November 2 , 1891 .] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
339 
to those who know how to wait. It most not bo in- 
ferred that tea olwoya pays like this, very mnch the 
other way. But this is an instance of what tea in ex- 
perience.! bands and under exceptional advantages can 
do. This extraordinary profit has been made in tea, in 
the face of the enormously increased outturn and con- 
sequently heavy fall in prices which has marked the 
Inst decade. It by no means follows that every planter 
with a few year’s experience and local knowledge can 
take np a grant of land, open out, and do likewise. A 
good many have tried sud failed. Nothing sucocods 
like sucoesB ; the few snooeed, the many fail. But it 
has been douo.andit will bo done again ; and though 
cent per cent is not to bo looked for, as in this one 
spooial ease, still tea as a business will make, as big, 
it not bigger, profits than any industry under the sun. 
— Englisliman. 
MB. JAMES TAYLOR'S REMINISCE>’CES OF 
THE TEA AND CINCHONA ENTERIMUSE. 
Mr. Baker of the Assam Tea Company, mentioned 
by Mr. Taylor, was here during the heavy rains 
of the north-east monsoon of 1871 ; and they made 
snob an improesion on hia mind that ho told us 
he could not see how, with so wet a olimato and 
no winter, tea could flourish in Ceylon. The 
result shows how even expotienoed and acute 
observers may be mistaken. And so as regards 
climate. Our visit to Darjiling was in March 1877, 
at the culmination of seven months of drought ; 
and we might, ss our good friend Mr. Oaramie 
of the Moungpoo Cinchona Plantations said, have 
formed the impression that it never rained on 
the Eastern Himalayas; while Mr. Taylor, judging 
by his opposite experience, might have reported 
that it never ceased raining. 1 ho late Mr. Criiweil 
accompanied Mr. Taylor on hia trip to Darjiling and 
wrote a very interesting account of the Sanitarium 
and the tea estates for tho Observer. Mr 
Taylor's experience of actual tea ouUivalion and 
manufacture at Darjiling must have been of great 
value to him. Mr. Taylor's gratitude to those 
who have recognized his services lu first manufactur. 
iog Ceylon tea in appreciable quantity and of good 
quality is very creditable to him. But his own 
bashfulneas, which he describes as of even more than 
ordinarily Scotch intensity, might have induced him 
to spare the blushes of another notoriously mode: t 
man, Mr. George Wall. This gentleman is notorious 
lor never regarding ditTerenoes from his opinions 
as criminal. When people assert opinions dif- 
ferent to his he merely saye, like Mr, Toots, “ It 'a 
of no consequence.” How ilietresaed this model of 
modesty and solf-deprocialion will feel at being 
supposed capable of perumuontly occupying the chair 
of the Planters’ Association. Clwrles Lamb said he 
could sit against anything except a hen or a 
tailor ; but Mr. Wall bears no resemblsnoe to a 
S' dent Buddha. There were great generals before 
Agamemnon ; and Mr. Robert Boyd Tyiler and 
” Bandy Brown” were for many years tho 
life and soul of the Association. Statistics 
of tho various crops in Ceylon, which we fur- 
nished to Mr. Tytler, were embodied in tho 
paper announcing the formation of tho body 
which has done so much lor the planting enter- 
prise and Ceylon. Then tho Birds, or Byrdes 
as they now call themselves; and others, notably 
Mr. Leake, and now that Prince of Seoreiaries, Mr. 
Philip, have rendered good service, which Mr. 
Wall would ha ae ready to acknowledge as Mr. 
James 'Taylor must bo. Gratitude is a fine quality 
oven when expressed rather gushingly ; and wo 
arc all grateful for the work done for the colony 
by Messrs. James Taylor and George Wall. But 
others have done their part, amongst whom Mr. 
James Taylor, if ho had not exhausted the English 
language in glorifying his special idol, might have 
mentioned tho oonduotors of the Ceylon Observer, 
but for whom Mr. Taylor’s merits would not 
have been so well-known to tho world as 
is tho case. But returning from this digres- 
sion, necessary in the interests of impartial 
history, let us exprtss tho hope that Mr. 
James Taylor may live long to enjoy the well 
deserved honours conferred on him by his_ brother 
plcnters, not for introdnoing either tea or cinchona, 
but for tho service rendered to the colony by a 
series of intelligent, careful and sueoessful ex- 
periments in tho ouUivalion and preparation of bo(b> 
THE TAYLOR TESTIMONIAL. 
The Secretary of the C. P. A. sends us the fol- 
lowing correspondence : — 
Cony. Secretary’s Office, No. 42 King Street, 
Kandy, 19tb August 1891. 
To James Taylor, Ksq., Luole Condora. 
Dear Sir,— I am reqaestod by tho Committee of the 
Planters’ Association to inform you that the Silver 
Tea Servioo which forms part of the Testimonial to 
be presented to you has arrived from London and I 
am to ask yon whether you would prefer to have 
tho testimonial presented to yen at next meeting of 
tlio Planters' Assooiatiou or to have it handed to you 
privately.— I am, deir rir, yours failhtully, 
(Signed) A. Philip, 
Secretary to the Planters’ Association of Ceylon. 
Copy. Loolo f'oudora, Ang. 2lst. 
A. Philip, Esq., Secy., Plantrra’ Aasociition, Kaudy. 
Dear Sir, — Yonr letter of 19 h current received. I 
am very muck obliged for ths suggest on that the Tea 
Service Teatimoninl can bo handed to me jirivatoly. 
I would much prefer that course act 1 would write 
B letter of acknowledgment to you and Ibankiog the 
subscribers, &o. and giving some short aud general 
account of our beginning of the Tea industry. Wore 
the testimonial to be presentod at a meeting of the 
P. A. I should have to apeak tomething of that 
nature. It would bo my first attempt at "publio 
speaking” fur which I am certainly not fitted, and 
1 would rather ho sTowed to write what I should 
try to say. — Yours failhfully, 
(Signed) James Tavloe. 
(Copy) Secretary’s Office, No. 42, King Street, 
Kandy, Ang. lilst, 1891, 
To James Taylor, Esq., Lode Coudera. 
Deur Sir, — 1 beg to acknowledge receipt of your 
letter of tho 20 th instant sud have now only to perform 
the phasing duty of handing you on behalf of the 
subscribers the accompanying tea aud oolfee eorvice. 
Un the silver salvor is eugraved the following insorip- 
tion: — 
‘‘To James Taylor, L'ooleoondera, in grateful appre- 
ciation of his successful efforts which laid tho founda- 
tion ofjtho Tea and Cinchona Industrias of Ceylon 1801.” 
and no words are needed to express the hearty and 
representative nature i.f tho testimonial. 
You are doubtless aware that a portion only of the 
‘Tund” subsoiibed has heon devoted to the silver tea 
sot ; a cheque for the balance will bo sent to you so 
soon as the accounts have been received and dosed. — 
I am, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
(Signed) A. Philip. 
Secretary to the Piantors’ Aasootion of Ceylon, 
(Copy.) Lode Cnudera, Sept. 28th 1891. 
To the Secretary Planters’ Association, Kandy. 
Dear Sir, — lu aoknowicdgiug receipt of the Testi- 
monial I feel that I do not know how to express my 
thanks for the honour and reward it gives me for my 
original enooosica in TVa- making aud Cinchona 
cnltivation. It had been publicly mentioned on several 
ocoasiouB that I w's tho first suooosaful tea-maker in 
Ceylon or in tho beginning the most ssooessfal. I 
was fnlly satisfied with that, aud it was a startling snr- 
pnae to me when I saw mention made in the uewe- 
papore of this tojtimouial, 
