Aug.  r,  1896,] 
TFIE  TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
119 
boinp;  done  by  hand.  The  oil  is  used  for  soap  making 
and  for  lighting  purposes.  As  for  the  medicinal  article,  it 
is  still  imported  from  Europe.  The  e.xpenso  and 
difficulties  of  transport  have  always  been  in  the  way 
of  attempts  to  export  the  seed,  but  it  is  asserted 
that  a German  firm  at  Vera  Cruz  has  begun  to 
send  regular  shipments  of  it  to  Hamburg.  The 
load  in  Mexico  City  is  worth  !^8.50. 
Cotton  grows  well  all  over  Mexico,  and  especially 
well  in  certain  parts  ; but  the  want  of  field  labour 
has  restricted  its  culture,  and  it  is  chiefly  grown 
as  textile  material.  For  the  last  five  or  six  years 
cottonseed  oil  has  been  imported  from  Texas  for 
soap  making.  The  Mexican  producers  cannot  com- 
pete with  the  price  of  this  product,  and  have  lost 
the  sale  of  the  article  to  the  soap  makers.  The 
Government  tried  to  help  them  by  raising  the  duty 
on  cottonseed  oil,  and  since  this  increase  came 
into  force  on  Jan.  31  last  two  important  oil  facto- 
ries have  started  at  Torreon. 
The  chia  is  cultivated  on  the  central  plateau. 
Its  seed  resembles  that  of  the  colza,  and  the  oil 
extracted  from  it  is  used  as  a substitute  for  linseed 
oil.  It  is  very  siccative,  and  could  be  used  for  art 
painting. 
The  cacahoanantzin  is  the  name  of  a tree  of 
which  the  seed  gives  30  per  cent  of  excellent  oil.  It 
is  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  the  finest  soaps, 
but  it  seems  to  bo  very  little  used. 
The  chicalote  is  a thorny  plant  like  a cardoou,  which 
spreads  so  rapidly  that  it  is  a veritable  agricultural 
scourge.  Nevertheless,  its  seed  gives  from  25  to  30 
per  cent,  of  a limpid  soil,  which  is  said  to  be  one  of 
the  best  possible  for  paint.  The  Indians  of  TJruapan 
uso  it  for  their  famous  paintings  on  wood  and  on  cala- 
bashes, which  resist  boiling  water,  and  are  as  fresh 
after  twenty  years  as  on  the  first  day. 
The  mammey  (American  mammeetree)  has  a nut 
which  yields  40  per  cent  of  fine  oil  suitable  for  per- 
fumery and  soap  making.  The  work  of  extraction, 
however,  is  rendered  dangerous  by  the  amount  cf 
prussic  acid  it  contains,  and,  for  want  of  a market, 
the  oil  is  hardly  produced. 
The  earthnut,  called  here  cacahirate,  produces  from 
30  CO  50  per  cent,  of  an  oil  which  is  used  for  the 
hair  and  for  making  fine  soaps.  In  general  the  nut 
is  only  cultivated  for  eating  in  Mexico,  and  for  other 
purposes  is  imported. 
The  coquito  de  aceite,  or  small  oil  coco,  is  the 
almond  of  a Sylvester  pine  which  grows  in  abmidauce 
in  several  States.  It  is  found  in  groves  on  the  banks 
of  some-  of  the  rivers,  but  the  crop  has  been  a good 
deal  neglected  so  far,  although  the  nut  gives  (15  per  cent 
of  an  oil  in  high  esteem  foiTubricating  machinery  and 
for  soaps.  A few  factories  extracting  this  oil  are  in 
the  country,  but  the  greater  part  of  the  nut  crop  i.j 
sent  to  San  Francisco.  The  oil-cake  is  used 
as  fuel. 
The  coconut  is  used  only  as  a table  delicacy,  and 
fetches  a relatively  high  price.  It  grows  iir  abundance 
in  several  States,  but  the  Mexicans  do  not  yet  seem 
to  have  hit  on  the  idea  of  utilizing  it  for  its  oil.  In 
Mexico  City  there  are  seven  oil  factories,  the  most 
important  of  which  can  treat  thirty  charges  or  loads 
a day.  All  of  these  factories  use  steam,  and  one  or 
two  of  them  have  hydraulic  presses  and  modern  appli- 
ances. The  capital  engaged  in  the  business  may  be 
put  down  at  ^|i3(f0,000,  and  gives  a return  of  from  30  to 
40  per  cent.  The  seeds  treated  here  as  a general  rule 
are  sesainum,  rape,  linseed  and  castor.  Small  quan- 
tities of  coqiiitos,  mammeys  and  olives  .are  also 
sometimes  treated.  The  industry  of  oil  seeds  may 
possibly  have  a great  future  before  it,  not  because  of 
local  trade,  which  is  of  necessity  restricted,  but  in 
view  of  the  export  business.  Unfortunately,  fate  is 
against  any  great  immediate  growth  of  tlie  industry; 
thei-ft  is  a want  of  field  labor,  a dificulty  of  transporta- 
tion, and  a heavy  charge  for  freight  to  be  overcome 
The  ships  calling  at  Mexic.iu  ports  cannot  expect  a 
full  cargo,  and,  consequently,  doul)le  their  prices,  or, 
in  preference,  pick  their  return  cargo  at  Hiicnos 
Ayres  or  in  Brazil. — French  Consular  Ueport. — OH, 
raint  (uul  DiiKj  Ileporter,  June  1. 
CEYLON  AND  INDIAN  TEA  IN  AMERICA. 
The  following  is  an  extract  from  a letter,  dated  New 
lork,  ISJtii  May,  Ibbtl,  from  Mr.  li.  lllechynden  •— 
Since  the  date  of  my  last  Report  Mr.  Mackenzie 
the  Ceylon  Commissioner,  has  paid  anoiher  visit  to 
this  country,  leaving  during  the  first  week  in  April 
During  bis  stay  he  confirmed  and  extended  the  ar- 
rangements made  during  his  previous  visit,  for  tlie 
joint  demonstration  and  advertisement  of  India  and 
Ceylon  teas.  A considerable  sum  ha.s  been  expended 
by  Ceylon  in  advertising  in  magazines  and  journals 
For  some  issues  these  advertisements  v.'ere  for  Ceyloii 
teas  alone,  but  Mr.  Mackenzie  recognising  that 
Ceylon  was  getting  the  full  benefit  of  all  work  of 
every  kind  w'e  did,  met  us  in  a fair  and  liberal 
spirit,  and  thenceforth  the  advertisements  have  been 
for  Ceylon  and  Indian  teas.  I have  sent  specimens 
of  the  advertisements  as  they  appeared  for  Ceylon 
tea  alone  and  for  Ceylon  and  Indian  teas  The 
space  taken  by  Mr.  Mackenzie  in  the  magazines 
was  doubled  on  his  return  to  the  States,  and  is  still 
tor  I he  teas  of  both  countries.  I will  enclose  speci- 
mens of  the  advertisement  as  it  now  appears  in 
different  journals  and  magazines  circulating  through- 
out States;  many  of  these  are  admittedly  the  best 
mediums  for  advertising  of  their  kind  existing 
Some  efforts  have  been  made  by  the  Advertisinrr 
Agents  to  have  notices  of  “ machine-made  tea  ” im 
serted  in  these  journals,  and  in  a few  instances  with 
success.  Most  of  the  magazines  are  however  not  of 
a character  to  be  able  to  introduce  such  “ write  ups  ” 
having  no  columns  set  apart  for  general  notes.  ^ ’ 
In  addition  to  the  magazine  advertising  arranged 
for  by  Mr.  Mackenzie,  the  columns  of  the  regular- 
daily  press  have  been  extcnsivelv  used,  and  also  cer 
tain  commercial  journals.  Copies  of  the  advertise- 
ments have  been  sent  to  you  as  they  came  out  In 
the  commercial  journals  the  publication  of  certain 
facts  not  creditable  to  China  and  Japan  teas  was 
first  taken  hold  of,  and  the  language  used  by  the  im 
porters  of  these  teas  themselves  condornnino-  theni 
in  their  efforts  to  impose  an  import  duty  on  tea« 
were  quoted  and  the  advantages  of  Ceylon  and  In- 
dian teas  set  forth.  These  advertisements  (were  also 
used  at  first  in  the  daily  press.  When  the  figures 
showing  the  remarkable  increase  in  the  use  of  our 
teas  were  published  by  Messrs.  Gow,  Wilson  and 
Stanton,  great  use  was  made  by  us  of  them.  More 
recently  the  remarks  of  the  Chancellor  of  the  Exche- 
quer relative  to  the  increased  uso  of  tea  in  Brit  - u 
and  his  reference  to  India  and  Ceylon  teas  were  made 
the  text  of  the  advertisements.  These  advertisements 
have  been  published  in  New  York,  Philadelphia  and 
Boston,  in  the  dailies,  and  the  New  York  com’mer 
cial  papers  have  a wide  circulation  in  tJie  States  and 
Canada.  In  addition  to  these  papers  Mr.  Mackenzie 
has  bad  regular  advertisements  (whole  pa<m)  in  the 
leading  grocers’  paper  in  Canada.  ° 
The  system  agreed  upon  was  to  use  the  New 
York  evening  papers  every  week,  and  as  for  finan- 
cial reasons  it  was  impossible  to  take  sufficient 
space  to  set  forth  what  we  had  to  say  in  any  strik- 
ing manner  as  an  ordinary  advertisement,  w-e  struck 
upon  the  plan  of  using  rhyme  with  a small  wood 
cut,  trusting  to  the  novelty  of  the  method  to  attract 
attention.  Specimens  of  these  have  been  sent  to 
you  as  they  appeared.  These  rhymes  are  parodies 
upon  popular  airs,  and  sing  the  virtues  of  India  and 
Ceylon  teas.  The  types  selected,  the  cuts  used,  and 
the  form  m which  they  appear  make  these  advertise- 
ments “ stand  out  ” as  they  can  be  seen  at  a "laiico 
at  the  page  on  which  they  appear.  Among  adver- 
tisers we  are  given  a good  deal  of  credit  for  these 
advertisements  and  technical  Advertisers’  p.aper  The 
Newspaper  Maker  ” commends  them.  1 liavo  -Iso 
heard  from  several  private  sources  that  althonffii  thev 
have  been  ajipc.u-ing  for  only  a few  wcek.s  the  -id 
verti.scments  are  w.-il  known.  ’J'hc  plan  is  to  change 
the  parody  each  week,  an.,1  to  keep  the  head  line  and 
the  cuts  tlie  siune  as  a means  of  drawing  attention  to 
the  article  and  identifying  it  as  on  the  same  .suhiect 
I am  assured  that  scores  of  people  who  do  not  or- 
dinary read  advertising  matter  read  and  “hum”  the 
Imos  wo  publish. 
