426 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
[Dec.  I,  1896. 
I naturally  take  great  interest  in  the  subject 
and  I have  sent  to  you  toilay  a sample  of  both 
machine  and  hand  made  teas  under  the  new 
system  of  fermentation,  and  1 am  sure  tliat  any 
one  snilieiently  interested  to  take  the  trouble 
to  obtain  from  yon  a glimpse  of  these  .samples, 
would  be  sliewn  tliem  with  pleasure.  It  wili  be 
seen  trom  an  exauiination  of  tliese  samples  tliat  in 
“ appearance'’  the  new  make.s  compare  favourably 
with  many  of  your  broken  pekoes,  and  this  being 
so  as  regards  the  leaf  it  may  well  be  that  with 
first  crop  leaf  and  in  time  better  cnltivalion  of 
the  plant,  comi)etition  from  this  country  may 
again  be  felt. 
Further  it  is  already  being  mooteil  as  to 
foreigners  lea.sing  lands  in  tlie  tea-districts  and 
tlirongh  their  own  (,’hinese  employees,  growing 
and  manipulating  the  teas  from  start  to  finish, ’’ 
which  w’ould  certainly  lead  to  improvement.  Of 
course  it  will  take  some  time  to  show  any  result 
from  these  attempts,  and  they  may  be  unsuccess- 
ful. My  aim  is  to  shew  you  what  is  being  done 
with  a view  to  meet  your  competition  and  as  it  is  a 
question  of  “success,”  or  “ extinction,”  you  may 
sure  the  matter  will  be  thoroughly  thraslied  out 
here.  It  seems  to  me  therefore  that  the  moral 
to  be  drawn  from  what  I have  written  is  the 
rigoKJUs  and  prompt  pushing  of  the  campaign 
in  Russia,  one  of  the  largest  consumers  of  tea  in 
the  world  and  the  careful  upkeep  of  a good 
standard  of  quality,  for  in  common  teas  China 
can  beat  the  world  in  giving  a well  made  article 
a low  price,  and  should  the  vexations  “ lekin  ” 
and  the  heavy  export  duties  be  removed  or 
lightened,  she  may  yet  endeavour  to  stem  the 
tide  of  competition  which  is  now  threatening 
to  drown  her. 
I would  take  this  opportunity  of  again  urging 
the  application  to  the  Rus.sian  Campiugn  of  a 
large  portion  of  the  funds  now  being  spent  in 
Canaria,  where  I am  certain  from  my  own  obser- 
vation, that  all  the  good  tliat  your  Delegate 
was  expected  to  do,  has  alre.ady  been  accom- 
plished and  the  further  exploitation  of  that 
country  may  be  safely  loft  to  those  engaged  in 
the  trade, — Yours  sincerely, . 
P.  H. — I have  .sent  you  to-day  a third  sanqde 
marked  XX.  which  is  the  best 'specimen  of  the 
new  style  which  has  yet  appeared,  and  which 
really  does  possess  strength  ami  tlavour  together 
with”  a tii»py  leaf. 
THE  RHEA  FIBRE  SYNDICATE  AND 
GRANTS. 
Sin, — I notice  in  Monday’s  “Times  of  Ceylon  ’ 
a letter  from  the  well-worn  pen  of  “ Yril  ” on 
the  subject  of  grants  in  general  and  Rhea  in 
liarticular.  If  “Yril”  serves  ws  noni  dc  plume 
to  veil  the  jiowcrful  entity  I think^  it  docs,  lie 
has  been  out  long  enough  to  have  been  a keen 
observer  of,  and  cynical  though  not  unkindly 
commentator  on  many  jobs  of  sorts.  But  this 
last  impudent  attempt  to  get  the  pick  of  a pro- 
vince for  nothing  seems  to  have  goaded  “ Yril 
into  really  serious  remonstrance.  But  as  he  .sajy.s — 
we  have'  no  safeguard  against  this  sort  of  thing 
o'jing  on  for  cvei'.  Nor  .shall  u’c  ha\'c,  until  it 
Ts  hull  down  that  no  giants  of  land  shall  lie 
made  except  by  the  Legislative  Council,  and 
that  would  mea”n  that  none  would  ever  be  made. 
And  so  mote  it  be. —Yours  truly, 
OYER  PRODUCTION. 
CA.ST1LLOA  RUBBER. 
Wiharagama,  Matale. 
DkauSir, — You  have  shown  .such  siiecial  interest 
in  the  matter  of  rubber  cultivation  and  upon 
one  occasion  getting  a highly  favorable  report 
from  home  on  a sanqile  of  this  jiarticular  variety 
from  Matale,  that  1 am  sure  yon  will  excu.se  my 
calling  your  attention  to  an  article  in  the  last 
Chambers  Journal  to  hand  viz,  for  the  month 
of  October.  It  is  far  too  lenglh.y  an  article  for 
me  to  quote,  but  it  contains  so  much  regarding 
the  practical  cultivation  of  cast illoa  clast ica,  am\ 
with  such  splendid  iirospects  of  success  at 
Nicaragua  that  to  give  the  ermie  outline  with- 
out details  would  make  one’s  hair  .i^tand  on  end. 
The  writer  says  that  estimating  the  “9  years’ 
yield  value  of  £50,000  and  deducting  cost,  interest 
and  expenses  the  nett  prolit  will  be  £47,(320,”  which 
is  a pretty  good  return  for  a nett  capital  outlay 
of  £3,(325  ! 
He  states  that  trees  tapped  in  the  wet  season 
arc  estimated  to  yield  five  times  as  much  milk  as 
in  the  dry.  Is  this  the  explanation  of  the 
lamented  Dr.  Trimen  reporting  on  the  poor  yield 
of  this  variety?  I believe  this  is  the  secret  of 
onr  disa])pointment  in  (jnantitj\  As  regards 
(]uality  of  that  sent  from  Wiliaragama,  Matale, 
your  senior  had  the  report  from  experts  that  it 
was  the  best  rubber  they  had  seen  from  Ceylon. 
The  opening  suggested  by  this  ai  tide  deserves 
your  bringing  it  into  notice  of  your  planting 
friends.  J.  M.  KANDY. 
THE  DUMONT  COFFEE  COMPANY 
LIMITED. 
45,  Leadenhall  Street,  London,  Nov.  (31  h. 
Dic.vu  Sir, — We  beg  to  inform  you  that  on  the 
2nd  inst.,  we  received  the  following  cablegram 
from  Mr.  G.  A.  Talbot,  one  of  the  Directors  of 
this  Conqvany,  who  proceeiled  to  Brazil  on  the 
2nd  nit.,  to  inspect  this  Company’.s  jjropertics. 
“I  consider  property  a magnificent  one,  and 
exceeds  in  luxuriance  anything  1 have  seen  in 
Ce.ylon,  the  Straits,  or  Java. 
“ Eavourable  crop  jirospects  for  next  year. 
“ I am  confident  we  can  raise  the  value  of  our 
coll'ee  by  introducing  improved  methods  of  pre- 
paration. 
“Steps  will  be  taken  to  ensure  a pro])ortion 
of  next  season’s  crop  being  cured  by  Ceylon 
melhods. 
“ Have  decided  our  railway  be  exented  at 
once,  as  it  is  likely  to  [irove  a .source  of  increased 
income.” — We  are,  dear  sir.  Yours  faithfully, 
P.  R.  BUCHANAN  X Co. 
Secretaries. 
LN'in.A.RUnnioK. — There  is  a giealer  demand 
now  for  the  product  of  the  indiarubber  tree 
than  has  ever  been  known,  the  tires  of  the 
ubiquitous  bicycle  and  other  vehicles  alone  con- 
suming an  immense  quantity.  Everything  regard- 
ing the  .subst.ance  is  therefore  of  real  intere.st  to 
man>,  and  Sir  Henry  Derring’s  recent  re[)or(  on 
the  rubber  industry  as  carried  on  in  Mexico  will 
lind  man}'  leaders.  The  melhods  of  it?-  collection 
in  Nicara.gua,  and  the  ]nolit;il,de  nature  of  the  in- 
flust.ry  arc  fully  discussed  in  the  article,  “ Out 
with  the  Indiarubber  Gatherers,”  on  a previous 
page.  —Chambers'  Journal. 
