AUGUST I, 1891.1 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
119 
THE TARE WEIGHT OF TEA AND 
CEYLOA^ TEA CHESTS. 
Wa recur to this subject in order to make ib 
clear what was done iaat year. The action of the 
Ceylon Association in London was then sought 
by our looal planting representative body with the 
objiot of the removal of the causa of oomplaiai;. 
The letter addressed by the Saoretiry to that Asso- 
ciation in reply to this request stated that after 
the fullest examination of the matter, which ia- 
eluded the questioning of several of the leading 
Coylon men in London, it was not found that 
the assertions as to undue doduction, emanating 
from this side, ware borne out by the experience 
of those from whom evideuoe was obtained from 
home. That letter, however, proposed to our 
Planters' Association that a test case should be 
obtiinBd. It suggested that a Oommissioa, to be 
appointed by the last-mentioned body, should 
perdonally supervise the weighing and. packing of 
a considerable consignment of our teas ; that 
these should be sent homs in the ordinary course 
and that parties to be nominated by the London 
Association should in the same careful manner 
supervise the weighing of the shipnnent when re- 
ceived in the London Docks. Now it seems to 
us that no fairer opportunity could be offered 
than this of ascertaining how far tho complaints 
mide were well-grounded or the reverse. Yat it 
appears to be the fact that no notice whatever 
has been taken of this BUggasUon. Must it not 
be naturally concluded therefore that the repre- 
sentatives of our planting interest were satistied 
that— in the majority of instances at all events- 
substantial justice i was done to Ceylon planters ia 
this particular matter by this Custom authorities 
in London? 
The London brokers and merchants go further and 
allege in effect that the whole mischief is due to 
neglect on this side of the Customs regulations with 
regard to weighing and packing here in Ceylon. It is 
pointed out how completely the fractional parts of 
a pound are ignored under those regulations. Thus 
if a chest turns out say 49 lb. 15 oz., it is reckoned 
as 50 lb. gross. Similarly, if a chest turn out but 
49 lb. 2 055., it is still reokonad for tare at the 
same weight. So in the one case the shipper would 
lose but one ounce on tho tare weight, whi'e in the 
other he would have to saorifio? 14 ounces. The 
object of our planters shoald therefore be, 
to see that their chests are of weights as 
close to, but under thi fail pound, as may ba 
possible. I 1:- -illfigel (or th' lefeac:'' tUat m an 
exi'sedingly la ga narmer of i v>t mcos of -ihip neQts 
from Geyloa ili s pjint is .Itogether o/arlookad : 
th-t ia fact tbe whole burden o£ blame for what 
is complained of rests upon those on this side 
who carelessly or ignorantly overlook the ooaditious 
upon which their shipments will bo dealt with by 
the Customs authorities at home. 
We do not aupposo that the latest suggestion made 
from London can affect this, but we should 
like to kaow if any of our planting community 
have had experience of the capacity for change 
of weight of ordinary tea cheats under varying 
conditions of atmosphere. Mr. Cameron of tha 
Eaatorn Ejtates and Produae Company is of 
opinion that a not inconsiderable part of the 
diffiaulties as to the tare weight of tea reaently 
complained of, has been due to the changed weight 
of the tea boxes used here after the passage to 
London. Mr. Cameron thought this might am aunt 
to as much as half a pound ; and he unsparingly 
oondem lod a large number of tha paokagas in 
which our tea is sent home, as beiag of auah 
unsuita'ole wood that damp in tiie hold of the 
vessel ia readily absorbed by it and tl\e tare 
weight thereby most sensibly affected. Now as 
we hav3 shown a very much smaller iDorease of 
weight than half-a-pouud per chest would very 
injuriously affect the tare weight and the conse- 
quent burden to be borne by the planters. 
The advice from Mincing Lane is to weigh as close 
to the even pound — but balow it— as possible for 
tare weighing, and we are advised to allow a 
margin of two or three ounces only. But if 
during the voyage homo, a chest increases, owing 
to the absorption of damp, as much as hali-a- 
pound in weight, that margin would ba passed 
and— hey presto I— tha Customs officials would tare 
the unfortunate one at the additional pound. The 
use of thoroughly seasoned wood for tha oheata 
will of course be recommanded as tha obvious 
remedy ; but where is such wood to ba obtained ? 
No doubt it is quite within tha power of our 
planters to accumulate a stock of wood and season 
it ; bat then, unfortunately, a very large propor- 
tion of our oountry-grown woods will not stand 
tha process of seasoning vithout devaloping faults 
which render the boards cut from them wholly use- 
less for the manufacture of tea boxes. No doubt Japan 
boxes have the advantage here and as a matter of 
fact it would be interesting to know if the complaints 
about loss of weight have all baen confined to 
boxes of country-made wood? Some hopes were 
entertained, wa believe, that the Stanlay-Wrightsoa 
pitent chests might not be afl'ectad by the damp 
and resultant increase of might, but from all 
wa hear this has sca»)ely proved to be the case. 
Wa really think this difficulty about absorption 
of moisture d'lring voyage might wall be era- 
ployed as an argument towards iuduaing the 
Customs authorities at homa to reconsider their 
present inaction with regard to their minute about 
weighing to the halt-pound instead of to the 
pounl. If this obstacle respecting tha variable 
weight of tea cheats cannot ba got over, it is 
exceedingly hard that, despita all praoaution by 
tha planter, he should ba mulcted in a pound 
weight as the result of a oiroumstanie over which 
he cm exercisa little or no cootrol. Wa have 
bean told that the China teas imported give no 
troubia with respect to this question of tare, but 
that is solely because no China teas are bulked 
after arrival in London. Tnere are very many 
object ons to matal ohasta; but certainly this un- 
certai ity about tare waight could not apply to 
them, ani this might be a gaia eompeajating 
for many mnor aisadvant^gys appertaining to 
their Uj 

VISIT TO JAMAICA. 
Takinr advantage of Mr. Plant's new Jamaica 
line from Tampa, I have just paid the island a 
two weaka' visit, chiefly for the purpose of gaining 
new ^deaa of methods of culture and propagation 
of tr )piaal fruits, I think niy experience is on 
the whole very flittering to our own State, though 
the object of my visit was not raalizsd. 
I ljund a truly tropioil island with a dsep, 
fertile soil, provided wit'i tillable slopes, elevated 
enoujh to admit of the auooossful grow th of 
apples and peaches, where a patornal government 
at a heavy annual outlay has foi- many years kept 
up extensive experimental gArdeus and nurseries 
presided over by talent from England, with trained 
and eduoiitel horticulturiits for foremen; and 
still tijey are far behind us in methods of pro- 
pagation and varieties. They still inarch the 
mango in tha slow unsatisfactory way introduced 
from India. They plant only sweet seedling oranges 
ane n?ver bud. The peaches and apples of 
