Nov. 1, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
TEA PREPARATION— OVERFIRING. 
Dimbulla, Sept. 27. 
Dear Sir,— Replying to the letter from “ Indian 
Planter” there is no doubt that a large quality 
of tea goes into the market that is over-tired, 
although it has no taint qf burning. This, I 
think, most often arises from too long final firing 
at a low temperature, until the flavour is baked 
out of the tea. 
I get the best results from final firing at 220° 
in a Desiccator, using one chamber only, and 
spreading the tea half-an-inch thick on the trays. 
When the tea is slightly heated the odour is 
rather unpleasant than otherwise, but when 
hob, all flavoury tea gives off a fragrant aroma ; 
as soon as this begins I think it is time to stop. 
— I am, your faithfully, 6,000 FEET. 
REFIRING TEA : A QUERY FOR A 
“PUBLIC-SPIRITED CEYLON PLANTER” 
IN A HIGH DISTRICT. 
Sir,— On an estate at a high elevation where 
delicacy of flavour is the chief desideratum we 
find that in re-firing the tea for packing, there is 
a decided loss of flavour. More strength perhaps, 
but less flavour is the result of re-firing for pack- 
ing. Will any benevolent, public-spiritec'. planter 
who has had e.xperience with high-grown teas 
kindly offer any suggestions regarding the best tem- 
perature, length of time in drier, and thickness of 
leaf upon the drawers, which have been found to 
give the best results ? I see the suggestion has been 
made not to re-fire for packing and doubtless if 
the binning of teas could always be avoided it 
would be very desirable to do this, but where one 
is obliged to binn the tea for a month or so surely, 
softness would be the result if the tea was not 
re-fired. — Yours faithfully, 
INDIAN PLANTER. 
CEYLON TEA IN RUSSIA. 
Kandy, 27th Sept., 1897. 
Sir,— I enclose letter received from Mr. Rogivue, 
regarding his work in Russia, in pushing, adverti- 
sing and making known Ceylon tea.— I am. Sir, 
yours faithfully. A. PHILIP. 
Maroseika-House, Lebedieff, 
Moscow, 21st August, 2nd Sept., 1897. 
A. Philip, Esq., Secretary to the ‘‘Thirty Committee” 
Kandy (Ceylon.) 
Dear Sib, — On my return from abroad, I find your 
letter of the 23rd July covering letter of credit No. .35/18 
of the National Bank of India Limited, dated 22nd 
July 1897, for £at.500. (Five hundred pounds ster- 
ling) in my favour, to be used by me for the advertising 
of Ceylon tea in Russia. I thank you for this re- 
mittance and take due note of the resolutions passed 
by your Committee at one of their recent meetings, of 
which you send me a copy. 
I also note that Mr. Thos. North Christie has been 
appointed by your Committee to visit Russia during 
the current year. I shall have great pleasure to see 
here this genthman and will make it my duty to give 
him every information regarding the work done, the 
money spent and the steps to be taken in future for 
the furtherance of Ceylon interests in this country. 
When I was the last month in London, I have been 
pleased to attend a very interesting meeting of the 
“ Ceylon Association,” when I gave to the gentlemen 
present a short illustration of the work I have done 
during the past months of this year. The progress, I 
am glad to say are going steadily and the quantity of 
Ceylon tea imported in Russia is increasing visibly. 
33S 
consumption 
L m scale and the quantity used 
for blending with China, tea is getting rather impMtant. 
I also notice that direct Export from Ceylon to 
Russia has— in the six months past— (from 1st Tonno^* 
to 30th June 1897) increased of 10,600 lb. over the coi 
responding six months in 189C.-I am, dear sirs, yours' 
M. ROGIV^K 
TREE PLANTING IN CEYLON : 
AUSTRALIAN TREES BY AN AUSTRALIAN 
FORESTER. 
Dear Sir, -B eing on a short visit to your 
beautiful island and having .during that time 
found ,,my way to “Kandy” and to “Nuwara 
Ehya, etc., and having observed the nature 
of the SOI and climate, and its accm- 
panying conditions, 1 was much struck with what 
I judged to be the fitness of the country for 
the extension and profitable growth of our Aus- 
trahan Red cedar (Uedrela Australis), so it 
curred to me that this valuable and very light 
and easily worked handsome furniture timber 
might well be made to take the place here of 
a gieat deal that is now next to valueless or 
only made use of for shade purposes amongst 
the cacao plantations, etc., in what was originally 
the jungle forests in and about Kandy, and 
other kindred places. In Australia this tree so 
long and much sought after for its timber is 
no\y becoming very scarce, and is besides more 
01 less subject to the ravages of the ova of a 
Tbn^r deposits her eggs in the young 
shoots when as they mature in the grub form thev 
eat the young tender germinating leaves and 
eventually work their way down into the pith 
of the young wood and, in this way, often do 
consideiable damage. In this country I think it 
is highly probable that it would not liave this 
pest to contend with, and as it is a quick-grow- 
ing tree, and ot large size (up to 20ft. in cir- 
cumference) It might perhaps be introduced and 
cultivated to the greatest advantage, more 
especially on the hilt slopes under the partial 
protection of other trees. That the Australian 
trees will thrive well now you have abundant 
I thousands of silky oaks (Grevillea 
tobuUa) to be seen on the tea plantations every- 
where between “Kandy” and “ Nuwara Eliya^” 
besides eucalypt.s; also some of our acaciasf.4 
decurrens, and A. melanoxylon, at the last men- 
tioned place, where I have rarely seen their 
growth equalled in their native toil S 
habitat, nor have I seen a more vigor- 
ous and promising growth than is to be 
observed in the other trees mentioned, even 
in their native Australia, unless I except E, 
Globulus which might do better, but here T 
would remark that in some places under mv ob- 
servation, unless thinned out at an earlier .stage 
of their growth, some of them are planted a 
gieat deal too close together. Of our eucalypta 
m N. S. W. I would recommend a trial of our 
Blackbatt, E. pilularis, which is a very quick 
straight-growing tree whose timber is fissile, and 
lasting when mature. ’ “ 
There is one thing in which I may compli- 
ment the tea planters of Ceylon ; in the eTer- 
prise they have shown in their tree planting • also 
the administration of Ceylon in their systein of 
Conservation of Forests, both of which hafe put us 
to shame in N S. Wales, where these matters are 
treated ^^^th stoical and ignorant indifference, both 
by Its people and Government. 
AUGUSTUS RUDDER. 
