December i, 1890.1 
427 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST- 
retail at 90 kopecks per Russian pound. Tippy teas are 
to be avoided, not being at all appreciated in Russia, but 
leaf, colour of infusion, and smoothness of liquor are the 
most important points to betaken into consideration. 
Mr. Vladimiroff, of the large firm of Alex. Joubkiu, 
heritiers A. Kansuatzoff & Oo. the largest teahouse 
(wholesale) in Moscow, whi m I have seen in Nijui- 
Novgorod, in giving me the accompanying complete 
collection of Chinese “Monings,’’ told me that if Ceylon 
planters could only give to their tea the appearance, 
taste, flavour and perfume of these teas — which quali- 
ties and character are, I suppose, due to the differ- 
ence of soil — he would be prepared to guarantee that 
before long time had elapsed, no other tea would be 
drunk in Russia : he is already of opinion that Ceylon 
teas, which he himself declared to be of very good 
quality, have a great and near future in the country 
on account of the evermore decreasing quality of 
Chinese teas in general of which everybody is bitterly 
complaining at present. 
I have been showed some awfully bad qualities of a 
stuff that I certainly cannot call tea — “ caravan or 
Overland Tea” — sample produced — sold at one rouble 
per pound, and I was astonished to hear that such 
drug was allowed to be sold and not stopped by the 
Police authorities as being infectious, and I really 
cannot understand the nonsense of the Russians as 
regards their so-called taste for tea, when they c.an 
drink such a filth, and drink it as they do, so weak 
and almost tasteless by dozens of glasses in a day, 
very seldom with sugar or a slice of lemon and almost 
never with milk or cream. 
Caravsn tras have greatly fallen off in importance) 
for the last five years and the import into Russia by 
Overland route has been considerably reduced; good teas 
arrive row all by steamers direct to Odessa by Volun- 
teer Fleet steamers, or with transhipment at Pott Said 
by other steamers, and from London to Odessa, Riga, 
Revel and or St. Petersburg. 
Green Ceylon or Indian teas will never do for 
Russia, their colour and taste being not suitable for the 
market. 
The Russian “ Samovar ” or “ Selfboilr r ” is a capital 
invention, it resembles the old-fashioned English tea 
urn still in use in some English country households. 
It is heated by a charcoal fire let into a tube in its 
centre, just in the same way in which the urn used to 
be heated by means of a red-hot bar, the charcoal 
fire keeps smouldering for hours, and the water in the 
urn is thus kept at boiling-point for the whole of tea- 
time. The mechanism ot the Samovar is extremely 
simple. A cover, to which is adapted a safety steam- 
valve to prevent the bursting of the machine, recovers 
the urn which is filled up with water from the top, 
another small cover on the top of the tube serves in 
regulating the fire, the hot water is let out by a tap 
fixed at the bottom of the urn and two handles — one at 
each side of the Samovar— servo to carry the whole 
apparatus, which is considered an indispensible adjunct 
to the Russian tea or breakfast table. 
Tea is made in the following manner : — the required 
quantity of tea (leaf) is placed in a beforehand heated 
tea-pot which is filled up slowly and gradually at 
intervals, with boiling water from the Samovar, and 
then placed on the top of the tube for about five minutes 
when it is supposed that the tea is ready and fit to be 
drank, glasses are then filled half-full with it, with an 
addition of hot water, the tea-pot is again refilled on 
the same leaf for a second infusion and this goes on 
for three to evon four times without addition of any 
new leaf. This explains how the Russians drink so 
weak tea and vihy they require it of a strong colour, 
to keep up as dark as possible, up to the third or 
fourth infusion. 
Regarding the packing of Ceylon tea, I have already 
written on the subject to the Secretary of the Ceylon 
Planters’ Association, and I think, in view of further 
and larger business with Russia, some steps ought to 
be adopted for tbo adoption of hotter packages, hotter 
made, with a nicer appearance, and of oven sizes, 
containing about 60 to 65 pounds nett of tea. The 
weght of the packages for tare should be unijorm, 
eo near ag possible, iu order to facilitate the Customs 
entries, and these very exactly given in the weight 
notes and or invoices. 
Living and travelling, etc., in Russia is rather 
expensive. I have spent during these three months 
travelling— on account of my tea mission only— and 
up to the day of my return in Loudon (on the 14th 
Oot.) the sum £190 — inclusive duty and charges on 
tea samples— against which 1 have received £145 only 
from the Ceylon “Tea Fund,” for which expenditures 
I am prepared to furni.sh detailed account. I am 
very thankful to the Committee of the “Tea Fund” 
for their further grant of £1.50 advised to me by 
Mr. Leake and in conclusion of this report, I again 
strongly advocate the opening in Moscow and or St. 
Petersburg of Ceylon Tea DepOts and retail shops for 
the establishment of which I am prepared to subject 
all the necessary information, and 1 sincerely trust 
that men with capital, members of the Ceylon and 
London Associations, will kindly help me for the 
realization of my echeme, which I can guarantee as 
being a good one, not only financially speaking, but 
also in the interest of the Ceylon tei industry. 
I am ready to retuim to Russia within the short- 
est time. 
(Signed) M. Rogitue. 
London, the 15th October 1890. 
CEYLON TEA FOR THE CONTINENT OF 
EUROPE : 
THE NEED OP EUPPOETING TEE COLOMBO MAEKET. 
{From a Colombo Tea Buyer.) 
Our Continental correspondents write a.? follows : — 
“If there were only a larger selection on your 
market we might probably have done a larger 
business together by this time.” In another part 
of the same letter they say : “We must have a little 
to go on with, as we have introduced this class 
of tea into some parts.” 
— ♦ 
Eruit prom Jamaica. — In thi.s article on the 
awakening of Jamaica, in the latest Nineteenth 
Century, Sir Henry Blake mentions that within 
the past ten years the value of fruit annually ex- 
ported from that island has increased from 
£40,000 to £337,000. The fruit is principally 
bananas, and the demand is likely to continue. 
“ The value of the banana as food for working 
men has been recognised in the United States, 
and it is found peculiarly sustaining for those 
engaged in heavy labour in warm situations, such 
as blacksmiths and iron-founders. The operatives 
in cotton factories also use it largely. In England 
it is but little known, but Jamaica bananas are 
now being exported to Hamburg via New York." 
Sir Henry thinks this fruit trade is only in its 
infancy, and no doubt he is right. 
The Woud Sugar.— Webster defines “ sugar" 
as “ a sweet, orystaline substance." In ordinary 
use the word refers more to cane sugar than to 
any other kind. The oldest form of the word is 
found in the Sanskrit, rarkara, candied sugar. 
In Persian it is shakar, and in the Arabic ookkar. 
It is not a little curious to find this word in' 
the Old Testament under the form of Issachar 
meaning wages, sweetness. “ Leah said, God’ 
hath given me my hire, and she called his name 
Issachar,” sweetness. Though known and used 
in Asiatic countries from time immemorial it 
was little known or used in England, except’ as 
an apothecary’s drug, until within a few centuries 
past. There is no modern word that takes the 
place of that of the early ages. In Chinese the 
word IB die, and as the character expressing it 
is original, it is claimed that sugar cane is in-’ 
digenoua in Chins,,— Suyar-Boiel and Farm Journai 
