Mav 2, 1887.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



Ill 



CHINA TEAS, 



We have been favoured with a copy of a Lon- 

 don Circular prepared by a Broking Firm for its 

 constituents concerned in China teas and, as every- 

 thing connected with the subject is of interest to 

 the Ceylon planting and mercantile public just 

 now, we append the greater part as follows : — 



As usual at this ^ime of year we have the pleasure of 

 giving you our ideas as to the position and prospects 

 for the coming Tea season, and our views as to probable 

 safe limits, which we commend to your attention. The 

 political outlook is not reassuring, aud affaire at home 

 certainly do not show much advauce from the late con- 

 tinued depression in trade. The state of Ireland, too, 

 is most critical, and there is no certainty as to the 

 continuance in oflSce of the present Unionist Uovern- 

 meut. The position you have to face is this — the taste 

 of the public is fast leaving China Tea. In the coming 

 season 100 millions from other countries, costing the 

 grower no more than an all-round price of 7id to 9gd, 

 according to the locality, will be knocked tlowu as it 

 arrives at the best price it will fetch. To compete, 

 therefore, you must send us a better article (strength 

 the great desideratum), at a low cost, and even to 

 support present currencies much less of it. For the 

 coming season we estimate this supply at — 



India ... ... 82,000,000 lb. 



Ceylon 18,000,000 „ 



Java ... ... 5,00(»,000 „ 



Leaving 115,000,000 lb. to be provided by China to 

 make up our probable delivery, including E.xports, of 

 220,000,000 lb. Our delivery is not increasing by "leaps 

 and hounds," but since 1884 has remained stationary, 

 we, therefore, do not require 128,000,000 lb. from China, 

 as estimated by some brokers. We give you the usual 

 table of deliveries which speaks for itself. 



Deliveries excluding shipments to the Continent and 

 elsewhere, 



Ceylon. Java. Chinas. 



lb. lb. lb. 



6,245,000 3,677,000 98,'249,0n0 

 3.218,000 3 536,000 105,710,000 

 1,179,000 3,709,000 107,395,0(10 

 incl. in Indian 2,893,000 111,291,01)0 

 „ „ 1,787,1100 115,990,000 



The Home consumption of Chinas falls off 7^ millions, 

 and that of Indian, Ceylon and Java increases nearly 

 G millions. The Chinas showing a reduction of 17J 

 millions in five years. 



For the first two months of the year the comparison 

 ia even more marked: 

 Indian, Ceylon 



and Java.. .10,741,600 12,643,144 12,236,052 15,778,098 

 Chinas ...18,609,600 18,283,299 17,301,221 15,176,993 

 Our stock of Congou on the 1st July will be rather 

 larger than last year, and with the experience then 

 gathered, we see no great chance of improvement from 

 our present scale of values for common Teas. In re- 

 gard to fine Teas, both black and red, Indians and 

 Ceylons have taken their place for Home trade, and 

 there is now hardly a quotation over Is 3d. For 

 months hardly a sale of fine Tea took place, except at 

 auction, and results to holders are simply disastrous. 

 NsKTHEKN Teas. — The crop of last season was un- 

 doubtedly a fine one, but was generally so thin as to 

 be very unsuitable for the Horne trade. Even with 

 the scarcity of fine Indians, prices for choice Chinas 

 could not be kept up to any tiling like old levels, and 

 fell away from 4d to 8d per lb. This drop in fine and 

 finest acted on the grades below, and brought them 

 dovvn too. Keemuus have suffered most in the general 

 depression, and finest first chops have been sold under 

 Is per lb. 



We give below a range of prices, which with a 

 crop of average quality, we consider it safe to buy 

 at, including the usual buying and selling commis- 

 sions: — Finest 1st Fack. Ningihows and Kcemuns (a few 

 exceptionally choice parcels up to Is 6d.) Is 3d to Is 

 4d ])er lb. 



1st I'rtck Ningchows and Keemuns, if not quite up 

 to fine.-t Is Id to Is 2d per lb. 

 98 



Indian. 



188G... 68,420,000 

 1885. ..65. 677,000 

 1884... 63,038,01.0 

 1883. ..59,096,00(1 

 1882 . 50,497,000 



Finest 1st Puck Taow Yuens, Oonfaas, Oheong-Sow- 

 Kais, and Suun Yangs, also finest 2nd Pack Ning- 

 chows and Keemuns Is Od to Is Id per lb, 



(Should the Kiukiang crop be very inferior, a few 

 of the choicest Taow Yuens might be bought up tJ 

 Is 2d per lb.) 



1st Pack Taow Yuens, if not up to finest, the best 

 of the 1st P^ck Tong Shans, and fine 2nd Pack Ning- 

 gchows and Keemuns Os lid to Is Od per lb. 



Good fiist Pack Oonfaas, CheongSow-Kais, Suun 

 Yangs, a few of the choicest Yung-Low-Toongs and 

 Kut Oans, and the inferior 2nd Pack, Keemuns and 

 Ningchows Os 9d to Os lid. per lb. 



For last crops of grades below the above 10 per 

 cent, under last 3 ear's selling prices on arrival are 

 the safest limit. 



Second Crops. — The best Ningchows might I e bought 

 up to lOd and Keemuns up to Qjd., while 7d. is the 

 highest that should be paid for Hankow district Teas, 

 These limits, however, are only safe if the first crop 

 prove a small one. 



Red Leafs. — We have had a steady market all 

 through the season for these, but with aaythmg like 

 the same quantity next season a smart fall in values 

 must be expected. Paklum, the finest Tea of the 

 year was sold ex first steamer at ls3Jd., and there 

 is no reason to think that this will not again be the 

 top price. Soomooas, Qui Fars and Cheong Loks, 

 "Une Heong" was the solitary sale over Is 6d but we 

 should be sorry to place the value of this exceptional 

 parcel over Is 4d., aud the rest of the crop in pro- 

 portion. Pan Yongs, one of the finest Teas of the 

 season was sold on arrival at Is 6d., but at this price 

 the Trade would take no more, and the next sale for 

 a crack chop quite as good was Is 4d. Is 3d has been 

 the top price for the last fi*:e months for retail quan- 

 tities of the choicest chops sltlpped. If -the Colonies 

 can afford to pay Is 8d for a similar quality, natur- 

 ally they must take the pick of the crop but Is 3d, 

 s quite enough to pay for anything to this market 

 Saryunes : One or two chops that always stand out 

 may fetch Is. Ordinary finest first chops are not 

 worth over 9d, in fact at the lowest point of the 

 market this season they sold down to 7|d. Paklings. 

 The market was regularly opened at 1.=: 0|d for crack 

 chops aud this jn'ice may be again obtained if the sup- 

 ply of boxes is not overdone. Souchongs : To make 

 Teas with any quality at all the Sinchune district can 

 evidently not produce 57,000 chests. Probably with 

 a ,20,000 chests less crop, and a return ',to their old 

 standard of excellence, they would again come into 

 favour. As a guide we give the following limits : — 

 Soomoos. Crack Chops of the Oheang-Mow 



class Is 3d to Is 4d. 



Crack Chops of the Cheang Kee 



class , Is Id to Is 2d. 



The inferior class of first 



Chops Os lOd to Is. 



Paklums. Choicest with true Flowery pekoe 



water Is 3d. 



Pan Yongs. Finest Is Id to Is 3d 2nd class 9d to 

 lOd 3rd class 7d to 8d. 



Paklings. Finest Is to Is Id 2nd class S^d to 9§d 

 3r d8d. 



Saryunes. Finest 8d to 97d 2ud class 7d to 7^d 3rd 

 6d to 6J,d. 

 Yunghows. Finest 8d to 8Jd 2nd 7d 3rd class 6d to e^d. 



Suey Kuts. Finest 8d to 9^d 2nd class 7d to HhiS. 

 3rd class 6d to Q~A. i 



The value of second and third crops will depend, 

 to some extent, on their quality; but more on the 

 size of the first crop. 

 Souchongs. Choicest Is 8d. Finest Is 4d. Fine Is Id. 



We have been told that at these prices "we should 

 not have 5 lacs of Congou," with which statement 

 we do not in any way agree ; but, at any rate, our 

 proportion of 5 lacs would be much more in unison 

 with our requirements tlan 1\ \ In the old days the 

 crack Soomoos were Viought at Tls. 17 and 18. Why 

 not again? Filth such as we have received at the 



