^30  THE  TROPICAL 
Mil.  TOM  GUAY  ON  TEA  IN 
AU«T11ALIA. 
Mr.  Pom  Gray  returned  this  niorning  by  the 
ss.  “Massilia”  iroin  his  trip  to  Australia,  which 
he  very  much  enjoyed,  having  found  everyone 
most  kiml  ami  hospitable.  He  visited  the  J>lue 
Mountains,  JMount  Victoria,  Jenelan  Caves,  iVc., 
and  was  charmed  with  the  scenery.  Hut  Ceylon 
tea,  Mr.  Gray  says,  is  not  being  properly  ]>ushed 
in  Australia.  It  is  used  chiefly  for  mixing  ])ur- 
poses,  and  ,so  simply  acts  as  a vehicle  for  the 
sale  of  rubbish.  The  Planters’  Association  Com- 
mittee should  see  to  this. 
THE  TEA  MARKET. 
Rules  firm  for  British  grown,  but  China  still  rececles 
as  regards  home  consumption,  though  this  is  the 
cheaper  market  whence  shippers  can  supply  their 
requirements  than  from  China.  Yet  the  trade  with 
this  country  cou'd  be  resuscitated  if  our  requirements 
were  more  studied.  A future  for  China  (Formosa) 
Teas  now  lies  with  the  Japanese  in  their  acquisi- 
tion of  that  Island.  It  produces  the  finest  flavoured, 
and  is  capable  of  easily  putting  5U,OUU,OUO  lb.  on  the 
markets  of  the  world.  \Vith  increasing  consumption 
it  would  find  an  outlet. — L.  and  C.  Erpvess,  Feb.  7. 
(QUEENSLAND  COFFEE  GROWERS 
COMPLAINTS. 
When  we  find  experienced  coffee  planters  complain- 
ing of  the  apathy  displayed  by  the  Government  in 
not  giving  more  assistance  in  the  shape  of  expert 
teaching,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  if  the  willing  but 
uninitiated  growl  somewhat  loudly.  In  addilion  to 
the  two  papers  on  coffee  culture  which  appear  in 
this  issue,  we  have  a communication  from  another 
constituent  who  has  been  struggling  for  over  fourteen 
years,  endeavouring  to  grow  a payable  crop.  Al- 
though having  spent  thousands  of  pounds  experi- 
menting with  coffee,  he  still  persists  in  going  on. 
Any  one  capable  of  forming  an  opinion  w ill  agree  with 
U3  in  believing  that  (Queensland  is  destined  to 
come  to  the  very  forefront  as  a coffee  pro- 
ducer. Looking  at  the  vast  importance  which  the 
successful  cultivation  of  this  crop  will  add  to  the 
welfare  of  the  colony,  we  cannot  but  express  the 
opinion  that  neglect  of  a glaring  character  has  been 
shown.  Unlike  many  other  crops,  coffee  can  be 
grown  over  a very  wide  extent  of  country.  The 
number  of  growers  in  the  colony  certainly  warrants 
the  introduction  of  an  expert,  so  that  valuable  time 
and  large  sums  of  money  be  not  needlessly  wasted. 
There  are  other  crops  lying  at  the  very  threshold  in 
the  establishment  of  important  industries,  which  are 
quite  in  the  same  category  with  coffee,  but  of  these 
we  have  before  spoken.  The  wine  and  tobacco  indus- 
tries are  both  in  a most  unsatisfactory  condition  for 
the  want  of  technical  knowledge  in  particular 
branches.  The  same  with  eolfee.  The  proper  ma- 
chinery tor  manufacture  is  not  available,  and  yet  the 
Government  are  desirous  of  seeing  the  plant  univer- 
sally grown.  Assistance  has  been  given  of  a most  sub- 
stantial nature  to  the  sugar,  and  to  the  dairy  indus- 
tries, and  that  assistance  has  been  the  means  of  resus- 
citating and  prolonging  the  life  of  the  one  and  of  sti- 
mulating and  placing  the  other  in  a position  to  come 
into  contact  with  the  outside  world  without  fear  of  ex- 
tinction. The  cultivation  of  such  crops  as  coffee, 
which,  according  to  the  ideas  generally  inherited 
by  the  average  Australian,  requires  more  than 
book  learning,  or  even  more  than  a more 
putting-of-the-shoulder-to-the-wheel  sort  of  teaching, 
and  should  not  be  left  entirely  to  experimental  train- 
ing. VVe  have  always  believed  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture to  lie  thoroughly  in  earnest  in  their  endeavour 
to  do  the  best  that  lies  in  their  power  to  assist  the 
cultivators  of  (Queensland,  but  the  importance  of  agri- 
culture has  never  as  yet  been  recognised  by  the  ro- 
AGRICULTURIS  r.  [March  2,  1896. 
sponsible  authorities  as  it  soon  will  and  must  bo. 
The  constituent  refeiTcd  to  in  our  opening  remarks 
is  a gentleman  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence, 
and  is  a thorough  believer  (as  may  be  readily  cre- 
dited) in  (Queensland  as  a climate  second  to  none  for 
eolfee  growing.  He  is  one  of  the  few  who  have  yet 
succeeded  in  overcoming  all  the  difdculties  attendant 
on  the  proper  preparation  of  the  eolfee  bean  for 
market.  We  are  quite  at  one  with  our  correspon- 
dent in  thinking  that  the  Government  should,  with- 
out further  delay,  import  the  latest  and  best  machi- 
nery and  give  them  m charge  of  an  expert,  who 
could  visit  the  various  coffee  centres  for  the  purpose 
of  instructing  growers  in  that  most  important  of 
all  subjects  to  coffee  growers,  viz  : What  to  do 
with  the  crop  after  it  is  ready  for  plucking  ? We 
hold  an  opinion  of  our  own  that  a coffee  grower 
should  not  bo  a coffue  manufacturer,  but  there  are 
certain  early  stages  in  what  some  might  call  the 
manufacture  of  coffee  which  can  best  be  done  by 
the  grower.  It  is  about  high  time  to  speak  out 
when  we  find  so  many  of  our  most  enterprising 
and  valuable  settlers  disturbing  their  very  wits  in 
order  to  discover  a way  out  of  the  dfficulty  of  pre- 
paration, by  inventing  rude  makeshifts  of  their  own. 
The  terms  sugar  planter  and  coffee  planter  gene- 
rally infer  that  there  is  wealth  behind,  but,  many 
of  our  best  eolfee  enthusiasts  have  only  small  capi- 
tals on  which  to  work.  We  trust  the  matter  will 
bo  taken  up  by  the  proper  authorities  as  the  in- 
dustry is  fast  assuming  an  importance  which  must 
be  recognised. — Queensland  Manufacturer,  Jan.  25. 
INDIAN  PATENTS. 
Applications  in  respect  of  the  undermentioned  in- 
ventions have  been  filed,  under  the  provisions  of 
Act  V of  1««8. 
For  improvements  in  apparatus  for  rolling  tea- 
leaf  and  THE  LIKE. — No.  38  of  1896. — William  Jackson, 
of  Thorngrove,  Mannofield,  Aberdeen,  North  Britain, 
engineer,  for  improvements  in  apparatus  for  rolling 
tea  leaf  and  the  like. 
For  a tea  sifter  or  sorter  for  the  sorting  of 
GREEN  OR  “cutcha”  t'ea  LEAF. — No.  41  of  1896,  Ueiiry 
George  Hills,  tea-planter,  at  present  manager  of  the 
Silcoori  Tea  Estate,  residing  at  Silcoori,  in  the  dis- 
trict of  Gachar,  under  the  commission  of  the  pro- 
vince of  Assam,  for  a tea  sifter  or  sorter  for  the 
sorting  of  green  or  ‘-cutcha”  tea  leaf. 
HRITISH  CENTRAL  AFRICA. 
Ill  an  interview  published  in  a late  issue 
of  the  Jlomhaij  Gazette,  Mr.  Rhodes  Morgan, 
Deputy  Conservator  of  Forests — -so  well-known 
amongst  Nilgiri  sportsmen — gives  a very  depress- 
ing account  of  the  rosources  of  Central  Africa. 
Mr.  Morgan  has  just  spent  .some  ciAit  months 
in  the  country  and  his  view-s  should  be  of 
value.  Imprimis  comes  the  assertion  that  fever  of 
a very  virulent  type  is  prevalent  all  over  the  coun- 
try, “ blackwater  ” fever  being  the  most  fatal. 
Dysentery  was  also  common  among  Europeans  and 
Natives  alike.  As  to  the  commercial  side  of  the  ques- 
tion, Mr.  Morgan  states  that  the  prospects  are  very 
poor. 
Natural  Products. — The  natural  products  of  the 
country  were  few.  India-rubber  is  to  be  found,  but  the 
natives  spoil  the  vines  as  they  do  not  know  how  to  ex- 
tract it.  Another  product  is  stro))hanthus,  which 
is  used  in  the  cure  of  affections  of  the  heart,  but 
this  market  is  very  easily  glutted  and  it  does  not 
fetch  good  prices,  the  supply  being  greater  than  the 
demand.  Ground-nuts  arc  cultivated  to  a very  small 
extent  by  the  natives.  With  regard  to  ivory  the  ele- 
phants arc  being  killed  off — day  by  day.  If  there 
were  any  elephants,  they  were  mostly  in  Por- 
tuguese territory.  Now  and  again  some  sinall  herds 
might  come  into  inhabited  tracts,  but  as  soon  as  a 
European  or  a Native  heard  of  it,  he  immediately 
