466  the  tropical 
mandoline  will  be  given  to  every  one  who  buys  one 
pound  ot  adveitiser’s  two  shilling  tea.  ’ As  a contra:,! 
to  this  kind  of  thing  a supply  stores  in  Essex  wooes 
customers  with  a notification  which  says:  ‘-We  have 
no  expensive  advertising  or  crack-jaw  names  for  our 
customers  to  pay  for.  When  you  buy  tea  don’t  pay 
for  other  people’s  boasting.  For  ready  money  we 
guarantee  that  you  will  get  better  tea  from  us  than 
you  can  buy  anywher  else  at  the  price.  Will  you  put 
us  to  the  test?  Our  tea  is  justly  celebrated  for  its 
marvellous  strength  and  luscious  fragrance.  Will  you 
try  a quarter-pound  sample  packet  to-day?"  The 
ingenuity  of  the  advertiser  is  profound.  The  latest 
development  is  so  remai-kable  that  it  deserves 
special  notice,  although  it  has  nothing  to  do  with 
tea  in  this  case.  The  proprietors  of  a certain  article, 
which  shall  be  nameless,  are  going  to  send  up  a 
billo  ■)n  at  an  early  date  from  which  a number  of 
cheques,  varying  in  value  from  £1  to  tTO,  will  be 
throw’n  out.  They  will,  of  course,  subsequently  be 
cashed  at  the  offices  of  the  firm  in  question. 
Last  Week’s  Tea  Markets. — Referring  to  last 
week  s tea  sales  the  Produce  Markets  Jteview  says : 
“With  ample  supplies  to  meet  the  increasing  de- 
mand, the  market  for  Indian  tea  continues  steady, 
excepting  for  the  common  and  undesirable  kinds. 
The  latter  have  formed  a large  proportion  of  the 
quantity  brought  forward,  and  as  they  have  now 
receded  to  a low  point  they  will,  no  doubt,  go 
more  freely  into  consumption.  As  the  imports, 
however,  will  probably  for  some  time  Ir.rjjly 
consist  of  common  gra'es,  buyers  will  bo  able 
to  replenish  their  stocks  as  the  necessity  arises ; at 
the  same  time  prices  now  appear  to  have  reached 
a sate  level.  For  the  better  sorts  there  has  been 
good  competition  at  quite  former  rates,  and  it  is 
quite  likely  that  there  will  be  a firmer  tendency 
rather  than  the  reverse,  as  the  consumption  is  keep- 
ing pace  with  the  supplies.  It  is  evident  from  the 
deliveries,  which  show  a considerable  increa.se  over 
those  of  the  preceding  year,  that  even  if  the  latest 
estimate  of  the  crop  is  reached,  it  will  not  prove  ex- 
cessive to  meet  the  considerably  increased  consump- 
tion. At  the  public  sales  there  were  50,800  packages 
offered,  Including  a good  assortment  of  most  growths, 
competition  being  very  active  in  some  cases.  This 
was  particularly  noticeable  for  the  finer  Davjeel- 
ings,  which  were  of  exceptional  quality,  and  fetched 
extreme  rates,  while  the  finer  descriptions  of  other 
growths  sold  readily  at  rather  firmer  prices.  Me- 
dium sorts  were  well  bid  for  at  late  rates,  while  the 
common  teas  sold  in  favour  of  buyers.  At  the 
Calcutta  sales  on  the  Ifith  inst.  the  common  grades 
generally  passed  at  slightly  lower  latos,  but  there 
was  a strong  demand  for  the  better  teas.  The 
market  for  Ceylon  teas  has  been  rather  better  sup- 
plied, although  the  quantity  offered  is  still  small. 
Competition  for  all  good  grades  continues  active, 
especially  for  medium  Pekoes,  and  tlie  m.arket  closes 
‘ with  a stronger  tendency.  Tlie  demand  for  tlie  com- 
mon descriptions  is  steady  at  prices  showing  no  quot- 
able change,  and  the  values  of  the  lower  broken 
kinds  remain  unaltered.  Good  broken  Pekoes  are 
still  difficult  to  obtain  at  about  lOJd  to  lid,  whilo 
the  finer  descriptions  have  been  well  competed  for 
at  firm  rates.” 
Free  Trade  in  Tea  and  Coeeee  eor  Belgium. — 
The  Bchjian  Times  states  that  it  is  the  intention  of 
the  Belgian  Government,  in  the  course  of  the  pre- 
sent session  to  introduce  a Bill  for  entirely  freeing 
both  coffee  and  tea  from  import  duties. 
The  Indian  Mango. — Surprise  has  often  been 
expressed  that  no  effort  has  hitherto  been 
made  to  introduce  the  Indian  mango  to  the 
home  fruit  market.  Except  in  the  form  of  chutney 
it  is  unknown  here,  and  we  are,  therefore,  glad  to 
learn  that  a determined  attempt  is  to  bo  made  next 
year  to  bring  the  mango  to  London  in  sufficient  quan- 
tities to  bo  of  commeicial  consideration.  'I  he  possi- 
bility of  conveying  a fruit  so  delicate  and  quickly 
spoiled  as  this  has  on  several  occasions  been  demon- 
strated, and  for  some  years  past  a dish  of  them  has 
been  a feature  of  the  official  dinner  of  the  Secretary 
pf  State  for  India  on  tho  t,)ueeu’s  birthday.  Several 
AGRICULTURIST.  [Jan.  i,  1897. 
gentlemen,  who  take  an  interest  in  tho  matter  from  a 
pitriotic  as  well  as  an  industrial  point  of  view,  want 
to  give  the  experiment  a large  and  conclusive  trial- 
English  taste  has  taken  kindly  to  the  banana  and  the 
pomegranate,  and  is  grateful  for  the  West  Indian  pine 
apple,  and  there  seems  every  reason  to  think  that  the 
Indian  fiuit  would  be  no  less  ivelcome. 
THE  CENTRAL  AFRICAN  PLANTERS 
DINNER. 
(From  the  Central  Afiicaii  Planter,  Oct,  15.) 
Tlie  Fiist  Annual  Planters’  Dinner  was  held 
on  the  evening  of  the  18th  Sept.,  at  the  Zambesi 
Trading  Coiniiany’s  new  hall,  kindly  lent  for  the 
occasion  by  tlie  iVIanager,  Mr.  Beyer.  The  hall 
was  beautifully  decorated  with  a coffee  wreath 
going  the  round  of  the  walls  ; also  with  four 
fe.stuons  of  colfee  leaves  hung  from  the  centre  of 
the  ceiling  to  the  four  corners.  The  tables  had 
a nice  dis))lay  of  flowers  and  evergreens  and  the 
general  eifect  was  very  tasteful.  Mr.  C.  M. 
Duncan  of  Miehiru  was  in  the  chair. 
After  various  sentiments  had  been  pledged, 
our  contemporary’s  report  continues;  — 
The  Chairman  then  rose  to  propose  the  toast 
of  the  evening — “Colfee  .and  the  Planters.”  In 
the  course  of  his  speech  he  said  th.at  whatever 
else  might  he  saitl  this  country  must  st.and  or 
fall  by  Colfee  ; things  no  doubt  would  finally 
come  out  all  right  ; he  had  himself  taken  up 
large  interests  in  the  country,  and  he  was  not 
afraid  of  iiigli  money. 
Ml.  Paolucci,  who  replied  to  the  toast, 
said — Mr.  Cliairm.au,  (Jentlenien,  Friends — Our 
chairman  has  done  me  the  honour  ot  calling  upon 
me  to  respond  to  the  to.ast  of  the  evening 
“ Collee  and  the  idanlers.”  I see  here  Scotch- 
men, Englishmen  — 1 regret  there  is  no  repre- 
sentative of  the  Emerald  Isle  Imt  we  shall  h.ave 
later  on — and  foreigners  of  various  iia' ionalities  : 
but  all  Britishers  and  foreigners  either  by  reason 
of  nationality,  or  old  connections  and  a.ssoci.a- 
tions,  or  deeply  laid  interests,  are  all  extremely 
interested  in  this  country,  and  our  prosperity 
and  welfare  are  bound  up  with  the  prosperity 
of  the  Shire  Highlands  and  British  Central 
Africa--,and  this  prosperity  de])ends  mainly 
on  coffee.  Some  of  us  have  load  a crop  tiiis 
ye.ar,  .and  .as  for  those  that  have  not  got 
one,  why  they  are  even  better  off,  as  the 
joys  of  an  anticipation  are  far  sweeter 
tliau  the  satisfaction  of  a jierhaps  iudiff'er- 
enb  realit.y.  It  is  well  befitting  that  after  all 
our  trouble,  we  should  hold  tliis  social  gathering 
as  a relax.ation.  I remember  when  some  ye.ars 
ago  I used  to  go  up  and  down  the  river  about 
this  time  of  the  year  iu  those  boats  and  canoes, 
that  were  then  the  real  tramiis  ot  the  river,  I 
started  many  times  from  Chikwawa  with  two  little 
boys  hoping  to  wake  up  my  crew  on  the  way.  I 
stopped  at  the  first  village  and  made  cinjuirics  but 
w.as  told  the  people  were  all  ou  the  other  side. 
Doing  wh.at?  At  a beer-drinking!  Everywhere 
almost  the  same  answer  and  then  it  struck  me 
that  re.ally  the  native  after  all  his  trouble  iu 
getting  in  his  chimanga,  shouting  himself  hoarse  to 
frighten  .aw.ay  the  birds,  after  his  tremendous  exer- 
tions, which  perhaps  we  cannot  well  re.alize,  when 
he  load  gathered  his  crop  he  w.anted  to  relieve  his 
pent  up  feelings  and  went  beer-drinking.  'NVe 
also  have  bail  our  crops  and  want  a relief.  Do 
not  think  the  comparison  un  justified  as  it  is  all 
well  within  tlie  iron  ring  of  human  nature,  which 
encompasses  all  humanity,  at  whatever  age,  in 
whatever  climate,  undei  whatever  colour  ot  skin. 
