October i, 1891.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
249 
$otitiespond$no0. 
To the Editor. 
MR. MAITLAND KIliWAN'S PATENT TEA 
PAPER. 
Billit-’r Square Cuildinga, 
London, Aug. 13th, 1801. 
Dbab Sin,— You may have notic d by Mesera. 
Wilson, Smilbett h. Co.’s last circular that tea 
still continues to come forward in iho new patent 
paper lining and is found to arrive in lerfoot 
order. 
The last consignment I had from Elkadua m 
this paper proved very satisfactory ; tho more eo 
because my head superintendent wrote me saying 
ho feared it might not arrive in good order owing 
to its having been packed in very wet weather. It 
was however just the teat I wanted to prove that 
the paper was not mer dy a fair weather material. 
I may mention that this tea w,ib valued by an 
export along with a sample out of tho same break 
packed in the ordinaiy lead lining ; and without 
knowing which was which, ho pronounced the 
sample (paper packed) the fresher and better of 
tho two ; the lead lined presenting somewhat of a 
tinny flavor. 
I think there can be no doubt that a oertain amount 
of corrosion must bo imparted from the lead Hn- 
ings which to some extent must affect the quality. 
The paper linings, of oourse, will obviate this, and 
what with a saving of nearly 50 per cent I have 
no doubt those linings will continuo to command 
themselves to the planter and proprietor. I am 
a little surprised that your Planters’ Assooiation 
have not taken the matter up, after being supplied 
with samples of the paper, but, no doubt, now that 
it has been proved a genuine suooess, they will move 
in this business. — Yours truly, 
J. M. MAITLAND KIUWAN. 
{Extract from Wilson, Smithett cC- Vo's Circular ) 
la the Hoard ot Trido Rctiiri B glTi-n below we uoto 
ft satisfactory expansion in tho exports of Ceylon tes, 
which seems to indicate n wider knowledgo and gmwing 
appreciation ot its exoelloooe. One or two breaks oi Ceylon 
were included in the sales packed in patent paper lined 
packages, and apparently arrived in very good order. 
A WORD OP WARNINO TO CEYLON TEA 
PLANTERS. 
London, August 21et. 
Dear Sin, -The Ceylon Tea Industry taken as a 
whole is apparently well on its way to rum. Let 
those whom it may conoern taka warning in 
time. The sole oausa is the attempt to mako too 
much tea. A very short oontinuanco of the late 
style of picking and manutaoture will roligato 
Ceylon teas to tho place lately oooupiod by the 
lowest kinds of China ; and 0 lylon tea instead of 
being a name to attract will repel all who 
want tea of good oharaotor and agreeable flavour. 
The teas at present on this market f.om Ceylon 
are to a very large extent badly made, inferior 
in strength and quality and ovorgraded ; couse- 
quently prices are realized which must leave a 
serious loss to planters in many css s and under 
tho moat favourabls oiroumstanoea but very small 
profits. This in itself may act as a remedy, but 
it will take time. In tho meanwhile it behoves 
everyone who has the interests of tho Ceylon Tea 
Industry at hovrt and more especially the Planters' 
Assooiation to urge planters not to bo tempted by 
heavy flushes and increased estimates and yield to 
make more tea than they can properly manataotuio. 
-Yours, &a. C>AVE. 
82 
THE TALGASWELA TEA CO. 
Aug. 25tb. 
DEAn Sm,— It would be well if the Direotora 
ot tho Talgaswela Co. published the whole of Mr. 
Grigson’s report, so that present and intending 
shareholders might really road for themseWes 
what Mr. Grigson did write, instead of having their 
minds exeroiaed with the scraps of tho report given 
in the papers. One part of tho scraps seems to 
have led a shareholder to indulge in tho funny 
suggoetion that the series of patches of bad planting 
was not bad planting at all, but the result of 
poisonous roots, as if an intelligent V, A. like Mr. 
Grigson would have wasted time and paper and 
ink in describing a lew blemishes in a field, that 
anyone may note in a new tea clearing. Let 
me refer to tho scraps even as to what Mr. Grigson 
did write on this matter. Notwithstanding " (what ?) 
there is great irregularity in the growth and de- 
velopment of tho tea due to planting by village 
labour.” I, for one, and 1 am pretty oertoin no 
sensible man, would believe, that such '• great 
irregularity in the growth and developeraent of lea " 
is caused by poisonous roots, but simply by bad 
planting. The use of the " rod herring ” is not 
confined to cookery 1— Yours truly, 
* MVaa^T17T17n 
THE TALGASWELA TEA COMPANY (LTD.). 
Colombo, Ceylon, Aug. 28th. 
Deab Sir,— The writer of the letter in your issue 
of yesterday need not long remain “ mystified,” as 
I am quite sure the Seeretaries of the Company 
will be only too happy to supply !!>“,_ or ony 
other applicant, with a copy of Mr. Grigson’s report, 
which, I believe, has already been sent to every 
shareholder in and out of tho island. I may tell 
him that the report oovets five pages of printed 
foolscap, and it is hardly to be expeoted that pspera 
would give any company a free advertisement by 
inserting so lengthy a document — a dooument, too, 
intended primarily for the information ef the share- 
holders. Other companies do not usually publish 
their V. A.s’ reports, but no doubt the direotora of 
the Talgaswela Company will deviate from tho 
general ouatom, it “Mystified" sends a cheque to 
cover the expense of so doing. 
As to the other point referred to by your oorres- 
pondent — the irregularity in the appearanoe of the 
tea Mr. Grigson is of opinion that it is due to 
'■ village labour, ” while the manager of the estate 
Mr. Broadhurst (who has been a planter in the Galle 
distriot for 12 out of 22 years in the island) attri- 
butes it to “immature seed.” It is no uncommon 
thing to find experienced men differing very widely 
on planting matters, so the present eoDiliot of ideas 
is hardly a subject of muoh moment to the share- 
holders. What is ot more interest is the fact that 
the V. A. reports that this year's crop has been sold 
at an average of 4Ga. per lb. nett, "icliieli is a 
better residt than would be expected from the low- 
country generally and is therefore a feature of distinct 
promise." Ho also states that the yield next year 
should bn about 180,000 lb. from 485 aores four 
years old and 196 acres three years old, equal to 
an average of 264 lb. per acre ; and the yield for 
the following year (189.3) is estimated by another 
competent authority at 150 lb. per acre, giving a 
total ot over 300,000 lb. Bearing in mmd the 
” exceptional advantages” (Mr. Grigaon’s words) 
Talgaswela enjoys in regard to labour, the ” easy 
and inexpensive ” transport facilities, and the foot 
of there being ” 600 or 600 acres available for the 
further extension ot tho ton industry,” I shall not be 
surprised to fled ” Mystified” in the market for 
