July  i,  1896.] 
TfIR  TROPICAl 
AGRICULTURIST. 
53 
Tobacco  and  the  Duty. — Id  the  memoi’andum  re- 
ferred to  the  returhs  on  tobacco  show  more  clearly 
the  effect  of  an  increase  or  decrease  in  duty.  In  1875- 
G the  duty  on  tobacco  was  3s  1 4-5d  per  pound,  the 
revenue  from  it  was  ,i;7,715,000,  and  the  consumption 
per  head  of  population  1-I71b.  In  1885-6  the  duty  was 
3s  6d  per  pound,  the  revenue  from  it  was  .t‘9,293,000,  but 
the  consumption  per  head  had  fallen  to  I'Tl  lb.  In 
1895-6  the  duty  was  3s  2d  per  pound  the 
revenue  from  it  at  this  lower  rate  was  ITO, 748,000, 
and  the  consumption  per  head  1'69  lb. 
Coi'TEE  Planting  in  Mexico. — Mexico  bids  fair  to 
occupy  a prominent  position  as  a coffee-producing 
country.  The  fall  in  silver  and  the  reduction  in  the 
price  of  labour  aud  of  laud  have  furnished  conditions 
favourable  to  the  development  of  the  new  industry. 
A useful  rejiort  on  the  coffee  plantations  of  Mexico 
has  been  prepared  by  Mr.  Frai.cis  Stronge,  Secretary 
of  the  British  Legation  and  issued  by  the  Foreign 
Office.  Mr.  Stronge  tells  us  that  250  acres  of  suit- 
able land  can  be  had  for  T300,  aud  that  whilst  the 
cost  of  cultivating  the  plantation  during  the  first 
live  years  is  i'30  per  acre,  the  yield  amounts  to  ;t'59 
per  acre.  The  coffee  plant  reaches  its  full  power  of 
production  in  its  fifth  year,  and  in  the  sixth  aud 
subsequent  years  the  expenses  of  working  amount 
to  .ill  17s  per  acre,  and  the  receipts  to  .•627  6s.  The 
advice  given  to  intending  settlers  is  that  in  pur- 
chasing and  estate  they  should  negotiate  with  a 
trustworthy  foreign  agency,  and  that  they  should 
spend  some  time  in  the  country  before  making  the 
purchase,  with  the  view  of  acquiring  some  knowledge 
of  the  coffee-planting  business.  A capital  of  .61,500  is 
said  to  be  amply  sufficient  for  the  requirements  of  any 
ordinary  planter. 
The  Bahama  Sisal  Industky. — Dr.  Morris,  assistant 
director  of  the  Iloyal  Gardens,  Kew,  has  preiiared  for 
the  Colonial  Office  an  interesting  report  on  the  sLsal  in- 
dustry in  the  Bahamas,  which  has  assumed  such  large 
proportions  of  late.  The  actual  area  planted  in  the 
islands  is  about  25,000  a res,  and  it  is  estimated  that 
the  yield  will  shortly  reach  about  six  thousand  tons. 
Last  month  good  fair  sisal  sold  in  Loudon  for  617  10s 
per  ton.  Dr.  Morris  estimates  that  even  if  the  lowest 
price  ever  obtained — viz.,  £13  per  ton — be  accepted,  the 
maigin  for  profit  will  amount  to  £4  10s  per  acre,  the 
yield  of  w.iich  varies  fro  n one-half  to  three-quarters  o 
a ton. — II  and  C.  Mail,  May  22. 
SIZE  OF  THE  BREAKS  OF  CEYLON 
TEA. 
There  is  some  talk  in  the  market  of  raising  the 
limit  for  public  sale  sampling  to  the  same  figures  as 
prevails  in  Indian  tea — nearly,  20  cbests,  30  half- 
chests aud  .50  boxes.  Buyers  have  felt  the  strain 
severely  of  late  in  having  to  taste  so  maiiy  samples, 
and  they  complain  also  of  the  extra  expense  of  sam- 
pling and  sending  out  a number  of  small  breaks 
instead  of  one  large  one.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
the  Ceylon  tea  planters  will  fall  into  line  with  their 
Indian  confreres  as  soon  as  possible.  Ju.stico  cannot 
be  done  to  so  many  samples  in  the  busy  season,  and  the 
seller  invariably  suffers  if  the  buyer  has  not  been 
able  to  satisfy  himself  thoroughly  as  to  the  top 
value  of  what  he  is  bidding  for.  Bomething  might 
be  done  to  meet  the  legitimate  wishes  of  buyers  if 
planters  were  to  curtail  the  number  of  grades  into 
which  they  sorted  ihoir  produce.  The  tendency  of 
the  tea  trade  being  so  much  in  the  direction  of 
large  blending  businesses,  there  is  not  now  the  neces- 
sity for  more  than  tbree  sorts,  and  planters  would 
save  themselves  expense  and  trouble,  and  in  the 
long  run  get  as  good  a return  if  they  were  to  en- 
deavour to  work  in  the  direction  now  indicated. 
— //  (6  C Mail,  May  22. 
THE  Di.MHI'LA  V.\LLEV  TEA  C'OMl’.VNV. 
It  nuiy  be  said  tliab  all  is  well  that  ends  well, 
and  fin?  di.simte  between  the  Direetor.s  of  this 
Company  and  Sir  .John  Muir  ha\ing  been  closed, 
it  is  not  needful  to  go  into  it  at  any  length. 
But  some  vei-y  curious  information  has  tran.s- 
pired  as  to  the  difference  in  the  law  of  England 
and  Ceylon  and  also  of  England  and  .Scotland 
hearing  on  the  sale  of  estate  (Belgravia  and 
Elgin)  property  in  this  ca.se.  When  Sir  John 
Muir  disputed  the  sale  and  the  Directors  had 
to  take  the  best  available  legal  advice,  it  turned 
out  that  the  Agreement  undoubtedly  entered  into 
with  the  Sylhet  Company  at  home  was, — 
(1)  Not  binding  in  law  in  Ceylon. 
(2)  Was  binding  in  England,  but  the  estates  being 
in  Ceylon  no  action  could  be  raised  in  an 
English  Court;  or  if  damages  were  claimed 
as  they  might  be  up  to  .£25,000,  and  obtained, 
no  specific  recovery  could  take  place  against 
any  one  here ! and 
(3)  The  Agreement  with  homologation  (that  is  the 
subsequent  proceedings  of  making  part  pay- 
ment of  price  and  sending  out  Power  of  At- 
torney to  transfer)  was  binding  under  the 
law  of  Scotland. 
This  last  fact  no  doubt  intluenced  Sir  John 
Muir  in  withdrawing  oiiposition  to  the  transfer 
of  the  Sylhet  Company  estates  ; but  surely  the 
anomalous  condition  of  affairs  revealed  by  the 
above  in  reference  to  the  law  affecting  Agree- 
ments for  Sale  of  Landed  Property  within  the 
same  Empire  should  lead  to  some  reform.  At 
any  rate,  our  Government  must  see  to  it  that  a 
legal  Agreement  entered  into  and  duly  stamped 
in  London — the  centre  of  capital,  trade,  and 
business  generally, — should  be  made  valid  in  Cey- 
lon. For,  undoubtedly,  had  there  been  a con- 
tinuance of  the  dispute,  and  a law  suit  had  re- 
sulted in  the  Dimbula  Valley  case,  a great  shock 
would  h.ave  been  given  to  the  reputation  if  not 
credit  of  Ceylon,  in  metropolitan  business  circles. 
We  trust,  therefore,  to  see  some  amendment  of 
the  pre.sent  system  shortly  carried. 
THE  CITRONELLA-OIL  DISPUTE. 
We  understand  that  Messrs.  Domeier  & Co.  have 
been  approached  this  week  by  Mr.  W.  W.  Green 
(Brookes  and  Green),  who  was  one  of  the  arbitra- 
tors in  the  Citronella-oil  case,  on  the  subject  of  the 
dispute  between  themselves  and  Mr.  R.  C.  Treatt 
Mr.  Green,  on  behalf  of  Mr.Treatt,  suggested  settlemtnt 
of  the  questions  at  issue,  and  Messrs.  Domeier  & 
Co.  have  agreed  to  close  the  matter  upon  Mr.  Treatt 
paying  the  entire  costs  of  the  arbitration  and  ana- 
lyses and  the  legal  expenses,  taking  back  the  adul- 
terated citronella  oil,  and  replacing  it  by  guaranteed 
pure  oil.  These  conditions  having  been  agreed  to, 
no  further  law  proceedings  will  be  taken. — Chemist  and 
Drwjyist,  May  23. 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
The  Production  of  Coffee  and  Tea  in  British 
Dependencies. — The7/o»ie  £•  Colonial  Mail  h\  noticing 
the  communication  whicli  we  reproduced  on  Satur- 
day says : — Mr.  J.  Ferguson  of  Ceylon,  who  is 
always  eager  to  keep  our  statesmen  and  the  public 
generally  well  informed  as  to  the  facts  in  connec- 
tion witn  the  planting  industries  of  British  depen- 
dencies, writes  a letter  to  the  Times  to  correct  some 
current  misapprehension  about  Ceylon  coffee  pro- 
duction and  price. 
M.yuuitius  Tea. — We  have  received  some  samples 
of  Mauritius  tea,  which  we  submitted  to  an  expert, 
who  informs  us  that  the  curing  is  not  quite  satis- 
factory, but  that,  allowing  for  the  improvement  which 
it  is  perfectly  possible  to  make  in  that  direction, 
there  would  seem  to  be  no  doubt  that  a regular 
market  for  this  production  could  be  found  in  Loudon, 
the  quality  of  the  leaf,  strength,  and  aroma  being 
good,  the  principal  defect  being  in  firing.  To  suit 
I'luglish  taste  these  teas  would  have  to  be  blended 
with  other  teas  ; but  we  understand  they  are  at  pre- 
sent mostly  consumed  in  the  island  itself  in  the  form 
in  A'hich  we  saw  and  tested  them. — Ihe  Suyar  Cane. 
