244 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Oct.  I,  i8q6. 
ment  is  “ totally  uutnie.”  It  remarks  that  “it  is  au 
invariable  rule  with  the  Customs  authorities  at  the 
port  of  London  not  to  permit  the  bulking  or  mixing 
of  coffee  excepting  it  is  done  under  their  own  super- 
vision, and  even  the  privilege  of  ‘roasting,  when  it 
is  conceded,  is  extended  to  only  one  individual  him, 
who  have  a special  license  for  the  same.  As  to  a 
merchant  palming  olf  a colTee  worth  His  per  cwt.  less 
in  the  market  ’ than  the  description  the  buyer  sup- 
poses he  is  receiving,  with  the  intention  of  ‘ defraud- 
ing him  of  that  sum,”  it  is  sheer  nonsense  to  say 
so  The  fullest  particulars  of  the  parcels  in  public 
sales  are  printed  in  the  brokers’  catalogues,  and  when 
the  wholesale  dealers,  as  purchasers,  are  experts  in 
iudging  of  the  value  of  the  article,  such  gross  frauds 
and  deceptions  are  impossible.  Moreover,  the  re- 
tailers who  follow  the  market  pretty  closely  know 
well  enough  that  there  is  a vast  difference  between 
the  qualities  of  coffee  at  80s  and  96s  or  90s 
and  106s,  and  they  could  not  by  any  kind  of  mani- 
pulation, even  if  there  were  attempts  to  practise  it, 
be  deceived  in  the  lots  they  buy.  A uniform  standard 
of  quality  in  coffee  is  most  difficult  to  maintain,  as 
the  same  growths  do  not  arrive  regularly  all  the  year 
round,  but  only  at  certain  seasons,  and  there  are 
few  articles  of  commerce  so  cramped  in  supply  as 
coffee  Since  the  production  in  Ceylon  has  fallen 
from  1,000,000  cwt.  in  1870  to  a mere  trifle,  the  im- 
ports of  coloury  sorts  suitable  lor  home  consumption 
have  been  seriously  reduced  and  are  very  precarious, 
coming  at  various  intervals  from  Central  America., 
when  not  obtainable  from  older  ports  of  shipment. 
Thus  business  between  the  wholesale  dealers  and 
the  retailers  is  rendered  extremely  awkward  m 
times  of  scarcity.  Hence  the  high  prices  paid 
for  desirable  qualities  year  after  year.  Lyen  the 
plentifulness  of  Hrazil  coffee  has  been  of  little  or 
no  avail,  as  it  is  not  exactly  the  sort  that  is 
required  for  domestic  use  in  tnis  country;  and 
Santos— a superior  description  of  Hrazil  which 
has  been  tried  as  the  nearest  substitute  for  planta- 
tion coffee  when  the  latter  has  not  been  procurable 
has  been  given  up  as  a failure  by  connoisseurs 
in  the  ait  of  making  a truly  delicious  cup  of  coffee. 
Experienced  judges  in  “ The  Lane  ” have  been  heard 
to  Ly  that  the  rarest  kind  of  coffee  is  a blend  of 
Cannon’s  Mysore  or  other  choice  East  India,  coloury 
plantation  Ceylon,  and  rich  old  yellow  Mocha;  or 
a combination  of  mountain-grown  Jamaica  and  bright 
blue  Costa  Rica.  Rut  how  are  these  favourite  des- 
criptions to  be  obtained  in  requisite  abundance  to 
keep  the  trade  going  steadily  on  throughout  he 
season?  That  is  the  question;  and  here  begins  the 
supreme  difficulty  of  getting  really  fine  coffee  always 
uiimixed,  and  without  one  distinct  class  being  used 
instead  of  another,  as  the  closest  approach  to  the 
style  and  quality  wanted  by  the  fanciful  consumer. 
In  seeking  to  supply  what  is  required  no  fraudulent 
practice  isMutendkl.  Dealers  simply  endeavour  to  suit 
purchasers  of  coffee  as  nearly  as  they  possibly  can 
during  periods  of  dearth.  — H-  u>id  C.  Jhitl,  Aug.  14. 
^ 
STRAITS  SETri.KMCNTS  RAMIE  EIRRE 
CO.,  LTD. 
Registered  AUh  July  by  (irundy,  Kershaw  A 
Co  4 New-courb,  IJncoln’s-inn,  W.C.,  with  a 
capital  of  £50,000,  in  4S,i>50  £1  shru'es,  and 
H5  000  shaies  of  Is  each.  Objects  : To  adopt 
and  carry  into  ellcct  two  agreeinents,  the  hist 
expressed  to  he  made  between  J.  M.  Macdonald 
ami  H 11-  of  the  lirst  i>art,  and  tins 
coniDany  of  the  other  part  ; the  second  made 
between  tlie  Roylc  Fibre  Syndicate  (European 
l>atent.s).  Ltd.,  of  the  lust  part,  and  J.  M. 
Macdonald  of  the  second  jiart  ; to  acquire  tlic 
Macilonald-Roylc  invention  for  the  treatment  ol 
ramie  or  rhea  lihre  for  tlie  Straits  Settlements 
and  elsewhere  ; to  carry  on  jmsincss  as  ramie 
olanters  and  dealers  in  and  planters  and  maiiii- 
■acturers  of  all  the  kinds  of  vegetable  products; 
as  merchants,  importers,  e.xpo)  ters,  sliipowiicrs, 
forwarding  agents,  mider-writcrs,  <&c  The  sig» 
natories  are  : — 
Shares. 
R.  J.  Rroadbent,  34,  Royal  Exchange 
Manchester  . . . . . . 1 
F.  0.  H.  Rowmau,  Knutsford,  Cheshire..  1 
J.  Wade,  Alma-terrace,  Manchester  ..  1 
J.  MacCallum,  11,  Mosley-street,  Man- 
ch03^61*  « • • X 
T G.  Scarborough,  J.P.,  Halifax  ..  1 
W.  S. dtostron,  Lyndhurst,  Whitelield  ..  1 
J.  S.  Rixton,  12,  Half  Moon-street,  Man- 
chester . . . . . . 1 
The  lirst  directors — of  whom  there  shall  be 
not  less  than  three  nor  more  than  ten — are  to  be 
elected  by  the  signatories.  Qualifications,  500 
shares.  Remuneration,  to  be  fixed  by  the  coin- 
puny.  — Fi nancial  Ti mcs. 
VARIOUS  PLANTING  NOTES. 
Rhea  EThre. — E’rom  onr  leading  English  con- 
temporary we  also  give  an  extract  dealing  with 
the  rhea  fibre  industry  in  India.  The  cultiva- 
tion of  rlica  is,  we  believe,  being  tried  certain  in 
estates  in  Ceylon,  and  we  should  like  very  much 
to  hear  the  result  so  far. 
Coffee  in  Coorg. — E'rom  the  official  forecast 
of  the  coll'ee  cro])  in  Coorg  for  I89G-97  w'c  learn 
that  an  indill'erenb  crop  estimated  at  24  ewts. 
an  acre  on  Eluropean  plantation  is  anticipated. 
A yield  of  1 cwt.  an  acre  is  estimated  for  Native 
ganlens.  The  total  estimated  crop  is  given  as 
4,21  IJ  tons.  The  estimated  average  yield  per 
acre  of  ordinarily  well  cultivated  coll'ee  in  full 
bearing  for  1896-97  was  3 cwt.  Taking  the  aver- 
age or  rupee  crop  at  3,569  tons  per  annum,  the 
forecast  of  4,211  tons  for  the  coming  season  re- 
presents a 19  annas  crop,  the  anna  equivalent 
being  “jQ,  or  nearly  ‘222  tons. 
Wild  Tea  Seed. — The  Indian  Affriculturist  of 
Aug.  1st  says  : — Those  w'ho  have  made  forward 
sales  of  tea  seed,  for  tlie  next  tw'o  or  three  years, 
have  reason  to  congratulate  theni.selves  on  their 
fore.sight.  We  learn  from  an  authentic  source 
that  wild  tea,  of  which  the  best  variety  covers 
considerable  tracts  in  the  Lusliai  and  Chin  Hills, 
is  likely  to  come  into  the  market.  Our  erst- 
w’hile  unruly  neighbours  are  now  convinced  of  tire 
futility  of  further  resistance,  and  doubtless  will 
turn  tlieir  attention  to  tlie  collection  of  tliis 
valuable  forest  product.  In  fact,  a commence- 
ment was  made  last  year,  but  the  gathering 
was  begun  too  early — in  September — wlien  the 
nuts  liad  not  matured.  These  wild  tea  tracts 
need  conserving,  as  in  some  instances  the  men 
wlio  hronght  in  the  seed  admitted  tliat  they 
had  felled  the  tree  to  obtain  it.  Indigenous 
tea  in  Caciiar  very  rarely  seeds  after  being 
out  down  to  a heiglit  from  tlie  grouiul  wliicli 
allows  of  the  leaf  being  plucked.  4Vliat  our 
lilanters  call  Mniinipoori  iiuligenons  seed  is  in 
reality  a liyhrid,  and  yields  prolilically  when 
jdanted  out  and  kept  at  the  desired  heiglit,  like 
the  rest  of  the  mixed  plants  raised  on  the  older 
gardens.  No  doubt,  the  seed  from  thi.s  hybrid 
is  of  superior  clas.s  ; but  still  it  is  not  so  ]iro- 
lific  in  leaf  as  the  pure  indigenous  variety. 
We  know  that  large  tracts  of  wild  tea  exist  in 
the  IJnkong  Valley  and  the  Naga  Hills,  subject 
to  and  north  of  Munnipoor,  .'^o  tliat  it  is  not 
mere  speculation  to  .surini.se  that  the  mountain 
ranges  in  the  valleys  of  the  (.’hindwin,  Magluiig, 
and  basin  of  the  lirawaddy  may  prove  equally 
rich  in  this  i c.spcct.  'Ehe  country  is  quiet  enough 
now,  and  iieitlier  Sing|)hoos  nor  Ivlianiptis  object 
to  the  European  traveller,  though  cherishing  a 
mortal  dislike  of  the  Marwaree, 
