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THE  TROPIC AGRICULTURIST. 
[April  r,  1896. 
ths  cure  of  trees  cittoiclied  by  niutidoliut,  Not 
many  months  ago  I read  several  well-writtcTi  articles 
in  the  Qoa  newspaper  called  India  1‘ortugiieza  on  the 
cultivation  of  coconut  trees  and  the  insects  which 
kill  or  attack  them,  and  I would  recommend  our  expert 
in  Botany  to  peruse  the  same.  A book  on  the  same 
subject  was  also  published  in  Trev'andrum  some  25 
years  ago  by  order  of  tlie  Dewan,  the  late  Sir  T. 
Madhava  Ivao,  copies  of  which  are,  I believe,  still 
available  in  Trevandrum,  and  he  will  find  that 
coconut  trees  both  at  Madagascar  and  the  West 
Indies  are  also  subject  to  the  same  disease  ; but,  as 
in  the  case  of  the  coffee-borers,  bugs  and  leaf  disease, 
no  remedy  has  been  discovered  as  yet  to  prevent  a 
repetition  of  attacks  from  beetles,  borers,  mandolims, 
&c.  The  insect  generally  attacks  young  and  luxuriant 
plants,  particularly  those  well  watered  and  heavily 
manured. 
THE  DIMBULA  VALLEY  (CEYLON)  TEA 
COMPANY,  LIMITED. 
By  mail  we  have  jiarticnlars  of  the 
prices  paid  for  the  several  estates  purchased  by 
the  Company,  viz.  Tillicoultry  £3U,UU0,  Belgravia 
and  Elgin  and  Bearwell  and  Mousa  Ella  £93,500. 
DR.  TRIMEN. 
\Ve  desire  to  welcome  back  to  Ceylon  Dr. 
Trimen,  the  respected  Director  of  the  Botanical 
Gardens,  and  to  express  the  hope  that  he  will 
enjoy  a measure  of  good  health,  not  only  for 
his  own  sake,  but  for  the  sake  of  the  great  work 
on  which  he  is  engaged.  Dr.  Trimen  is  accom- 
panied by  Mr.  Ereeman,  a young  botanist  from 
the  Royal  College  of  Science,  South  Kensington. 
TEA  IN  AUSTRALIA. 
Business  in  China  tea  has  been  rather  more  active. 
Sales  comprise  530  half-chests  common  congou,  HOO 
half-chests  congou  at  l|d  to  SRI  500  half-chests  pan- 
yong  at  5|d  to  did  300  half-chests  panyong  at  up  to 
7dj  1,050  quarter-chests  buds  at  up  to  lid  and  300 
quarter-chests  S.O.  pekoe.  Of  Geylous  liO  half-chests 
have  been  sold  privately  at  8jd  and  of  Indians  70 
half-chests,  at  9d.  At  the  auction  sale  on  Tues- 
day there  was  a good  demand  for  the  Ceylon  teas, 
which  generally  realised  firm  rates.  Out  of  5(>2  chests 
and  260  half-chests  offered  sales  were  made  of  425 
chests  and  106  half-chests ; pekoe  at  (Id  to  Oj-d  and 
pekoe  souchong  a 6jd  to  Old. — Aunlralagian,  Feb,  22. 
GREEN  TEA. 
(To  the  Editor  of  the  J^onhn  and  China  E.''jtresK.) 
Dear  Sii!,— Your  issue  of  llthinst.  In  your  “ Mo- 
netary and  Commercial  ” column  the  writer  of  the 
Tea  Market  Report  appears  to  bo  under  some  mis- 
apprehension as  to  the  position  of  “ Green  Tea.”  It 
is  quite  true  the  market  is  mqn-ecedentcdly  low,  and 
that  certain  kinds  are  almost  unsaleable  at  the 
present  moment,  but  it  is  altogether  incorrect  to 
remark  that  the  class  “ secinn  claadu  <joini/  out  of 
connuM/ition.’' 
The  writer  of  the  report  has  apparently  fallen  into 
the  popular  delusion  that  because  the  “ home  con- 
sumption” may  have  fallen  off  the  class  is  being 
displaced  by  “ British  grown  ” teas.  As  a matter  of 
fact,  the  deliveries  from  the  bonded  warehouses  last 
year  were  600,000  lb.  more  than  the  previous  year, 
and  larger  than  wo  have  had  for  some  three  or  four 
years.  The  reason  of  the  market  this  season  being 
so  low  is  because  of  the  largo  increase  in  the  supplies, 
both  to  America  and  this  country.  Perhaps  you 
may  think  this  matter  worth  correction  in  your 
next  issue. — Your  obedient  servant, 
Londoa,  Feb.  18.  Green  Tea. 
TEA-PLANTING  IN  INDIA. 
Advice  to  Youxa  Men. 
In  reply  to  a query  concerning  the  prospects  of 
tea  planting  in  India,  a correspondent  sends  the 
following  extracts  from  a lecture  on  the  subject 
delivered  by  a planter  of  thirty  years’  experience: — 
All  the  tea  districts  are  now  as  a rule  fairly 
healthy.  The  hill  districts  are  the  pleasantest  to 
live  in,  but  in  the  tea  garden  ranges  in  elevation 
more  than,  say,  2000  feet  (and  I resided  upon  and 
for  twenty-eight  years  managed  one  which  varied  in 
elevation  nearly  twice  that  range),  I doubt  if,  for 
most  constitutions,  it  be  so  much  more  healthy  than 
the  plains  districts,  and  I believe  the  statistics  of 
mortality,  if  carefully  examined,  bear  this  out. 
The  prospects  in  tea  are,  I believe,  much  over  esti- 
mated. With  those  who  have  tried  the  tea  life  the 
rule  has  been  to  retire  in  a few  years  disappointed 
or  broken  in  health,  or  drag  along  penniless  and 
often  in  debt — life  being  as  it  were  a continual  strug- 
gle for  subsistence — ^the  few  successful  men  holding 
on  loo  long,  most  finding  a grave  sooner  or  later. 
Retiring  with  fortunes  or  even  a competency  is  the 
exception.  No  doubt  a small  proportion  have  come 
home  with  fortunes  or  a moderate  competency,  but 
those  results  have  been  obtained,  as  a rule,  through 
the  purchase  and  sale  of  lands,  or  investment  in 
gardens,  under  specially  advantageous  conditions. 
But,  alas,  not  a few  of  those  who  so  retired,  lived 
but  a very  short  time,  and  seemed  never  to  enjoy  a 
day’s  real  health  after  their  return  to  their  native 
land.  The  competencies  even  acquired  by  service  to 
limited  companies  or  private  proprietors  have  been 
but  few  and  far  between ; and  though  the  prospects 
of  private  ownership  or  from  speculation  seems  less 
iromisiug  now,  the  ventures  of  the  majority  in  those 
ines  in  the  past  have  often  been  doomed  to  dis- 
appointment or  failure.  We  hear  much  of  the  pros- 
perous few,  but  little  of  the  misfortunes  of  the  many. 
Such  is  a fair  though  unvarnished  statement  of  the 
ease,  from  a full  survey  and  careful  study  of  the 
statistics  of  careers  within  my  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience. 
Rest  assured,  however,  young  men,  that  your 
inability  to  obtain  desirable  appointments  and  full 
scope  for  your  energies,  where  such  is  the  case,  you 
have  my  fullest  sympathy,  having  myself  had  that 
experience  from  forty  to  thirty-three  years  ago,  and 
am  well  aware  that  competition  is  now  even  more 
acute.  All  considered,  I am  therefore  free  to  admit 
that  those  with  a capacity  for  conscientious  work 
would  bo  wrong  to  decline  a really  eligible  offer  in  tea. 
Those  suitable  for  the  work  and  life — energetic, 
industrious,  persevering,  and  determined  to  work 
unremittingly  and  get  on,  who  can  meet  with  an 
appointment  in  a good  concern — arc  likely  sooner  to 
get  into  a position  to  support  themselves,  and  if 
economical  save  a little  money,  and  ultimately  do  as 
well  as  in  most  lines  I know  of. 
I am  further  free  to  admit  that  India  is  a highly 
interesting  country.  The  tea  life  comes  to  have  many 
attractions  for  those  who  take  to  it,  and  whatever 
their  fortune  may  be,  there  are  few  who  altogether 
regret  their  experience.  Besides,  experienced,  con- 
scientious, comnetent  men  are  alwa}'s  in  demand, 
and  sure  to  get  on  ; but  it  is  at  the  same  time  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  obtain  suitable  candidates,  and 
next  to  impossible  to  convey  to  them,  before  leaving 
home,  any  adequate  conception  of  the  life,  duties,  or 
necessary  equipment. 
As  yet  tea  appointments  have  not  been  throwm 
open  to  competitive  examination,  nor  could  they 
well  be,  in  so  much  as  the  tests  ought  to  be  character, 
industrious  habits,  and  physical  (lualitications.  The 
only  way  to  obtain  such  appointments  is  through 
knowing  proprietors,  minaging  agents,  directors,  or 
estate  managei's.  Appointments  are  much  run  upon, 
and  therefore  difficult  to  obtain.  As  a proof  that  the 
supply  of  ap[)licants  far  exceeds  tlte  demand,  many 
well  educated  young  gentlemen  join  tea  gardens  as 
W'hat  is  styled  “ creepers,”  that  is,  giving  their  services 
for  notliing,  in  addition  to  paying  their  own  bo,ard— 
some  actually  paying  down  a good  round  sum  in  shape 
of  premium  for  permission  to  learn  the  business.  Let 
