September i, 1882.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



227 



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had only 950 packiiges unsoM, they proposed to spread 

 this quantity over sales in April and May, but they 

 would have uoue to offer in June. New China congous 

 reach New York in small quantities about the 20th 

 to 30th July, and are in supply about I he end of 

 August, before which latter time it is hoped our first 

 shipmeni of new season's teas will be on the mnrket. 



Writing on the 15th April, they say the experience 

 of Indian teas iu New York will doubtless be like 

 that in other countries, viz., that the safest business 

 will be in medium grades, or teas rather below tlicse, 

 but it may be politic, in order to make a favour- 

 able lirst impression, to ship finer grades. The New 

 York .agents have lately been selling most of the teas 

 by auction, only offering the choicest kinds and the 

 broken teas at private sale, and they say, under date 

 21st April, that they see no reason to regret having 

 resorted to auctions, for the teas continue to bring 

 very fair prices, and the chances of their coming into 

 general use are very much increased by the prices 

 at which the trade have secured them, as well as 

 by the fact of their having gone into the hands of 

 many more buyers. Up to that date 2,640 packages 

 had been disposed of to 58 dift'erent dealers. 



Acting upon the very strong recommendation of 

 the agents in New Y'ork, as to the advantages that would 

 probably be gained by a liberal system of advertizing 

 in the principal cities throughout the United States, 

 the committee have authorized extensive advertizing, 

 and trust that shippers will now be induced to come 

 forward with ample supplies of tea to meet the demand, 

 which, as shown in the above extracts, now exists, 

 and which may be expected tn be materially increased 

 when tlie full effect of advertizing begins to be felt. 



The advices from the agents in Chicago have not 

 lately been as full or as frequent as could be desired, 

 but the prices obtained there for the Syndicate te.as 

 have been very satisfactory, though the progress in sales 

 has not been so rapid as in New York. 



Australia. 



The reception which Indian teas have met with in 

 this market has been most gratifying, but our agents 

 in Melbourne write " that supiJies are nothing equal 

 to demand, and are far short of requirements." 

 Under date 24th April, they say that, looking care- 

 fully into the quantity of tea that can be taken by 

 the colony (Victoria) during the coming season, they 

 feel sure a million and-a-half pounds weight could 

 be placed if the price did not exceed Is IJd per lb. 

 in bond, and they have every reason to believe that 

 two and-a-half million pounds weight of all descrip- 

 tions could be disposed of, say of the following kinds : — 

 1,500,0U0 lb. up to Is lid per lb. iu bond. 

 750,001) ,, ,, Is 6cT ,, ,, 



250,000 ,, over Is 6d ,, 



The following extracts from their advices of the above 

 date will no doubt be read with interest : — 



" If prices are high with you, of course our estimate 

 could nut be realized, but, if you are iu want of a 

 good outlet for your surplus, we think Melbourne 

 especially and the other colonial ports in smaller propor- 

 tion, are open to you. 



"If prices are low with you consequent on a de- 

 pressed market, we should consider a good opportunity 

 for the Syndicate (as representing the planters of 

 India) to ship heavily to Australia, not that we think 

 high prices would rule here, but it would give all 

 tea buyers the opportunity to try Indian tea ; fqr the 

 great drawback this year to general distrihution has 

 been high prices, resulting in confining purchases to few 

 buyers well establislied in the Indian tea trade. 

 Cheaper prices, however, would induce more tea men 

 to enter into the business, and so result in a con- 

 siderable gain iu the long run to India. 



"There is not the slightest reason that we can 



Bee why India should not command half the tea trade 

 of Australasia, which is at present equal to l;3,000,0U(llb. 

 per annum ; but somebody must initiate the trade, to 

 whom immediate prolits are not of so much con- 

 sequence as laying the groundwork of a largo, steady, and 

 pro6table business iu the future." 



The members of the .Syndicate are already awnrn 

 that the committee are in favour of pushing the sale 

 of Indian black tea in these new niarkotis, in pre- 

 ference to attempting to ship green tea to com- 

 pete with the green teas of China and Japan so 

 much in favour in America. The shipments of 

 green teas to America by the Syndicate have hitherto 

 been very small, and the result has not been very .'satis- 

 factory ; the prices realized for tlieni comparing badly 

 with the valuations made here. The committee have 

 therefore decided not to make advances on shipnu uts 

 of greon teas, but to ooutinue the usual advances of 

 50 per cent., less Calcutta charges, on black teas 

 shipped to America. As the experience guined of the 

 Australian market gives more coufidence in estimat- 

 ing results to be obtained in it, the committee have 

 resolved to increase the advance to 70 per cent, on 

 black teas despatched to Australia. 



I would request your special attention to the state- 

 ments contained in this circular, and ask you to fill 

 up, in the forms already sent you, the quantity of tea 

 you hope to be able to make over to the Syndicate f. r 

 despatch to America and Australia during the current 

 season. The quantity promised by returns received to 

 date is only about GOO.OOOlb for both markets, or not 

 enough for the requirements of one of them, and if the 

 hold, which, by your support Indian teas have acquired 

 of the trade is to be maintained and increased, it will 

 be necessary to receive much larger contributions from 

 you. I shall be happy to supply you with freeh forms 

 iu which to fill up contributious, if jou wish them. 



Since the above was written, a private letter has been 

 received from Mr. A. B. lngli«, late member of the (irm 

 of Messrs. Begg, Dunlop&Co,, of Calcutta, dated Mel- 

 bourue, the 18th May, in which he says : — " Don't, 

 however, let shipments fall off, as it is luost importint 

 to keep up a full supply, even at a little sacrifice in 

 price, to get more people into the trade, until we are 

 quite sure it is established. The consumers are ev< ly- 

 where taking to Indian tea, and I think all you have to 

 do is to send plenty of it and watch the quality." 



A telegram has just been received from Melbourne to 

 the following effect : — 



" Staffordshire sale successful. Pekoes higher. Send 

 more tea." — I am, dear sirs, yours faithfully, 



A. Q. Watson, Offg. Hony. Secy. 

 ♦ 



ClNcnoHA.^ — The Ooty paper states that the Govern- 

 ment Cinchona Plantations on the Nilgiris have yielded 

 during the official year ending 31st March 1881, a net 

 profit of R838, 156-1-1, the receipts for the year having 

 been R434, 261-1-8 and the expenditure H96, 105-0-7. 

 The financial results of the enterprize from the com- 

 mencement up to the same date, show a net profit of 

 1158,262 G-9 after the capital outlay is fully recouped. 

 —M. Mail. 



The Phtlloxee.\. — A Vienna paper has received from 

 one of the largest vineyard proprietors iu Austria a, 

 communication on experiments made in a vineyard 

 att,acked by phylloxera vastatrix. The pioprietor in 

 question states that of GOO stocks invaded by the 

 phylloxera more thau 60 at once put forth new 

 shoots and grapes. This result was att.aiiicd by plenti- 

 fully manuring all the jjlants attacked, which would 

 seem to confirm the opinion that whilst tlie complete 

 destruction of phjdloxera vastatrix cannot bo attamed 

 it is yet possible to prevent the stocks dying, and, 

 even more, of causing them to produce grapes by 

 nourishing them and by giving them strength by means 

 of mnnure Judiciously employed. 



