332 
THE TROPICAL AQRIOULTURIST. 
[November 2, igpr. 
Products ; bui be was efraid he cculd not get a 
supply of CfyloD Tea in lime to txhibit. He 
approved very heartily of Ceylon planters 
advertising ; distributing samples to hotels, 
restaurants with information, or of opening a 
Caf<S >t which good Ceylon tea properly prepared 
oould be drunk. 
On this latter eubjeot we had a good deal of 
conversation with the Commercial Secretary to the 
Handels (Trodep) formerly Orictilal Museum, who 
promised to communicate with Baron von Scala and 
let us know the result at Karlsbad. As already 
mentioned, this institulion is now managed after 
the fashion of a Limited Company, and is associated 
with a Trades or Mercantile Association, a large 
number of ofJices occupied by bupinf es iwn being 
let on (he lower floors of the extensive block of 
buildings in which the Museum is located. The 
idea was suggested ae to whelhrr a Restaurant 
might not be opened in this same block, having 
for its main object the distribution of pure Ceylon 
tea, by drinking or selling in packets, and that 
EC located it could not fail to catch \hi attention 
of influential business men whose good opinion, if 
obtained, oould not fail to be very valuable. 
Although not empowered by the Ceylon Tea Fund, 
or instructed by them, I thought there could 
be^no harm in getting information as I was on 
the spot, which might, or might not, be utilised 
in the future. Then again, I thought it would 
be well to have among the Ceylon Exhibits at the 
Museum, samples of our different teas which it 
made up in email boxes with, say, glass tops, 
could be seen in good order for a long time to 
come. On both these subjects, I have been favoured 
with an ofBoial reply from Baron von Scala which 
I hope the Committee of the Ceylon Tea Fund 
will not take amiss to receive through your columns. 
Had I been empowered to enquire for them, I 
should, of course, have communicated direct, 
Baron von Soak's letter is as follows : — 
Virnna, 29th Aoguet. 
John Ferguson, E.sq., 
Posts Kestante, Karlsbed. 
Dear Sir, — In reply to the propoeal you made with 
regard to exhibiting a Satuple Collection of Cey'on 
Tea at the Museum, we shall be very glad to receive 
the samples. 
As to your second proposal to promote the sale 
of Ceylon tea iu Vienna, we offer ycu the fo'lowing 
f rrangements. 
"We should open a separate room at the Museum 
for the sale of Ceylon tca.s and a tea bar, where 
Ceylon tea may be given away to visitors of the 
Museum on certain days. The cost of iiistsillation 
would be about £10 and other expenset--, includiug 
wages of two bar-maids etc , would come to about 
£10 a month, of course not including value of the tea 
and other Ceylon produce to be given away. Freight 
to Vienna and customs duty would also be at your 
charge. 
Should you wish to report this to the Ceylon Tea 
Planters' Association, we shall bo pleased to have 
your earliett advire. 
Meanwhile we remain, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
The Directors of the I. R. Austrian Commercial Museum, 
A. V, Scala. 
I am not sure from the above whether. the idea 
of having a restaurant after the ordinary fashion, 
v^ith Ctylon tea as a main feature, was considered 
feisible. What seems to bo contemplated above 
is u room for the retail salo of Ceylon leas in 
packets, and a bar where cups of tea could be 
given gratis to visitors, so as to induce a salo ; 
or it may be that a salo in the cup oven is 
conteniplated to other than visitors and on certain 
days. It is, however, not worth while enquiring 
further at thin stage; for .T am not sanguine that 
the Tea Fund Commiltco will caro to go in for [ 
a " Ceylon-Vienna Tea Fund Bar " just a': present, 
and yet the cost for one year's experiment in this 
way— £130 in all — would seem comparatively moder- 
ate apart from the cost of the tea supplied (with 
duty and freight paiil) but which ought to bo 
nearly covered by the proceeds of sales? 
But whether the Tia Fund Committee take np 
this proposal or not (communicating if they do 
with Baron von Soala nnd the directors direct, or 
with me if they wi=h me to move further), I do 
trust that they will not lose sight of the advantage 
of sending nicely-made up eamples with average 
prices noted, of the different kinds of Cfylon tea 
for exhibition in the museums, Baron von Soala 
and his directors, indeed, deserve a vote of thanks 
for the readiness and courtesy they have shown 
in considering and agreeing to pro[.opa]s inten'led 
to benefit Ceylon p'antcrs, by promoting the sale 
of their teas in Vieona, and I tsope this will not 
be overlooked. 
WHAT HAS BEEN DOJE FOK CEYLON TEA IN VIENNA. 
But it was not till after I got to Karlsbad that 
I recalled the fact that the Ceylon Tea Fund, 
through Mr. Charles Osswald, a Swiss merchant', 
had already done something to promote the sale 
of our teas in |Vienna ; and finding tbe address 
of the gentleman whom Mr. Osswald had appointed 
agent, I thought it well to write to h:m enquiring 
■ as to progress, and mentioning what we had done 
by way of interviewing in Vienna, askicg his opinion 
loo^ about advertising, disseminating information 
and a cafe. I was also anxious to know it he 
or anyone else, was doing anything for tea in the 
Food Products Exhibition opened after I had left 
Vienna. The retult was a very long letter in Ger- 
man (the laoguEge used for my enquiries) some 
parts of which the writer does not want published 
for good reasons ; but the Eubstance of his report 
may be given as follows for information of those 
interested in Ceylon and specially of the Tea Fund 
Committee : — 
„ •, r,- T Vienna, 6th Sept. 1891. 
Honored Sir,— lu receipt of yours of the 2ud 
mst , I do myself the honor to reply that the Food 
lliXhibition was alreadv opened on the 1st, and is to 
remain open till 1st December or January, also that 
It IS m the saloons of Garden-Erections Companv 
on the " Stabenhing." •' 
I have seen the Exhibition and send you now bv 
post the catalogue of the Exhibits (free) As the 
whole Exhibition is included within 5 large rooms 
and then- galleries, you will understand that, com- 
paratively speaking, it is not , a large one It is 
visited by about 2,000 persons daily aird on Sundavs 
by perhaps five times that number. 
Tea appears to be only exhibited by three firms 
and by them only as a secondary article. Comae 
and rum are brought by the same firms well to the 
front and they would seem to consider these far 
more important than tea. 
In the " Tasters' " or Refreshment Room where 
various Exhibitors can hire stalls for the sale and 
tasting of their goods, only wine, cognac, liqueurs &c 
are sold, but no tea. The spaces for exhibits are bv 
no means all occupied, and there is still plenty of 
room. The better opportunity for the exhibition of 
Ceylon Tea would have been last year. Now similar 
exhibitions of tea occur, and if only I had the 
necessary support that is the money (for alone I can 
not undertake anything), I might advance the Ceylon 
tea interest in them. 
With regard to the distribution of Ceylon Tea I 
must tell you this : I myself am no merchant, but 
so employed that I can devote my time from 3 in 
tlie afternoon till 9 next morning exclusively to the 
Tea business. I am further able, if specially neces- 
sary, to get the time from 9 to 3 
My brother-in-law, Mr. C. Osswald, in the winter 
of 1S90 sent me tlio first sample chest of Ceylon tea 
upon vyluch m August, three fai-ther chests followed- 
and after the husiuess had got intp order, I had ^ 
