Aug.  I,  1895.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
”5 
PR.EDTyVL  IMfODUCT.S  THEP'l’S 
rOAf  MISSION. 
Mr.  .James  M estland  ,as  Cli.airinaii  of  tlio  North- 
ei n Distiicts  Planters  Association,  anti  luemlier 
of  the  1 neilial  Prod’.icts  Tliefts  Commission  sends 
ns  co))ies  of  the  tinestions  now  circulated  hy  the 
Comimssion.  Mr.  Westland  is  most  anxious  to 
impress  upon  all  growers  of  cac,ao  and  otlier 
jtroducts  who  have  suffered  from  thefts,  the 
absolute  necessity  of  jtromptly  answeriiu'-  ’these 
iiuestions.  Replies  must  be  iii  the  li,ands°  of  tlie 
Hon.  G.  F.  Walker  by  .5th  July— so  that  it  is 
a case  of  “now  or  never.”  I\Ir.  Westland  very 
I.roperly  renmrks  “ As  careful  lists  are  kept  of 
tlie  names  of  all  to  whom  these  pajters  are  ]>osted 
it  may  be  taken  for  granted  that  those  who  do 
not  leply,  are  not  , sufferers  and  lia^e  no  cau^^e 
for  complaint.” 
QUESTIONS  REOAUm.NG  THEFTS  OF  CACAO,  COFFEE 
OUEEN  TEA  I.EjAF,  C.\IU).\j\IOMS,  OR  OTHlHi 
PR.EDIAE  PRODUCTS. 
1.  Have  you  personal  experience  of  tliefts  from  estates 
vXat*  estates,  ami  to 
i.  Whom  do  you  consider  to  be  the  thieves  aenerallv  — 
estate  coolies,  villa-ers,  or  others,  resident  or  min-resideiit  ? 
•?  'yiom  IS  the  produce  disposed  of  ? Do  you 
know  if  there  are  known  habitual  receivers  of  stolen 
proijuce  in  your  neighbourhood  ? If  so,  who  are  sue' 
receivers  generally? 
4.  Can  you  estimate  roughly  what  your  aiimial  loss  is 
proportionately  to  your  crops  ? 
Profhiee  locally?  And  to 
what  extent  ? And  to  whom  ? 
(J.  What  precautions  do  you  take  against  thefts  of  mo- 
cli^e  . Aiul  Avhat  do6s  tliis  cost  you  aiiniuillv. 
7.  Do  you  make  u.se  of  watchmen,  and  ivliat  is  voiir 
experience  of  their  efficiency  ? "uai,  is  join 
instituted  cases  in  any  Police  Court  ? If 
so,  in  what  court,  and  with  what  results?  If  not  whv 
have  you  not  aone  so  ? ’ ^ 
9 Do  you  consider  the  existing  laws  afford  sufficient 
piotection  . If  not,  w'hat  alteration  would  you  siigimst  '> 
10.  Have  j'ou  experience  of  police  patrols  ? And  Tf-so  do 
yZmstrhit  ?®  patrols  throughout 
QUE.STION.S  EEOARDINC  THEFT.S  OF  MADE  TEA. 
1.  Have  you  actual  experience  of  tliefts  from  factories 
under  your  charge,  and  on  what  estates  ? If  not  do  you 
know  of  .such  Uiefts  elsewhere  ; or,  on  what  do  you  base 
^.;^ciaX'“^;;te5l{:^  """ 
a r 
.1.  Whet  precautions  do  yon  take  to  prevent  this’  Have 
your  eoidies  free  egress  and  ingress  at  your  factory’  Or  is 
adopted  preventive  measures 
to'* whom/"'*  locally?  And  to  what  extent,  and 
of''*'stol'en"tk‘*°  1’’°  i»iyers  or  receivers 
6.  Do  you  know'  or  smspect  that  there  are  haliitual 
receivers  in  your  neighbourhood  ? naoicuai 
7.  What  remedies  do  you  suggest 
Stock  of  Ceylon  B,ir)S  balo.s  against 
LSilJ  iHfi;!  ]h!)2 
mi  ..  and  Rale.s 
Londoig 'MlfMay, 
trout-hatching  at  HORTON  PLAINS. 
Mr.  Hnimmoml  Heane  write.s  “ As  re-ards  i 
Hatchery  at  the  Horton  Plains  I think  ifurmld 
be  successful  if  fclie  wator.s  coull  l.e  isllToliI 
riDi  bv"\^  clllb**^  U*'  *^****  •inching  and  fishing 
mi  by  a Club  At  jiresent,  to  my  knowledoe 
many  people  catch  trout  di  the  vicinity  of  Nuwma 
Ehya  who  have  never  j.aid  a subscription  to 
the  fund  and  seme  of  them  well  able  to  afford 
to  pay. 
How  would  it  do  to  have  Mr.  Trino-ham’s 
whole  tune  secured  for  trout  operatioas  and  to 
ins[)ect  and  control  the  fishing  ? 
Mr.  Hrummoud  Deane  had  some  very  .mod 
islnng-  ,at  Nuwar.a  Eliy'a  a few  days  ago,  catch- 
ing with  a March  Rrown  fly  between  4 and 
o ii.m.,  four  trout  weighing  2 lb.  12  oz. , 1 lb 
2 oz.,  1 lb.  4 oz.  and  lli.  respectively.’  The 
weights  were  verified  .at  the  Club.  The  wafer 
was,  of  course,  clear. 
CINNAMON. 
The  Second  Quarterly  Auctions  of  the  year  took 
place  yesterday,  when  l,0fi3  bales  Ceylon  were  offered 
as  compared  with  760  bales  at  the  February  Auc- 
tions, and  1,073  bales  at  this  period  last  year  The 
moderate  supply  met  very  good  competition  from  the 
opening  and  resulted  in  the  entire  qu.antity  being 
disposed  of  at  better  prices,  the  rise  in  common 
and  medium  grades  ranging  from  Jd  to  IJd  per  lb. 
a similar  advance  being  also  realized  for  the  good 
and  fine  sorts.  “ 
“ Firsts  ” ranged  in  value  from  lljd  to  Is  4d  for 
nne  to  superior,  lOd  to  lid  for  good,  and  8id  to  9d 
tor  ordinary  and  medium.  “ Seconds  ” fine  to 
2d,  ordinary  to  good  Sd  to  Did. 
...m/iu^  to  superior,  ‘fid  to  Is  Id,  ordinary  to 
middling  7}d  to  9d.  “Fourths”  good  to  fine  U to 
l()d,  and  ordma,ry  and  medium  7d  to  7Ad  pet-  lb. 
to^r^r^^^  '®'’  fourths 
bags  were  offered  and  sold  at  2gd  to 
15 
A DIETETIC  AUTHOIHTY  ON  CEYLON  TEA- 
ITS  SALE  IN  EKANCE,  OxC. 
\\e  Imve  received  a conimiiiiic.ation  from  Dr 
Vorive-Dayies,  London,  autlior  of  a work  oii 
healtli  and  dietetic, s in  which  some  lii<dily  com 
plimentary  refereiiee.s  to  Ceylon  tea  were  made 
and  which  jve  adverted  to  in  the.se  columns  in  our 
review,  .some  time  ago.  Dr.  Yorke-D.avie.s  write.s  •— 
i am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  your  kind 
review  of  my  book.  lam  also  grateful  to  you  for 
pointing  out  to  Ceylon  planters  that  they' owe  a 
little  gratitude  to  me,  and  yon  certainly  put  it 
very  plain  y to  theni  that  they  migl.t  ' do^  worse 
T *bl\  °l  ^ *®i  I diDte  aware  from  what 
Li  ^ ® popularized  the 
woi  ld  over.  Some  years  ago 
Sii  Andrew  Clarke  wrote  letters  against  it  in  the 
papers  and  in  praise  of  Cliinese  teas,' and  I went  at 
juLtS.  ’ ^ 
“ I have  no  personal  interest  in  Oeylon  now  hut 
(Lhnu/**^’"u  syne;  I hare  no  donS 
I shall  f 10m  time  to  tune  have  something  to  say 
about  ii,  and  there  is  no  man  in  Plugland  whose 
weight  tliat  mine 
has.  As  the  work  you  were  kind  enough  to  review 
will  soon  be  m its  third  Edition  in  England  and 
America,  its  infhience  will  he  beneficial,  and  it  is 
better  that  a British  colony  slionld  be  benefited 
by  my  aid  than  that  China  and  its  nnsayorr  in 
habitants  should  profit.  I am  quite  aware  thatLun- 
dreds  of  firms  in  England  .sell  Ceylon  tea,  but  lam 
equally  aware  lhat  many  of  them  sell  it  to  rcfailtrs 
who  Miu-  It  with  other  teas.  As  it  is  essential  for  my 
jrarposes  it  should  be  ;mre  Ceylon  only  I mention 
this  firm  for  this  purpose.  But  my  advocacy  of  Cey- 
Ion  toa  benefits  all  equally,”  ^ ^ 
Dr.  \ orke-Davies  also  sends  us  an  adverti.se- 
meut  from  krance  headed  the  As.oriafiou  du 
Ihi’  Agra  Ceylan...Opui>on  an.  Dodeur  Yorke 
Darner,  (rixanslation),  “ The  Agra  Ceylon  Tea  re- 
ceiyes  .at  pre.sent  from  the  pul.lie  tlie  high  favour 
which  IS  due  to  it.  There  is  no  doubt  that  it 
IS  better  .and  has  a luore  delicate  bouquet  than 
-'I'®  A contains  more  tlieine  ami 
less  tannm  than  India  and  China  teas,  it  is  also 
moie  liealtliy.  It  is  not  injurious  even  to  those 
to  whom  digestion  is  difficult.” 
The  doctor  .adds  : “ This  was  sent  me  hy  a pa- 
tient in  kr.ance  .so  tliat  you  will  .see  th.at  eLn 
there  my  name  is  used  to  strengthen  inihlic 
opinion  as  to  the  merits  of  Ceylon  tea  ” 
