90 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICUL'rURIST. 
[Aug.  t,  1895. 
Profe.'^f^or  Kra-shos-,  true  to  his  taste.s,  first  visited 
our  “Buried  Cities”  and  tlien  lie  i>as.sed  to  tlie 
Biiiteiine  country  to  see  something  of  the  Veddahs, 
taking  iihotograplis  as  comenient.  He  travelleil 
hack  to  Coloinho  through  Uva  and  Nuwara 
Eliya  and  on  the  way  saw  some  of  our  tea  country 
and  factories.  He  is  im|)iessed  witli  tlic  careful 
system  of  culti\atiou  and  preparation  observed 
in  Ceylon,  and  thinks  if  we  could  only  adapt  our 
leas  a little  more  to  Russian  taste— less  ferment- 
ing and  bring— that  there  should  be  a large 
demaml.  M.  Krasnov  says  “less  fermenting”  be- 
cause experiments  made  in  this  direction  when 
he  was  in  the  Darjiling  district  shewed  that 
suitable  teas  could  thus  be  prepared  for  the  Russian 
taste  ; and  our  visitor  is  strongly  of  the  opinion 
that  unless  there  be  some  such  adapting,  it 
will  take  a long  time  for  our  teas  to  make  way 
with  the  Russian  people.  He  tells  us  how  some 
of  the  leading  Russian  tea  dealers  have  com- 
menced to  “ blend  ” ; but  also  that  he  and  others 
liave  had  to  change  their  custom  because  they 
must  liave  the  teas  to  which  they  were  accus- 
tomed and  not  the  harsher  and  stronger  Indians 
and  Ceylon.s.^ 
I’rofessor  Krasnov  has  very  little  faith  in  suc- 
cessful Tea  (hiltivation  to  any  great  extent  in 
Southern  Russia  on  account  of  the  cost  of  labour, 
although  as  he  admits  the  heavy  customs  duty 
— about  ‘is  |>er  lb.  on  tea  —should  ab'ord  mucit 
encouragement  in  a \\ide  maigin  of  protection. 
He  tells  us  that  the  soil  and  climate  along  the 
coast  of  the  Black  Sea  and  for  a certain  dis- 
tance inland  are  very  suitable  for  tea.  Hitherto, 
experiments  have  been  confined  to  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Batoum.  The  first  attempt  was 
by  a merchant  who  got  some  tea  j)lants  from 
tfhina.  These  grew  ami  bore  seed  and  he  [jlanted 
a few  acres  and  M.  Krasnov  has  tasted  tea 
made  from  liis  trees.  Then  came  M.  Bopoffwho 
introduce<l  some  f'hine.se  as  well  as  seed  and 
planted  up  a small  garden  ; but  he  has  never 
done  much  with  it  and  api)arently  lost  interest 
in  it.  The  (Jovernment  so  far  has  not  more 
than  a few  acres  under  cultivation.  They  may 
increase  this  to  a few  hundred  acres  if  the 
Commissioners  .so  advise;  but  M.  Krasnov  has 
not  mncli  faith  in  the  enterprise  spreading.  He 
tells  us  a British  platiter  (and  Indian  coolies  if 
lie  could  gel  leave  to  take  them  over  '.)  would  be 
readily  welcomed  by  the  Bu.ssian  authorities 
an. I allowed  to  i.n’.tit  by  the  “protection"  of 
the  -js  per  lb,  lt‘a  duty.  But  of  course,  how  to 
get  lalionr  the  coolies — is  tlie  ditHcnlty. 
I’rofessor  Krasnov  lakes  a deep  interest  in  Ceylon 
iiltogether,  - in  its  varying  climates  and  vegeta- 
tion—East  ami  West,  higli  and  low,-  as  well  as 
in  the  past  history  of  the  island  and  people, 
lie  hopes  to  spend  some  more  time  here  on  his 
retuni  from  the  lar  East.  He  IcaN'cs  for  f hina 
by  the  M.M  “Natal”  now  due  from 
Marseilles. 
JOTTINdS  ON  TOUR. 
(Jhf  a riantir.) 
pRicJ-s  or  Cl.vros  Tr.v.— The  reason  for  the  preseiit 
good  demand  for  Ceylon  common  and  tine  tea  is 
thus  explained  in  a letter  received  by  the  last  mail; 
“ In  order  to  sell  at  1 shilling  a pound,  the  grades 
under  7d  are  likely  to  contimm  intrinsically  dearer 
than  those  at  «d  to  lod ; for  although  China  Congou 
is  selling  down  to  eld,  tho  packers  call  only  use  a 
certain  small  proportion  of  it  for  the  one-shilling 
packet.  The  new  season’s  Hankow  teas  are  being 
hought  largetv  for  Russia  at  very  high  prices.  Buyers 
for  England  have  mostly  to  stand  hy,  as  leas  cost- 
ing bd,  are  only  worth  at  picGont  pricca  IJd  in  this 
market.” 
We.itheh  is  a little  more  monsoonish  today.  Great 
complaints  of  want  of  water  for  Factory  purposes, 
are  made  in  many  districts.  Residents  in  such  cool 
districts  as  Dolosbagie,  where  prickly  heat  was  un- 
known, are  now  suffering  from  that  troublesome,  if 
not  dangerous,  complaint.  It  becomes  a very  serious, 
matter  when  Dysentry  and  Typhoid  Fever  are  but  too 
prevalent.  I fear  the  present  unhealthy  season  will 
not  tend  to  Life  Insurance  Societies  reducing  their 
premiums. 
The  Immigb-int  Returns  are  much  pleasanter 
reading  to  the  Planter,  than  they  were.  The  totals 
weekly  show  a thousand  or  so  to  the  good. 
Tea  Exports  are  not  formidable.  We  shall 
certainly  have  rather  poor  outputs  from  many 
Factories  when  the  slack  time  comes.  There  is 
a lot  of  pruning  in  arrear  now  which  must  be 
attended  to,  and  when  this  work  has  been 
delayed,  it  means  that  the  bushes  take  a long 
time  to  recover  from  the  action  of  the  knife.  Tea 
trees,  like  everything  else  in  nature,  require  rest. 
France  is  ceasing  to  be  the  home  of  the  claret 
drinker,  as  I learn  from  the  letter  of  a Special 
Commissioner  sent  to  Paris  by  one  of  th^  leading 
English  papers  which  shows,  alas,  how  spirit-drinking 
is  spreading  among  the  French. 
C'eVlon  Tea  Commissioner  in  America. — Is  it  not 
possible  for  Mr.  Mackenzie  to  rile  our  American 
cousins  by  showing  up  their  little  peculiarities. 
Dickens,  who,  perhaps,  wielded  a more  artistic  pen 
than  oven  our  t'ommissioner,  got  into  terrible  trouble 
by  his  American  notes.  If  Mr.  Mackenzie  would  write 
less,  and  stay  more  in  America,  our  cause,  perhaps, 
would  flourish  better. 
Q'he  Co.MMiTTEE  oj  Thirtv,  it  strikes  an  outsidei'. 
seems  to  be  encumbered  with  red-tape,  and  does  not 
seem  to  vave  the  power  of  getting  hold  of  the  money 
that  is  accumulating  in  the  banks  from  the  collection 
of  the  Cess. 
TEA  AROUND  UAMPOLA  AND 
PUS8ELLAWA. 
Ill  .sending  ns  information  for  our  Directory, 
all  ohl  planter  writes : — 
Very  few  natives  make  their  own  tea.  I only  know 
one  Chetty  that  does  and  he  adjoins  me.  He  calls 
his  estate  New  Angamone,  and  it  is  some  1‘20  acres. 
This  is  not  in  your  Directory.  You  have  Angamone 
as  belonging  to  heirs  of  A.  Brown  and  natives.  The 
heirs  of  A.  Brown  have  not  owned  it  for  years  back ! 
IIORTUN  PLAINS  FOR  A TROUT 
HATCHERY. 
(From  d <'orrrsjioti(/r)if.J 
ITitloiibtcdly  Horton  Plains  is  uhcic  the  lial- 
cherry  should  be.  K.lnu  would  put  uii  all  the  iieces- 
sary  imihliiigs  Ac.,  ami  all  otlu-r  jilaiit  (not  iiiiieli 
reiiiiired)  taken  from  Niiwera  Eliya.  1 believe 
that  there  it  would  be  quite  possible  to-  raise 
yearlings.  But  (bere  slioiild  be  a European 
on  the  s]iot,  or  failure  is  inevitable. 
One  great  drawback  with  tlie  present  arrange- 
ments is  tbat  Mr.  Triiigliam  lias  loo  far  to  goto 
see  the  pomls  during  t 1r  nigld , and  indeed  during 
tlie  liatehiiig  ot  the  o\  a,  these  slnnild  be  attended 
by  some  one  with  little  or  iiotbing  else  to  do. 
That  is  of  course  for  say  II  weeks  after  tlii'  o\  a 
are  put  into  the  trays. 
The  present  ponds  are  utterly  iiimiiited  for 
rcdriii'j  Iroiil. 
Till.  br.UANOOR  Pi.ANiAiToNs  Syndicate,  Limited,  has 
been  registered  hy  Ijinklator  and  Co..  2 Bond-court, 
Wallirook,  will'  a capital  of  l'2,").oon  in  L’KK)  shares. 
Tho  object  i-,  to  iM  (|niio  from  11.  Ilutlcnbacb  leiLiiin 
estates,  nlanlaliuns,  Ai  in  tlie  State  of  Selmigor, 
in  tlie  i^lalay  I'eiiinsula.  and  to  dcvuloj)  and  tmii  to 
account  Hie  same  in  such  manner  as  the  company 
shall  sh('  lit.  The  din'ctors  arc  -T.  Somerville,  .\. 
Kent,  and  L.  Hnilenliaeb,  ib'fil'hcation  one  slian- ; 
rcmunoralioii,  n jicr  cent,  of  the  net  iirolUs  divisible. 
A*  uirf  G,  jjrt^<i  May  21. 
