282 
tHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[October i, 1891 
A. FliUiD \'P, 
Saniplo Tomp. of Time in 
No. Sli-neoo, drying. Uemarks. 
I 210“ 40 to 45 mt-s, BrlgliL iDfosnil loaf, pungont, 
liavoiu'y, good aroinn, fairly 
strong Hqnor. 
a 240® 2.5 to .00 „ Bright infused leaf, ninlty 
lliinor and llavonry, fair nrmna. 
guod body ninl fair strength. 
3 290® 20 to 25 ,, Infusod leaf, saino as No. 2, 
malty Hnn..r, more body and 
strength, m: ilavnur. 
B, FlIlKI) OllPl.NAllV Iv.tV. 
1 200“' 1 hour Infnsed leaf, bright but 
darker than A I, llnnor pungont, 
llavonry, gtiod strength *. Ixsly. 
2 230'“ 30 tuts. Infnscsl leaf, same as No. I, 
but lighter, less body anil 
llavoiir, tint more strength. 
.3 200“ 25 „ Infnw'd leaf, .“amn as No. 2, 
lair strength and bnd.v, little or 
no Jfavtior, ai'oiiia i./iia/ ht all, 
A. No. 1 creamed slightly : No. 2 good Il.ght milky cream \ 
No. .3 oi'camed thick and darker than No. 1 and 2. 
15. No. 1 light cream; No. 2 same as No. 1, but darker; 
No. 3 thick dark cream. 
The above teas were ilrod on a lino stinshlny day, with 
the thcrinometer In tho factory standing at 86°. 
THE LOCAL KS. THE LONDON MAEKET 
FOB TEA. 
Cantral Province, Sept. 2l8t. 
Sib, — Tho question "Does it pay better lo sell tea 
in the looal market than ship it to England ?" 
has been so frequently atltcd amongst planters 
that the following (aets may interest some of your 
readets. 
A, B and 0 are throe different properties under 
my supervision. The tea leaf from all three is 
manufactured on A as if it a'l belonged to A. The 
tea is all oarofully balked and packed twice a month 
in the slack season, and weekly, as a rule during tho 
busy months. 
The breaks despatched veraged 1,. Ill lb. to A, 
3,0s81b. to U, 2,819 lb. to , and consigned to the 
respective agents of the th eo properties. A’s teas 
were shipped and the gross average of sales in 
London was 10T5J per lb. If we knock off 2d ac- 
cording to the Plantors’ Thumb Nail Tea Price 
Table we have 8'lOd at l.s 0 11 3'2d the average rata 
of exohango at 3 ms., July 1809 to August 1891, 
which shows ld = 6' H3o. x 8 15 = ll SCia. for A’s 
tea. B's tea sold in local market at 17'03a. and 
O’s lor 49-6Go. average.— Yours truly, 
THE SUPERINTENDENT. 
PEPPiin oBOWiNa IN SoMATB.v.— The cultivation of 
pepper in the Lampoug districts (Southern Suma- 
tra) is constantly increasing. The output in 1890 
is estimated at 50,090 piculs (one picurl equals 
133J lb ), and it is calculated that, at nn average 
price of 48s 01 per picul, over 125,000f in cash 
has been received by the combined pepper growers 
lor their produce. The Dutch Indian (iovernment 
are also endeavouring to extend the pepper in- 
dustry in Bantam (Western Java).— C/imisf unO. 
Bi'ugginl- 
The Decline on the Foochow Tea Tradk.— T he 
Foochow Echo of 12th Sept says : — 2 A 9 further 
evidence of the depression in native trade hero 
scores of shops and hoUBOS in tlio city and suburbs 
are noticed to be untonanted, many of them being 
olfered for sale at half the original coat. A wull- 
inlotniod native attributes this solely to the rapid 
decline to the Tea trade, pointing out that for 
the last three or four years it has, while f.illing 
ciT, been at tho same time unprofitable, and that 
those engaged in it have had no money to spend. 
This is confirmed by others, and so many wore 
connected With tho trade one way and another 
that we can quite believe it. Tho settlemeut next 
week (the 12th and 13th days of the 8th moon) 
will, it is said, not pass by without a great deal 
of trouble to very many, and those who are able 
to tide it over will have a disagreeable time to 
look forward to next eettlemont, the China New 
Year, unless some great change oomei about in 
trade iri ilio meantime. The onoo liourishing 
Foochow is at present in a very bad way. 
Wynaao. — Coffee promised to yield a bumper crop, 
but tho plaoting community is growing despondent, 
as leaf disease is playing much liavo-', and berries 
drop largely ; nevertheless, the crop will not be as 
had as that of last year. But tho planters would do 
well to keep a sharp lock out on somi well known 
Mops in the far south, who o.vii some Paniata 
noramally for oultivutiou, but really for stialing 
collee. These Mops know wiiero to please and 
grease, and of course, pass oft as Uasataths and 
Khan 8ahiba.~ J/. and T, Spectator. 
■ C’evlon Tea Fund. — A s a Kandy correspond - 
dent hinted last week, the Tea Fund Committee 
transacted some important business at its meeting 
on tho 18th instant, as will bo seen by tho report 
of the proceedings on page 274. It is 
salisfaotory to learn that Governmr.nt is to grant 
a sum of 1160,000 towards the represiutation of 
Ceylon at the Chicago Expository, and that the 
Tea Fuud has set aside RSO.OOO for the pushing of 
Ceylon tea thoro. We hope that this will lead to a 
large demand for cur teas in the States. What the 
purpoit of tho lettora from Messrs. W. Maokenz e 
and Sheriff was, wo can only guess ; and wo hope 
that some means will be found of satiafyfug both 
parties in tho Tea Kiosk controversy. 
It i.s understood that tho Secreknry of S'ato haa 
ordeiel au I'xprriment to he made in ludia with the 
Lathyrue Sj/tveslrig, or flat poa, a wild plant of the 
same or.let as I’oaa iv Vetohee, but which hue been 
Jisoovorod to be a valualda forage proctuctiou, by 
sowing some lands in Oudh and the North-Wost 
with the seed. Succnlent fo.lder that willgiovam! 
thrive iu poor soil nud’r such couifidous as sre now 
harassing same of our Souihcrn districts would be a 
boon to the imp.iverished teuiiuta and starving cattle 
of the distressed centre-^, tho value of which it would 
bo iiupossiblc to overrats. It is claimed for this new 
p ant that it is CBpcoislly Mutable to a dry climate, 
as it can resist the moat uimsual drought; it re- 
quires no m.iuure, will grow on the same soil year 
after yesr. and will fiuurish on waate atony land 
where nothing else will, uud improvoe rather than 
di ti'i ionite the soil. It has been eucoesafiiUy tried 
in Ireland, Germany, Australia and South Africa, and 
if all that is said of it is true, should suoii beoonie 
much sought after in this laud of impoverished ten- 
antry and uaderfe 1 cattle.— //idiari Ayricidturist. 
A Californian p.aper says—" Tlie liquid in which 
the St.alo Boar. I of Trade has so Bueceesfully pre- 
served fruit for exhibition purposes is prepared as 
follows : — Thirty gallons of filtered water are placed 
in a barrel end ; on the water is placed in a tin 
pan containing 25 cents worth of su'phur. The 
sulphur is sot on tire, and tho top of the barrel 
is covered with a piece of oilskin, so as to retain 
the fumes. When the lu’phnr ceases to burn the 
covering is removed, allowing tho supply of oiygou 
in the barrel to be renewed, and after stirring the 
water the sulphur is again set on fire and the tep 
of tho barrel is again covered. This operation is 
repeated unt'l the sulphur will no longer burn, 
when the water is ready tor use. Not only are fresh 
fruits preseivod in this water, but where decay has 
sot in it is eomplotoly ohooket, and withered fruits 
haire their plumpness and colour restored. All tho 
fruit in ‘ California on wheels ' has been treated i i 
this manner, and (hire are jars of fruit in the 
rooms of the B..ard that were p.oparod over a 
year ago, tho fruit still appearing as if but pluoko.l 
from tho ties ,” — Indian Ji/ricultiiriet, Ang. 29. h, 
