488 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
[Jan.  I,  i8g6. 
Several  liundred  seeds  should  he  broken  and 
carefully  examined  as  even  when  the  kernel  seems 
sound  enough  though  somewhat  “ cheesy,”  if  the 
germ  looks  sloughy,  it  is  in  all  ])robability  dead, 
and  the  seed  should  not  be  classed  as  in  good 
condition. 
Doubtful  seed  stands  a better  chance  of  ger- 
minating if  si)iead  thinly  in  damp  sand  or  char- 
coal dust  two  or  three  layers  deep  only,  than  if 
placed  in  deep  pits  or  boxes,  as  fermentation 
then  sets  in  raiiidly  and  the  seed  rots. 
“ Enquirer  ” ’s  seed  had  very  likely  sudered  from 
over-fermentation  already  on  its  way  down  from 
Calcutta.— Yours  truly,  OLD  TEA  HAND. 
THE  COLOMBO  AND  LONDON  TEA 
MARKETS. 
Dec.  18  th. 
Dear  Sir, — Mr.  Thompson’s  little  anecdote  of 
the  returned  buyer  is  interesting  and  instructive, 
and  I doubt  not  that  he  has  already  taken  ad- 
vantage of  the  3d  drop  since  that  Wanderer’s  de- 
)>arture  from  the  atmosphere  of  fog  and  smoke, 
'line,  I ought  not  to  have  used  tlie  word  “ruled”; 
I only  meant  “ affected  ” as  throughout  the 
letter.  SVell,  if  Mr.  Thonijison’s  contention  is 
right  and  the  Colombo  market  is  not  affected  by 
London  advices,  then  those  adverse  valuations 
(luoted  in  my  letter  should  not  have  been  fol- 
lowed by  a drop  here  ; the  Colombo  buyers  should 
have  nobly  and  generously  shut  their  eyes  to  such 
a trifle  as  a London  report.  But  they  did  not, 
there’s  the  rub  : something  wrong  there  ! I will 
not  deny  Mr.  Thompson’s  allegation  there  is  an 
advantage  in  selling  locally,  for  by  doing  so 
myself  1 own  to  the  fact.  Money  is  turned  over 
quicker  for  one  thing,  and  there  arc  booms  when 
large  orders  with  high  limits  arrive  from  the 
cities  of  the  world,  but  such  do  not  flow  in 
steadily  all  the  year  round  ; I wish  they  did.— 
Yours 'faithfully,  GEO.  H.  GREEN. 
THE  PACKING  OF  TEA  FOR  THE 
LONDON  MARKET. 
Kandy,  18th  December  1895. 
yiIi^__At  the  request  of  the  Committee,  I en- 
close for  publication  for  the  information  of  the 
Planting  Community,  copy  of  letters  received 
from  the  Ceylon  Association  in  London.  I am, 
sir,  yours  f.aithfully,  A.  PHILIP,  Secy. 
^^^^Mincing  Lane,  London,  llth  October  189.5. 
A.  Philip,  Esq.,  Secretary,  Planters’  Association, 
Kandy,  Ceylon. 
Dbib  Sib, — 1 am  instructed  by  the  Tea  and  Pro- 
duce Committee  of  this  Association  to  forward  to  you 
for  the  information  of  all  concerned  in  Ceylon  a 
conv  of  letter  dated  8th  instant  from  the  Secretary 
of  the  London  Wholesale  Tea  Dealers’  Association, 
and  to  say  that  the  Committee  agrees  in  the  opinion 
that  170  lb-  >9  too  great  a weight  for  a chest  of  Tea. 
I am  also  to  call  your  attention  to  the  reports  that 
continue  to  come  in  from  the  London  and  India 
Docks  Joint  Committee  of  Packages  of  Tea  arriving 
in  London,  the  chests  externally  sound,  hut  the 
weights  of  tea  deficient.  I annex  particulars  of  reports 
that  have  lately  reached  me. 
SO  May,  Norwood,  ex  Nubi  1 chest, 
n June  i chest  ex  P.  & 0.  steamer 
6 
10 
II 
July  Bitterne 
do 
„ Damblagalla 
do 
„ Mariawatta 
do 
Oct  Lagalla  ex  Glenesk 
do  do  11 
” Diuegama,  Senator  chest  Joss 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
do 
chest 
30 
16 
6 
4 
12 
15 
6 
8 
10 
12 
not 
lb.  short 
given. 
All  these  are  reported  as  apparently,  “ country 
plundered  ” and  in  most  cases  “ canister  cut.”  It 
is  to  be  noted  too  that  all  deficient  packages  con- 
tain either  Pekoe  or  Orange  Pekoe. — I am,  dear  si'-, 
yours  faithfully,  (Sgd.)  Wm.  Martin  Leakb. 
Copij. 
London  Wholesale  Tea  Dealers’ 
Association,  October  8th,  1895. 
Wm.  Martin  Leake,  Esq.,  Secy.,  Ceylon  Association. 
Dear  Sir,— Messrs.  Appleton,  Martin  and  Smiles 
bought  recently  8 chests  Ceylon  dust  and  find  by 
the  weight  notes  that  they  were  170  lb.  net. 
They  consider  a package  containing  so  much  dust 
as  this  is  very  likely  to  leak  when  sent  by  rail;  and 
as  the  weight  is  unusally  large  for  chests,  they  wish 
me  to  draw  your  attention  to  the  circumstance  with 
the  view  of  preventing  a recurrence. — Yours  faithfully, 
(Signed)  R.  Sedowick. 
Copij, 
4,  Mincing  Lane,  London  E.C.  Nov.  22ud,  1895. 
A,  Philip,  Esq.,  Secretary,  Planters’  Association, 
Kandy,  Ceylon. 
Dear  Sir, — I am  requested  by  the  London  ’Tea 
Brokers  and  Wholesale  Tea  Dealers’  Association  to 
ask  you  to  be  good  enough  to  draw  tlio  attention  of 
those  packing  Tea  for  the  London  Market  to  the 
serious  loss  and  inconvenience  which  arise  from  dust 
Teas  being  sent  in  packages  not  properly  protected 
against  leakage  and  to  suggest  in  the  mutual  in- 
terest of  both  seller  and  buyer  in  London  that  it 
is  desirable  that  such  packages  should  be  canvassed 
or  otherwise  protected  before  being  shipped. — 1 am, 
dear,  sir  your  faithfully,  (Signed)  "W.m.  Martin 
Leake,  Secretary. 
THE  TREATMENT  OF  TKA  IN  THE 
LONDON  AYAREIJOL.se. 
“ Sirocco”  Macliinerj'  Dci'ot., 
Colombo,  28tli  Dec,  1895. 
Sii!, — Those  of  your  readers  who  are  interested 
in  Tea  will  be  glad  to  learn  that  tliere  i.s  every 
prospect  of  the  objectionable  “ treading  in  ” 
process  of  rejiackiiig  'I’ea  in  the  London  Ware- 
houses being  entirely  abolished  in  the  near  future. 
Our  head  otlice  advises  us  by  wire  that  they  have 
received  instructions  from  Me.ssrs  AVrightson  & Co. 
of  Trinitj' Bonded  Tea  AVarehouses,  Coopers’  Row, 
London,  to  supply  at  once  a conqilete  outfit  of 
our  Patent  Tea-packers  to  ilo  the  entire  re-pack- 
ing work  in  their  AA'arehonses. 
'This  is  a much-needed  reformation.  Teas  that 
have  been  carefully  packed  in  the  Factory  will 
now  reach  the  Home  Market  in  perfect  condition, 
without  being  subjected  to  the  “ tramping  down  ” 
treatment  in  the  London  Nl'areliou.se  witli  its 
concomitant  crushing  ami  breakage  of  the  leaf 
and  “greying”  of  the  'J’ea. — AV'e  are,  sir,  yours 
respectfully, 
DAVIDSON  A CO. ,11  M.  H vRKt.s,  Manager. 
DRUG  MARKET. 
Quinine. — The  demand  has  continued  of  fair  pro- 
portions and  manufacturers  are  in  a position  to  meet 
it.  There  has  been  considerable  inquiry  for  specula- 
tive purposes,  and  25c.  was  freely  bid,  but  makers 
declined  to  sell,  and  no  further  lots  of  outside  stock 
were  secured.  A portion  of  the  recent  speculative 
purchases  of  60,0Ci0  ounces  for  foreign  account  has 
been  exported  by  the  St.  Louis  to  London  this  week. 
The  lot  amounted  to  21  cases,  containing  13,000 
ounces.  The  bark  shipments  from  Java  during 
October  are  reported  as  1,100,000  lb.  The  London 
stock  Nov.  1 was  2,069,901  ounces,  against  2,896,368 
ounces  on  the  same  date  last  year.  The  imports 
into  New  Y'ork  have  increased  enormously  during  the 
past  two  mouths. — Oil  Paint  and  Dru<j  lieporter. 
