July i, 1886.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



^7 



^orr^spondenoo. 



To the Editor of the " Ceylon Observer." 



NEW TEA MARKETS. 



Madulkelle, 20th May 1886. 



Sir, — Mr. Scovell has certainly opened up a sub- 

 ject which deserves the attention and support of 

 all tea planters. But while I agvee with him that 

 it is highly important for us to endeavour to find 

 fresh outlets for our teas, yet it is my firm belief 

 we could do more in a given time but perhaps at 

 a greater cost by endeavouring to cut down retail 

 dealers' profits and so lower retail prices. If all 

 grades of tea were lowered in (retail) price at least 

 from 4d to 6d per lb. I scarcely think there can 

 be a doubt but that the general consumption would 

 largely increase — so largely indeed that I think 

 all our tea would be absorbed for a few 

 years at least, and this would give us time to 

 attend to new markets also. I do not think 

 Ceylon planters can hope to carry out this sort 

 of work alone ; the co-operation of India must be 

 sought and if possible obtained ; for the opposing 

 interests at home are wealthy and influential. 

 But there is another factor in the future which 

 tea planters ought most carefully to watch, namely 

 the price of silver and exchange. If, by any 

 tinkering legislation at home to give silver a 

 fictitious and high value, exchange is caused to 

 rise against us ; a very severe blow will be dealt 

 at our industry, and not ours only but against all 

 India ; and there does seem to be a " reasonable 

 prospect" of some legislation of that kind being 

 proposed. 



Will not Mr. Scovell himself initiate a move- 

 ment in the matter, through the Association or 

 otherwise ?— Yours truly, A. M. W. 



NEW MARKETS FOR TEA— AUSTRALIA. 



Goatfell, 21st May 1886. 



Dear Sir, — With the view of supporting Mr. 

 Scovell's suggestions with regard to the immediate 

 necessity for some efforts being made to increase 

 the demand for what is now our staple product, 

 I beg to offer a few remarks. The subject has 

 been mooted in your columns before, and a little 

 has been done towards making known the exist- 

 ence and quality of Ceylon tea far and wide, but 

 our efforts seem rather to have slackened of late, 

 while as yet but very poor results have been 

 attained. 



The passage from Messrs. Gow, Wilson & 

 Stanton's review quoted by Mr. Scovell will com- 

 mend itself to all who are in any degree interested 

 in the matter ; and the question only remains as 

 to what are the most likely means to ensure the 

 placing of our teas before the consumer. Mr. Scovell 

 says the existing channels are capable of expansion, 

 and this is doubtless true ; but at the same time 

 there are obstacles, in the shape of trade interests and 

 inordinate profits, to be removed before those 

 channels will yield the required expansion. I 

 believe that in Australia there is a market for 

 Ceylon tea capable of very considerable development 

 if properly worked up ; but it must not be left to 

 the meie efforts of individuals struggling to earn a 

 livelihood in pushing an article, almost, if not quite 

 unknown, and this in the face of a well-established 

 trade in the Chinese rival. Doubtless the Melbourne 

 E:hib'tion did much to make Ceylon and Ceylon 

 tea kno'.v.i lo many in the Colonies ; but out of the 



many there are probably very few indeed, who have 

 either seen or heard of Ceylon tea since. Some- 

 time in 1881 ; I think it was, Mr. Poett wrote 

 to your columns and pointed out a means of bring- 

 ing Ceylon tea before the Australian public which 

 I quite agreed with at the time, and still think is the 

 most feasible method of securing the desired result ; 

 viz., to establish travelling agents to sell our tea all 

 through the country, the more directly to con- 

 sumers the better. To carry out this plan, capital 

 would be required in order to sustain the risks attend- 

 ant upon an undertaking of this nature at the outset. 

 Tea is looked upon by travellers as one of the 

 most paying commissions in their line of business, 

 and it is not to be wondered at, when the re- 

 tailers consider !kl per lb as no more than a fair 

 profit. This is one reason why our teas do not 

 fetch their value in Melbourne, for with China 

 tea procurable at prices from 6d to Is, and the 

 low duty of 3d per lb, the selling price to con- 

 sumers is easily fixed so as to allow the hand- 

 some margin I have quoted. Dealers will not buy 

 Ceylon tea at its value, when in order to secure 

 this high profit, they would have to raise the 

 price at least Gd pel' lb to the consumer, who 

 would not give it. But place Ceylon tea of average 

 quality before the consumer, and he will give 2s 

 per lb. for it and want the same article next 

 time. It cannot be done through the dealers, 

 ^as the trade is deeply interested in China 

 *tea and simply pooh-pooh anything else. I took 

 samples of good Ceylon Pekoe Souchong to two 

 dealers in a town in Victoria, both doing a very 

 considerable business and making tea a speciality. 

 One said the tea was undrinkable, and the other 

 valued it at Is 8d. I sold the hulk of it at Is 5d 

 at auction. The man who condemned it was very 

 largely interested in China tea, and I am inclined 

 to think his palate was rather in sympathy with 

 his interests. 



An accredited representative with the ability to 

 lecture through the country would no doubt achieve 

 a great deal, and by making Ceylon known as a 

 field for the investment of capital, he might be the 

 means of bringing about sr.ch commercial relations 

 as would inevitably secure the diverting of a portion, 

 at least, of our produce to the Melbourne mart. 

 The population of the Colonies is not large, com- 

 paratively, although it is rapidly extending ; but it 

 is an eminently tea-drinking population, and it is 

 certainly worth while making some effort to 

 establish a demand for our teas in view of the 

 vast amount of competition which will be ere- 

 long, and is even now, beginning to be felt in 

 its effects upon our industry. 



Since writing the above I have seen " A. M. W.'s " 

 letter ; and as our ideas seem to be coincident 

 as regards the retailers' profits, I feel all the more 

 justified in putting in my word. There is another 

 point which I will just touch upon. I don't think 

 there is much to be gained by a wholesale 

 vilification of China tea especially in the colonies. 

 Ceylon tea will easily make its way upon its own 

 merits, but it is calculated to engender needless 

 hostility to de(3ry indiscriminately a commodity, 

 the trade in which, al!fects such large and im- 

 portant interests. — I remain, sir, vours truly, 



GHAS. M. HENRY. 



LIBERIAN COFFEE. 



Mahaoya Valley, 22nd May 188(i. 

 Dear Sie, — I send dimonsions taken of three Liberian 

 coffee* trees growing in the above valley between 6 

 and 7 years old, and would b'ke to learn if there s^re 



