[Oct.  i;  1895. 
?44  the  tropical  AGRICULTURIST. 
increase  the  volume  of  ti-ade,  and  does  it  not  in- 
crease prosperity  ? For  many  years  there  Has 
been  a large  market  in  Calcutta  for  Indian  teas. 
It  would  have  been  25  years  ago  of  great  assistance 
to  the  Upper  Indian  Planter  if  he  could  have  got 
China  tea  in  the  C.dcutta  mai'ket  to  blend  with  his 
own.  Fur  nothing  was  more  unpopular  when  they 
were  first  introduced  than  the  Indian  teas  in  the 
London  market.  Everybody  spoke  against  it.  I well 
remember  the  time.  It  would  have  been  an  excel- 
lent thing  for  the  Calcutta  planters  to  liave  got 
China  tea  to  blend  with  their  own,  marked  the 
chests  as  Indian  tea,  and  sold  it  as  Indian  tea  in 
London.  This  was  never  done,  and  I never  heard 
of  its  being  done.  I cannot  see  how  there 
can  be  any  more  danger  of  the  Colombo  market 
being  flooded  with  our  tea  than  the  Calcutta 
market  could  be  flooded  with  China  tea.  At 
any  rate,  there  is  not  the  slightest  doubt  that  the 
enormous  duty  on  Indian  tea  is  contrary  entirely  to 
the  spirit  of  British  legislation  or  British  trade.  As 
the  removal  of  it  might  be  of  use  to  the  growers  of 
Indian  tea,  I beg  to  move  the  following  resolution  : 
— “ That  in  the  event  of  an  unfavourable  reply  from 
the  Governor  of  Ceylon,  the  Secretary  of  this  Asso- 
ciation be  requested  to  again  address  him  with  a 
view  to  the  abolition  of  the  heavy  import  on  tea.” 
The  Hon’ble  Mr.  G.  Uomili-y  (Wynaad,) — In  seconding 
this  resolution,  I should  like  to  add  a few  words.  When 
I went  to  Ceylon  I was  given  to  understand  that  there 
was  a very  strong  feeling  in  Travancore  on  the  sub- 
jects which  apparently  does  not  exist.  At  any  rate, 
i thought  it  a good  thing  to  see  H.  E.  the  Governor 
of  Ceylon  on  the  matter.  I see  that  in  a leading 
article  the  Cci/lon  Ohserver  does  not  take  up  the 
same  attitude  as  the  Ceylon  Traders’  Association,  and 
certainly  from  the  conversation  I had  with  the  planters 
upcountry,  I am  perfectly  certain  that  the  planters 
themselves  would  not  treat  our  letter  with  derision. 
The  resolution  was  put  to  the  vote  and  carried.— 
Madras  Times. 

TEA  PACKERS. 
With  reference  to  these  machine.s  we  may 
mention  tliat  one  of  the  Davidson -Maguire  pack- 
ers has  lieen  tried  on  Gammadua  estate — 
among  otliers— witli  excellent  results,  namely 
10,000  lb.  of  tea  packed  as  follows Broken 
Pekoe  2,066  lb.  in  an  hour,  at  the  rate  of  110 
per  chest ; with  pekoes  220.5  lb.  ))acked  per  hour, 
packing  105  lb  each  chest;  of  souchong  p.hl  coarse 
teas,  the  packing  was  at  the  rate  of  1,710  1b  per 
hour  or  96  per  chest. 
BOUJsD  FOR  EAST  AFRICA. 
AN  IMrOKTAXT  AI’I'OrNT.MENT. 
Count  Von  Zech  leaves  Ceylon  tomorrow  for 
German  East  Africa.  In  January  1889  the  Count 
first  came  to  the  island,  where  he  made  a short 
stay,  afterwards  taking  up  an  important  position 
as  Director  of  tlic  German  New  Guinea  Corn- 
pan  v.  In  April  last  Count  Von  Zech  returned 
to  Ceylon  and  since  then  lie  has  liccn  engaged 
in  acquiring  knowledge  of  planting  matters 
111  this  he  has  shown  much  aptitude  and  he  now 
leaves  Ceylon  well  equii>peil  with  a knowledge 
of  high  and  low  country  planting  in  the  matter 
of  t(Ui,  coflee,  and  coconut  cultivation.  Count 
Van  Zech’s  latest  appointment  is  one  on  which 
we  desire  to  heartily  congratulate  him.  lie  has  been 
apiiointed  Imperial  Coinmis.sioner  in  Usembara, 
Gennun  East  Africa.  This  important  advancement 
will  be  learned  with  pleasure  by  his  many  friends 
11  Ceylon,  more  iiartimilarly  in  Kandy  where  he 
has  resided  for  some  time.  'The  New  Imperial 
(’ommissioner  leaves  by  the  N.D.  “ Preussen 
tomorrow.  At  Aden  he  will  tranship  and  proceed 
to  Dar  es,  .Salem,  where  he  will  jiresent  his 
credentials  to  the  Governor,  the  well  known 
Major  You  Wismuau, 
PEERMAAD  PLANTING  NOTES. 
Another  estate,  Arnakal  has  now  got  machiner}', 
having  for  its  motive  power  an  oil  engine,  which  it 
is  hoped  will  be  a success,  for  on  many  estates  where 
the  w'ater  in  the  dry  weather  is  so  deficient  it  is  the 
only  power  which  could  be  used.  Although  oil  en- 
gines have  not  met  with  much  favour  in  Ceylon 
there  is  no  reason  why  they  should  not  be  success- 
ful. Their  cost  is  not  more,  probably  not  so  much 
as  a steam  engine,  neither  is  the  up-keep  more  ex- 
pensive, for  the  consumption  of  oil  is  not  great  and 
they  do  not  require  a man  in  constant  attendance 
white  working.  Once  set  going  in  the  morning  they 
can  be  left  to  run  by  themselves  till  work  is  over 
for  the  day. — Cor.  Western  Star. 
SELANGOR  NOTES. 
Mr.  J.  H.  French,  Assistant  Treasurer,  Selangor, 
after  a long  spell  in  Ceylon  and  the  Straits,  is  now 
going  home  on  well  earned  leave. 
The  new  Pension  notification,  whereby  officers  in 
the  Selangor  Service  Will  in  future  draw  their  pen- 
sions at  a lesser  rate  of  exchange  than  at  present 
exists  for  this  purpose)  provided  they  receive  ail  in- 
crease of  ten  per  cent  on  their  salary  during  the 
rest  of  their  service  in  the  state,  was  a surprise  to 
all  concerned.  Nobody  expects  to  work  for  10,  15  or 
20  years  without  promotion,  so  that  it  practically 
means  goodbye  to  a four  shilling  pension  for  all 
officers  concerned,  with  perhaps  2 per  cent  exceptions. 
Nor  apparently  can  this  rate  bo  relied  on.  There  is 
no  reason  why  the  rate  should  not  be  further  reduced. 
— Singapore  Free  Tress. 
Mr.  II.  M.  STANLEY  ON  TROITCAL  AFRICA 
AND  ITS  DEVELOPMEN'r. 
KEKERENCE.S  TO  CEYLON. 
One  of  the  most  interesting  .speeches  at  the 
Geographical  Congress  w'as  made  by  Mr.  H.  M, 
Stanley,  the  intrejud  exjilorer  of  “ Darkest  Africa,’ 
and  the  newly-elected  Unionist  Member  of  Parlia* 
ment  for  North  Lambeth,  in  the  course  of  the 
discussion  following  a valuable  paper  read  by 
Sir  John  Kirk,  who  took  as  his  subject  the 
important  question  of  the  extent  to  which  Africa 
is  suited  for  development  by  white  races.  Mr. 
Stanley,  who  was  very  warmly  received,  said  he 
thoroughly  agreed  vvith  the  paper  read  by  Sir  John 
Kirk.  It  was  a wise  and  an  able  paper,  but  he 
thought  it  looked  too  far  ahead.  Sir  John 
talked  about  the  fitness  of  Africa  for  colo- 
nisation, but  so  far,  in  Central  Africa  he 
knew  no  intention  to  colonise  any  part  of  it.  He 
did  know,  however,  of  a good  many  intentions  to 
make  the  thing  possilile  in  the  region  called 
Central  Africa,  and  in  the  way  of  commerce,  in  the 
way  of  inqiroving  the  blacks,  and  in  the  way  of 
making  the  country  tit  for  colonisation  in  the 
distant  futnie.  Tlieir  aims  on  the  Congo  were 
simply  to  develop  the  commercial  possilulities 
of  that  region  and  prepare  the  way  for  those 
who  would  exploit  the  products  of  Africa.  In 
1876  and  1877  he  descended  the  Congo,  and  he 
was  then  jiossibly  as  great  a pessimist  a.-  any 
one  could  lie.  \Vhen  he  saw  tlie  immen.se  river 
expanding  broader  and  broader,  and  the  shallows 
increasing,  it  seemed  impossible  that  the  river 
should  ever  be  able  to  be  invailed  by  a flotilla  of 
steamers.  But  after  diverging  from  one  channel 
to  another  he  found  there  was  a certain  rule 
and  mode  to  be  kept  in  the  mivigation,  and 
[lo.ssibly  steamers  might  be  constructed  which 
would  be  able  to  gm  over  the  shallows  and 
find  the  deeiier  channels.  ’I'hen,  on  looking  at 
the  banks,  tie  found  there  were  eertain  .seiusons 
when  the  river  rose  very  high,  and  finally  he 
tatmi  to  a place  where  the  river  eontraeted 
