372 the tropical AQRICUL i URI37 . [November i, iS^o. 
Great attention is paid to careful packing for tbe 
voyage, and subsequent inland transit ; and to elegance 
of design and pictorial display as to the wrappings and 
labels embellisbiosr the pickets and selling forth the 
attractive charms of the various judicious blends 
and mixings. In this particular branch of the trade 
much latitude is given under the revenue regulations, 
in bond, as to blending and mixing — practices not 
allowed to the homo trade. 
COMPRESSED TEA. 
Compressed tea is also cccasionally exported from 
a bonded warehouse. This is tea pressed into brick 
or cake shape — indubitably tea-cakes 1 The operation 
is performed by powerful machinery moving a massive 
metal disc, which is pierced at regular intervals with 
oblong holes. Into these moulds the loose tea is 
poured ; and as the iron table slowly revolves, each 
small parcel is treated in turn to enormous dry 
pressure from a steel mallet, which infallibly meets 
the mould with accurate and terrific accord, and 
squeezes the tea into a solid and shapely lump. lu 
these latter arrang:ements female labour is greatly 
employed; the various packing and other arts con- 
nected with the system requiring much quick handling 
of goods and delicate manual ski.l. 
Tea is sold in bond to the dealers by samples 
which are daily on show ; and it is needless to say 
that the moment the chests leave the warehouse the 
price paid is enhanced by the fourpeuce per pound 
which goes to swell the annual Budget of Her 
Majesty’s Chancellor of the Exchequer. Subsequently, 
the value is not easily determined. Indeed, it might 
be said, ethically at least, that it is priceless. 
MR. MAXWELL ON COCONUT BEETLES. 
The Eesiden tof Selangor issues the following 
notification about what he calls cocoa-nut trees ; 
but probably he means cooo-nut trees : — 
No. 185. — The Oocoanut-tkee Borer (Beetle) — 
Districts Officers are instructed to use their influence 
with the native owners of cocoanut p'antations in 
order to induce them to clean their trees periodically 
and rid them of beetles. The palms should be ascended 
once every month or six weeks. The lowest leaves, 
if shewing signs of drying up, should be chopped off 
and the trunk cleared of any old lenf-stumps and of 
ants’-nests, etc., which the latter may have harboured. 
At the same time the top shoot should be carefu ly 
examined. If they are of a yellowish, sickly colour 
the beetle is probably the cause. There is no diffi- 
culty iu fiuding the hole, as an accumulation of short 
loose fibre marks the .spot. This fibre should be 
removed and a woolen or metal probe pu bed into 
the hole (one of the side-ribs separated from a frond 
will answer the purpose.) The beetle is soon transfixed 
and pulled out. A little sand should be thrown into 
the hole. 
The above is the system employed on the Malabar 
Coast where the removal of beetle is one of the 
ordinary routine operations of the cocoauut-growers. 
A single toddy-drawer will there clean from fifty to 
one hundred full-grown trees in a day. 
The insertion of a little kerosine oil into the hole 
may be u.sefully tried. Kerosine oil if mixed with an 
equal proportion of milk forms an emulsion which 
can then bo diluted with water to any desired extent 
— Straitu Times. 
^ 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA : 
MIL GRINLINTON’S MISSION AND THE 
NEW COMPANY. 
Wo have been favoured with the use for publica- 
tion of tho following letter from Mr, Grinlinton to 
Ilia colleague, Mr. Mitchell : — 
S. .S. “ City of New York,” on passage from New 
York to J/iverpooI, d!)! miles from t,)iioenstowu, 22ud 
September (noon; I8U0. 
My dear Mitchell, — I last wrote to you on 12th 
instant from New York, I had at that time ac- 
complished 2,160 miles by rail and had visited 
Baltimore, Cumberland, Chicago, Bloomington (in the 
West), and paid flying visits to Philadelphia, DetroiL 
Buffalo, Niagara, Southampton, 90 miles from New 
York) and some other places, having made tea, 
written on tea and on Ceyion products, given private 
lectures, been interviewed by newspaper correspon- 
dents and editors till I was fairly worn out ; and 
some of my relatives who travelled with me (I was 
always accompanied by some one or more of them) 
feared I would break down, but I did not, and I 
am on my way to the mother country as fresh as 
ever I was, only a little tired, as if I required sleep. 
I found the American people most kind and cour- 
teous and ever ready to help me, and having been well 
introduced in every place I could not have been 
better received. Members of my family, first and 
second cousins as well as others nearer akin came 
from all parts (hundreds of miles) to meet me, and I 
was simply delighted with the country and its people 
which I saw under the most favourable circumstances. 
I heard the English language spoken by everyone, 
and on Sundays I heard our English services in the 
churches aud I felt that I was not in a strange 
laud, but as a visitor to a distant part of our own 
country. I heard our beloved Queen, our constitu- 
tion and system of Government spoken of in the 
highest terms, and the good feeling entertained for 
the mother country made mo feel almost ashamed 
of the opinions I had at one time enterianed of our 
American cousins. 
Now to business. It took some 8 to 10 days to 
draw up the needful deeds and papers with a pro- 
spectus of the New American Compnuy. After we 
liad settled on all the points, and while the formal 
clerical work was being attended by the lawyers, 
I travelled and made our Ceylon products auown in 
many places, so much so that I have bean urged 
to pres.s ou our friends in Oeylon to have our little 
island well represented at the Chicago Exhibitiouof 
1892 and we shall get a good position in the Exhi- 
bition I feel sure. Men of business and many others 
to whom I spoke took a lively interest iu oiir 
interesting and beautiful island and promised mo 
every help. 
Ou my return to New Y'ork on the 11th instant, 
I had a paper put into my hand which caused me 
rousideiable anxiety, as it contained statements which 
I felt bound to investigate thoroughly, before I could 
ratify officially what I had agreed to on my arrival. 
It took me two days to call upon men of business 
to whom I had taken introductions from Oeylon and 
fiom Lmdon to obtain their aid in making my en- 
quiries. I left no stone unturned that I could think 
of, and having consulted some of the best men of the 
city, I was more thau satisfied that the fears enter- 
tained by well-intentioned friends who were so good 
as to place me on my guard were perfectly groundless. 
One gentleman, to whom special allnsiou was made 
by name, came out of the enquiry with flying 
colours, aud what promised to be an ugly blot has 
proved of service to us m more ways than one. 
To Messrs. Wattson & Farr I owe a debt of 
gratitU'ie for having placed everything at my disposal. 
To all my proposals which were discussed with the 
new Board and with the Company’s solicitor, they 
gave due weight, and I had the satisfaction of seeing 
all the import.ant points carried, — more particularly 
that in respect to the purchase aud sale of 
pure Oeylon lea ; the payment out of the funds, before 
transferring the balance, of interest at 9 per cent from 
the date of their payments to 30th Ssptember (in.stant) 
to tho old Company’s shareholders who continue in the 
new Ooinpany ; the continuation of our Ceyion Direc- 
tors as a Board of Management in Ceylon; the appoint- 
ment of our Agents and Brokers for the purchase of teas 
both iu Oeylou aud iu Loudon. 
The old shareholders receive two shares for every one 
hold now. 
The legal documents have gone to our agents in 
London to be handed to me there and I take duplicates 
with me, 
