May  I,  1896.] 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
763 
Hew  cbnhections  which  alone  amoniited  to  about 
K3,0()0  this  year,  that  you  will  easily  niiderstaiid  the 
cost  is  barely  covered,  while  these  small  quantities 
only  call  bo  dealt  in  and  the  expenses  of  trading  in 
this  country  are  so  heavy. 
As  to  the  general  ilnport  of  Ceylon  tea  into  Russia,  I 
must  leave  the  figures  which  appear  in  your  papers  and 
the  custom  (of  London)  returns  bear  witness  as  to  the 
general  result  of  my  woik  since  1890  when  your 
a rticle  was  quite  unknown  here. 
As  however  a large  amount  of  the  tea  exported 
from  London  to  Russia  comes  through  Germnn  ports 
it  is  impossible  to  calculate  the  exact  quantity,  and 
at  the  Customs  here  Ceylon  and  China  tea  are 
classed  together  under  the  one  heading  of  “ Tea.” 
Though  I am  at  most  the  only  one  selling  any 
quantity  of  Ceylon  tea  pure  in  packets,  the  use  of  it 
for  blending  with  China  tea  is  generally'  admitted  to 
be  greatly  on  the  increase,  and  it  is  noticeable  that 
some  more  Russian  firms  have  started  selling  a.  so- 
called  “Ceylon”  blend  in  addition  to  their  China, 
showing  that  a demand  for  Ceylon  tea  has  been  ex- 
perienced by  them. 
I am  being  much  annoyed  still  by  some  firms  who 
are  selling  a very  inferior  article  in  yDackets,  the 
wrappers  of  w'hich  are  an  almost  exact  facsimile  of 
mine.  I hear  “Lipton”  is  opening  a shop  in 
St.  Petersburg  and  has  already  rented  premises  for 
the  purpose. 
I had  the  pleasure,  the  other  day,  of  a visit 
from  Mr.  Gepp,  the  well-known  broker  of  Colombo, 
and  should  much  have  liked  to  show  him  more  of 
what  has  been  done  and  given  him  some  further  in- 
formation about  Ceylon  tea  in  Russia,  but  most  un- 
fortunately he  had  no  time  at  his  disposal,  and  in 
my  short  conversation  with  him  I was  not  able  to 
say  very  much,  but  I have  no  doubt  you  will  hear 
all  about  it  from  him.  I only  wish  some  of  your 
Ceylon  folk  would  come  here  and  see  for  themselvs 
what  I have  done. — I am,  dear  sir,  yours  faithfully, 
(Sgd.)  M.  Rogivue. 
MR.  CHARLES  LEDGER  AND  THE  DUTCH 
GOVERNMENT. 
Mr.  Chas.  Ledger,  the  cinchona  pioneer,  now 
living  at  Goulburn,  N.S.W.,  writes  that  he  has  re- 
ceived the  following  reply  from  the  Dutch  Minister 
of  the  Colonies  at  the  Hague,  in  answer  to  his 
request  for  a further  grant  on  account  of  his  services 
in  procuring  from  Bolivia,  in  1865,  seed  of  the  Ledge- 
riana  tree,  from  which  most  of  the  Java  cinchonas 
have  been  raised; — 
The  Hague,  December  1,  1895. 
In  answer  to  your  letters  February  6,  March  20,  Octo- 
ber 25,  1895,  in  which  yon  appeal  to  the  generosity  of 
the  Government  of  the  Netherlaiuls  to  receive  a reward 
for  your  services  rendered  in  view  of  obtaining  the  cin- 
chona-seed Mr.  George  Ledger  furnished  in  ISG-j,  1 beg 
to  inform  you  that  the  tran.saction  in  the  matter  having 
been  entirely  of  a commercial  character,  and  duly  finished 
on  tliis  side  by  even  repeated  liberal  payment,  I don’t 
feel  at  liberty  to  take  your  appeal  into  consideration. 
The  .Secretary  of  the  Colonies  for  the  Minister, 
The  Secretary  General, 
(Signed)  A.  E.  Eu.ts. 
We  regret  the  result,  but  as  the  planters  and  traders 
to  whom  we  appealed  on  Mr.  Ledger’s  behalf  have 
practically  done  nothing  for  him,  we  are  not  sur- 
prised that  the  Dutch  Government  also  feel  disin- 
clined to  assist. — Chemist  and  Dnic/c/ist. 
Tea  in  America.— Messrs.  F.  C..  Larkin  & Co., 
the  well  known  importers  of  tea  in  Toronto,  have 
sent  us  a letter  which  we  publish  today.  They 
liave  done  excellent  service  in  advertising  Ceylon 
lea  ; and  at  the  Colonial  Exposition,  which  is  to 
he  opened  next  morth,  they  are  likely  to  have 
a good  exhibit  of  our  staple  pioduct. 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
New  Machineky.— Most  opportunely,  notes  the 
tjalcutta  1 lanter,  as  the  manufacturing  season  ap- 
proaches, Mr.  Jackson  enters  the  field  with  an 
improved  rolling  machine,  M'hich  he  asserts  will 
still  further  reduce  the  time  occupied  in  that  opera- 
tion. Another  machine  termed  a “ perforated  roller  ” 
has  been  tried  with  highly  satisfactory  results  in 
the  Durrimg  district,  but  until  protected  by  patent 
rights  will  not  be  bronglit  before  the  public  ' to 
comment  upon  its  presumed  merits,  therefore,  would 
be  premature.  Another  labour-saving  apparatu°-  for 
sorting  green  leaf,  is  to  be  brought  out,  which  if 
effectual,  will  save  both  time  and  labour  in  the 
final  classification.  Many  makeshifts  have  been  re- 
sorted to  for  dealing  with  the  coarse  leaf  un- 
avoidedly  brought  in,  but  none  have  hitherto  answered 
thoroughly,  though  great  expectations  are  cherished 
of  the  present  one.  The  new  plucking  machine  is 
being  manufactured  at  home,  so  that  it  is  not 
likely  to  come  into  play  much  before  the  middle 
of  the  season.  The  main  difficulty,  I understand 
has  been  to  combine  delicacy  of  touch  with  ability 
to  withstand  jolting  over  freshly  broken  up  or  un- 
even ground. —Planting  Opinion,  March  28. 
The  “Citroneli.a  Oil  (.Question”  has  entered 
upon  another  phase.  It  appears  that,  in  addition 
to  the  parcel  on  which  the  award  was  recently  given 
in  Mr.  Treatt’s  favour  (for  there  is  now  no  reason 
to  keep  back  the  fact  that  Mr.  R.  C.  Treatt  was  the 
seller,_  and  Messrs.  Domeier  & Co.  the  buyers),  Messrs. 
Domcier  purchased  from  the  same  seller,  but  through 
a different  broker,  yet  iuiother  lot  of  citronella  oil.  This 
was  tendered  last  week,  acceptance  declined  on  the  same 
grounds  which  led  to  the  refusal  of  the  first  parcel. 
Arbitration  was  thereupon  proposed,  but  an  applica- 
tiou  (given  in  the  law-notices  under  the  heading  “In 
re  Treatt  and  Domeier”)  was  made  yesterday  before 
a Judge  in  Chambers.  We  understand  that  the  object 
of  the  application  was  to  allow  Messrs.  Domeier  to 
bring  the  case  into  court  without  resorting  to  arbitra- 
tion, as  provided  by  the  wording  of  the  contract.  This 
application  was  refused,  and  the  matter  is  now  to  be 
heard  in  the  ordinary  way  by  Mincing  Lane  arbi- 
trators. It  is  quite  possible  that  the  defeated  party  will 
then  try  to  bring  the  matter  before  a court  of  law. 
—Chemist  and  JOruggist,  March  21. 
Coffee  is  the  principal  article  of  export  from 
Aden.  There  are  two  countries  that  furnish  this 
coffee  Abyssinia,  in  Africa,  and  the  province  of 
Yemen,  in  Arabia.  The  Abyssinian  coffee  is  brought 
by  camels  through  bomali  Land,  and  thence  by  boats 
to  Aden.  From  the  reports  the  natives  bring  from 
that  country,  it  would  seem  that  all  the  coffee  brought 
from  Abyssinia  grows  wild,  yet  the  berries  are  as 
large  as,  if  not  larger  than,  the  cultivated  coffee  of 
Arabia,  and  its  flavour  is  excellent.  With  the  soil 
of  that  country  producing  such  magnificent  coffee 
without  cultivation,  one  may  naturally  expect  the 
native.s  will  soon  turn  their  attention  to  the  proiier 
cultivation  of  the  plant,  when  remarkable  results 
may  be  expected.  The  province  of  Yemen,  in  Arabia, 
IS  the  natural  home  of  the  coffee  plant,  as  it  was 
there  its  use  was  first  made ; and  from  that  day 
until  the  present  the  coffee  of  Yemen  has  been  in 
great  demand,  for  of  all  the  different  kinds  produced 
the  far-famed  Mocha  is  considered  the  best.  Be- 
cause of  the  fact  that  no  travellers  are  allowed  in 
the  interior  of  the  country,  no  information  as  to 
tile  cultivation  of  this  plant  can  be  obtained,  except 
from  the  Arab  caravans  that  bring  the  coffee  to 
market,  and  these  reports  are  not  reliable.  But 
unlike  the  Abyssinian  coffee,  all  the  Arabian  coffee 
IS  cultivated.  The  greater  portion  of  the  coffee 
brought  to  Aden,  according  to  an  official  report,  is 
in  the  pod.  The  pod  is  removed  by  passing  the  coffee 
between  two  revolving  stones,  thus  breaking  or 
crushing  rather,  the  shells.  Women  are  then ’em- 
ployed to  clean  and  sort  the  coffee,  the  best  of  which 
13  exported,  the  inferior  berries  and  the  pods  being 
sold  to  the  Arabs  for  their  own  use.— 7’/ic  /fame 
March  It.  ' ' 
