3i6 
the "dissolved bones" ? Besides estate rubbish 
and fresh jungle soil, if available, we have uo 
doubt that burnt clay or peaty matter would 
be a valuable addition to the manures. The mag- 
nesia and alkaline salts, not of essential impor- 
tance in themselves, are in nearly equal proportion 
in the superphosphate and the bones. 
r 
THE PRICE OF CIGARS AND TOBACCO 
GROWING. 
A correspondent writes : — 
" It is passing strange that, despite tlio low price 
of tobacco leaf, such c-xtremo rates as those adver- 
tised in year paper of the 1st should still be ob- 
tainable for Manilla cigars, the advertised price ia 
one case being as high as K9 per box of SO, or 
l8o. each. 
" It is n great pity, I think, that those who went in 
largely for the cultivation of tobacco here, aiui lost 
heavily by it, did not introduce a few experts in 
the manufacture of the leaf from Manilla. Had 
they done so I feel sure they would have bad no 
reason to conaplsin of ilie results of their enterprise. 
" Another mistake made by Oeylon growers was in 
not selling their leaf in the local market, instead 
of sending it home. I believe they would havo got 
as much for it in the island as they did in Europe, 
and the cost of the long t'ansport and homo agents' 
charges would have been aived. 
"Bnt no one can feel surprised that recent attempts 
to grow tobacco profitably should have ended in 
failure, when he comes to consider the expenditure 
incurred, which was in many cases extravagant to 
a degree." 
Then follow details of alleged reck'ess expendi- 
ture, which we should not be ja.tified in publishing 
except on authenticated evidence. 
THE CONSUMPTION OP TEA, COFFEE, 
AND COCOA. 
A correspondent of the Grocer, writing about the 
eoneumptiou of tea, coffee, and cocoa, says: — SttitiJica 
as to the quantity of tea consumed in this country 
are somewhat conflicting. It is roughly estimated 
that 200,000,000 lb. are imported ioto this country, 
the value of which is £12,000.000. Mr. Bell, of Somer- 
set House Laboratory, gives the amount of tea imported 
in the year 18S0 as 208,500,000 lb. The abstract of 
the Customs report states the consumption per head 
for 1890 to be 5 lb., or 5'14. The consumption of 
tea ha?, from its first iutroduction into this country 
in the middle of the seventeenth century, steadily 
increased, and its price has also been steadily reduced. 
Coffee was first introduced at the snme time as tea, 
but, unlike tea, its consumption has fallen off. In 
1847 we are told that the quantity of octfeo imported 
was 37,441,373 lb.> but in 1880 it was only 32,480,000. 
Cocoa was introdnced nearly at the same time as. 
tea and cclfeo, and the consumption has continued 
to increase, though not to the same extent as tea. 
In the year 1840 the quantity of cocoa imported 
was 2,645,470 lb., in 1880 it was 10,.566,159 lb. The 
great improvements in the methods of prej^aring 
cocoa are supposed to be certain to increase its 
consumption. In handling a small quantity of tea 
one would fcarccly imagine that it was composed 
of volatile oil, wax, resin, gum, extractive matter, 
&o. Yet so it is. By distillation, boiling precipi- 
tation, filtering, and other chemical operations, the 
component ])5rt8 can be learned and the chemical 
and uhysiological effects of tea as an article of diet can 
becorreetly Rpocified. Mr. Bell states the chemical com- 
position of tea to bo moisture, theiiie albumen, extractive 
matter, gum, pcctiiio. tannin, chlorophyll and resiu, 
collnlone, and nth. Mr. James Paton, in Iho ]<Jnr>/c/o- 
■jiddia JlrilKiniira, (iivea nearly the same parls in tho 
.sumc quantiticH. Tho composition of both coftco and 
cocoa 18 not very dishiniilar from that of tea. Thoir 
dietetic value may he tabulated thus— tea is tho most 
refreshing, coffre is the most stimulating, and cocoa is 
tho most uouiii-hing. The solid food taken with these 
beverages wdl alter their dietetic value relatively ; the 
solids being the principal source of nutntion. Theineis 
the most important part of tea; its chemical formula 
is Cg H,„ N , O^. Mr. Bell states that theine cot- 
tains nearly 29 per cent of hydrogen. Many hundred 
years ngo a Chinese writer (Lo-Yn) gave his ideas on 
tea, which agiee pretty much with the experience of 
tea-drinkers of tcday. Lo-Yu says : — '' It tempers the 
spirit and barmoniziis the mind, dispels lassitude and 
relieves fatij^ne, awakens thought and prevents drowsi- 
ness, lightens or refreshes the body, and cheers the 
perceptive faculties.'' As theiao is the most im- 
portant part iu tea, so caffeine is the most valuable 
constituent of coffee ; its chemical formula is exactly 
the same as tea. Ccffte is more stimulating than 
tea, and has been long used by studious men to pre- 
vent sleep. Cocoa io more nutritious than eithsr 
tea or coffee. In the form of au emulsion there is 
more of its foliJ parts utilifed for nutrient purposes. 
Theobromine is the principal alkaloid of cocoa; its 
chemical formula differs slighHy from tea and coffee 
— C,HsN^O^,,_ Cocoa contains over 31 per cent of 
nitrogen, and is, therefore, more nutritious than tea 
or coffee, Mr. Patou says tea, coffee, and cocoa 
fupply a want found to prevado all parts of the 
world ; hence thair increased consumption. — H. and 
C. Mail. 
^ 
THE CEYLON TEA CROP OF 1891. 
The figures for the first nine months of the 
year being complete, we are in a position to 
estimate with pretty near approximation the prob- 
able outturn of the year. We have had the 
quantities for each quarter added together, which, 
with the total for the nine months, are as follows : 
1891. 
January-March 14,913,082 
Apiil-June 20,795,'C48 
J uly-Septembcr 16,986,499 
Total. ..52,695, 229 
It will be seen that the average monthly totals 
for the first quarter were very close on five mil- 
lions of pounds ; then came a great increase in 
the harvest, raising th3 monthly average of the 
second quarter to close on seven millions, the highest 
figure yet being 7,075,081 lb. in June. The monthly 
average in the third quarter fell to 5,652,000 lb. 
The question now is what the quantity exported 
will be in the quarter on which we have entered. 
In the last quarter of 1890, the percentage of the 
whole year's exports sent away was 22-07. Our 
belief is that a larger expanse than ordinary 
has been pruned thi.i year and so will not be 
largely produclive in tho last quarter; but let us 
suppose that the conditions are fairly similar to 
those of the last quarter o£ the previous year. 
Then we think an average of 5J million pounds" 
for each month of the quarter, or 16| millions 
total, will bo about the figures realized. This 
would make the grand total export G9 millions. But 
the round figure of 70 millions may popsibly be 
reached or slightly exceeded. This will be an un- 
expectedly great jump from 45,390,000 lb, last year, 
an excess of 21,610,000. It looks as if consumption 
would increase in fair proportion ; but as increased 
production is likely to go on unchecked for 
years yet, eifotts to push our teas and find 
new markets for them must not be relaxed. 
1 _»<:^i__ _ 
ECHOES OF SCIENCE. 
Tho past severe winter killed one of the white 
mangrove (Aricennia nivea) sent to the Gardens of 
tho Rojal Botanic Society by the late Duke of 
Buckingham, when Governor of Madras. Tho dead 
plant has boon turned into a museum specimen, 
