May  I,  1897.1 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST, 
745 
The  following  is  the  report  on  the  last  sales 
from  one  of  the  leading  (inns  in  the  trade  in 
London  ; — 
London,  25th  Feb.  ’97. 
Cinnamon. — The  first  auctions  of  the  year  were  held 
on  Monday  last  the  22nd  instant  when  1,248  bales 
Ceylon  offered  against  1,792  bales  at  the  February 
1896  sales.  There  was  a good  demand  and  about 
1,200  bales  were  cleared  in  the  room  with  capital 
competition.  Ordinary  to  medium  qualities  of  quill 
sold  steadily  at  par  to  1/2  per  lb.  advance  and  the 
finer  brands  maintained  the  good  advance  established 
in  November  except  a few  bales  of  first  and  fourth 
sorts  which  sold  at  1/2  to  Id.  per  lb.  cheaper.  Fine 
“worked  ’’  Ceylon  sold  : Firsts  good  to  fine  1/  at  1/6  ; 
seconds  lljd.  at  1/5;  Thirds  10|d.  at  1/4,  and  Fourths 
lOd.  at  1/1. 
The  “ uirworked  ’’  spice  sold  (as  landed)  about 
1,000  bales.  Firsts  ordinary  to  good  lO^d.  at  1/; 
Seconds  lid.  at  lljd;  Thirds  lOd.  at  lljd.,  and 
Fourths  inferior  to  good  7^d.  at  lOd.  per  lb. 
Chips  &c. — 48  bags  sold  at  3Jd.  and  about  50  bags 
quillings  &c.,  at  8d.  at  lOd.  per  lb. 
1896.  1895.  1894. 
Stock  of  Ceylon  2,453  bales  against  4,583  3,885.  3,516 
The  next  sales  are  fixed  for  the  31st  May. 
LIVING  ON  COCONUTS. 
The  value  of  the  coconut  as  food  is  shown 
ni  a story  from  Pemba,  Africa.  One  coconut, 
night  and  morning,  kept  a man  alive  for  seven 
months  under  most  cruel  and  trying  circumstances. 
The  man  was  a slave  named  Muftah,  who  ran 
away  from  his  master  an  Arab,  named  Ali 
Bin  Abdullah.  His  matter  recaptured  him,  then 
treated  him  with  horrible  cruelty.  He  was  put 
in  irons,  which  were  welded  on  his  flesh  near 
the  ankles,  and  the  irons  were  attached  by  a 
bar  to  a cleft  tree.  For  seven  months  was 
Muftah  kept  in  this  position,  exposed  to  all 
changes  of  weather,  enduring  noon-day  heat 
and  evening  chill  the-  torments  of  insects  and 
semi  starvation.  A coconut,  night  and  morning, 
was  his  only  food  and  drink.  He  was  eventually 
rescued  by  H.M.’s  Consul  at  Pemba,  Dr.  O’ 
{Sullivan,  who  had  him  sent  to  Zanzibar.  That 
he  lived  so  long  under  such  conditions  is  a 
matter  of  surprise,  and  speaks  well  for  the 
food  value  of  the  coconut.— Pjoc/kcc  World. 
PRODUCE  AND  PLANTING. 
Tea  Blending. — The  development  of  tea  planting 
has  led  to  a similar  groivth  m the  business  of  tea 
dealing,  especially  in  that  department  of  it  in  which 
blending  is  made  a conspicuous  feature.  While 
many  of  the  old  firms  of  tea  dealers  still  maintain 
■ their  trade  and  position,  several  comparatively  new 
firms  have  entered  into  competition,  making  a great 
point  of  the  art  of  judicious  blending  which  they 
cultivate.  The  Grocer,  recently  desciibirig  the  new 
premises  of  one  of  these  firms  w'hich  it  states  by  the 
way,  were  only  established  quite  recently,  says;  — 
“ The  floors  are  fireproof,  and  the  different  depart- 
ments are  admirably  suited  to  the  purposes  for  which 
they  are  intended.  Goods  delivered  from  the  bonded 
warehouses  are  at  once  lifted  by  means  of  a crane 
fitted  with  the  ‘friction  jigger’  to  the  top  or  third  floor, 
designated  the  receiving  room.  Here  the  teas  are  fed 
into  cutters,  which  reduce  the  leaves  to  a uniform 
length  and  free  them  from  extraneous  matter.  From 
these  machines  they  pass  through  to  the  ‘hopper’  on 
the  second  floor.  The  capacity  of  the  drum  is  about 
twelve  chests,  or  some  1,20001b,  and  this  is  directly 
coirnected  with  the  mixing  machine  (of  equal  capa- 
city) on  the  first  floor  by  means  of  a capacious  funnel. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  as  soon  as  the  ‘ mixer  ’ is 
< cleared  another  parcel  cao  be  introduced  in  a few 
moments,  and  a very  large  quantity  of  tea  can 
he  dealt  with  in  a brief  iieriod.  The  ground 
floor  forms  the  delivery  department,  and  it  is  to  this 
room  that  teas  packed  on  the  different  floors  and  ready 
for  delivery  are  conveyed  in  the  powerful  hydraulic 
lift.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  the  building  was  not  out 
of  the  conti  actors’ hands,  but  large  numbers  of  em- 
p’oyes  weie  engaged  on  the  various  floors  in  the  vari- 
ous processes  involved  in  preparing  the  firm’s  packet 
and  loose  teas  for  the  market.  In  the  basement  a six- 
horse-power  nominal  Crossley  gas  engine  has  been 
erected,  and  here  also  a circular  saw  is  to  be  laid  down 
in  order  to  facilitate  the  work  of  chest  making.  Spe- 
cial arrangements  have  been  made  for  keeping  the 
rooms  free  from  dust,  and  for  drying  labels  rapidly  by 
the  provision  of  powerful  fans,  and  the  ventilation  has 
been  carried  out  on  scientific  principles.’’  The  firm 
referred  to,  it  appears,  “ offer  every  facility  to  re- 
tailers to  adopt  the  ‘ own  name  and  label  ’ system  of 
trading,  and  they  supply  photographs  of  tea  planta- 
tions for  window  display.  The  care  they  devote  to 
blending  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  samples  of  the 
drinking-water  used  in  almost  all  parts  of  the  country 
are  kept  on  the  premises.’’ 
Just  Romantic  Enough. — It  is  not  surprising  that 
the  British  youth  yearns  after  a tea  planter’s  life 
as  he  reads  the  glowing  accounts  given  of  it  in  some 
of  the  light  literature  of  the  day.  Even  the  globe 
trotters  are  impressed  with  the  glimpses  they  get. 
In  a book  called  “Romantic  India,”  just  published 
by  Mr.  Heinemann,  we  find  the  author,  a French- 
man, M.  Andre  Chevrillon,  indulging  in  a glowing 
sketch  of  a Ceylon  tea  garden  proprietor.  We  knew 
that  all  tea  garden  proprietors  in  Ceylon  are  not 
“fat,  gentle,  pale,”  and  that  sitting  in  chaises  longtiea 
with  cigarette  and  book  is  not  the  lot  of  the 
“ creeper,”  but  tbe  following  description  reads  well : — 
“Yesterday,”  says  M.  Chevrillon,  on  the  railway, 
returning  from  the  interior  of  the  island,  I met  a 
Hollander ; fat  gentle,  pale,  peaceful  of  gesture, 
scanty  of  speech.  Of  the  Dutch  temperament  there 
is  left  only  the  phlegm  and  softness  ; the  sanguine 
flesh  tint  has  disappeared  under  the  heat.  After 
five  minutes  he  asKed  me  my  address  that  he 
might  send  me  some  flowers ; for  my  pockets 
oveiflowing  with  roses,  jasmines,  mimosas,  my  ad- 
miration for  the  very  great  size  of  the  floral  display 
on  every  side  had  surprised  him.  After  a time  I 
learned  that  my  man  is  a native  of  Ceylon,  that 
he  has  tea  plantations  in  the  mountain,  and  lives 
with  his  family  at  Colombo.  To-day  I dine  with 
him.  His  bungalow,  situated  in  the  cinnamon  gar- 
dens, is  like  a villa  of  some  rich  old  Roman,  deli- 
ciously bright  and  cool,  immense  halls  separated  by 
partitions  of  fragrant  woods,  carved  and  cut  in 
fretwork,  great  wicker  chaises  longues,  where  one  may 
recline  all  day  with  cigarette  or  book.  The  children 
pretty,  but  singularly  pallid,  a translucid,  waxen  tint, 
fined  down  and  enfeebled  by  the  climate  ; a 1 oucc- 
hold  of  servants,  w’ho  seem  very  much  beloved, 
Paients  and  children  speak  Cingalese  to  them.” 
The  Board  of  Trade  Returns  and  Produce.— 
The  striking  feature  of  the  Board  of  Trade  returns 
of  our  foreign  and  colonial  trade  during  February  is 
that  the  declared  value  of  the  imports  into  the 
PTnited  Kingdom  again  shows  an  increase  (^1, 768,428), 
and  the  declared  value  of  our  exports  of  British  and 
Irish  produce  and  manufactures  a decrease  (£1,839,413) 
for  the  month.  Striking  increases  are  found  under 
the  head  of  duty-free  and  dutiable  articles  of  food 
and  drink,  and  represent  inter  alia  increased  im- 
orts  of  wheat  from  the  United  States  and  Tuikey, 
our  from  France,  maize  from  Argentina,  coffee  from 
all  sources  of  supply  except  Ceylon  and  Brazil,  and 
tea  from  Ceylon  and  India. 
Coolie  Labour  in  the  West  Indies.— The  official 
report  referring  to  Jamaica  is  interesting  alike  for 
its  statistics  and  its  reference  to  the  East  Indian 
coolies  there.  There  is  a decline  in  the  value  of  the 
xports  from  the  figures  of  former  years,  the  difference 
9 compared  with  189-i  9a  auiounting  to  £48 ,317 
