June i, 1891.] 
THE TROPIORl. AtSmtSOLTUmST. 
867 
General articles on the subject have been given in 
our columns on July 31, 1880, and December 24, 1887 
and the appended list of species, illustrated in the 
Gardeners' Olironicle,nmyhe of use to those interested 
in these plants. 
Eucalyptus coccifera, June 30, 1888, pp. 799, 801. 
E. cordata, June 30, 1888, p. 803. E. globulus, Nov- 
ember 22, 1873, p. 1567 ; December 24, 1887 (Supple- 
ment), p. 777. E. Gunni. December 24, 1887, p. 781. 
E. resinifera, August 3, 1872, p. 1541. E. Staigeriana, 
April 6,1889, p. 437. E. urnigera, April 14, 1888, pp. 
460, 461 ; June 30, pp. 799, 802. E. viminalis, Novem- 
ber 24, 1888, p. .—Gardeners' Chranicle. 
BRICK TEA. 
In our issue of the 12th September last, and on 
occasions, we have suggested to our tea planters the 
advisability of making brick tea, as a means of de- 
feating the fraudulent mixtures which are being sold 
in packets to the million in Great Britain, This 
paoKet system is a serious source of danger to the 
enterprize, as it introduces spurious mixtures under 
the name of pure Ceylon tea, or of Ceylon and In- 
dian blends, whereby these fair names are used to 
obtain currency for inferior stuff. We have frequent- 
ly warned planters that consumers of these packet 
teas have no means of knowing that they are not 
genuine, and they accept them as being what they 
E rofess to be. In this way, Ceylon tea may be 
rought into disrepute, just as Ceylon coffee was, 
and like that article, may be discarded by the largest 
class of consumers. 
We observe that the London correspondent of 
the “ Ceylon Times” mention, in his last letter, 
that Messrs. Gow, Wilson and Stanton, the great 
Tea Brokers, have taken up the idea of making 
up Ceylon tea in brick form for the Afriowr market. 
Tneir object in pressing tea into solid cakes, or 
bricks is to save cost of carriage, facilitate transport, 
and to preserve the aroma of the tea. By this means 
the difficulties of transporting a delicate and bulky 
article, like tea, in the wild country through which 
our teas would have to pass in order to reaoli 
consumers in the interior of Africa, are obviated, 
or materially reduced. At the same time, the quality 
is preserved from deterioration, in the rigorous 
climate of those parts by the compressed form 
which exludes air, and preserve the aroma. In our 
original suggestion we claimed this last named 
advantage, as deserving of consideration collaterally 
as well as the cardinal one of precluding the 
possibility of blending or sophisticating the genuine 
article. 
The adoption of the pressed form of cakes or 
brick by Messrs. Gow Wilson and Stanton, has for its 
primary object the saving and facilitation of carriage. 
The other advantages specified are, for their purpose 
merely collateral. With us, the primary consideration 
was to defeat the fraudulent mixtures, which constitute 
a large proportion of the packet teas that are 
sent to the manufacturing districts for the use of 
the million. The saving in cost of carriage, the 
easier handling of tea in that form, and the 
preservation of aroma, which necessitates so much 
care in packing under the present system, are 
l^robably the objects originally contemplated by the 
Chinese in preparing tea in that form for the 
tremendous land journey between China and Russia. 
It is quite as easy to compress good teas as it is 
to make up the interior stuff that is sent in brick 
form to Russia. This is proved by the experiments 
of Messrs. Gow, Wilson and Stanton. There are, 
therefore, strong inducements for Ceylon planters 
to try pressed teas for ordinary consumption By 
this method their bulk may be enormously reduced 
the form of package would be simplified, and otlier 
economies, besides those above enumerated, in the 
saving of tea lead, Ac., Ac., would be effected. 
In suggesting the brick form for tea tlio writer 
was i-eminded of a similar form in which gun- 
powder was submitted to him for trial during his 
experiments with Ordnance in I860. The coarsc- 
raiticd powder used for large guns was made up 
by one of the manufacturers into blocks, exactly 
flitting the gun, and thus serving the purpose of 
cartridges. Many experiments were made with 
charges of powder so made up, and the writer’s 
recollection of them is that there was no appreciable 
loss of force in the powder • so made up. The 
blocks were subjected to very slight pressure, in 
order to avoid injuring the granulation of the povvder. 
The Block was held together -by an almost insen- 
sible firm of mucilage. A plate of glass was slightly 
smeared with a fine mucilage and the powder was 
spread on the plate, which was then tilted, when all 
the loose grains leit it, and a thin layer remained 
adhering to the plate. These were scraped off into a 
mould and lightly pressed. The block thus formed 
of the required size and shape, held together firmly, 
and was much more easily handled than loose 
liowder. Of the ultimate result of the experiment 
we know nothing more as the writer made the 
experiments on behalf of the inventor, and had 
no more to do with the invention afterwards. We 
now revert to that experiment only to show a 
method whereby tea might be pressed into any- 
required form of cake or brick. The actual quality 
of mucilage required, in the powder experiment 
was surprisingly small, and a still smaller quantity 
would be requirerd for compacting tea, because a 
severe pressure would be employed to reduce the 
tea to the smallest compass practicable, and the 
adhesion would thus be made more affective. 
One further idea suggests itself to us in this 
connexion. Supposing, for instance, that the 
mucilage employed were of gelatine, would not its 
affinity for tannin tend to fir a portion of that 
somewhat objectionable component part in the 
process of brewing in the pot? If so, the result 
of the infinitesimal admixture of the mucilage 
would be to improve the qulaity of the brew ? 
Be that as it may, our suggestion of making up 
tea in brick form has received a great impulse 
by the experiment of Messrs. Gow, Wilson and 
Stanton, and we therefore repeat it with our 
earnest ^ recommendation that some of the more 
enterprising of our planters should commence a 
series of exseriments on the making up of fine 
teas into brick shape. We may add, in conclusion, 
that a cake of tea dust, which was made up some 
months ago for us by a friend, was tried in the 
cup last week, after the cake had been exposed during 
that long interval and we found the flavour still 
good, and as far as we could judge, unimpaired. 
J-his fact, as far as it goes, confirms the opinion 
expressed by the eminent firm of brokers who 
have been preparing pressed tea for Central 
Africa, and adds an encouragement to the futher 
prosecution of what we hope may prove a safe- 
guard as well as an economy in the production 
of our staple. — Local “ Independent.” 
A Block in the Gkocnd-Nut TRirnc at Pon. 
DICHERRY,— It is estimated that there are upwards 
of COU.bOO bags of ground-nuts at present stored 
in Poudioherry waiting shipment. This at 35,000 
per lead, represents 17 full cargoes. One steamer 
only is loading and about ten others are being 
engaged, but in the meanwhile the arrivals continue 
as_ heavy_ as ever averaging about 10,000 bags 
daily, which alone will require two steamers weekly, 
The town is filled to overflowing with the kernels 
and storage accommodation is wellnigh exhausted. 
The 12 new export sheds and the two large naval 
coal gndowns, which are now being used for the 
first time, are totally inadequate to meet the 
increased traffic of the current season including 
the accommodation of former years. To clear oft' 
the accumulated stocks will severely test the ship- 
ping facilities of the port. The roads throughout 
the station are in an e.xecrable state, and with 
the constant heavy wheel traffic passing over them 
there is no opportunity allorded for making proper 
•repairs. — fl/. Mail, 
