300 
THE TROPICAL AtSWITTOLTURIST. [November 2, 1891. 
" waddlios" the results of palmira fruits carried 
away by elephants, monkeys, bears and other 
animals. If suob be the ease, all that the forest 
officers have to do, to produce lnr(;o expanses of 
palmiras, is to clear away the forest trees, a 
large proportion of which are not in the region we 
are referring to, of much value for timber purposes. 
For good palmira timber for housebuilding pur- 
poeog, there will be ever a demand, looally and 
in India. The “ waddlies” scattered in the nor- 
thern jungles ought, therefore, to bo obeiiahcd and 
where necessary added to, so that forests of this 
line and useful palm may be ultimately available 
for management by the Forest Departmont.or foreslo 
or lease to natives. The matter is surely well 
worthy of serious consideration. 

MR. HOtilVUK'S MISSION AND THU 
MOSCOW KNlllHITION; CEYLON AND 
INDIAN r« CHINA TKAS. 
London, Sept, lltli. 
No nows having reached the Ceylon Association 
in London as to Mr. Bogivue’s proceedings, a 
call was paid by me in another quarter in the 
hope of obtaining the information respecting the 
success or otherwise of hie venture at the Moscow 
Exhibition in which your colonists have no in- 
eonsiderable stake. But although much was men- 
tioned to me of a satisfactory character relating 
to the prosperity of Mr. Bogivue's general under- 
taking, it was told me that the London Agency 
of that gentlemen had not to date heard anything 
as to what had been done at the Exhibition at 
Moscow. No doubt Mr. Rogivue is waiting till 
the Exhibition there finally closes before venturing 
upon any statement as to what has been accom- 
plisbod at it. lint as regards the general trading 
carried on by your representative in Russia, this 
would appear from all aoeounts to be possessed 
of a most satisfactory obaracter, and the weight 
of the oonsignmenta made from London in response 
to bis demands have gone far towards determining 
this. 'We read so little now in the papers as to 
what is doing at the French Exhibition in Moscow, 
that we cannot even learn if the attendance at 
it has at all approached the estimate of this formed 
when the idea was first started. 
From the best authorities we hear that Mr. 
Rogivue is so satisfied with the results to his 
tentative work that he is about to take a partner, 
in order to enable him to further extend his 
business. This tact would seem to augur well 
tor the inoreaso of the Russian trade in Ceylon 
tea; though Mr, Rogivuo has himself stated that 
it has been very uphill work so tar. The tact 
must, however, always bo borne in mind that that 
gentleman is of a most sanguine temperament, and 
that this should eauso all his reports to bo received 
with some degree of caution. Indeed those who 
are best acquainted with him bore tell me that 
over-sanguinenesB is Mr. Uogivue’s only fault. 
A good deal baa been written to the papers 
lately as regards the reasons tor the eoutinued 
BuperHession by Indian and Ooylon tea of the 
China varieties, the returns continuing to show a 
large diminution in the import of the last for 
the past half-year. The North British Daily Mail of 
September 4th contained the following paragraph 
Tea— China, India and Cf.vlon.— Consul Oaidiuov 
thus Bummariaos the advantages of the Indian and 
Ceylon tea growers:— I. — Command of capital. In 
In dia and Ceylon tea estates are geuer.ally owned by 
companies which can afford to carry on business at 
a loss of time, can purchase expensive machinery and 
plant, and can spend large Bunw vf mvney on experi- 
incuts and on investigating tlio tastes and requiro- 
nients of pnrehasor. 2, — The Indian tea grower can 
boiTow money at from 4 to !> per cent, while the 
Ohinoso ten grower has to pay from 20 to OOpor cent. 
H. — In India and Ceylon tile land tax is lighter than in 
China, and tliore is absolutely no likin, octroi, or export 
duty to pay. In Cliina tlie likin and export dnty 
often amoont to SO per cent of the selling price of 
tho lea abroad, and to KKlpor cent of the prime 
cost of its production in China. 1. — Labour is cheaper 
in India than in China, .'i. — Tlie lea planters in India 
and Ceylon have tho necessary knowledge of chemistry 
and oliomical ngrioultnre at their commaud to pro- 
duce in tho tea by cultivation and nianufaotiu'o tho 
qualities required by tho purohasors, and can vary 
tlieni with tlio varying wants of different countries 
and districts. 6. — Better acquaintance with tho tastes 
and requirements of pnrehasers, and intimacy with 
tlio retail dealers and their mode of conducting 
busiuess. 
Consul Uardiner's name seems to be unknown 
to the Ceylon men with whom tho foregoing article 
has been disuuseed by me, and it is evident from 
that artiole that ho is without acquaintanoo with 
some, at least, of tho points which he tonohes 
upon. Thus, ho speaks of a land tax in Ceylon, 
boiDg ignorant evidently that sueh a tax does not, 
as yet at all events, exist in Ceylon. At tho 
same time no doubt many of the facts Consul 
Gardiner has stated are correct and operative to- 
wards the ooncluaiuns he has made public. But 
there is another very vital oondition upon whioh 
he has kept eilenoe, and this has been given 
prominent notice in Hie h'.nyineer whioh lately 
published an editorial dealing with tho advantage 
of curing tea by machinery. The argument of 
this latter paper is that in China the tea is not 
only contaminated by contact with both the hands 
and feet of tho natives, but that these prepare 
it in such small lots that it does not get into 
tho possession of the native dealers until 
much of its strength and aroma has been lost 
by exposure. In Ceylon and India, the artiole 
points out, contact with the human hand oloses 
with the plucking of the leaf. Maohinory then 
enables a quantity sufficient to ooostilute a ship- 
ment to be turned out quickly whioh is packed 
into the boxes in a warm state as it finally leaves 
the macinery, and the strength and aroma are 
thus both preserved. This fact, the Engineer oon 
tends, may well aooount for the superiority in 
strength assigned to the teas of India and Ceylon as 
compared with those of China. 
If we combine tho causes assigned by Consul 
Gardiner with those .stated by the Engineer, we 
doubtless obtain all those which have induced the 
British public to show the preference it has done 
for the teas exported by yourselves as well as 
for those grown in_ India over those of Chinese 
growth. Tho chemistry of tea-growing is, as we 
have learned of late from what Mr. Hughes has 
told us, still a knowledge too muob in its infancy 
to have had the strong effect assigned to it by 
Consul Gardiner, That much as to this remains 
to bo ascertained is oertain, and the sooner the 
further experiments proposed by Mr. Hughes are 
carried out, tho better it will be for all Ceylon tea 
planters . — London Cor. 
WORLD’S PAIR MINING NOTES. 
One of tho greatest attraotiona of tho mines de- 
partment of tho Exposition will bo tho romarkablo 
collection of minerals owned by l^rofessor A. E. 
Foote, of Philadelphia. Ho has the finest private 
collection in tho world. It is a complete history 
of iiiiuoralogy, and it will bo so arraimed at the Ex- 
position that tho mineralogy of the States can bo 
shown. This coUeotiou was shown at the Couton- 
