January i, 1892.] the TROPICAL AQRICLILTURI8T, 489 
THE PLANTERS AND THE CHICAGO 
EXHIDITION EUND, 
The followinf; ia a copy of tho circular that is 
being sent round the l)irubulA dUtriot, and wo 
reprint it for the benefit of the pianting ooinmuniLy 
in general. The amount estimated as likely to be 
given by the Colombo mercantile community hae 
already been ooiisiderably exceeded ; so that the 
planters sbould do their best to try and make up 
even more than the sum put down here as their 
<luota. The Agrapatana planters are eettiog a good 
^amplo, their list including lt200 from Mr. Wm. 
Mackenzie. B200 from Mr. Ashton, and B260 from Mr. 
oeton. We would draw special attention to the 
statement that ** the measure of usefulness attained 
^spends upon the bilanoe left over after all initial 
expenses are paid.” Let Ceylon aim high and act 
accordingly. 
Beeolution passed at the DimbuU Planters' Associa- 
won on November 6tb, 1891. 
y, opinion of this Association the Chicago 
xuiDitiou should, in consideration of the great impor- 
ance of gaining a footing in America for Ceylon Tea, 
ooive the support of every mum ber of the Planiing 
* and it is earnestly hoped that the mem- 
*ra of this district at any rate will subscribe liber- 
ally, either through the Ceylon Tea Fund or by special 
towards tbo Exhibition.” 
T^ irv* appointed to collect subsotiptione in 
*u ** opinion that it oaucot do better than 
J words of the Ohairmsn of tho Planters’ As- 
Fund*— *** circular to non-subscribers to the Tea 
Bunnlt^ leave it entirely to others to 
^ cannot hut feel that 
ha^B 'o tho Tea Fund tlitoughant 
who do upe^nerously treated by those 
of Hib.b'Vk “ubsoribe, aiuce the benefits reaped— and 
snbat^hB.V'®''® donbt-aic reaped 0, non- 
fore with nni^sV ^ Bubsoribere. I ask you, there- 
towardl ‘"Contribute a special donation 
.nuMst f Eihibiliou Fund, and 1 wonld 
auKgeBl tor yonr consideration that this should be 
cased on the rate of j of a cent per lb. made tea for 
the current year.” 
.1^*^®.?“™“'“®® point out that in this district 
inbarrih^*!® .*'® estates which have not hitherto 
oODsideration’ of^n 0'*':"®'’“!' entreats the 
the ertran. o’^eefs or managers of (uch estates to 
appeal which "‘““J ‘"'“i ‘b® A^ve 
this*8eaM*n— iltfh ourTeas are falling in price at 
tion although quality is wired gojd, conanmp. 
inir Ooylou tea is luoreasiiig, and stocka deoreas- 
th« -sT points wiih irresistible conviction to 
Qf • ®**®^i*®*®*i the trade is possessed with the idea 
ftt . poormous ovor*)>rodQclion, One authority 
.* , writing iast month, estimates the protlucliou 
OeyloD Tea in 1894 at 300,000,000 lb. 
narmf* agremng with this cstiujato, it must be ep- 
to nn ’® absolutely ueoesssry to endeavor 
Ohio^*** ™Arketa, and such au ocoasion as the 
*k° Eihibition ia not likely to occur again for 
m^y years. 
art.;** wonid point ont the success already 
lained m Australia, where almost 9,000,000 lb. of 
iUUm and Ceylon toa will be consumed this year, all 
the “t otherwise have found its way to swell 
‘he stocks in England. 
inir ^^® '^Ast extent of the Exhibition, cover- 
are mak- acres, and the efforts all nations 
Oomm:,.'*^®- ®®®“^® *‘fe<ltiAte representation, the 
riv^? 1" ®P“"0“ “o lime should be lost in at- 
thad^.” a knowledge of tho amount likely to be at 
the Commissioners. Upon this depends 
has befiti'*^*- OAO *PPly- ft 
which a i**® fewest sum with 
would should be made. But the Oommitteo 
more oouIH* n"**, **'** £16,000 not only 60 per cent, 
more could be done, but many times the number of 
63 
people altraoted, as the measure of usefulness attained 
depends upon tho balance left over after all initial 
expenses are paid, such balance to be expended in 
advortising, covering expense of n Ceylonese band, or 
in tho many other ways necessary to conform to the 
Ameriesn methods of drawing attcntiou to speoialtios. 
With £'20,000 the degree of usefulness might again 
be enhanced many times. For au object so vital to 
oiir existence as Tea Planters, it should not be difBcnlt 
to raise £14,000 (leaving the Government and the Tea 
Fund to make up £6,000) from dependents on an in- 
dustry covering 240,000 acres. It amnunta to li2'i 
per acre or twe-tbirds of the monthly cost of weeding. 
The Committee wonid suggest that the above sum 
(£14,t00) may be raised, provided subsociptious be 
apportioned somewhat as follows : — 
B« 
Sopposing Estates which have not cou- 
tribnted to the Tea Fund give R1 per 
cultivated acre— say, 100,000 acre 1(X),000 
Special sabscriptions from estates which 
have paid, Superintondcuts, and As- 
sistants ... 60,000 
From Agents, Brokers, and Shippers 12,500 
Donatiens from wealthy natives (who are 
to be asked to subsoribe by Hon. L. 
H. Kelly) 12,500 
186,000 
The Committee suggest the above merely to show 
what BU aversge subsoription should be ; not doubting, 
however, that many hitherto non-subscribers, and even 
shrewd and far-seeiog subsoribers, will contribute 
largely without respect to average- 
The Oonimittee would point out that Dimbnis, being 
tho first district in which subscriptions have been 
started, as well as the largest in the Island, the de- 
gree of liberality displayed here ia oertain to be the 
measure of the liberality of other districts. For this 
reason a sense of responsibility rests upon Dimbula 
Plauters. 
In proportion to our area, our share of the total 
should be K2&,000, or about R140 from each estate, 
and its European staff. 
Tho Committee hopes every man will do his duty- 
NOTES FROM OUR LONDON LETTER. 
ciiiN-v versus Indian tkas — moke accommoda- 
tion FOB CEYl.ON tea SALKS — LANKA PLANTA- 
TIONS COMPANY -I,OSSK.S FBOM CIItN-t TKAS. 
London, Nov. 27, 
There is very considerable exoitement showti 
here respeettug a statement made by Sir Andrew 
Clark recently when lecturing to the students at 
the London Hospital that he considered China teas 
to be intioitely less harmful than Indian teas. 
By making such a statement Sir Andrew Clark 
has thrown out a challenge which is being freely 
taken up by the London newspapers, as well as 
many of those published throughout our pto- 
vinoes. My space would not admit of my quoting 
the many extraots that might be made from these. 
We suspect that it will be found that the distin- 
guished medico has got his head into a hornets' 
nest. It seems to be the generally entertained 
view that it is quite imposeible, as well as unfair, 
for any medical man to formulate a proposition 
as to the relative wholesomeneae or otherwise of 
various teas wbioh could bold good in all oases. 
As one man well qualified to judge remarked 
to mo: — ■' Indian and Ceylon teas are both of them 
stronger than China. It may be (hat, the ooodUioit 
of infusion being in all oases the same, the China 
teas might suit soma of the weaker stomaohs better 
than Ceylon or India ; bat if either of the last 
wore dealt with as they sbould be in such case, and 
the tea only allowed to draw lor say three miDatei} 
