464 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
[Jan. 1, 1898. 
tion on the estate iper: Ih. of made tea was as follows: 
— Date May. 1897 ; total days worked, 29 ; Average 
hours worked per day, 4 hours and 58 minutes ; total 
tea sifted, 11,013 lb. ; total tea manufactured, 9,908 lb.; 
quantity of oil consumed, 14 cases; cost per lb. of 
tea made, 1’32 pice '67 of a cent. 
In a similar manner during the month of June, 
the cost per lb. of tea made was 117 pice. '60 of a cent. 
For the three mouths ending 30th June 1'30 pice 
— '67 of a cent. The oil consumption in each case 
includes the cost of all oil used for the factory 
lamps, and all wastage and loss that may have 
occurred in addition to the cost of transporting it 
for 72 miles. 
The actual cost of the oil required for driving the 
engine itself may therefore be reckoned at about | a 
cent (Ceylon coinage) per lb of made tea. 
^ 
CEYLON TEA IN KUSSIA, 
INTERVIEW WITH MR. W. JORDAN. 
Mr. W. Jordan, of Messrs. Jordan & Co., Ta- 
lawakele, while recently in Europe, paid a visit 
to the Baltic and to Russia. In the course of an 
interview with a representative of the Observer 
Mr. Jordan gave a good many particulars res- 
pecting Ceylon tea and the progress made in 
Russia Avith its sale. 
“What, ’’asked our representative, “were your general 
Irnpressions ? ” 
I Avent to Russia expecting to find them 
a very rough people, on an equality Avith the 
Turks, semi-civilised, hut I came away Avith a 
very different opinion. The country is certainly 
ruled by an iron hand, but it is a great country 
and there are a great many tribes, some of them 
very Avarlike and difficult to control. We found 
the people Ave came in contact Avith, exceedingly 
courteous and Avilling to render us any help 
they could, though Ave certainly might have been 
watched but we did not know it.” 
“ How did you travel from England to Russia?” 
By the steamer ‘ Ceylon,’ an old P. and O. 
boat under the command of Capt. Roach. We 
called at Elsinore (where Ave looked in vain 
for Hamlet’s ghost), Copenhagen, Stockholm, 
Cronstadt, and then (having satisfied the autho- 
rities that our passports Avere in order) to St. 
Petersburg, Moscoav (400 miles distant) and Nijni 
Novgorod, a farther journey of 280 miles. At the 
last place a fair was on, and also the great Pan- 
Russia Exhibition. I was the only of the party con- 
nected with Ceylon. We travelled under the aus- 
pices of the London Polytechnic and altogether 
journeyed 4,820 miles at a cost of eleven cents 
per mile.” 
“ And how then about Ceylon tea ?” — “Oh yes ? 
That was ray chief reason in visiting Nijni Nov- 
gorod. Previous to going there, I called at the 
Ceylon tea shop in Moscow, Avhich is under the 
management of Mr. Rogivue. Unfortunately it 
was a feast day and the shop Avas closed, but I 
saAV that it Avas situated in a croAvded thorough- 
fare and that there Avas a good exhibition of tea 
and advertisements of tea in the AvindoAvs. At 
Nijni Novgorod the Ceylon tea-house Avas outside 
the exhibition, Avhich, being a Pan-Russian Ex- 
hibition the authorities would not admit anything 
from Ceylon. The kiosk Avas situated in the main 
street leailing to the chief entrance to the Exhi- 
bition and there passed by it millions of peo- 
ple, that Avere visiting the Exhibition from all 
parts of Russia, a very motley crowd indeed. 
It Avas a very good kiosk and there Avas a ca- 
pital exhibition of tea. It belongs to Mr. Ro- 
givue Avho de.serves the greatest credit for dis- 
playing our teas in so attractive a Avay. We 
found Mr. Rogivue was not there, but we 
saAv his manager, a polished SavIss, quite a lin- 
guist, Avho Avas very kind and entertained 
us, supplied us Avith cups of good Ceylon tea, 
gave us all the information he could and took us 
round the Exhibition. There Avere then four shops 
in Russia for the sale of Ceylon teas and they 
not only gave samples aAvay, but actively shoAved 
the people Avho visited them from time to time 
how to make tea properly. In the Exhibition 
itself, though Ave found no tea, Ave saw large 
placards on the tram cars advertising Ceylon tea.” 
“And about tea-drinking in Russia?” “As 
regards the consumption of tea you must bear 
in mind the Czar rules over 120,000,000 and they 
have not to be Aveaned from drinking coffee or 
stronger liquors, but are actually tea-drinkers 
now. In Russia the usual refreshment offered a 
visitor is the glass of tea or ‘ chai,’ as it is 
called. They produced to us tAvo teapots, the 
small one contained the freshly made infusion, 
and the other, a larger one, containing boiling 
Avater. Glass tumblers aa'cib brought in AA’ith 
electro plated handles and a small China tray 
containing slices of lemon Avith a lump of sugar. 
The glasses Avere then rolled in AA'arm Avater, 
replaced in the stand, and slices of lemon put 
In each Avith a small quantity of the tea infusion 
poured in the cup, Avhich is then filled Avith hot 
Avater. The piece of sugar is then inserted in the 
mouth and the tea'^ipped through the sugar. 
The visitor can, if he likes, have a single glass of tea 
just like a man can have his glass of ale and 
the charge for it is about 3d. We saw large 
halls in Avhich scores of the peasants of the country 
had tea, calling for little if anything else.” 
“But Ave are losing Mr. Rogivue?” — “Yes 
and I am personally very sorry, foi he has had 
very valuable experience and if he had been 
properly treated he might have been still Avith 
us. I am not of the opinion that the more Indian 
tea that is sold in Russia, the more room there Avill 
be in England, for Ceylon tea. What A\'e Avant 
to do I am convinced, Avhether it be in Russia, 
or on board ship, or eslcAvliere, is to shoAv people 
hoAv to make tea. An American lady only the 
other day praised the Avork our Association is doing 
in America in introducing Ceylon tea, hold- 
ing lectures and shoAving hoAv it should be 
made. I have made it personally on board ship 
to shoAV felloAv jiassengers hoAv the tea should 
be dealt Avith and have met Avith great success.” 
“ What about the future ? ” “I should” (added 
Mr. Jordan) strongly recommend that there should 
be a good representative of our Association stationed 
in Russia, Avith sub-agents at WarsaAV, St. Peters- 
burg, Novgorod le Grand, Odessa, and Moscoav, 
and also in Nijni NoA’gorod during the Fair. 
None but the best tea — Pekoe and Orange Pekoe 
— should be sold and the agencies established 
by us should not sell tea retail. Push and pub- 
licity by means of advertisement AA’ould do much : 
samples should be freely given aAvay. Mr. 
Lipton has made his special teas knoAvn through- 
out the world, and Avhy should not Ceylon teas be 
similarly established in public favour. Let them 
get to Avork at once, before Indian teas are 
permanently established and before the comple- 
tion of the railway to China makes teas of that 
country cheaper in Russia. Ceylon tea can hold 
its OAvn in Russia, if it is only made widely 
knoAvn and the man Avho can do this Avill de- 
serve Avell of his felloAV-colonists. For myself, 
interested as, I am in this island, I am trying 
to do Avhat little I can, in the direction of 
making onr teas knoAvn and showing hoAV they 
should be made,” 
