4H 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec.  I,  1896. 
M.  Laurent  voyaged  up  tlie  Congo  ami  begins 
by  describing  the  “District  of  tlie  Cataracts.’' 
its  narrow  feitile  valleys,  its  wooded  ravines 
and  sandy  plains.  Here  be  considers  there 
inay  be  scope  for  tlie  planting  of  laberian  cofl'ee, 
in  spite  of  the  disadvantage  of  the  long  dry 
season  ; a small  area  already  contains  plants  two 
years  old.  The  district  of  Stanley-Port  and  of 
the  eastern  Kwango  contains  .several  varieties  of 
India-rubber  of  the  Tiandolpbia  genus  growing  in 
great  abundance,  and  e.xperinients  of  cofl'ee  grow- 
ing and  two  cacao  trees  are  referred  to;  but  they 
show  so  far  no  great  iiroinise,  the  soil  being  too 
.sandy  and  dry.  The  district  of  Ijuke  Leopold 
II  promises  most  for  India-rubber,  jilantains  are 
abundant  and  probably  tobacco  would  do  well. 
In  the  district  of  Kassai'  and  the  Lnalaba, 
the  upper  streams  mnir  the  sonm;  of  the  ( longo, 
M.  lianrent  found  what  see.nied  to  him  .a  new 
variety  of  coU'ee  growing  wibl.  It  is  a small 
tree  from  .‘1  to  5 yards  high  with  spreading  brandies 
often  growing  over  streams  of  water.  1'he 
leaves  are  larger  than  those  of  Liberian  c ill'ee 
and  the  llowers  small  like  Arabian  coll'ce. 
In  one  plantation  he  was  able  to  compare  the 
growth  of  this  variety  with  the  Liberian.  In 
the  Arab  zone,  or  district  of  the  Stanley-Falls, 
he  noticed  in  the  forest  region  very  fine  pota- 
toes, the  fourth  crop  within  fifteen  months.  He 
thinks  cotton  and  indigo  may  possibly  grow  well. 
Then  follows  “ The  forest  region.”  In  the  dis- 
trict of  theAruwini  were  some  coffee  and  cacao 
jdantations  of  which  more  detailed  statistics  are 
given  as  also  of  others  in  the  district  of  the 
Bangalas  and  that  of  the  equator.  The  second 
part  of  the  paper  is  on  the  cultivation  of  cofl'ee, 
and  on  minor  cultivations.  The  third  partis  on  the 
obieets  to  be  pursued  in  the  Congo,  by  the  Bel- 
gian state  and  cultivators.  The  information  alto- 
gether is  of  much  practical  value  and  we  shall 
refer  to  it  when  the  details  are  all  before  us. 
CEYLON  TEA  IN  AMERICA  AND  RCSSIA. 
We  think  the  time  has  come  when  the  Com 
mittee  of  the  Ceylon  Tea  Fund  should  consider 
the  desirableness  of  discontinuing  any  and  every 
subsidy  to  lU'ivate  individual  or  firm  in  both 
llus.sia  and  North  America.  If  our  information 
be  correct  in  respect  of  both  countries — and  it 
is  derived  from  well-informed  quarters — Ceylon 
tea  has  got  a good  hold  in  both  countries  and  is 
now  handled  by  far  more  linns  and  individuals 
than  those  who  have  received,  or  are  receiving, 
aid  from  the  idanters’  funds.  One  consequence 
is  that  jealousy  and  other  ill-feeling  are  being 
en^mndred  in  connection  with  the  action  of  the 
IocaI  Committee  and  their  agents,  and  the  I'esult 
of  certain  favored  dealers  being  subsidised  any 
lonoer  will  be  to  increase  these  antagonistic  feel- 
ings. In  this  way,  not  only  are  the  majority 
ovRside  the  subsidised  list  who  have  to  touch 
Ceylon  tea,  hindered  by  a very  natural  jealousy, 
from  going  into  the  trade  as  freely  and  fully 
as  they  would  otherwise  desire  ; but  many  more 
dealers  who  wouhl  probably  follow  .suit  if  they 
saw  a cle.ar  field  and  no  favour,  are  holding  off' 
as  IciP’’  as  ever  they  can,  under  pre.sent  circum- 
stancois.  On'  the  other  side,  it  will  no  doubt  be 
pleaded  that  the  best  way  to  force  the  hands 
of  the  big  and  little  tea  houses  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada  is  to  work  through  a very 
few  leading  firms  who  are  ready  to  exqiend  any 
money  from  Ceylon  in  advertising  its  tea,  hold- 
ing and  distributing  a supply  on  their  own  ac- 
count. But  surely,  it  is  not  impo.ssible,  now  that 
a considerable  acquaintance  with  tlie  tea  busi- 
ness in  the  United  States  and  Canada  has  been 
acquired,  to  e.xpend  all  local  funds  in  advertising 
direct — each  advertising  for  the  benelit  of  all, 
equally,  m ho  are  ready  to  hold  and  distribute 
(Yylon  tea?  Our  readers  are  aware  that  from 
the  outset,  we  discouraged  the  plan  of  private 
sub.sidies  in  the  case  of  the  American  market  as 
being  unsound  in  principle,  and  calculated,  sooner 
or  later,  to  engender  prejudice  and  jealou.sjn 
We  ai’e  free  to  admit,  however,  that  to  get  a 
start  ill  the  face  of  considerable  opjiosition,  a 
temporary  subsidy  in  a few  well-selected  quarters 
may  have  been  advantageous.  But,  if  so,  we 
think  there  is  evidence  that  a change  of  pidicc 
to  direct  and  impartial  ailvertising  iii  the  (aiiley 
States  and  Canada,  would  now  be  still  mord 
•advantageous,  .as  well  .as  a wise  and  [.olitic  course 
o pursue  in  the  interests  of  all  concerned.  Wee 
know  th.at  the  e.xpense  of  adveifcising  in  the 
best  pajiers  and  periodie.als  in  America  is  des- 
cribed .as  ve.iy  high---much  higher  it  is  said 
than  any  rates  quoted  in  the  British  Empire- 
hut  if  the  right  cour.se  is  adopted,  it  must 
be  nearly,  ^ if  not  (piite,  as  economical  to 
advertise  direct,  as  through  f.he  agency  of 
subsidi.<-ed  firms.  What  is  wanted  is,'  we 
suppose,  a very  concise  notice  setting  forth  the 
merits  of  Ceylon  Tea  and  appended  to  it  a list  of 
the  houses  who  keep  a supply  for  distribution  in 
the  State  or  City  in  which  the  advertisement 
appears  ? Giving  the  n.ames  of  all  who  keep 
our  teas,  in  this  w.ay,  should  lie  a very  accept.able, 
,as  well  as  fair,  mode  of  extending  aid  from 
the  Ceylon  producers.  We  leave  the  subject,  as 
regards  the  Unifed  States  and  Canada,  in  the 
hands  of  the  Committee.  Very  ))rob.ably,  our 
shrewd  Ceylon  Commissioner  m.ay,  in  his  present 
visit  to  America,  .arrive  .at  the  conclusion  that 
the  time  has  come  for  general  .and  imp.artial  ad- 
vertising, in  which  case  a speedy  termination 
would,  no  doubt,  be  juit  to  speei.al  or  indiviilual 
subsidising ; and  .advertising  in  the  interests  of 
all  become  the  rule.  In  .addition  to  the  mention 
of  the  names  of  dealers  in  the  Planters’  Ceylon 
Tea  Advertisement  for  America,  a supply  of 
literature  in  pamphlets,  leaflets,  wrappers,  ' A'c., 
should  be  furnished  to  each  house  taking  up  our 
teas.  Many  of  the  larger  firms  M-ould,  perhajis, 
prefer  to  prep.are  such  for  them.selves  ; but  smaller 
de.alers  might  be  very  willing  to  utilise  such 
litcr.ature,  .st.am]ung  their  own  names  on  all  they 
distributed.  In  any  case,  we  plead  that  the  fim'e 
h.as  come  for  the  reniov.al  of  any  cause  of  bick- 
ering or  je.alousy,  or  for  the'  preferring  of  a 
ch.arge  of  favouritism  on  the  jiart  of  Ceylon 
planters,  among  the  tea  de.alers  in  the  United 
States  and  Canada. 
fn  the  c.ase  of  Russia,  we  believe  the  time  is 
also  Last  appro, aching,  if  it  has  not  already  come, 
for  ceasing  individual  aid.  "We  do  not  supjio.se 
such  .aid  is  given  in  more  than  two  or  three 
cases.  But  the  number  of  peojilc  exportino’ 
Ceylon  tea  to  Ru.ssia  either  direct  or  from  Londoiq 
or  dc.aling  in  it,  in  that  country  is  considerable! 
The  latest  illustration  is  afforded  in  our  “Motro- 
])olitan  Notes”  where  reference  is  m.ailc  to  the 
gre.at  success  of  Lipton’s  new  establishment  in 
St.  Petersburg.  A single  order  for  .•f,0()0  chests 
of  lea,  mainly  Ceylon,  from  that  one  distribut- 
ing store,  which  was  being  executed  in  London 
in  early  November,  indicates  great  jirogress  ; and 
Ifipton  is  not  alone,  we  belie.ve,  among  new  houses 
exploiting  Ceylon  tea  in  the  Rmssiau  Empire. 
