April i, 1892.J 
THE TRDnOffl. XOmOOLTORIST. 
747 
expUined to liir Charles my leasons ior declinm^ 
to undertake the work myso'f I told him that 
beiiuve that Hr. George Horray, M.k., who ha^ 
for some years had the charge of the Crypto- 
gamio section of tbo Botanical Department of the 
Natural History Museum (British), would be hy far 
the best man to secure, or tailing his being inclined 
to accept the appointment, to advise in regard to a 
suitable worker, Mr, Hurray is a very dietinguisbed 
raotical Cryptugamist and has given ample proof of 
is qualidcations by bis publications.” 
Under the oircumstaucos mentioned by Dr. Oun* 
oingham the Governmuut of India left it to the Madras 
Government to decide, “ in consultation with the 
Wynaad Blantuis’ Associatioo,” whether it was worth 
while to oontiuue endeavours to obtain the services 
of an expert. It this was considered desirable, and 
tbo Government of Madras and the Association were 
prepared to provide the funds required, the Govern- 
ment of India said it would be prepared to obtain the 
services ot Mr. Murray, or any other competent en- 
quirer, unless the Association would prefer to mako 
its own arraDgemonts in the mallor. The Madras 
Government — apparently, however, without couaulting 
the Planters’ Association — has declined to incnr 
any expenditare in engaging an expert. This de- 
cision will probably not commend itself to the 
Association in particular, nor to eoSee plan- 
ters in general, hut the emphatio opinion of Dr. 
Cunniogham that no benefit was likely to aooure to the 
planters from the proposed investigation no doubt 
justihed the Uovernmeut in refusing to extend its 
suppoitiu the direction inuicated. Numerous reports 
on the speoifio diseases to which coffee is liable have 
been published, notably those by Marshall Ward, 
Bidio, Garmon, Forbes Watson , Morris, Cooke, Balfour, 
eto., but all tUese scientists have been practically 
bafSed when they came to tackle that insidions fungoid 
disease Hemtleia vaetatrix. Bvery effort has been 
made to tiud a cheap and effeotusl cure ; but all to 
no purpose. Frevenlatives have been discovered , but 
no curatives, and we fear that the coffee planter mast 
continue to suffer in pocket from the ravages of the 
loaf blight.— -U. Mail, Feb 12. 
[Dr, Cunningham's utteranoes were oommon- 
sense and honest. The intereet of further inquiry 
Would bo purely soientilio. As we have frequently 
stated, a mixture ot lime and sulphur will destroy all 
the spores it reaches, but it cannot reach all, and the 
power of leprodnotiou is enormous,— £i>. X, A.] 
. — 4 
INDIAN TEA D1STKICT8' ASSOCIATION. 
A meeting of the assooiation took place on Tuesday , 
'When represenlativts of the following tea concerns 
Were present: — Assam, Jorehant, Jokai, Tiphook, 
Nuakachoree, Darjeeiiug, Assam Frontier, Dejoo, Land 
Mortgage Bank, Brahmapootra, Cbargola, British 
India, British Assam, KalUnc, and other estates. 'The 
Galouita proposal to form ot Tea Districts’ Labour 
°uppl; Associatiou was the principal Bubjeoi under 
disoussiou. Alter due consideration, the foUowiug 
resolution was adopted i — "That those proscut at 
this meeting approve of tbo proposal to form a 
Labonr ISapply lUsociatiou on the lines suggested, and 
‘‘iftee to give tho scheme their support." 
Mr. Stanton (Oow, Wilson, and fstanton) brought 
fortyatd the question Of foreign tariffs as affooting 
Indian tea, and tho following oorrespondcnoe on the 
““dject was read to tho meeting: — 
Erno.f ]j,q ^ Secretary Indian Tea District 
St. Maty AiO, Loudon, E. 0. — Dear Sir, — 
interesied to leaiu that the new French 
Jarllf, which has now come into operation, 
akes no obauge in the duty on tea outermg that 
This is in a measure satisfactory, as placing 
“ *** no worse a condition than it was belore, in 
pite of adverse changes in the tariff of other articles, 
* osdbly, therefore the efforts of tho Indian Tes Diatriots 
issooiatiou may have met with a partial amount of 
"^coeso. It will interest your aesooiatiou to know that 
have written a letter to the kud 
Aesooiation, 
^ou will bo 
I^ioteotive T 
Committee at their suggestion regarding the approach- 
ing termination of the present commercial treaty 
with Spain. They also inform us that it would 
BtieuRthcn their hands iu negotiating matters if 
they received letters from the iuduu Tea Districts’ 
Association and the Ceylon Association, thus having 
repteienlations from those bouies most interested in 
tea grown on British soil. We tbeielore bring the 
matter to your notice in the nope that you will see 
your way to writing the Trade, and 'Treaties Com- 
mittee at tho Board of Trade, urging upou them the 
desirability of taking snob steps as they may be able 
for the purpose ot obtaining some reduction iu the 
present duty. Wo may add that the present duty on 
tea entering Spain is about lOd. pur lb. under the 
most favoured Nations Clause, and about ls.2Id. for 
all other oeuntries. The aunual consumption of tea 
only amounts to about 20U,U0(I Ih. 'Tho loss (if any) 
to the Uevenue by a reduction in the duty oonld theco- 
fore, be only tritluig. The Commercial Treaty will 
also shortly bo expiring with this country and I’urtn- 
gal, where the duty imposed npon tea is about Is. lOId. 
per lb., but wo fear from iuforuiation obtsiued that 
there is very little ohanoe of any redaction being 
made— We are, dear Sir, yonra faiibfuUy, 
Gow, WiLBOti, AND Stanton.” 
” To the Secretary, The Trade and Treaties Com- 
mlttoc. Board of Trade, Wbiteball, 8. W. — Dear Sir, — 
In view af tho speedy termination ot the Commercial 
Treaty at present existing between the oountry 
and Spain, we ventnre to place belore you 
a suggestion that the present high duty which is 
imposed upon tea entering that country might 
be reduced with results probably beoeffeial, not only 
Spain, but also to the tea industry, which is now 
a groat extent a British industry, owing to the Urge 
quantity grown in India ana Ceylon. The duty 
upon tes entering Spain ig about lOd. per lb. fur 
nations ooming under tbo Most Favoured Nation 
Clause, and Is. IJd. for other oouutiios. The quan- 
tity of tea annually consumed iu Spain is aooat 
20U,000 lb, a quantity which btiuga iu so insignifi- 
oant a snm tor duty, that very little loss ouuld 
result to the Spanish Exchequer by any reonction in 
tbo taiiff, whereas a reduotion m the rate of duty might 
cause material increase iu the quantity of the artiolo 
oouBumed, and eventually tesuU iu au actual addi- 
tion to the national revenue. AV’o venture to bring 
this matter before you in the hope that the intlueuoe 
ot the Trade and Treaties Committee may be brought 
to beat on the Spanish Goveinmeut with a view of 
tome redaction being made in the duty. — Wo are 
dear Sir, youra faithtuliy, (Signed) Gow, Wibso-v, and 
Stanton.— if. and C, Mail, Feb. 12th. 
Eocalyttcb kOK Ini'Xuenxa. — Xhu temedicB recom- 
mended lor the eure and prevention of influenza are 
as numetous aa they are varied. AsBuming that 
some at least may prove to possess the effeotive cur- 
ative and preventive qualities generally claimed fer 
all, we quote the following from a letter addressed 
by a oorreapoudeut to a London paper : — " in the 
offloes of the Boyal Insurance Company, Lombard- 
street, only a young messenger is away through the 
iniluenza, and this comparative immunity from a 
disease at present so general is thought to be due, 
in a great measure, to blotting paper with a lew 
drops of euoalyptus oil on it being daily placed about 
the various departments: This idea of the eUioaay 
of the precaution is strengthened by the fact that 
when the epidemio was raging two years ago, while 
in ono department, whore it was found tho oil bad 
not been used, four or ffve out ot about twenty- 
five clerks wero attacked by tho influenza, in tuo 
other departments, where there were three or four 
times the number, hardly a single olerk was away 
after the precaution was adopted. No doubt this 
preoautiou is now not novel ; still, it may be well 
lor those who do not know ol it to try its elhoieQcy." 
— (fanettei 
