July i, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AQRTCOLTURIST. 
23 
CKYLON TEA EOR AMERICA. 
A private letter from London convoys to us, whet 
U deoined vathor more te-as.mring intellwanoo in re- 
ferenoeto Mr, Elwood May's altit idsand aspirations. 
The idea ol establishing a vast ‘ ooriier” or 
monopoly in Coylin tea hod evidently been 
dissipated by oontaot with “ City ” men do- 
ing business in ‘‘tor," and instead ha was likely 
to make proposals which were muoh more practi- 
cable and indeed commendable. In the first place 
Mr. May has ma e it clear that the great diUi lulty 
eucounterol by “ha Company ol which he is Pre 
sident, in bringintg Oevlon tea into universal use 
in Ameriea, arises from the widespread manipulation 
and adulteration of inferior teas. There is no law, it 
is alleged, in the Unite! States, as in England, 
against adulteration ; and the multitudo everywhere 
rua after a cheap article unless their attention is 
specially arrested after a striking fashion —and th" 
more striking and startling the better on the 
American continent. Now, so far as they have 
gone, the Ceylon Planters’ Company— or rather 
the New York Directors -have done exceedingly 
well in securing flrat-cla is agents in several of the 
principal eastern towns and in Canadi; and it 
is clear that through the inflaenoo of these a 
largo and growing boeinesa is likely to be trans- 
acted. But as rega'ds the central aud 
western divisions and the country at Urgi, 
Mr. May thinks th it the Company sh mid 
have more aignificint and impresdvo cre.i n 
tiiils fioiu the tea planters ot this r oloiiy, — a formal 
“ endoraem nt " i the term ho uses— to bring liom.' 
to the American public mind that the C nnpany 
is, above all things, the representative and vendor 
of pure Ceylon tea throughout the Far VVcstoni 
Continent. This, per se, is ml altogether an un- 
reasonable wish or regueBt, if the iniiu object bo 
to fight the trade in oheap low cl iss or adulterated 
stuff flow the “ endorsement ’’ can bo given effect 
to by the planters, independently or through their 
Association, it is not so easy to sea ; but prob- 
ably some practical suggestion may arise out of 
the oonterenoo which Mr. Elwood May wjs to 
have with the Tea Co nmitleo of the London 
Aaaooiation. It is inlim.ite I that Mr. H. K. 
liuthorford, in anticipation of that Conferonoe, had 
prepared a scheme to enable the Ceylon planters 
to utilize the Company as their spcoial agents at 
the Chicago Exhibition. That is a very good sug- 
gestion indeed, end wo trust to see it worked out 
After a prautical fashion. But it soaroely covers 
the position taken up by Mr. May in reference 
to the Continoiu at large. One reason why more 
explicit roproaentauvo credentials are required is 
said to be to satisfy some powerful Amerio-au 
capitalists who are inclined to taka shares and 
join the Board. If it is clearly understood from 
the outset that the Company is only to deal in 
Ceylon teas, — to sell nothing but pure Ceylon teas 
— to challenge to this end, analysis or examiuation 
of any of its packet.s or chests as sold all over 
America, — then indeed the Direotora deserve very 
handsome treatmout from tliia Colony, and its planters 
espoeially, and soaroely any resolution that could 
be passed by the Tea Fund Commitee or PUntera' 
Association should be deemed too strong for the 
oooasion. We must remember that a form of 
words which might be deemed by us in England 
to be absurdly grandiloquent and out of place 
is not so “ reckoned ” among the sixty millions 
more or less who oonstilute the mighty Republic 
ooroBB the Atlantia Those arc, in subntinoe, the 
statements which have reached u=. Meantime, 
however, we have to see what the Conference with 
the Ten Committee in London may bring forth. j 
i 
THE PLAXTIXU EXPEDITION TO PERU. 
Messrs. Sinclair and Boss were to have left 
Liverpool for New York on 20th May, After a brief 
stay ill the States, they expect to visit some of 
ihe West Indian islands— perhaps look in on the 
Jamuioa Exhibition — bofore going on via Panama. 
Mr. A. Ross has, we understand, been very busy 
in preiisration for the Expedition ; in fact much 
of the organizing has been left in his hands, and 
he has besides h cn qualifying himself after a 
ohsraolevistio fashion, shewing all the buoyant 
energy of the typical Ceylon planter. Mr. Boss 
has been taking lessons in navigation, Sco., so as 
to bo able to take o servations, and he has also 
qualified us an amateur photographer. His experi- 
ence as a cacao planter in North Mutale will 
also Bland the Expedition in good stead, while 
the relations between the three Ceylon members 
— Messrs, Sinclair, Ross and Clark — are certain to 
bo marked by the utmost oordiality aud confldenee. 
It the Peruviana give the support faithfully pro- 
mised by them, the Expediiiou cannot fail of a 
large measure of eucouss in making known the 
character and oapabilities of an immense expanse of 
now country. All three gentleman have stood the 
test of a very strict medical examination. 
TEA SALES AT HOME AND PROSPECTS. 
A Pianlor wri'es on ‘iOih Miy : — This is my news 
from home by mail of M ly Uo ; — ■■ Coylon Teas 
ura (ioning in faster thin the market oa-i stand, 
and prices have b . n irregular and weak at this 
week's sale. Indian teas ate also less price, although 
it is estimated that only 50,000 paokag a remain 
to he Held for the season. China oonguu has b en 
pressed for sale iii aiiutioo and the low prices now 
current tor good quality will check heavy buying in 
China for England at the oommsnoemsDt of the 
nowteison.’’ — I ', is thus cleat that our having begun 
heavy e.xportiiig in the beginning of the season 
has choke 1 off Chinn. I do not think our heavy 
exports are all due to favourablo weather bu. coarser 
plucking, estates that used to give from 100-2001b. 
par acre are now yielding 400 to 500.“ 
^ 
COCONUTS AND CINNAMON. 
Kaoir-vna, May lath. — No monsoon as jot here, and 
tbo bills are still very ilistiiict every to ruing and 
alorosc ibroiigbout the day, showing that there has not 
been very mush min in their vicinity. Very littlo rain 
eiuoe the 20ib April. On the 12lU insUnt liiere was a 
good abower meastiriug 1'63 iuob, and the total to date 
is 1,11 y 2 01 inohes, whiuh is unnsaally little fur this 
time of the year. Apt il also was very sbeit, the ti tal 
being only 3 50 iiiohes. The fall for the fir-t 4 months 
of tbo yoir is 19 43 iiichec, whieh is abont the average 
of the four ptovious years; such a dry April and May 
howuvor is unusual. It is to to hoped tli.\t the latter 
part of this month wi 1 show au iiniir-ovemeu'. Fever 
IS vtrry prevalent siuoe March: April and Jtlay being 
very bad. Though not so serious as it was iti 1887, it 
is very mueli m ro provalent than usual shout this 
time; aud ou estates and in the villages there is hardly 
a hou-e without one or more inmates i 1. Tbit is 
the time w.oeu. iu a.Iditiou to treatment at outdoor dia- 
pens.tries, th. re should he itiuoraling med'cal officers 
going Ihrongb tbo villages. Dispuusariesaro generally 10 
to 12 mileoapart, and though tlio.e living within 2 miles 
or so will avail themselves of them, it is nardly to he ex- 
pectod that tho'C farther swsy will patronize them. II 
is in there cas.^s that itinerating medical otfioors nould 
do so mnoh good, by preventing noedloss stiff ting, and 
saving miuy lives. Fever is the bane of Oeylou, 
and to it luatidy, in my opinion, must be atiributrd 
