THr TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[November 2 , i8gi. 
316 
the '• disBolved bonea” ? Besidea estate rubbish 
and fresh jungle aoil, if available, we have no 
doubt that burnt clay or peaty matter would 
be a valuable addition to the manurea. The mag- 
nesia and alkaline aalta, not of essential impor- 
tance in theinaelves, are in nearly equal proportion 
in the superphosphate and tbo bones. 
THE PRICE OF CIGARS AND TORACCO 
GROWING. 
A correspondent writes : — 
“ It is passing strange that, despite the low price 
of tobacco leaf, suth extreme rates as those adver- 
tised in your paper of Iho let should still ho ob- 
tainable for Manilla cigars, tbo advertised price in 
one case being ae high as Ki) per box of 5U, or 
I80. each. 
“ It is a great pity, I Ihiok, that tho.se who went in 
largely for the otiltivation of tobacco hero, ar.d lost 
heavily by it, did not introduce a few experts io 
the manufacture of the leaf from Manilln. Had 
they done so I feel sure they would have had no 
reason to complain of tlie rcsalts of their enterprise. 
“ Another mistake made by Ceylon growers was in 
not selling their leaf in the local market, insteKd 
of aending it homo. I believe they would have got 
as mnoh for it in the island as they did in Europe, 
and the oust of the long t'ansport and boino agents’ 
charges would have been sived. 
“But no one can feel surprised that reeent attempts 
to grow tobacco profitably should have ended in 
failure, when ho comes to consider the expenditure 
incurred, which was in many cases ixtravsgaut to 
a degree.” 
Then follow details of alleged reckless expendi- 
ture, which we should not be juvtilied in publishing 
except on authenticated evidence. 
THE CONSUMI’TIO.V OF TEA, C0P1''EE, 
AND COCOA. 
A corte.spondorit of the (Jrvetr, writing about the 
consumption of tes, coffee, and cocoa, says; — Stati-.lio3 
as to the quantity of tea coneumed in this country 
ate somewbat conflicting. It is roughly estimated 
that 200,')00,(H)0 lb. sro imported ii lo this country, 
the value of which is £12,000,01)0. Mr, Bell, of Somer- 
set House Laboratory, gives the amount of tea imported 
in the year 1880 ns 2(18,500,000 lb, The abstract of 
the Custoin.s report statc.s the consumption per head 
for 1890 to bo 5 lb., or 5 1-1. The consumption of 
tea ha", from its tirst introduction into this country 
in the’ middle of tbo sevenicoritb century, steadily 
inoreased, and its price has aifo been steadily reduced. 
Cofloe was first introduced at the seme time as tea, 
but, unlike ten, its consumption has fallen off. In 
1847 wo .are told that the quantity of oeffeo imported 
was 37,441,378 lb., but in 1880 it was only 32,480,000. 
Cocoa was introduced nearly at the eamo time as 
tea and otffcc, and the consumption has continued 
to iuorease, though not to the sitnc extent as te.i. 
Ill the year 1840 tho quantity of cocoa imporind 
was 2,645,470 lb., in 1880 it was 10,.r,B6,].')!) lb. Tbe 
great improvemeuts in the methods of preparing 
cocoa aro supposed to ha certain to incroaee its 
consumption. In hnudl/ng a small quantity of tea 
one would icsrcely imagine that it was composed 
of volatile oil, wax, resin, gum, extraotivo matter, 
&o Yet so it is. By distillation, boiling precipi- 
tation, filtering, and other obemical opnrstioiis, the 
component parts cun be learned and the clicmical 
and physiological effects of tea as an articlo of diet can 
bo oo'rre^otly specified. Mr. Be 1 states the chemical com- 
position of tea to be moisture,, Iheino albamen, extractive 
matter, gum, peotiuo. lanmii, ^lorcpbyll and resin, 
oollnioBC, and ash, Mr. James Baton, in the Aueyefo- 
vceiiia Jlrilnmiica, gives nearly tlie "stBO parts m the 
same eiuautitios. Tbe composition of both coffee and 
'cocoa is not very dissimilar from that of tos. Ilieir 
dietetic value may be tabulated thus— lea is tho most 
rofcosblng, eoffee is the most stimulating, aud cocoa is 
tho most nouii-hhig. The solid food taken with these 
beverages w'll alter their dietetic value relatively ; tho 
solids l:oii,g the ptiucipsl source of natation. Theineia 
tho moat important part of lea; its chemical formula 
is C,, H,„ N , 0,. Mr. Bell states that theiuo con- 
tains m arly 29 pi-r cent of hydrogen. Many hundred 
years i,go a Chinese writer (Lo-Yg) gave his ideas on 
tea, whieli agree pretty much willi ibe experience of 
toa-ilrinketa of teday. Lo-Yii saya It tempers tho 
spirit and baemopisus tbe mind, dispels Usaitndo and 
relieves fatigue, awakens th. tight aud provuuts drowsi- 
ness, lightens or rofresliea the body, and cheers tho 
perceptive tacultics.” An Iheiue is tho most im- 
portsut part in ten, bo csllcine is the most valuable 
constitnent of cvlloo ; its chemical furmnia is exactly 
the same as tea. Coffou is more stimulating than 
tos, and has been long u.sed by studious men to pre- 
vent sleep. Cocoa ia more mitritious than either 
tea or coffee. In the form of an emulsion there is 
more of its eolil parts utilifcd for nutrient pnrpoaes. 
Thoobromino is ibe prir.cipsl alkaloid of cocoa; its 
ohcniioal formula differs slightly Irom tea and coffee 
— CjH.N^Oj. Cocoa oonlaiuB over 31 per cent of 
nitr.'gen, and is, therefore, more nutritious th.nii tea 
cr coffee. Mr. Baton sajs ten, coffco, and cocoa 
supply a want found to prevade all parts of the 
world ; beuce thoir increased consumption. — II. anil 
V. Mail. 
THE CEYLON TEA CROP OF 1891. 
Tbo figures for the first nine months of the 
year being oomplete, wa are in a position to 
estimate with pretty near approximation the prob- 
able outturn of the year. We have had the 
quantities for oaoh quarter added together, which, 
with tbe total for the nine months, arc as follows ; — 
1891. 
Jnimsry-March ... ... ... ...14,013,082 
Apiil-Juuo 20,705,648 
July-September 16,988,409 
Total. ..52,695,220 
It will be seen that the average monthly totals 
for tho first quarter were very close on five mil- 
lions of pounds ; then came a great increase in 
the harvest, raising the monthly average of the 
second quarter to close on seven milliooB, the highest 
figure yet being 7,075,081 lb. in June. 'The monthly 
average in_ tbo third quartet fell to 5,602,000 lb. 
Tho question now is what the quantity exported 
will bo in the quarter on which we have entered. 
In the last quarter of 1890, the percentage of the 
whole year’s exports sent away was 2207. Our 
beliof is that a larger expanse than ordinary 
has been pruned this year and so will not bo 
largely produoiivo in tho last quarter ; but let us 
suppose that the conditions are fairly similar to 
those of the last quarter of the previous year. 
Then wo think an average of 6J million pounds 
tor each month of tho quarter, or 16.i millions 
total, will be about tho figures realized. 'This 
would make the grand total export 69 millions. But 
the round . figure of 70 millions may possibly bo 
reached or slightly exocedod. This will be an un- 
expectedly great jump from 45,390,000 lb. last year, 
an excess of 21,010,000. It looks as if oonsumption 
would increase in fair proportion ; but as inoreased 
produotion is likely to go on unchecked for 
years yet, efforts to push our teas and find 
new markets for them must not be relaxed. 
« 
ECHOES OF SOIENOE. 
Tho past severe winter killed one of the white 
miingrovo (.ivirennia nivea) sent to tbe Gardeus of 
the Roial Botnuio Society by the late Duke cf 
linckingnniii, wliou Governor of Madras. The dead 
plant lias been turned into a museum specimen, 
