S1^ 



f'ME TROPICAL AGRICCfLTtfRISir. [Makch i, 1887 



OEYLON TEA 



1885 



Stock Import 



1884 

 Delivery 



Stock 



January 550,000 



Tebruary 574,000 



March 562,000 



April 738,000 



May 738,000 



June 820,000 



July 1,124,000 



August 993,000 



September 978,000 



October l,001,ouo 



November 994,000 



December 1,028,000 



a 



9 r- ' ■" 



^S 



♦3 f^.r- 



177,000 

 257.000 

 3©3,000 

 193,000 

 167,000 

 180,000 

 143,000 



66,000 

 183,000 

 210,000 

 251,000 

 190,000 

 146,000 

 133,000 



IstJime to 31st May 1884—85 

 Do do 1885—86 



1st June to Slat Dec. oiily,1884 

 Do do do 1885 



Do do do 1886 



1,420,000 1,179,000 



Import 



lb. 

 2,482,000 

 5,060,1100 

 1,421,000 

 2,642,000 

 4,457,000 



JAVA TEA. 



Ist June to 31st May 1883—84 

 Do do 1884-85 



Do do 1885—86 



1st June to 31st Dec only,1884 

 Do do do 1885 



Do do do 1186 



Import 



lb. 

 3,501,000 

 3,256,000- 

 3,849,000 

 1,800,000 

 1,888,000 

 1,985,000 



414,000 



489,000 

 582,000 

 523,000 

 500,000 

 535,000 

 545,000 



Delivery 



lb. 

 2,047,000 

 3.933.000 

 1,179,000 

 2,350,000 

 4,662,000 



Delivery 



10. 

 3,452,000 

 3,545,000 

 3,565,000 

 2,168,000 

 2,159.000 

 2,271,000 



PLANTING IN FIJI. 



Levuka, Dec. 10th. — The weather of this year has 

 been very remarkable. The first three months furnished 

 three hurricanes. The next six tlareatened the islands 

 with all the evils of a severe drought, and the last 

 quarter promises to be unpleasantly remarkable for its 

 rainfall. Over all the group heavy rains have been 

 general, and the prospect is still very watery. In some 

 parts more than enough has already fallen, and evil 

 effects are following. Especially has this been felt at 

 Taviuni. While from other parts of the group com- 

 plaints were heard of the long spell of too fine weather 

 which followed the hurricane, Taviuni continued to 

 receive more than its average rainfall. Latterly, to 

 this had been added an equal share of the copious 

 general downpour, and the island has been deluged. 

 The growth of jungle and weeds has been something 

 extraordinary, but the root crops, yams, kumalas, &c., 

 have rotted in the ground, and there is a scarcity of 

 these kinds of food which will yet be more severely 

 felt before it is relieved. From the above and other 

 causes the cane on the Holmhurst estate has suflrered 

 severely, and the yield of sugar will be very poor. The 

 mill commenced working late, and it is now continuing 

 in a spasmodic fashion, crushing a few hours a day, as 

 the labourers engaged are not sufficient to get cane 

 to the rollers in quantity sufficient to keep them in 

 full work. A considerable acreage has been planted up. 

 It is reported that when crushing is over all but very few 

 of the European fwf^j/oyc.s will be ilischarged until next 

 season for tlie purpose of i educing working expenses. At 

 Sella Levu there is a large acreage ot .splendid cane to be 

 crushed ; but here, al.so, they are very backward, through 

 the delay caused by substituting water for steam power. 

 At Mango the rainfall has been heavy, but it has 

 done only good. It has given a wonderful impetus 

 to the growing crops and coconuts but as a 

 matter of course the sudden excess of mois- 

 ture reduced the density of the cane ready 

 for the rollers, and after a few weeks's crushing it 

 was considered advisable to stop the mill for a while. 

 From the other parts of the Lau province the reports 

 are to the effect that the country is looking splendid, 

 and there is the i^romise of a heavy coconut crop for 

 next season. At I3a and Ea, which are two of the 

 driest districts in the colony, the heavy rains did not 

 Bet in until the crushing was nearly over. The yield 

 row the New Zealand Asgocjation Company's Raiawai j 



Estate in the first-named district has largely exceeded 

 all expectations. This was set at 1,200 tons. Already 

 600 tone have been shipped away. A fortnight ago 

 1,200 tons were ready for shipment, and it was ex- 

 pected that the general yield would not be far short 

 of 2,000 tons. The average of the cane crop has been 

 light, not more than 38 tons to the acre ; but it is the 

 splendid density which has given the high return, and 

 it is said that the average output has been at the 

 rate of one ton of sugar to eight tons of cane. On 

 this point millers are always very reticent, but the 

 statement will bear a liberal discount, and then be a 

 good one. At any rate there is no doubt that the re- 

 turns are very satisfactory and prospects most en- 

 couraging. 



Another step is to be taken which will have the 

 effect of putting labour matters on a better footing. 

 Legislation on this general subject ranged under three 

 heads — Fijian, Indian, and Polynesian. The Ordinances 

 have to a large extent been of a tentative character, 

 and have been so multiplied by amending Ordinance 

 and Ordinances to amend the amending Ordinances, 

 that their name is legion. There are between 15 and 

 20 different laws in force affecting the relations of 

 master and indentured servant, and it was found that 

 to keep the run of them it would be necessary to re- 

 tain standing counsel, not for, but on each estate. 

 With a view to remedy this, the Hon. John Hill gave 

 notice of his intention, at the last meeting of the 

 Legislative Council, to move for the codifying of these 

 numerous enactments, but withdrew the notice on being 

 informed that the Attorney-General was already half 

 way through the work. — Argus. 



THE TEA MAEKET : POSITION OF CEYLON 

 ESTATES AND DISTRICTS. 

 We do not know why the returns should differ 

 go greatly, but appended to the interesting an- 

 nual review by Messrs. Wilson, Smithett & Co., 

 we find the Board of Trade figures for Home con- 

 sumption of tea, and we are glad to notice that 

 they are far more encouraging than those we 

 quoted from Messrs. Stenning, Inskipp & Co.'s 

 Report. The quantities now given are : — 



1884 . . 176,000,000 lb. 



1885 .. 182,456,000 „ 



1886 „. 178,894,000 „ 



The average for the three years is thus 

 179,000,000 lb. These are the deliveries for Home 

 consumption. For export they have been : — 



1884 . . 44,611,000 lb. 



1885 .. 42,036,000 „ 



1886 .. 44,413,000 „ 



The average export has, therefore, been almost 

 exactly 44 millions of pounds, which added to the 

 average for Home consumption give an average 

 of total deliveries equal to 223 millions of pounds. 

 The stock of all kinds at the end of 1886 was 

 109,727,000 pounds, of which 1,660,460 were Cey- 

 on teas. 



Messrs. Wilson, Smithett append to their review 

 details, (which we shall reprint tomorrow,) in which 

 Ceylon estates are ranged according to the aver- 

 age prices of their teas in 1886. Blackstone, owing 

 to Mr. Barber's fine plucking, hard-rolling and 

 generally careful manufacture, stands first with an 

 average of Is 9:id for 20,000 1b. Agarsland, where 

 also much importance is attached to hard-rolling, 

 comes close behind with 12,000 lb. at Is 9d. 

 Loolcondura, many will be surprised to hear, who 

 know how fine the plucking is, stands only third, 

 with 34,000 lb. at Is C|d. The vast majority of 

 the estates range over Is and prices between 

 that sum and Is 2fd, " sundry marks " realiz- 

 ing an average of Is Old for 650,000 lb. The largest 

 quantity against any name is opposite KAW, (three 

 estates besides large quantities of purchased leaf,) 

 the figures being 300,0001b. at Is 3Ad. This is a 

 result of which the Manager, Mr. Meggiosoo, Oifty 



