tJEC. I, 1886.] 



*rl 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



3^5^ 



other country can compete. If we could get new 

 markets all would be well, but when are they to 

 be found? I am a good deal exercised in mind 

 about all this, not only as interested in Ceylon, 

 but as a tea-planter myself. Suppose you write a 

 careful article on the subject in the Observer and 

 send me a special copy, I know the subject will 

 often be discussed hereafter in my presence, but 

 pray do not let it be known that I have misgivings 

 as to the future prosperity of Ceylon. I daresay 

 you will dispel them." 



Almost on the top of this, there comes a com- 

 munication couched in much the same spirit 

 from our friend " Old Colonist," who, fifteen years 

 ago, pointed out to us the western slopes of 

 Adam's Peak as specially fitted for the future tea 

 gardens of Ceylon, just as poor Mitchell of Kel- 

 burne so far back as 1861, took us over Baker's 

 Farm reserve forest with the view of starting a 

 Company to cultivate tea in the neighbourhood 

 of Nuwara Eliya, as he had seen it a year of 

 two before grown at high elevations in Northern 

 India. Here is " Old Colonist's "' view of the 

 situation : — 



" DiKOYA, 2.")th Oct.— I have seen Adam's Peak 

 this morning for the first time in a dozen years, 

 and a blithesome sight it is to an old Ceylon 

 man. Now that I am satisfied it stands where it 

 stood, I begin seriously to take my bearings, 

 and the first thought that occurs to me is to 

 marvel at your moderation in estimating the pro- 

 babilities of tea, three years hence. I have not 

 yet seen the Kelani and Kalutara Valleys, though 

 from what I know of them I can readily credit 

 them with a super-abundance of good leaf, but 

 when I look at the vast expanse of these three 

 sister valleys comprizing possibly over 40,000 acres 

 of tea, most of which is under two years old, and 

 I am told that shipments of 14 to 15 million lb. 

 are confidently expected for the present year for 

 the whole island, how can anyone be supposed to 

 restrict their estimates for 1889-nO to ;-50,000,000 

 lb.? And when I look once more at the vast 

 extent of suitable chena-land from Matale to 

 Kandy and Kadugannawa to Nawalapitiya, — where 

 I still hold that a dozen Mariawattes may be 

 easily carved out, — and again peep at the other 

 side of the Peak where what was the wrong side 

 for coffee is right for tea — even from Bambarabatuwa 

 down to Udugama, where J. C. E pluckily plays 

 his last and winning card, — immense tracks of land 

 will be found eminently suited for the fragrant 

 leaf, to say nothing of Haputale, Badulla and 

 Madulsima which will doubtless yet top the 

 market with finest flavoured pekoe. With all this 

 in view, I simply stand aghast at the bare possi- 

 bilities of the leaf produce here, and wonder how 

 on earth the consumption is to keep pace with 

 tliis extraordinary quantity thrown on the top 

 of the China and Indian supply. What /.-■ to be the 

 upf*hot? Will the Chinaman cave in? Both Kama 

 gamy and Kanghamy are taking very kindly to this 

 tea business and even John Chinaman cannot sub- 

 sist on a Gd per day. If prices can only be main- 

 tained, there can be no possible fear of Cey!on. 

 Meanwhile, capital begins to flow back — the clear- 

 est indication you have had of this for many 

 years was the land sale of the '20th;— K48 per 

 acre smacks of old times I Confidence once lost, 

 however, is very hard to regain and much might 

 yet be done to facilitate or encourage the return 

 of capital by remodelling the Mortgage Laws. By 

 all means let every man who can, with all this 

 in view, keep his title-deeds clean, but as business 

 cannot usually be conducted without borrowing 

 and lending, ngw is the time to make the necess- 

 f>ry reform," 



We anticipated a good deal of criticism of the, 

 statement we ventured to offer at the meeting of 

 the Agricultural Association to the effect that Cey- 

 lon tea could possibly, by-and-bye, be laid down 

 in the London market, not costing more than 6d 

 per lb. On reflection we thought this was going 

 a little too far, and referred the question to a 

 gentleman in our midst who has paid special at- 

 tention to the detailed cost of our Ceylon teas. 

 Here is his reply : — 



"Colombo, Oct. 2Gth, 188G. 

 My dear Sir, — The reply to your question as 

 to whether Ceylon tea can be laid down in London 

 at nd per pound, depends a good deal on rates 

 of freight and exchange ; the former fluctuates a 

 little from week to week, and the latter from day 

 to day as you know. 



Calculating, however, freight at 40s per ton of 

 ;")0 cubic feet, exchange at Is Gd per rupee, and 

 taking the cost of tea from estates in full bearing 

 at 30 cents per pound laid down in Colombo, it 

 would require 7d per lb to cover cost. 



The home charges with 40s per ton freight, 

 would come to about l^^d per 11j. At present prices 

 they are ^d per lb,, but Insurance, Brokerage and 

 Commission on '}0 per cent under these prices would 

 reduce these charges proportionately. 



You have published over and over again in your 

 daily issues, and also in your Tropical A(iriiultiiri>>t, 

 statemeuts from the highest tea planting author- 

 ities in the Island, proving that the produce of 

 properly managed estates in full bearing can be 

 laid down in Colombo within thirty cents per 

 pound. 



This being so, I am tolerably sure that no 

 other country can drive us out of the field without, 

 also succumbing ; not even our chief competitor, 

 China, as long as the internal and export duties 

 levied in that country, which amount to the equi- 

 valent of '2id per pound, are maintained. 



Exclusive of these duties, the only advantage 

 the China grower has over us, is that his green 

 leaf costs him nothing to produce. Nevertheless, 

 John Chinaman is no more disposed to carry his 

 green leaf to market and give it away for nothing, 

 than a Sinhalese will give away the coir, coffee 

 and other products which also costs him nothing 

 in the shape of wages to produce. 



We are informed by the most recent authorities, 

 that the usual price of green tea leaves in the 

 interior bazaars of China is eciuivalent to Id per 

 pound. As they cannot manufacture their tea, how- 

 ever low wages may be in the manufacturing 

 towns, (and they are not so low as is generally 

 supposed) cheaper than we can, nor can they make 

 their ornamented boxes cheaper than ours. It. 

 would not be dil'ficult to tottle up a comparison 

 between the cost of Ceylon and China teas. — Yours 

 truly, C, S," 



Here, we might almost leave the matter, for 

 " C. S." puts the case in a nutshell and if 

 our esteemed home correspondent and " Old 

 Colonist " want further information, is it not given 

 in the pages of successive issues of the 

 Trojiicul A(jricitUuri>'t from 1^80 onwards. For 

 a fair and moderate summing-up on many of the 

 practical points involved, enquirers cannot do 

 better than study the " Ceylon Tea Planter's 

 Manual." But something more will very probably 

 be expected in support of the position whicli 

 Ceylon tea planters begin now fearlessly to assume. 

 That position involves a challenge both to India and 

 China in respect of the comparative quality, cheap- 

 ness of production, and probable demand for their 

 teas, and the general feeling of most observers is that 

 Ceylon has nothing to fear from the severest competi- 

 tion wbigh may be offered, We none of us wislj 



