36 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[July i, i88z 



must be kept in view that the Ledgeriana grafts 

 were taken from trees fully fourteen years old. The 

 case ia very diflerent, therefore, from that of common 

 plants blossoming and seeding prematurely. When 

 we met Mr. Moens in Java he was anticipating a large 

 crop of seed from his old Ledgerianas. If, in addition 

 to the fulfilment of this hope, seed is gathered from 

 any considerable proportion of the grafted plants, we 

 may anticipate that erelong the distribution of seed 

 to others than Java planters may be again sanctioned. 

 Meantime firgt-rate Ledgerianas are yielding seed in 

 Oeylon. 



THE TEA IMPORTS AND EXPOKTS OF 

 BRITISH INDIA. 

 The Pioneer, in a second interesting article on the 

 annual report of the Commissioner for Assam, strangely 

 under-rates the quantity of China tea still imported 

 into India. Its cheapness compared with Indian tea 

 recommended it (especially to tea-drinking natives) 

 before the duty of 6d per lb. was removed, and now, 

 of course, the weak China tea will be in a still more 

 advantageous position iu the matter of the price per lb. 

 at which it can be sold. The Indian tea is twice as 

 strong as the China leaf, and more than twice as good, 

 but time will be requii-ed both in India and Ceylon 

 for the formation of a new taste. Having received 

 from the Government of India the Customs Accounts 

 for the year ended 31st March, we are able to see 

 what the exact figures for imports of tea mto India 

 as well .as exports from that empire are. The quant- 

 ity impoi-tad is ten-fold that given by the writer in 

 the Pioneer, as the following figures will shew : — 

 1879-80. 1880-81. 1S8I-S2. 



a. lb. lb. 



From China ... 2,0S!i,041 ... 2,5.34,090 ... 1,895,850 

 „ other countries 445,477 ... 788,317 .. 949,3()2 



Totals 2,534,518 3,222,407 2 845,212 

 The average, tlierefore, is about three millions of 

 poimds per anniim for a population of considerably 

 over 200 millions of luunan beings, and we do not 

 siippose that an equal proportion of Indian tea is us.ed : 

 let us say live millions of pounds in all. The day is 

 coming when the figures will be 50 or even 500 mil- 

 lions. The condition and the taste of the Hmdus must 

 first be improved, however. The Customs A'aluation 

 of the tea imported, which is too high, ranges over 

 2 millions of rupees per annum. 



Let us now turn to the figures for tea exported in 

 the past three yeai-s, remembering that every pound 

 of this is India-gi'own produce : — 



1879-80. 1880-81. 1SS1-S2. 



lb. lb. lb. 



To United Kingdom 37,932,004. ..45,41G,582...47,41.?,576 

 ,, Australia ... 85,994... 807,608, ., 906,762 



,, other countries 155,433... 189,320... 371,387 



Totals 38,173,.521 46,413,510 48.691.725 

 The Customs' valuation of the exports was over 30 

 millions of rupees for each of the two first years, and 

 36 millions for the last. Our readers M'ill observe the 

 effects of the Melbourne Exhibition and the operations 

 of the Syndicate on th." exports of Indian tea to Aus- 

 traliaj the increase beiug from 86,000 lb. in 1879-So 



to 906,762 lb. last year. Ere long the exports to the 

 lauds of the south will count by millions of pounds. 

 It remains to mention that the '• re-exports " of 

 China tea from India were in each of the three years 

 2;j1,111 lb., 505,029, lb. and 563,617 lb. The actual con- 

 sumption of China tea in India is therefore only 

 2,."i00,000 lb., ■with perhaps an equal quantity of Indi- 

 an tea. 



In the Madras Mail of the 23rd, we find the fol- 

 lowing estimate of this year's crop of Indian tea : — 



I'he estimated probable crop of Indian tea tliis 

 yiar is 51,619,000 lb. The local consumption, mclud- 

 iu;; the requirements of Government, may be taken 

 :it 1 1 millions of lb., and, if, as i? hoped, the thip- 

 ni> nt^ to Au.stralia and .America should ann unt to 

 2 millions, there will remaiu froiii tlie piobableciop 

 nf 1882 about 48 millions of lb. for export to the 

 United Kingdon. 



As far as Ceylon is concerned there is reason to 

 believe that the tea produced iu the Island is gradu- 

 ally supplanting the China kinds. In 1S80 the duty 

 levied on tea entered for 'home consumption was only 

 E.7,461. As the duty is -J of a rupee per lb., the 

 above sum represents 29 844 lb. So that a population 

 of 2J millions consumes only 30,000 lb. per annum of 

 China tea, with perhaps 15,000 llj. of the Ceylou- 

 groM-n article ? The latter figure may be doubled for 

 ought we know. In 1879 the quantity of tea imported 

 was 78,0001b., but as 35,0001b. of imported tea were 

 exported, the consumption of imported tea, ranging 

 al)0ut 30,000 lb. seems to be going down. In 1880 

 73 703 lb. were imported, and only 29,844 lb. con- 

 sumed. The consumption of locally produced tea ought 

 to go up in proportion, and more than in proportion 

 to the decrease iu the consumption of imported tea. 



Before closing we place here a paragraph which 

 shews that a paper in China actually anticipates the 

 absolute extinction of the trade in China tea : — 



The China Mail recently noted the unprecedented 

 increase in the sale of Indian teas during the last 

 few years, and lias predicted that the China tea- 

 growers would have to look to it lest their Lidian 

 rix'als ousted them altogether from the race. A 

 correspondent engaged in the tea trade of China 

 goes further than this, and asserts that the China 

 trade will nearly disappear in five years, and en- 

 tirely disappear in ten, unless the Chinese Govern- 

 ment see fit to encourage it by a reduction in the 

 crushing duties now levied on the exported leaf. 

 Tiiere can be no doubt that the question is becom- 

 ing a serious one for China and China merchants ; 

 and it would be well if the authorities interested 

 were to take warning in time. From a national 

 point of view, one scarcely knows whether to wish 

 most success to the Indian trade, or that canied 

 on in China. Chinese obstinacy ' wdll probably settle 

 tlie question of rivalry sooner than people expect." 



MR. DE CAEN'S CINCHONA PEELING 



MACHINE. 



Hellbodde Estate, 24th May 1SS2. 



DearSik, — "Kdroly Fiirdo," iu his letter dated 15th 

 ir.st,, distinctly questions the capabilities of my cin- 

 chona harvesting machine. At the same time he 

 invites correction I. therefore, challcnga him to mi-et 

 iiie here fur the purposf^ of my proving to hini iniw 

 u ,|u8t as well as injurious his criticisms have been. 1 

 siaud strictly by .Messrs. J. Walker & Co.'e adver- 



