fllE  IRUPICAL  AGRlCULTURlSr. 
[Aug.  I,  1896. 
108 
ing  eighty  times  more,  according  to  Grasme.nu,  than 
ordinary  camphor.  Nearly  the  whole  production  is 
imported  into  China,  where  it  is  esteemed  beyond 
the  ordinary  camphor,  and  used  as  incense. 
Blwnea  balsamifera  (Composilte),  a sluubhy  plant 
exceedingly  cominoji  in  tropical  Asia,  yields  a kind 
of  camphor  by  distillation.  Hainan  is  the  principal 
seat  of  the  industry,  but  the  crude  article  is  refined 
at  Canton,  whence  there  is  an  annual  exiDort  of 
about  10,000  pounds.  No  doubt  this  source  of  camphor 
could  be  much  more  extensively  utilised. 
Members  of  various  other  natural  orders,  notably 
the  Labiatae,  yield  essential  oils  of  the  same  com- 
position, and  having  the  same  properties,  as  camphor. 
Menthol  is  an  example.  W.  11.  11. 
— Natitre,  June  1. 
THE  SIZE  OF  THE  IHIEAKS  OF 
CEYLUN  TEA. 
The  following  memorial  has  been  drawn  up  and 
signed  by  fully  forty  of  the  largest  buyers  in  the 
tea  market : — 
To  the  Buokeks’  Associ.moN. 
Gentlemen, — We,  the  under-signed,  buyers  in  the 
Ceylon  tea  rrrarket,  beg  to  call  the  attention  of  your 
corirmittee  to  the  urgent  necessity'  of  taking  steps 
to  increase  the  size  of  the  sampling  breaks  for  public 
sale  to  at  least  the  same  lirrrit  as  now  prevails  for 
Indian  tea  on  the  following  grounds: 
I.  The  increasing  difficulty,  if  not  impossibility,  of 
accurately  valuing  so  many  samples  for  one  day’s  sale. 
II.  The  saving  of  time  to  be  effected  in  the  airc- 
tion  room,  which  would  be  invaluable  to  all  concerned, 
and  woulcl  adrrrit  of  buyers  being  able  to  have  their 
purchases  sampled  and  sent  oirt  on  the  same  evening. 
III.  The  extra  expeirse  and  labour  involved  in 
sampling  so  marry  small  lots  after  purchase,  and  irr 
furrrishing  samples  of  them  all  to  our  agents. 
We  desire  also  to  take  this  opportunity  of  expres- 
sing an  oprnion  that  the  number  of  grades  irrto 
which  Ceylon  tea  is  sorted  might  advantageously  be 
curtailed,  more  especially  as  regards  the  produce  of 
the  smaller  gardens.  We  also  think  that  the  smaller 
gardens  might  be  advised  not  to  dis^ratch  their  pro- 
duce more  frequently  than  orree  a fortrright  instead 
of  weekly.  And  we  also  deprecate  the  practice 
adopted  by  some,  even  of  the  larger  gardens,  of 
offering  duplicate  invoices  on  the  same  day. 
Begging  the  favour  of  your  early  consideration  of 
the  foregoing  suggestions.--  We  are,  Ac. 
[Here  follow  signatures.] 
Our  readers  will  remember  that  we  foreshadowed 
some  such  action  before  the  holidays,  and  the  above 
is  the  oirlcome  of  the  rumours  then  current.  It  is 
to  be  hoped  that  due  consideration  will  be  given  to 
the  arguments  adduced,  as  with  quantities  on  sale 
such  as  last  Tuesday,  when  27, -162  packages  were 
offered  in  fflfi  lots,  there  seems  to  bo  urgent  need 
for  some  alteration  in  the  direction  indicated  it  the 
trade  is  to  be  got  through  in  any  sort  of  reasonable 
time.  In  the  old  days  of  China  tea  oire  sample 
frequently  represented  oOO  chests,  sometimes  tiOO 
chests,  and  whilst  it  is  not  suggested  that  Ceylon 
planters  should  all  at  once  adopt  a similar  limit, 
there  is  no  reason  why  the  jirescnt  average  should 
not  be  largely  increased. — //.  (ind  (J.  Mail,  June  12. 
CUKFEE  IN  MEXICO. 
Our  Legation  at  Mexico  have  sent  home  a 
special  report  upon  the  cultivatiorr  of  coffee  in 
Mexico,  prepared  by  Mr.  Francis  Stronge,  in 
which  ho  points  out  in  detail  the  advantages 
and  difficulties  attending  the  profitable  employ- 
ment of  capital  on  a limited  scale  in  the 
country.  In  imrchasing  an  estate  in  lUexico  a new 
comer  sliould,  as  a rule,  have  )-ccourse  to  a relialjle 
foreign  agency.  Direct  negotiations  with  the  owners 
of  the  soil  are’ often  extremely  tedious,  and  they  should 
not  bo  undertaken  by  anyoire  who  does  not  possess  a 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  country.  Care  must,  of 
course,  be  taken  to  obtain  a good  title  to  the  land 
purchased,  and  in  most  cases  this  can  now  be  done 
without  much  difficulty  or  expense.  In  some  districts 
the  Indian  villagers  lay  claim  to  certain  rights 
over  adjoining  lands,  and  however  unfounded  such 
claims  may  be,  they  are  sometimes  a source  of  great 
annoyance  to  the  foreign  planter.  It  will  almost 
always  be  found,  however,  th.at  these  difficulties 
may  be  overcome  by  a little  tact  and  liberality. 
The  intending  planter  will  generally  do  well  to  spend 
some  little  time  in  the  country  before  making  a 
purchase,  and  sho’uld,  if  possible,  acquire  some  prac- 
tical knowledge  of  his"  business  at  an  existing 
plantation,  lie  will  be  apt  to  think  that  by  waiting 
he  is  letting  slip  many  a golden  opportunity  ; but 
such  opportunities  will  probably  recur  later,  and 
the  experience  he  will  have  gained  will  save  him 
much  loss  and  disappointment.  A considerable  number 
of  small  foreign  capitalists  in  Mexico  would  p>robably 
admit  that  for  a year  or  two  after  their  arrival 
experience  was  their  only  profit,  and  that  it  had 
been  gained  at  a needlessly  high  price. — Fmancial 
Pont,  9th  June. 
THE  ISLAND’S  SOL’IICES  OF  SUIT’LY 
OF  TEA  BOXES. 
There  being  short  siipplie.s  of  tea  sliook.s  ami  con- 
sequently higher  prices,  our  contemporary  has  been 
gathering  information  on  the  subject,  whicli  is 
stated  as  follows  : — 
Our  representative  first  waited  upon  probably 
THE  I.AUGEST  IMPOUTElt, 
who,  owing  to  hia  direct  connection,  has  heard  from 
a large  Japanese  house  the  causes  of  the  present  con- 
dition of  affairs.  This  gentleman  kindly  informed  us 
that  ho  understood  that  the  shortage  of  suprply  was 
ow'iug  to  the  demands  of  the  Japan  Government  for 
this  prarticular  Momi  timber  for  putting  up  huts  in 
Formosa.  At  this  time  of  jear  also— lasting  from 
July  to  December — there  were  the  important  require- 
ments of  Calcutta,  while  ho  also  believed  by  this  lime 
the  trees  in  Japran  most  easily  available  had  been  cut 
down,  and  now  the  exporters  had  possibly  to  go 
further  inland  and  greater  distances  from  river  banks 
for  the  timber.  I'liese  various  causes  had  combined 
to  seriously  diminish  the  supply,  and  send  up  the 
cost  20  p)cr  cent.  There  was  still  a small  demand 
here  for  cedar  wood — which  might  be  the  original 
CnjjAomcria  Japonica,  he  was  not  sure.  That  wood 
W'as  dearer  than  Momi,  which  was  not  a botanical 
name,  and  did  not  mean  “pine,”  although  a Japan 
pine  supplied  the  wood.  The  difficulty  to  meet 
requiremenls — or  at  any  rate  the  higher  prices 
— would  last,  the  speaker  thought,  until 
next  December,  after  which,  for  six  months, 
the  Indian  demand  would  cease.  As  to  whether 
pn-ices  had  reached  the  point  at  which  European 
supplies — particularly  Swedish  and  Austrian— could 
be  imported  the  difficulty  had  always  been  the  posi- 
tion of  exclulnge,  and  there  w'as  not  more  prospect 
of  a Is.  4d.  e.xchange  now  than  in  pn-evious  years. 
THE  LAUGEST  SINGLE  GONSUMEns 
were  next  interviewed.  liast  year  wlu-ii  there  was 
an  anticipated  rise  in  )))icc  they  had  imported  from 
J'lurope  ; but  had  not  taken  ste])s  to  do  so  this  year 
not  caring  for  the  business.  Owing  to  the  scarcity 
of  boxes,  however,  they  had  commenced  to  refuse 
outside  orders,  confining  themselves  to  the  sup)ply  of 
their  own  estates,  and  those  for  whom  they  were 
recognised  agents.  Former  customers  had  writteu 
urgently  for  supplies,  as  some  of  their  tea  was  having 
to  bo  stored  in  the  absence  of  boxes ; but  these  could 
not  bo  sent.  It  was  not  anticipiateil  that  there  would 
be  much  actual  loss  of  h-a,  because  it  would  keep  in 
tlie  factories  allriglit  let  .1  longtime;  but  inconveni- 
ence was  being  caused  in  some  (pi.u-tern. 
A I.Aliin:  AGENCY  IMiSI, 
who  are  their  own  importers,  not  being  sellers  to 
otiicrs,  ootdd  only  say  that  although  they  were 
paying  more  in  Japan,  they  were  not  handicapped 
in  supplies;  and  a further  consignment  for  them 
was  actually  on  its  way  to  Ceylon. 
