Sept,  i,  1896.  J 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
189 
accepted  foi’  tlie  rej^istration  of  a company.  If 
it  be  legal  to  ilo  this,  tliere  must  maiufestly  be 
some  degree  of  uncertainty  as  to  tlie  perma- 
nence of  the  name  of  any  of  the  many  com- 
panies that  are  daily  floated.  Anyway  it  seems 
a very  extraordinary  circnmstance  that  a name 
should  in  this  case  have  been  selected  which  was 
manifestly  open  to  the  objections  raised  by  the 
older  company. 
INDIA  AND  CEYLON  TEA  COMPANY  (LIMITED.) 
TO  THE  EDITOR  OF  THE  TIMES. 
Sir, — The  above  name  was  selected  by  my  company 
as  indicating  the  position  of  the  company’s  proper- 
ties, and  was  provisionally  accepted  by  the  Registrar 
of  Joint  Stock  Companies  at  Somerset-house.  As 
soon  as  it  was  known  that  objection  was  taken  to 
the  name  on  behalf  of  the  East  India  and  Ceylon 
Tea  Company  (Limited),  we  instructed  our  solictors 
to  arrange  for  an  alteration  of  the  name,  and,  with 
the  approval  of  the  Registrar,  we  have  now  altered 
the  original  name  to — 
Empire  of  India  and  Ceylon  Tea  Company  (Limited  ) 
Yours  faithfully, 
H.  F.  Turner,  Secretary,  Empire  of 
India  and  Ceylon  Tea  Company  (Limited),  60,  Grace 
chur-h-strett.  London,  E.C. 
July  24. 
“ HIGH-CLASS  TEAS.” 
The  following  letter,  addressed  to  our  “senior” 
at  home,  will  be  read  with  much  interest  by  all 
concerned  in  the  prosperity  of  our  tea  enterprise  : — 
Analytical  Laboratory,  79  Mark  Lane, 
London,  E.C.,  July  29th,  1896. 
I was  very  much  pleased  with  your  intere-sting 
editorial  on  High-clas.s  Tea  and  think  the  practical 
remarks  which  it  contained  should  be  highly  ap- 
preciated by  planters,  a.s  well  as  by  all  holders 
of  share.s  in  tea  companies. 
I fully  appreciate  the  kind  reference  to  the 
numerous  letters  which,  since  my  first  official 
visit  in  1877,  I have  contributed  to  the  pages  ot 
the  Ceylon  Observer. 
It  is  a satisfaction  to  myself  to  see  that  my 
suggestions  respecting  the  importance  of  chemical 
investigat'.on  ini.o  the  vai'ious  o[>erations  involved 
in  the  manufacture  of  tea,  are  at  last  authoritatively 
recognised. 
If  the'  various  [irocesses  which  the  leaf  under- 
goes from  the  time  of  jiicking  to  the  time  of 
packing  are  to  be  carefully  and  scientifically  in- 
vestigated, tlie  inquiry  must  be  locally  carried 
on  at  the  tea  factory. 
No  great  expense  neerl  be  incurred  : a junior 
assistant  well  qualified  in  general  Organic 
Chemistry  should  be  attached  to  each  factory, 
and  a careful  inquiry  instituted  into  the 
original  composition  of  the  fresh  leaf  as  received 
from  the  pickers,  and  sub.sequent  analyses  should 
be  made  of,  the  leaf  during  the  various  stages 
of  manufacture. 
The  making  of  good  tea  is  no  doubt  an  art, 
but  the  various  processes  through  which  the  leaf 
passes  aie  controlled  by  chemical  principles,  and 
It  is  most  important  to  ascertain  on  the  spot  to 
what  extent  the  several  processes  may  be  varied 
with  advantage. 
Of  course  soil,  season,  and  elevation  will  mate- 
riallj  allect  the  general  character  and  (juality  of 
the  tea,  in  the  same  way  that  wine  varies  ac- 
cording to  the  locality  and  season. 
It  is,  however,  most  important  that  the  manu- 
facture should  bo  aided  by  chemical  knowledge, 
and  the  future  success  in  m.anufacture  will  doubt- 
less largely  ilcpend  upon  the  iihility  anil  practical 
skill  with  whicii  chemical  knowledge  is  applied. 
As  regards  manuring  1 think  that  I)r.  Voelcker, 
iu  his  remaiks  following  Mr.  Christison’s  lecture. 
was  misinformed  in  stating  that  “ there  appeared 
to  be  an  absence  of  knowledge  upon  points  of 
cultivation,  for  example,  as  to  what  manure  should 
be  used  and  what  should  be  avoided  in  order  to 
produce  the  best  tea.” 
I believe  experienced  planters  do  know  some- 
thing definite  about  manuring  tea  by  this  time. 
At  all  events  I have  letters  by  me  giving  very 
satisfactory  reports  of  certain  manures  of  definite 
composition  which  have  been  used  on  soils  of 
known  compo.sition,  with  such  favourable  results 
that  fresh  con.signments  have  been  sent  out  at 
regular  periods. 
You  are  aware  what  a number  of  samples  of 
soil  from  Ceylon  estates  were  submitted  to  me 
for  analysis  during  my  official  visit  in  1877, 
and  since  then  numerous  other  samples  have  been 
sent  year  by  year. 
Having  carefully  analysed  the  soil,  and  with 
a knowledge  of  the  requirements  of  tea  derived 
from  numerous  analyses,  it  is  possible  to  com- 
pound a manure  that  shall  under  favourable 
seasons  yield  a satisfactory  and  economical  result. 
Planters  are  in  this  respect  already  availing 
themselves  of  the  aid  that  Chemistry  can  afford 
in  the  jireparation  of  fertilisers  suitable  for  tea, 
and  will  doubtless  do  so  more  fully  in  the  future. 
— Yours  faithfully,  JOHN  HUGHES. 
^ 
CITIIONELLA  GRASS  CULTIVATION. 
Since  the  late  boom  in  the  price  of  citronella  oiJ 
the  Sinhalese  in  the  Galle  District  have  gone  in 
extensively  for  the  cultivation  of  this  grass.  Planta- 
tions are  springing  up  daily  in  Gangebodde  Pattu, 
Akmiinane  and  Talpe  Pattu.  The  area  under  cultiva- 
tion last  year  in  Galle  was  according  to  Mr.  Elliott’s 
Administration  Report  about  1,500  acres,  which 
will  no  doubt  be  materially  increased  by  the  opera- 
tions of  the  current  year. — Cor. 

COFFEE  IN  COSTA  RICA. 
Costa  Rica  has  long  been  noted  as  an  im- 
portant coffee-growing  country.  In  our  latest 
summing-up  of  the  Coffee  Production  of  the 
World,  Costa  Rica  is  put  down  for  a total  ex- 
port of  325,000  cwt.,  and  the  crop  has  ranged 
between  300,000  and  400,000  cwt.  for  some  time. 
It  is  evident  that  there  is  room  in  this  State, 
as  in  other  Central  and  South  American  States, 
for  a large  expansion  of  the  area  under  coffee! 
but  two,  if  not  three,  factors  ojierate  in  delay- 
ing this  process:— (1)  the  limited  and  uncertain 
labour  supply,  (2)  the  difficulties  and  costliness 
of  transport,  and  (3)  in  some  cases  the  want 
of  settled  government.  As  regards  the  last  it  is 
of  interest  to  learn  from  Mr.  .1.  L.  Shand— who 
has  been  over  to  report  on  Costa  Rica  coffee 
lands— that  there  is  no  prospect  of  trouble  in 
the  State  under  review  ; while  he  considers  the 
two  other  obstacles  may  also  be  overcome  in 
respect  of  the  large  enterprise  which  has  been 
the  subject  of  his  inspection  and  report.  In 
the  lirst  place  it  is  ivorth  noting  some  respects 
in  which  Costa  Rica  and  the  Ceylon  hill-country 
may  be  compared.  They  do  not  differ  much  in 
latitude,  both  on  the  north  side  of  the  Equator 
Ceylon  about  seven  and  Costa  Rica  ten  degrees 
north.  The  hilly  country  may  be  said  to  lie 
between  two  seas  or  oceans,  lind  rise.s  in  both 
cases  to  7,000  or  8,000  feet  at  the  highest ; and 
although  full  and  reliable  meteorological  returns 
are  wanting  for  Costa  Rica,  the  seasons  seem 
wonderfully  to  agree  in  both  countries:  the  dry 
season  in  both  being  from  January  or  February 
till  May,  the  rest  of  the  year  wet  with  occa- 
