62 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
rjtjLY 1, 1897. 
The principle involved is, that mouldy nuts, over- 
ripe or a few rotten nuts, spoil the whole of the 
shipment and that the outer pulp which is easily 
decomposed, shall be v/ashed off. Also that the nuts 
shall be covered so that the mold germs from the 
air or external objects shall not reach the nuts. Also 
that they do not dry out. At the same time air 
must reach them, but through the^filter of leaves. I have 
received nuts from Jamaica packed by every method 
except this one. In cases where I was able to use 
the nuts at once, it did not make so much differ- 
ence, but if you are going to supply them for the 
general market, you will have to have them more 
perfect. 
The Future of Kola, 
As to the consumption of Kola. Kola has been 
brought to this or any other market in sufl&cient 
quantities prepared in the right way, to supply the 
demand for a prepartion of kola to take, the place 
of coffee. What is now consumed is for medicinal 
E reparations, and for this purpose there is plenty to 
e had at rather low prices, considered as a drug. 
But when we come to consider it as an article of 
food as beverage, that means millions of pounds 
and the transportation from Africa would preclude 
the possibility of its coming into competition either 
with tea or coffee. 
Dealers and manufacturers have therefore contented 
themselve so far to supply only medicinal preparations 
awaiting such time as they can be assured that they 
will have a supply that can be depended upon, pre- 
pared in the right manner, before placing the beverage 
upon the market. Green nuts are in the greatest de- 
mand at the present time and the demand is con- 
stantly increasing. In regard to the drying of 
the nuts, even African dried are very unsatis- 
factory for beverage purposes. For the purpose of 
which I speak, none of the nuts dried either in Jamaica 
or elsewhere are at all satisfactory. In fact this is 
what has precluded its adoption. There is aproper 
method of drying them, of which I may send you in- 
formation later. 
It is difficult to tell the amount now consumed 
in the United States as they are arriving from all 
sources in such variable quantities. I have a know- 
ledge of one concern that used about 100,000 lb. last 
year. 
There are many concerns who use a consi- 
derable amount and the demand is rapidly increas- 
inff. Further than this, I am not able to state. 
“ T. B. KiLMEn. 
Kew Brunswick, N. J., 17th March, 1897. _ 
—Journal of the Jamaica Agricultural Society. 

THE INDIAN AND CEYLON TEA 
TRUST CO., LIMITED. 
This Company, the prospectus of which has 
now been before our reader.s, introduces us to 
a new departure in Limited Companies connected 
with tea. It seems to us that full justification 
for the formation of the Company is afforded in 
the prospectus ; for there can be no denial of 
the number of small yet prosperous Tea Com- 
panies in India and Ceylon whose shares are 
scarcely known beyond a limited circle. But we 
regret to find a section of the London press by 
no mean favourable to the new Company. Here, 
for instance, is what the Dctily Ghvonicle of 12th 
May has to say on the subject 
The Indian 'and Ceylon Tea Trust Company, 
Limited.— Capital of £250,000 in 49,800 ordinary shares 
of £5 each, and 1,000 deferred shares of £1 each. 
The present issue is 30,000 ordinary shares and 
1,000 deferred shares. We do not like the principle 
of deferred shares, which in this case are entitled 
to divide the balance of profits equally with the 
ordinary, after a dividend of 7 per eeut. has been 
paid on the ordinary shares. This Company is 
formed on the usual principle of trust companies 
of spreading the risks over numerous undertakings, 
but it has usually been ths ease that, as now, prices 
are high when the purchases are made, and theie 
is always the possibility that the securities may be 
selected to suit the interests of the sellers rather 
than the buying company. We should not advise 
our readers to subscribe. 
Of course, in this or any other Trust Company, 
everything depends on judicious management;, 
and therefore on the character, judgment and 
expel ience of the men directing its business. In 
the present instance, we should say, these re- 
quirements, both as regards India and Ceylon, are 
well fulfilled ; and we do not see why the “Indian 
and Ceylon Tea Trust Company, Ld.” should 
not have a long and prospeious career and 
prove a great convenience and benefit to the 
shareholders in the smaller Tea Companies of 
both countries. 
TEA AND COFFEE. 
The advocates of the Free Breakfast Table had an 
opportunity last night of once more bringing their 
plausible but impracticable doctrine before the 
House of Oommans. Mr. Arthur O'Connor moved 
to reduce the tea duty to 2d in the pound, fortify- 
ing his proposal by the usual arguments, whicn, 
however, failed to convince the House. The Chan- 
cellor of the Exchequer had a complete answer to 
the suggestion in the fact that he cannot afford to 
sacrifice a tax which brings in £1,800,000 a year, 
but he also pointed out the injustice of. giving up 
such a source of revenue at a time when direct taxation 
has become an oppressive burden. There can (says the 
Qlobe) be no doubt that whenever Sir Michael Hicks- 
Beach ora successor in his office finds himself in the 
happy position of being able to reduce taxes the income- 
tax payer has the first claim to relief. Nothing 
could be more impolitic either, than to diminish the 
yield of profitable indirect taxes which experience 
has shown cannot be again augmented in time of 
need. Sooner or later the removal of two-pence 
from the tea duty would inevitably mean the addi- 
tion of a penny to the Income Tax. Nor is there 
the slightest necessity for the reduction. Tea is 
cheaper than it ever was, not because the duty was 
lessened a few years ago, but because of the enor- 
mously extended area of tea-cultivation in India and 
Ceylon. There is reason to believe that the con- 
sumer was but very slightly benefited by the change, 
and another reduction would probably do him no 
more good. Something might be said for increasing 
the duty on coffee, the wholesale price of which has 
declined so enormously that the consumer could 
hardly be called upon to share it, but unfortunately 
coffee is ceasing to be a necessary of life to the 
masses. Its consumption is steadily growing smaller 
year by year. That is largely due, we dare-say, to 
the fact that few English people know how to brew 
a cup of coffee properly. But whatever the ex- 
plantation, the decline is patent, and there is no like- 
lihood that it will be arrested. 
Medicinal Plant Culture in Nicaragua.— 
U.S. Consul Thomas O’Hara, of San Juan del 
Norte, Nicaragua, has transmitted to the Depart- 
ment of State the translation of a decree signed 
by President Zelaya, having for its object the 
encouragement of the cultivation of the vanilla 
bean, and of the plants from which the balsams 
of tolu, copaiba and others are extracted. The 
decree provides that persons cultivating one 
thousand or more plants of vanilla or balsam 
shall be entitled to a premium of 10 cents for 
each plant, and shall be allowed to acquire plots 
of government land not exceeding 346 acres on 
exceptionally favourable terms . — Chemist and 
Driigqist, April 17. 
