312 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
I Nov.  2,  1896. 
auy  practical  benefit  in  this  it  could  be  applied  to 
f reen  manuring  for  tea.  The  saine  with  many  other 
iacoveries. 
Allusion  was  also  made  in  the  discussion  to  Mr. 
Bamber,  the  scientific  export  who  was  appointed  by 
the  Indian  Tea  Association  a few  years  ago.  He  doubt- 
less made  the  best  of  his  time  and  opportunities.  His 
report  was  a valuable  contribution  to  the  literature  of 
tea,  and  is  now  the  standard  work  on  tea  gener- 
ally, though  he  stamps  with  his  approval  at  least 
one,  in  my  opinion,  vital  fallacy  in  tropical  cultiva- 
tion. He  gave  all  the  varied  opinions  ever  held  or 
expressed  by  planters  on  different  subjects,  and  he 
described  or  referred  to  all  the  blights  and  pests  to 
which  tea  is  subject,  but  without  aiding  as  to  their 
eradication  or  cure.  Neither  was  much  added  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  chemistry  cf  tea,  and  I fear  there 
was  little  or  nothing  contributed  towards  improve- 
ment in  the  practice  of  manufacture.  He  gave  the 
undigested  results  of  some  manuring  experiments — 
some  of  them  of  old  date — by  planters  as  furnished 
to  him.  His  attention  never  seems  to  have  been 
directed  by  the  Association  to  ascertaining  the 
mineral  elements  required  to  piroduce  quality, 
or  to  even  visit  the  district  conspicuous  above 
others  for  quality.  But  I repeat  that  Mr.  Bamber 
acting  under  the  orders  of  the  Tea  Association,  did 
all  what  was  possible  in  the  time,  and  for  this  he 
should  have  full  credit.  Allusion  was  also  made  to 
■ Dr.  Watt  and  his  having  done  “much  good  work 
in  a short  time.”  Dr.  Watt  I know  as  a botanist 
and  an  able  writer.  He  may  have  some  knowledge 
of  chemistry  also,  but  I am  unaware  if  he  be  an 
agricultural  chemist  or  a practical  agriculturist.  Ho 
has  done  something  for  tea  by  his  investigating  into 
the  damage  to  the  lead  linings  and  tea  from  the 
use  of  unseasoned  and  otherwise  unsuitable  wood  for 
chests. 
In  addition  to  the  noble  example  of  Sir 
■ John  B.  Lawes,  much  is  being  done  at  home, 
I believe,  entirely  by  private  enterprise  unaided  by 
Government.  The  next  of  importance  is  perhaps  the 
experimental  station  of  the  Royal  Agricultural  Society 
of  England  at  Woburn,  aided  by  the  Duke  of  Bed- 
ford, and  conducted  by  Dr.  Voelcker.  Experiments 
are  carried  no  a smaller  scale  at  Newton-le- Willows, 
and  by  the  more  enterprising  farmers’  associations 
as  in  Eastern  Ross.  Slost  laudable  and  beneficial 
have  been  the  unaided  efforts  of  Mr,  Findlay,  of 
Fifeshire,  in  the  roaring  of  new  varieties  of  disease- 
resisting  potatoes.  All  this  should  prove  an  incen- 
tive to  the  great  tea  industry. 
Ceylon  also  as  usual  bids  fair  to  set  India  another 
example.  Not  only  a scientific  expert,  but  technical 
schools  for  instruction  in  tea  manufacture  are  being 
advocated  for  the  island. 
The  Indian  tea  industry  ought  to  have  a compe- 
tent agricultural  chemist  who  is  an  enthusiast  in 
his  profession  with  a well-equipped  laboratory  and 
an  efficient  staff  of  assistants.  These  should  be 
liberally  supported  as  a permanent  institution.  In 
regard  to  such  an  investigation  no  half  measures 
can  suffice.  They  can  only  prove  a delusion  and  a 
snare. 
It  is  to  be  hoped,  therefore,  that  the  Indian  Tea 
Association  and  tea  industry  may  make  an  unani- 
mous and  lasting  effort  worthy  of  so  great  a cause, 
and  that,  as  recommended,  the  Government  may 
be  induced  to  provide  half  the  funds  thus  required  in 
the  interests  of  an  industry  that  contributes  so  much 
towards  the  prosperity  of  India  and  the  empire  ge- 
nerally.— H.  d;  C.  Mail,  Sept.  4. 
PLANTING  AND  I'KODUCE. 
Tjik  Gi.ory  has  Dkparteo. — The  excitement  that 
used  to  attend  the  race  of  the  China  tea  clipper  has 
gone,  so  far  as  this  country  is  concerned,  and  if  a cable 
' from  Now  York  contains  reliable  information  it  is 
much  the  same  in  regard  to  America.  I'^rom  New 
York  we  learn  that  the  British  steamer  “ Hankow” 
arrived  from  China  on  Sunday.  She  and  the 
■ steamer  “ Glonogle”  left  China  at  the  same  time  in 
■-  Juno  loaded  with  tea,  and  the  “ Glonogle  ” arrived  on 
Wednesday-  Captain  Orr,  of  the  “ Hankow,”  when 
told  of  the  arrival  of  the  “Glenogle,”  said:  “I 
received  instructions  from  the  company's  office  in 
Loudon  to  keep  up  a speed  of  only  104  knots  an 
hour.  I could  have  done  14  knots,  and  might  then 
have  beaten  the  “Glenogle.”  The  “Hankow”  is  owned 
by'  Messrs.  W.  Milburn  and  Company,  of  London. 
Poi’ULAiusiNG  Indtan  Tea. — 'i’ho  connection  be- 
tween a church  organ  and  Indian  tea  does  not  seem 
very  near  at  a first  glance,  but  in  Dover  they  con- 
trive to  bring  it  about.  At  St.  James’s  Church  there 
a new  organ  is  wanted,  and  a somewhat  novel  way 
of  providing  the  necessary  funds  has  been  taken. 
According  to  the  rector,  in  this  month’s  parish  maga- 
zine, a number  of  the  parishioners,  rich  and  poor, 
have  taken  up  the  sale  of  tea,  which  is  sent  homo 
by  a well-wisher  in  India,  the  profits  going  towards 
the  fund,  which  has  already  reached  a considerable 
sum. 
Produce  and  the  Trade  Returns. — According  to 
the  Board  of  Trade  returns  for  August  there  is  a 
dimimuion  in  the  import  of  tea  as  compared  with 
August,  1895,  amounting  to  £824,908  Of  this  India’s 
share  in  the  decline  is  £210,500  and  Ceylon’s  £77,000. 
Cocoa  fell  off  the  value  of  £10,880.  Less  sugar  by 
.£210,000  came  to  us  this  August,  Peru  being  the 
only  source  from  which  we  obtained  more  than  last 
year.  The  greatest  falling  off  was  in  the  arrivals 
from  Germany  and  the  Philippine  Islands.  The 
quantity  of  wheat  (5,153,000  cvvt,)  compares  with 
9,900,000  cw't.  in  1895  and  8,717,000  cwt.  in  1894.  The 
United  States  sent  2,280,000  cwt.  or  only  353,0e0cwt. 
less  than  last  year,  but  from  Russia,  tlie  Argentine 
Republic,  the  British  East  Indies,  and  Australasia 
there  came  in  the  aggregate  only  1,052,000  cwt. 
compared  with  0,428,000  cwt.  last  year.  ’Tne  statis- 
tical position  of  wheat  would  seem,  therefore,  to  be 
favourable  to  a rise  in  price  but  for  the  recent 
heavy  shipments  from  the  United  States.  It  must 
be  borne  in  mind  that  the  figures  for  August,  1895, 
were  unusually  high,  and  that  this  year  August  had 
only  25  working  days  compared  with  20  last  year. 
A Plea  for  Coffee. — Mr.  David  Strang,  a “ coffee 
specialist,”  of  Southland  Steam  Coffee  and  Spice, 
Mills,  Invercargill,  New  Zealand,  wTites  with  re- 
ference to  the  decline  in  the  consumption  of  coffee: 
“Perhaps  the  reason  why  the  consumption  of  coffee 
is  on  the  decline  is  that  manufacturers  have  not 
given  it  any  special  consideration.  If  the  trade  were 
taken  up  by  a few  specialists,  on  the  same  lines  as  the 
cocoa  trade  is  run,  it  would,  in  my  opinion,  increase 
the  sale.  I have  gone  to  a lot  of  trouble  and  expense 
in  machinery  and  other  matters  to  get  coffee  up  in 
several  forms  to  suit  the  various  tastes  (best  ru,w 
materials  only  being  used),  and  the  public  have  the 
following  variety  to  clioose  fiotn  ; R iw  coffee,  roasted 
coffee,  pure  ground  coffee,  pure  coffee  with  pure 
chicory  only,  patent  soluble  coffee  powder,  made  in- 
stantly with  boiling  water  or  milk,  and  patent  ‘Ko- 
K-off  coffee,  being  pure  coffee  and  chicory  with  a 
small  proportion  of  specially  prepared  pure  cocoa.,” 
A New  Rubber  Industry. — 'The  new  rubber  in- 
dustry at  Lagos  affords  one  of  the  most  remark- 
able instances  of  the  rapid  development  of  an  in- 
dustry that  has  taken  place  in  recent  years  in  any 
British  colony.  It  owes  its  existence  to  a wild  plant 
which  was  only  discovered  in  Lagos  within  the  last 
two  or  three  years  says  the  Keto  Jlulletin.  It 
was  found  to  be  new  as  a source  of  rubber, 
although  there  is  now  reason  to  believe  it  had 
yielded  some  of  that  formerly  exported  from 
the  Gold  Coast.  At  the  present  time  Kickxia 
rubber  from  Lagos  has  established  itself  as  a com- 
mercial article  in  great  demand.  The  exports  in 
January,  1895,  were  21,131  lb.  of  the  value  of  .£1,214. 
This  was  practically  the  beginning  of  the  industry. 
In  December,  1895.  the  exports  had  increased  to 
948,0001b.  of  the  value  of  £51,188  9s  Id.  From  a 
recent  return,  communicated  to  Kow  by  the  Govern- 
ment of  Lagos,  the  total  exports  during  the  ye.ir 
1895  amounted  to  5,0u9,501  In.  (2,203  tons)  of  the 
value  of  209,892  BL  lOd.  ’This  considerable  industry 
has  therefore  been  called  into  existence  within  tw.dvo 
months.  The  rubber  is  purely  a forest  prodii  I,  ..1  1 
