848 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[June  t,  1896 
glainoiu-  of  tlividemls  of  4d  aiul  dO  per  cent.  Take 
aaotlier  penny  oil'  prices  all  ronml,  and  wliat 
would  be  the  value  of  shares  now  at  20  J to  7UU  per 
cent  preiniuni  ? Growers  all  Llie  woi  ld  over  are 
conservative  in  their  ways,  and  not  prone  to 
ailapt  their  goods  to  circumstances,  lint  merchants, 
A\'hen  not  already  loo  well  oil',  and  when  they 
are  in  the  position  to  contiol  the  articles  maim- 
factured  hy  the  companies,  should  hustle  lor  the 
ilemand  c\i.sting  iiei’e,  ;ind  not  coniine  their  oner- 
gi<^s  to  pushing  one  article  into  tlie  marke.t  Ini' 
another.  'J'he  latter  jirocess  is  slow  and  cosily 
the  other  is  immediate  in  its  aciion,  and  up  to 
a few  millions  of  pounds  1 believe  Iherc  is 
more  prolit  lierc  in  green  teas  than  there  is  at 
present  prices  of  the  iJlack  Teas,  which  are  grown 
on  estates  giving  2d0  to  o.')0  pounds  per  acre,  and 
M’hich  average  U to  7 peace  per  iionnd. 
All  the  above  relates  to  “ views  " and  “surmi- 
ses,” to  “faith”  and  “ opinion,”  hut  I can  gi\’e 
a sediment  of  facts.  Tiiere  can  be  no  doubt  there 
are  many  more  dealers  handling  our  teas  pure  and 
in  blends  than  there  were  a year  ago.  All  lead- 
ing grocers  in  Mew  York  and  llrooklyn  now  keep 
them.  We  have  sent  girls  round  to  hundreds  of 
shops  to  buy  small  quantities  that  we  might  test 
the  rpiality.  — — — — and  others,  by 
theii'  extensive  pushing  ol  [lackage  teas,  have 
forced  several  leading  wholesale  nouses  to  bring 
out  their  own  [lackets,  and  we  have,  at  tlie  present 
moment,  many  American  houses  working  in  con- 
junction with  us  in  territory  holding  (piite  half 
the  population  of  the  States,  who,  a year  ago  were 
doing  little  or  nothing  for  u.s.  Hetween  them 
they  have  scores  of  lady  demonstrators  iunl 
hundreds  of  drumers,  and  all  are  iiii.shing 
energetically  in  the  various  methods  Americans 
adopt,  issuing  samples,  pamphlets,  circulars,  :uicl 
advertising  in  local  papers,  while  we  do  tlie 
general  iidvertising  for  consumers. 
Wm.  mag K EM Z IK. 
CEYLON  TEA  IN  AMEillGA. 
Young’s  Hotel,  Jloston,  .\pril  Stii. 
Dkak  Sir, — It  may  perhaps  bo  of  interest  to 
you  to  hear  news  from  these  jiarts  though  you 
are  probably  well  posted  up  from  other  sources. 
I have  now  been  in  America  for  some  weeks 
during  which  my  whole  time  has  been  taken  u[) 
interviewing  the  most  prominent  Tea  Dealers  in 
the  various  cities  of  the  States.  When  I was 
here  last  year  I was  fairly  successful  in  intro- 
ducing Ceylon  teas  though  it  was  very  uphill 
work.  This  year  1 have  been  mucli  impressed 
with  the  distinct  stride  our  teas  have  made  in 
imblic  favor.  While  their  consumption  is  still  com- 
paratively small  and  the  inquiry  for  them  to  any 
large  e.xtent  limited,  there  is  little  doubt  but 
steadj^  ]U'ogrcss  is  noticeable,  and  where  a deal  of 
tea  chests  was  quite  a hanl  busine.ss  twelve 
months  ago,  the  same  men  will  now'  buy  lifty 
■without  very  much  pressing.  This  si'caksloi  itseli. 
It  is  quite  evident  that  our  teas  are  “catching 
on”  to  the  American  palate,  but  there  is  a lot 
of  hard  ami  [lersevei  iiig  w'ork  to  be  dune  yet 
before  we  can  rest  cn  our  oars.  Oolongs 
and  Eormosa  teas  form  the  general  con- 
sumiition  and  these  are  not  to  be  superseded 
easily.  Mevertheless,  his  old  JScotch  adage  of 
putting  a “ stoot  heart  to  a stey  brae”  will,  1 
feel  sure,  tell  in  the  long  run,  and  Ceylon  will 
in  time  win  the  day. 
There  is  no  doubt,  that  a good  deal  ol  harm 
has  been  done,  and  the  good  cause  hindered  by 
his  many  inferior  Ceylon  teas  sent  to  America 
some  two  ye.irs  ago.  A prombi-';)  :!'iler  com- 
plained bitterly  to  me  yesterday  of  the  tra.sh 
w'hich  was  foisted  upon  them  at  one  time,  and 
illustrated  a case  when  some  oU  chests  were 
purchased  fully  two  years  ago,  and  up  to  the 
present  time  it  liad  been  found  impos-sible  to 
dispose  of  any  of  them  ; he  added  that  it  was 
decided  lo  throw  them  away  on  the  rubbish 
heap  ! 
I met  oni'  rosy  ( 'omniissionor  last  Saturday 
along  with  Mr.  jilechynden  on  board.  Iho  “ I'm- 
bria’'  stai'ling  liack  for  England,  and  he  will, 
doubtless,  he  giving  the  As-<ociation  an  account 
ol  his  visit  which  will  apjiear  in  your  column.s. 
So  1 will  not  add  more.  1 hope  to  return  to 
London  myself  on  Saturday. — Yours  faithfully, 
J.  M.  MAllLAMD-KIliWAM. 
THE  tiTTEHY  TEA  COMPAM'i  EO 
CEYLON,  LTD. 
Colombo,  A]uil  30 
Di-;.ti:  Slit, — MYe  beg  to  inforin  you  that  at  a 
directors,  meeting  ot  the  above  Com|)any  held 
yesterday,  an  interim  dividend  of  o jier  cent 
was  declared  foi'  the  0 months  eiuled  31st  .March. — 
Yours  faithfully,  LEE,  IIEDGE.S  A-  CO. 
Agent  and  >Secret.aries. 
MANLKIMG  COCOML'T  PALMS. 
Maj'  4. 
ISlu,  — In  your  “All  About  the  Coconut 
Palm,'’  ]iage  8,  you  describe  how  the  lagging 
coconut  jilanls  should  be  manurcil.  As  staled 
therein,  i marked  a circle  three  leet  from  the 
stem  and  Idled  the  trench  cut  beyond  it  with 
cow  dung  ami  covered  it  with  the  earth  dug  out. 
'I'liey  say  that  this  piactice  would  breed,  grubs, 
worms  and  insects,  which  will  eventually  destroy 
the  plants,  whicii  I may  say  are  le.ss  tiiau  4 ft. 
in  iieight  from  the  grouml.  I also  lind  giubs 
in  tlie  cow  dung  utilised.  Nhould  I desist  irom 
manuring  in  this  manner  '!  Can  plants  which 
iiave  been  in  the  nursery  for  over  a year,  ami 
about  3 ft.  or  more  in  height,  be  planletl  with 
advantage  in  estates? — Yours  truly. 
YD  CMC  PLAMTEK. 
[Will  some  experienced  coconut  planter  give  his 
oiiinion  on  these  questions? — Ku.  7..L] 
MANURING  COCONUT  PALMS. 
May  II. 
Sir.,— AY  “Young  PlaiPer”’s  letter  about 
manuring  coconut  palms  in  your  valuable  paper 
of  the  7ui  inst.,  my  opinion  is  as  lollow's  : — 
There  are  dillereni  modci^  of  manuring.  1 find 
by  experience  that  instead  oi  cutting  a trench, 
and  putting  the  cattle  dung,  Ac.,  into  it,  it 
would  be  better  to  throw'  the  nuuiiue  over  the 
surface  about  2 feet  from  the  stem  and  dig  it 
in  with  the  usual  native-made  mamoty.  'this  1 
have  found  better  lor  joung  jialms  Ihaii'trenchiug. 
Cattle  nuuiure  here  is  u-sed  \ eiy  exten.sively, 
contract  cattle  being  kept  lor  that  sole  [mrpose. 
I have  never  fouiid  the  trees  destroyed  liy  grubs, 
worms,  Ac.  Although  I have  only  liad  lu  years' 
experience,  1 should  like,  myseii,  to  see  what 
older  experienced  men  have  to' say  on  the  matter. 
With  reference  to  “ Voung  rhuiier  ’s  other 
query,  rc  1 year  idaiits,  they  can  well  be  planted 
to  advantage,  ami  will  with  care  turn  out  as 
good  as  any.  — 1 am,  yours  truly, 
11.  J.  M.  T, 
