July  i,  1895.] 
riiE  TROPICAL  AGKlCUI/rURISI'. 
35 
A i:k;  DiavK  in  tea. 
[Hevc  in  a good  example  from  the  editorial  page 
of  the  Aiii'  riri.ni  (Irvccr  of  how  a certain  clans  of  tea 
is  ])ushod  ill  America. — Ei>. 
.Last  year  tea  was  lower  in  price  than  luiown  in 
this  country  since  IH'iO.  The  average  import  cost 
per  pound  was  15  1-10  cents.  Appreciating  this  fact, 
and  with  a desire  to  make  it  thoroughly  known  to 
the  puhlic  and,  at  the  same  time,  bring  ci'edit  to 
the  tea  dealer,  'Thomas  Martindale  & Co.  offered 
the  trade  through  the  American  Grocer,  a blended 
tea  known  as  the  “Caricol  blend,  packed  in  barrels 
and  put  up  in  packages,  at  a bulk  price  of  15  cents 
per  pound.  To  do  this  required  a knowledge  of  the 
merits  of  all  varieties  of  tea  and  how  to  combine 
them,  so  that  the  mixture  would  make  an  infusion 
which  had  aroma,  body  and  good  color  in  the  cup. 
The  offer,  a generous  one,  was  welcomed,  as  Mar- 
tindale ct  Co.  reported  as  follows:  “We  have  never- 
had  such  a quick  response  to  any  announcement  we 
have  made  as  we  did  from  our  two  special  tea  ‘ads.’ 
of  June  14  and  21  in  the  American  Grocer.'  W'e 
received  orders  within  five  days  of  the  publication 
from  eight  dilTerent  States,  and  our  shipping  de- 
partment was  never  pnished  so  hard  in  shipping  teas 
before.’’  So  poijular  became  the  -‘Caiicol’’  blend 
that  Martindale  A Co.  took  pains  to  improve  and 
continue  it  as  a feature  of  their  business.  The  best 
proof  of  its  popularity  is  the  sale  of  thirty-two  tons 
since  its  introduction  in  June  181)4.  They  now 
renew  their  offer  to  American  Grocer  readers. 
'This  affords  a grand  opportunity  to  make  a spc'-ial 
drive  in  a meritorious  article,  at  bargain  prices. 
Such  a move  benefits  a store,  in  awakening  a new 
interest  therein  on  the  part  of  consumers  ; strength- 
ening the  confidence  of  old  patrons;  giving  the 
store  a i-eputatiou  for  being  up  with  the  times,  besides 
advertising  the  business  in  a way  which  interests, 
attracts  and  gives  publicity.  'Try  it  1 
AN  EXTRACT  OF  TEA. 
Samples  have  been  submitted  to  us  of  a tea  extract 
made  by  Mr.  James  I).  Cahill,  who  claims  an  experi- 
ence of  tw'enty-cight  years  as  a tc}i  tester  and  planter. 
We  have  not  made  a chemical  analysis  of  these  ex- 
tracts, but  so  far  .as  we  can  judge,  by  ordinary  exami- 
nation, they  have  a true  flavor,  and  make  .a  liquor  of 
true  color.  'The  inventor  of  tlie  process  claims  that 
his  method  dissipates  a large  proportion  of  the  tannin, 
and  tlrat  it  in  no  wise  red-aces  the  quantity  of  theine 
in  the  tea.  It  is  proposed  to  manufacture  this  extract 
in  this  country.  'There  are  many  obvious  .advantages 
of  having  in  small  compass  for  easy  carii.age  an 
extract  of  tea  which  will  yield  the  true  aroma  and 
give  a good  body  to  the  liquor,  whether  cold  or  hot. 
'This  extract  will  be  made  here  at  127-129  Water  street, 
where  space  has  been  secured  to  carry  forward  this 
new  enterprise. — Americtm  (./rocer,  April  17. 

DRUG  REPORT. 
(From  Chemist  ami  Driaigist). 
London,  May  2nd. 
CiNCiioN.v — 'I'he  l.ondon  cincliona  auctions  which  were 
held  oil  'I'uesday,  an  interval  of  six  weeks  liaving  occurred 
since  tlie  last  puhlic  (sales)  were  fairly  heavy.  JUeveii 
'u'okers  offered  siqiplies,  the  aggregate  of  which  was  as 
follows  — 
packages  packages 
Uoylon  ciiK-hima 
408  of  whicli  4-28 
East  Indian  diicliona  . . 
1860 
1 1 
100:i 
.lavan  einclioiia 
no 
t ) 
110 
tioutli  Ainericau  cinchona 
:5:;i 
) y 
10.1 
Cnprea  hulk 
409 
yy 
99 
3-274 
I > 
-240.5 
'file  principal  Imyers  in  oriler  of  the  quantity  of  hark 
purcliased  hy  tlieiii  were  : — Tlie  Agents  for  (lie  Aiiiericaii 
works  (i 0:1,10-1  111),  tlie  agents  for  the  Ti-aiikfort-on-inaiue 
factory  (105,780  Ih),  .Messrs  Howards  anil  .Sons  (101,0')5  Ih), 
the  agents  for  tlie  Drniiswick  factory  (_0U,071  Ih),  tlie 
agents^  for  the  iMaiiiilieini  and  Ainsterdaiii  factories  (.')4,088 
Ih),  tile  agents  for  Ancrhach  factory  (lS,-200  Ih).  Dvng- 
gists  hought  Ih  and  .5:?  OOo  Ih  niostlv  ('iipi-e;i 
bark  were  hought  in. 
(Uic  A-u;.\VKs— A parcel  of  -20  hales  line  green  broken 
Trnxillo  leaves  haU  been  declared  for  sale,  but  it  was 
privately  di.sposed  of  before  the  auctions. 
Koi,.\-.\iit.s— Steady.  A p.'ir.cl  of  in  hags  f.tir  hrowii 
wa.shed  kolas  w.as  hought  in  at  Is  Od  to  is  Sil  per  Ih, 
cliips  at  Is  4d  per  lb  Of  seven  packages  West  Indian! 
one  hold  brown  (irenada  sold  at  Is  Od.  Tor  another  lot 
of  four  bags  small  to  fairly  bright  pale  kolas  Is  2d  is  asked 
a bid  of  Is  Id  being  rejected. 
NOTES  FROM  THE  iMETKOPOLlS. 
I liave  beou  reading  with  great  interest 
Mil.  AUTIIUK  .SI.N'CLAIR’.S 
new  book,  “In  'Troiiical  Lambs,”  from  whicli  yon 
liave  extracted  so  fully  in  your  columns  recentlj-. 
Mltli  regard  to  what  Mr.  'Sinclair  .says  as  to  the 
orioin  of  the  name  Musa  i>aradisc(iva  for  one 
A'ariety  of 
PLANTAIN, 
I may  quote  the  following  from  Yule’s  Hobson- 
Jobson : — 
The  specifle  paraclisair.a  is  derived  from  the  old 
belief  of  Oriental  Christians  (entertained  also,  if  not 
originated,  by  the  Mahommedans)  that  this  was  the 
tree  from  whose  leaves  Adam  and  Eve  made  them- 
selves aprons.  A further  mystical  interest  .ittached 
also  to  the  fruit,  which  some  believed  to  be  the  for- 
bidden apple  of  Eden.  For  in  the  pattern  formed 
by  the  core  or  seeds,  w-hen  the  fruit  was  cut  across, 
our  forefathers  discerned  an  imago  of  the  Cross,  el- 
even of  the  Crucifix.  Medieval  travellers  generally 
call  the  fruit  either  3fusa  or  ‘ Pig  of  Paradise,’  or 
sometimes  ‘ Fig  of  India.’  The  Portuguese  also  habi- 
tually c,alled  it  ‘ Indian  Fig.’  And  this  perhaps 
originated  some  confusion  in  Milton’s  mind,  leading 
him  to  make  the  Banyan  {Ficus  JmUca  of  Pliny, 
as  of  modern  botanists)  the  'Tree  of  the  aprons,  aiid 
greatly  to  exaggerate  the  size  of  the  loaves  of  that. 
Col.  YTile  gives  a nninber  of  (juotalions  from 
writers  of  the  IJtli  century  ami  onw.ards  illiis^ 
tr,ating  this  snpcr.stitions  belief.  He  also  sliow.s 
who  the  other  siiecific  n.aine  for  tiie  plantain, 
sapientnm  {i.e.  “of  the  sages”)  aro.se  out  of  a 
misumlerstamlinw  of  a jiassage  in  Pliny,  avIio 
describes  a fruit  which  Ruinpliius  took  for  the 
plantain,  but  wbicb  was  really  tbe  jak. 
I notice  tb.at  “ Co.smopolite”  Avritiis  to  you  re- 
garding 
A SUBSTITUTT  FOR  1NDIARUI5BER  AND 
GUTTAPERCHA 
wbicb  is  a “new  discovery”  “in  tbe  forests  of 
.Surinam,”  and  is  called  “bobaca.”  Surely  balata 
is  nie<ant;  and  tins  is  by  no  means  a “ new  dis- 
covery,” as  reference  to  tbe  past  volume.s  of  tlie 
Tropical  Agriculturist  will  sliow. 
SYMME'l'RY  AND  THE  SUGARS. 
A di.scour.se  on  atom  linkino. 
We  may  safely  affirm  that  to  the  major  part  of  tbe 
fashionable  audience  which  assembled  in  the  Theatr-e 
of  the  Royal  Institution,  on  Friday  evening  last,  the 
utterances  of  the  president  of  the  Chemical  Society 
were  distinctly  cryptic.  Yet  Dr.  Armstrong  spoke, 
almost  pleaded,  for  his  cause,  with  an  enthusiasm  and 
vigour  which  made  it  plain  that  he  held  the  matter  of 
his  discourse  to  bo  of  high  importance  if  the  nature  of 
it  was  a little  over  the  beads  of  the  average  scientific 
amateur.  In  a word,  be  was  endeavouring  to  secure 
some  recognition  and  appreciation  for  a small  band  of 
pioneer  chemistsbvho  are  working  far  away  from  thebeat- 
cn  tracks  at  some  of  the  most  fasci  nating  problems  which 
Nature  presents  in  the  “chemistry  of  the  carbon  com- 
ponnds.’’  School  mathematics  may  fairly  fit  us  for  a 
conception  of  modern  physical  science,  but  school 
chemistry — the  chemistry  of  the  good  old  phosphorus 
and  oxygen  type— helps  us  in  scarcely  any  sense  to  an 
understanding  nf  the  mysteries  of  “atom  linking” 
and  tlic  marvels  of  “isomerism.”  The  pioneer  chem-st 
is  here  slowly  approaching  the  secret  processes  wiiich 
Nature  carries  out  in  the  laboratory  of  life.  With  a 
few  of  the  simplest  of  materials — mainly  carbon  and 
watei— Nature  worlan^'  with  the  vital  processes  of 
