332 
THE TROPICAL AORIOULTURIST. [November 2, 1891. 
ProduotB ; but he was afraid ho ocu’d not get a 
supply of Ctylon Tea in time to exhibit. He 
approved very heartily of Ceylon planters 
advertising ; distributing somples to hotels, 
restaurants with information, or of opcnirg a 
Caf6 at which good Ceylon tea properly prcparecl 
oould be drunk- 
en this latter subjoot wo had a good deal of 
conversation with the Commercial Secretary to the 
Handels (Trades) formorly Oriental Museum, who 
promised to communicate with B.eron von Seals and 
let us know (he result at Ksrlsbad. As already 
mentioned, this institution is now managed after 
the fashion of a Limited Company, and is nesociated 
with a Trades or Mercantile Association, a largo 
number of oOiccs occupied by busincFS men being 
let on the lower floors of the extensive block of 
buildings in which the Museum is Icoaled. The 
idea was suggested ns to whellier a Itestaurant 
might not bo opened in this same block, having 
for its main object the distribution of pure Ceylon 
tea, by drinking or selling in packets, and that 
so located it oould not fail to catch fha attention 
of influential business men whore good opinion, if 
obtained, oould not fail to bo very valuable. 
Although not empowered by the Ceylon Tea Fund, 
or instinoled by them, I thought there could 
be'no barm in getting information as 1 was on 
the spot, which might, cr might not, bo utilised 
in the future. Then again, I thought it would 
be well to have among iho Ceylon Exhibits at the 
Museum, samples of our diilcrent teas which if 
made up in small boxes with, say, glass tops, 
could be seen in good order for a long lime to 
come. On both these subj'eets, I bavo been favoured 
with an oflloial reply from Baron vou Scale which 
1 hope the Coramitlee of the Ceylon Tea Fund 
will not take amiss to receive through your oolumns. 
Had I been empowered to enquire lor them, I 
should, of course, have communicated direct. 
Baron von Soala’s letter is as follows ; — 
Viuino, 29th August. 
John Ferguson, Esq., 
Posts Kestanto, Karlsbad. 
Dear (Sir, — In reply to the proposal you made with 
regard to exhibiting a Saniple Collection of Ceylon 
Tea at the Museum, we shall bo very glad to receive 
the samples. 
As to your second proposal to proraofo the sale 
of Ceylon tea in Vienna, we offer you the following 
r rrangoments. 
We should open a separnfo room at the Museum 
for the sale of Ceylon teas and a lea bar, where 
Ceylon tea may bo given away to vi.sitor-s of tho 
Museum on certain days. The cost of instullafion 
would be about £10 and other expenses, including 
wages of two bar-maids cto , would coino to abont 
£10 a month, of course not including value of (he ton 
and other Ceylon produce to be given away. Freight 
to Vienna and customs duty would also be at your 
charge. 
ahould you wish to report this to tho Ceylon Ten 
Planters’ Association, we shall be pleased to have 
your earliest advice. 
Meanwhile we rr main, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
The Directors of the 1. K. Auetrian Commercial Alnseum, 
A. V. SCALA. 
1 am not sure from tho above whether the idea 
of having a restaurant afltr the ordinary fashion, 
vtith Ceylon ten as a main feature, was considered 
feasible. What seems to be contemplated above 
fa a room for tho retail sale of Ceylon leas in 
paokets, and a bar whore cups of tea oould be 
given gratis to visitors, so as to induce a sale ; 
or it may be that a sale in tho cup even is 
contemplated to other than visitors and on certain 
days, it is, liowover, not worth while enquiring 
further at this stage ; fur X am nut sanguine that 
the Tea Fund Committee will care to go in for 
a “ Ceylon-Vienna Tea Fund Bar ” just at present, 
and yet the coat for one year’s experiment in this 
way— £130 in all — would seem ooniparalivoly moder- 
ate apart from tho cost of tho tea supplied (with 
duty and freiglit paid) but which ought to be 
nearly covered by the proceeds of salts? 
But whether the Tea Fund Committee take up 
this proposal or not (oomraunioating if they do 
with Baron von .Soala and the directors direct, or 
with mo if they wish me to move further), I do 
trust that they will not lose sight of the advantage 
of sending nicely-made up samples with average 
prices notrd, of the dillerent kinds of Ceylon tea 
for exhibition in the museums, Baron vou Soala 
and his directors, indeed, deserve a vote of thanks 
for the readiness and onurtesy they have shown 
in oonBidering and agreeing to proposals intended 
to benefit Ceylon p'anters, by promoting the salo 
of their leas in ViOMia, and I hope this will not 
be overlooked. 
WHAT HA8 BK£N D0^E FOR CICTLON TEA IN VIENNA. 
But it wns not till after I got to Karlsbad that 
I recallod Iho fact that the Ceylon Tea Fund, 
through Mr. Charles O.sswald, a Hwiss merchant, 
had already done something to promote the sale 
of our teas in jVienna ; and finding tho address 
of tho gentleman whom Mr. Osswald had appointed 
agent, I thought it well to write to him enquiring 
as to progress, and mentioning what we had done 
by way of interviewing in Vienna, nakieg his opinion 
too about advcrlitiiig, disseminating information 
and a cafd I was also anxious to know it he, 
or anyone else, was doing anything for tea in the 
Food Products Exhibition opened after I had left 
Vienna. The re, ult wa.s a very long letter in Ger- 
man (the language u^ed for my inquiries) some 
parts of which lire writer does uot want published 
(or good reasons ; but the subetinco of his report 
may be given as follows (or information of those 
interested in Ceylon and specially of the Tea Fund 
Committee ; — 
ri 1 iirn ,',ept. 1891. 
Uouoved Hir ,— 111 recoqit of yours of tho 2ud 
uist 1 do myself the lioiior to reply that tho Food 
Lxlubitioii was already opened on the Ist. and is to 
rcinaiu open till 1st Deeeniber or .faiiiiary, also that 
It IS in the saloons of Garden-Erections Coiuuanv 
on tliG “ Staueniuno." ^ 
X have seen tho Exhibition and send you now hy 
post the cataloguo of the Exliihits (frbe). As tho 
wliole Exhibition is meliided within 5 largo rooms 
and their galleries, you will understand tliat, com- 
paratively sneaking, it is not a large one. It is 
visUcd by about 2,(1110 persons daily and on Sundays 
by perhaps live times that mimlier. ^ 
Tea appears to lie only exhibited hy three firms 
and hy them only as a soeondary article. Cognac 
and rum are brought by tho same firms w-ell to^lho 
front and they would seem to consider tlieso far 
more important than tea. 
In tlio “ Tasters' " or Hefreshment lloom where 
various Exhibitors can biro stalls for the sale iind 
le sold, but no iea. The spaces for exhibits are hy 
no meaus all occupied, and tliere is still iilcntv of 
room, q ho better opportunity for tho ex^ilntioii of 
Eeylou lea would have been last year. Now similar 
exhibitions of tea occur, and if only I bad tho 
nucoBsan- support that hs the money (for alone I can- 
not midertake anything), I might advance the Ceylon 
tea interest in them. •' 
With regard to the distribution of Ceylon Tea I 
must tell you this: I myself am no morcliant, but 
so employed that X can devote my time from 3 in 
the aaernoon till 9 iioxt morning exclu-sively to tho 
iea hnsmess 1 am further able, if specially nooes- 
““■ry, to got tho tune from 9 to !i * o 
My brother-in-law, Mr. C. Osswald, in tho winter 
of 189(1 sent mo the first sample chest of Coylou tea 
and 'afl "“fV, farther ehests i^llowed) 
and aftof (he ljusmess had got iute order, l had a 
