March t, 1892] THE TROPICAL AQRICULTURIST. 
647 
same as those similarly employed in China. 
Those principally emjaloyed are from the Jasini- 
num saiiihao, Ait, the well-known inelati. (Called the 
Mugerine in Ceylon or double jessamine. — Note. l>y 
Translator.) They are pmrchased while they are 
buds and used when the flowers open. They are 
spread out on bamboo sifters and sprinkled with 
cold water until they open. They are on no account 
allowed to be floated in cold water to cause the 
opening of the buds. 
In the next place come the small yellow blossoms 
of the Aglaja odorata, Lowe, A. MdiiKxa, which is known 
at Batavia by the Malay and Indo-European population 
as the Patohar China, and by the Chinese as the 
Kembang Chulan ; and at Buitenzorg the latter term 
is used by the native popiilation. A Javanese of 
Bagelen stated that this plant was called in that 
district Patchar Prentil. 
The dried Aglaja flowers resembling little seeds are 
imported by the Chinese from China for use when 
the fresh flowers are not to be had for perfuming tea, 
but they are frequently musty, and of weak perfume. 
In the third place, the large white sweet-scented 
flowers of the Gardenia pictomm Hsskl, are made use 
of : this is one of the plants generally known here 
as the Katcha-piring. 
Considering that the same flowers are used in 
China for perfuming tea, and that they do not com- 
municate any substance prejudicial to health to the 
tea, the tea-alteration as practised at Cheribon does 
not operate mischievously in a hygienic point of view, 
so much as with the revenue. 
However, I consider it of importance that the cir- 
cumstance of the existence of the practice should be 
known to a wider circle ; and I am therefore thank- 
ful to the Directors of the Teijsmania for the in- 
sertion of this communication in their periodical. 
Batavia, November 20th. 

HOW TO ADD TO OUE FUEL SUPPLY. 
Mr. Edelmann, a Pole by birth, who has been on 
a visit to Ceylon, has, says the local "Times," made 
a disoovery for greatly adding to the fuel supply of 
the world. The starting point in connection with his 
scheme is that there exists near the surface of the 
earth a large quantity of what may be termed in- 
ferior coal, which is commonly called lignite. Lignite 
however, has not the chemical properties that bitu- 
minous and anthracite coal possess, and so will not 
bnrn, and Mr. PJdelmann has applied himself to the 
discovery of the chemical properties necessary to 
enable it to burn. He now claims to possess the secret 
and has patented his discovery in all the principal 
countries of the world. His botanical knowledge 
has been of great assistance to him, for without it 
his idea would probably have died at its inception. 
A long time ago he noticed that all coal was 
formed largely of vegetable matter and that the 
soil has a magnetic power which draws in heat. 
That was one fundamental discovery on which the 
later results hinged. Having come to this con- 
clusion, Mr. Edelmann spent many years in travel- 
ling over the world in search of plants that con- 
tained the elements of heat, gas, and fire in the 
greatest degree. These investigations he conducted 
principally in the forests of Russia, Germany, and 
other European countries, and also in Africa and 
South America. When he had satisfied himself as 
to the plants which would best serve his purpose, 
he made a study of them until able to extract from 
them the qualities he desired ; but as soon as he 
had done so and placed them together the one des- 
troyed the other and thoy di.sappeared. He therefore 
had next to find out what would prevent this disastrous 
evaporation of the ingredients which he had got from 
his plants with such toil, and this inquiry was tho 
hardest part of his work. It took him in all eiglit 
years, but now he claims to have succeeded, and he 
is having works ereclod in Southern France, where 
he meau.s to show tho world the first results of 
his labours, and then having done that, he will sell 
Ilia patents to tho different countries in which thoy 
bavQ been (akca oat. The piocusa by which Mr. 
Edelmann says he will make this lignite into coal 
is as follows : — The lignite and certain ohemioal 
bodies which have first been reduced to a powdered 
condition in order to admit of their perfect comming> 
ling are placed in moulds and subjected to great 
pressure by machinery expressly constructed for the 
purpose, and from which the mass comeB in shape, 
of what are termed, for want of a better name 
' briokets.' These ' brickets ' can be made of any size 
or shape — large for furnaces and small for stoves. 
The immense pressure brought to bear on thom makes 
them harder than coal. The lignitie coal is smokeless 
and there is only one per cent of ash. The heat 
produced by it is greater then with ordinary coal. 
Lignite is found near the surface of the earth, and so 
the cost of mining is reduced greatly, while at the 
same time the supply is practically ineshanstible. The 
chemical bodies used are also in expensive, so that the 
new coal can be manufactured and sold at a much 
cheaper rate than bituminous or anthractie coal. Mr. 
Edelmann, as stated above, intends beginning work in 
the South of France. He knows the discovery is all 
right and he has proved it before a commission in 
America. He now wants to shew the world at large 
that he is correct, and then he will make the most he 
can out of his discovery. Mr. Edelmann has acquired 
a large tract of ground in Texas where he thought of 
putting up some of this machinery, but he has now 
given up that idea and intends to make a beginning 
with his new discovery in France. The works he is 
having put are on an elaborate and expensive eoale 
and will not be finished till July. 
THE RIVALRY OP TEA GROWERS. 
The controversy as to the respective merits of tea 
from various districts has begun. The letter of Mr. 
Hicks in praise of the superiority of Ceylon tea over 
Indian has, as we thought, led to further correspon- 
dence on this subject. " A Tea Planter of Thirty Years' 
Standing " now writes advocating the claina of tea 
grown in the Himalayas. " It only remains for tea 
planters in Assam, Darjeeling, the Wynaad, and else- 
where to enter the lists in favour of the teas grown 
in their respective districts, and the tea drinkers will 
find themselves in a hopeless state of confu- 
sion. It will no longer he a question of Indian 
and Ceylon tea r. China, but each district, and 
possibly each garden, in India and Ceylon will have 
its own advocate in the Press. If this rivalry 
develops we shall see each packet tea company 
printed on its labels an analysis of the tea it sells 
and of the soil upon which it is grown, and parti- 
culars of the same sort will be expected in the sale 
room, a state of things which the brokers and 
dealers of Mincing Lane will not enjoy. Fature 
advertisements will be in this style : ' Buy Jones's 
Ceylon ; beats all other tea ; no injury to health ; 
on astringency ;' or ' Try Giles's Kumaon ; beats 
certain for delicate flavour ; grown on high ground ; 
light; exhilarating ;' or * If you wish to grow fat ask 
for Puffer's low country tea ; both nourishing and 
refreshing ; full of body ; contains both a mazimnm 
of theine and a maximum of flavour.' This will be 
going into detail with a vengeance, and the poor 
consumer, fearful of losing his reason, will take to 
coffee or cocoa in despair.'' 
The advocate of Himalayan tea says, in the 
course of a long letter:— "As I have had more 
than thirty years' experience in the growing 
and manufacture of tea, and have also visi- 
ted all the best known tea-growing regions, 
namely, India, China, Japan, Ceylon, and Java, 
and made myself conversant with the various 
methods of curing or manufacturing the leaf in vogua 
in these countries, I venture to thoroughly endorse 
all what Mr. Hicks has so ably set forth in his letter, 
with this exception, that there are certain districts 
in India that grow as fine, if not even a finer, quality 
of tea than any grown in Oeylon, namely, the tt4 
estates of the Himalayas. In China and Japan, the 
China variety of shrub is alone grown. In India there 
•ro three varieties of plant cultivated — tho Indiy ennons 
Assiim, tho by.bml (a cross betwccu tho Imligcuong 
