the same time, let \is do justice to 
the local enterprise in '■ greens " so far .as 
it has gone. In our editorial of the 7th 
instant, a mistake was certai.nly made 
when it was stated that " the [irogress 
in.ade has been slow and small." Considering 
the circumst.ances, the figures work out very 
satisfactorily on the whole. In 1900, bonus 
was paid on 472,291 lb.; in 1901 on 1,589,929 
lb.; and tli's yew the prospect is of the 
latter figures being doubled,— indeed at the 
l)resent moment, it is e.stimated that -IOO.OjO 
lb. " greens " i)er month are being turned out 
from Hstate factories. From the Amhewatte 
Mills as a present niaxinnnn, the oui turn coidd 
not exceed 2,000,000 lb. a year, .and it would 
ni.ike very little diiference in theprice obt.iiiied 
for this S'lperior kind, if the ni.inufactr.re of 
3,000,00.) lb, of ordinary "Ceylon Oreens " 
were stopped, for, the true competition 
is with Japan and China " Greens." On the 
other hand, Mr. G.ilt believes, if his Ceylon 
mride green teast.tke as he expects in America- 
that the Japan trade in this art.cle with, 
the Western Continent will disappeu- in 
about .-;ix yj,.i3. No doubr, Mr. Gait in- 
cludes all the green tea from Ceylon as 
helping to this and ; for, wliether for blend- 
ing or other purposes, there can be no 
doubt that the produce hitherto shipped 
has been affecting imports from .Japan 
into Canada as shewn by our correspon- 
dent signing " A Friend of all Green Tea," 
whose letter adds a good deal to our informa- 
tion and offers some needful corrections on our 
previous remarks without any unworthy 
insinuation. 
To sum up, it seems to us that the 
great importance of Mr. Gait's improved 
process is that by its means a green tea is 
turned out that can c)btain a price in the 
United States sufficient, even with the 
extra cost, to make it independent of the 
local bonus; whereas the profit on most of the 
factory-made teas would seem at present, 
to be due to that bonus '■' Of course, so 
long as a bonus is available, all "green" 
tea made will be entitled co share in it. 
Be that as it m.ay, we can see no reason 
— basing our opinir.n on the expert rejjort 
of Messrs Forbes and Walker— to doubt the 
superiority of Mr Gait's system, and while 
wishing well to .all 'Ceylon green teas' 
we should be especially proud of a product 
that is likely to hold its own with the very 
best make of Japan or (Jhina greens. 
A FRENCH REVIEW OF THE CEYLON 
HANDBOOK AND DIRECTORY. 
High ArpRKCiA.TioNOF the Agricultural 
AND Pl.vnting Review. 
From the Journal U Agricultitre Tropicale 
we give a translation of part of a review of our 
Handbook," etc., as follows : — 
Tins big volume frifi;litens one by its very rich- 
ness ; it is stuffed full. But once bavina; expressed 
a leseivatiou as to its oves' fulness, we do nou 
hesitate to declare that this Ceylon annual is a 
work of prime value and that it should not be 
wanting in any Colonial Library, 
Leaving aside the Directory and whatever con- 
cerns purely local interests, we would emphasize 
particularly the chapters entitled " Review of the 
Agricultural and Planting Industries of Ceylon." 
It occupies with the allied statistics more than 
200 pages and deserves the hi;;liest pr.iise for the 
critical spirit, the accuracy and the earnestne-'^s 
or seriousness which characLeiise the author's 
work. It is not all at once that one cornes to 
establish such a monument of reseircli and 
jialience. The first review of this kind was pub- 
li.shed in 1877. Since then the work has betin 
renewed in 18S1, 1888, 1885, 1888, 1890, 1891, 1893, 
1895, 1898 and finally in May 1901. 
* J, Fergu=;on, Ceylon Handbordc and Directory, 
1901. In 8° 1780 pages, iinprimess en t\h^ petits 
caracl^ies. Chez Fkisguson h. Colonjbo, et chez 
toas Iss agents du " Tropical Agriculttuist," 
