October i, 1884.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



>7i 



abundant rains in Travancore and increased production. 



Cardamoms.— The outturn of the crop last year was even 

 worse than in the preceding year and consequently the ex- 

 port was less. 



The entire export of this article was by sea and Bom- 

 bay had by far the largest share of it. Calcutta and New 

 York imported smaller quantities. 



Colachel, as a place of trade, has unfortunately gone down 

 with the declension of the coffee industry. The Scottish 

 Indian Company who established themselves there several 

 years ago have closed their business and abandoned 

 Colachel. But it is satisfactory that Quilon is increasing 

 in importance. 



REPORT ( >F THE CALCUTTA TEA SYNDICATE. 



Since their last circular, dated 26th April, was issued, 

 the Committee have received the following advices from 

 the Agents of the Syndicate, which they think will be of 

 interest to shippers to the markets in question. 



Australia.— "Writing on the 2nd June, Messrs. James 

 Henty & Co. say they regret to observe that the total 

 exports of Indian teas to the whole of Australasia for the 

 season of 1883-84 amounted only to 340,013 lb. against 

 2,699,242 tb. in the previous year. On the 24th April 1882 

 they estimated the probable yearly quantity of Indian tea 

 that could be consumed by their Colony of Victoria alone 

 at 21 million tb., and they state that during the season of 

 1882-83 about 2| million lb. weight of Indian tea did actually 

 go into the hands of the trade, and by the 24th September 

 1883 importers and speculators held no stocks. They at- 

 tribute the low prices obtained entirely to the undesirable 

 quality of the greater part of the tea sent to their market, 

 which they describe as coarse, stalky, and broken teas, 

 with common poor liquors, packed in rough heavy chests, 

 too large for the general requirements, and which compared 

 unfavourably with the neat even boxes from China. 

 The Agents are convinced that had more attention been 

 paid to the selection aud packing of the tea, the results 

 would have been as favorable as they had been anticipated. 



In the beginning of its operations with Australia, when 

 the Syndicate was almost the only shipper, neat half-chests 

 containing even desirable teas only were shipped, and it was 

 upon a continuance of these teas and boxes that the Agents 

 based their calculations. It is to be regretted that, in accord- 

 ance with a general wish, this system of bulking and re- 

 packing was abandoned, and that all teas sent to the Syndic- 

 ate wero shipped in original chests, if sufficiently sound, 

 in the hope that after a time the trade would get accustomed 

 to them. 



It would appear from the Agent's advices that the estimate 

 ot 2h million lb. as the probable yearly consumption of 

 Indian tea in Victoria is not too high, and that fair 

 price* will probably be realized, provided only suitable 

 kinds of tea are sent forward, and the packages are of the 

 proper weight. 



They consider it is not advisable to send whole chests, a* 

 tin i_. 1 1' ( 1 1 1 i i v tor tb. 'in is confined mtirely to a few blenders 

 whi.se wants are soon satisfied. Half-chests containing from 

 28to4nlb.net are the kind of packages universally liked 

 throughout the colonies, and packed in this style, Indian 

 teas are most likely tc reach the consumer without an 

 admixture of China tea. Half-chests of 50 lb. net are 

 also freely taken by the the Trade, hut the weight is 

 too heavy for the class of consumers who buy a half- 

 chest at a time for home use. 



Tins of 20 lb. net, quarter chests of the same net weight, 

 and boxes containing 10 to 12 lb. net are well suited to 

 popularize Indian teas, but only suitable kinds for driuk- 

 mg by themselves should he offered in these packages. 



The size of breaks is a very important matter, as the 

 dealers do not care to look at small lots consisting of less 

 than 20 half-chests. Many of these small breaks were 

 shipped during the season of 1882-83, and had to be sold 

 privately at lower prices than the teas would have real- 

 ized if put up to auction in breaks of 30 to 50 half- 

 chests. The agents recommend that teas costing not over 

 S annas per lb. should be shipped in breaks of about -30 

 half-chests, and that finer kinds should be in breaks of 

 about 25 half-chests. 



The Committee would request your special attention to 

 to the following paragraph from their Agent's letter as 



to the class of tea most suitable for the Melbourne 

 market : — 



" Darjeeling teas of all descriptions especially those with 

 sweet fruity liquor." 



"Fekoes of all kinds with even wiry leaf and a fair 

 amount of tip." 



" Pekoe Souchongs with not too large leaf, hut with red 

 infusion, and Broken Teas with deep red infusion. 



"Broken Pekoes are liked but rarely realize a high price. 



" Dehra Doons are not in favour." 



The Agents further say — " You cannot go far wrong 

 with even leaf or small even broken leaf, but large leaf 

 is only suitable to blenders who are few in number." 



They propose to make quick sales and to reduce all 

 charges as low as possible. 



Imerica. — Advices received up to the date of the Com- 

 mittee's last circular of the 26th April, quoted the New 

 York Tea market very strong owing to the moderate 

 visible supply. This state of things continued until the 

 middle of March but soon afterwards a gradual decline 

 set in, and prices fell from 30 to 50 per cent, above 

 those current in the early part of December to only 

 16 to 15 per cent, above those values. The Agents 

 write that, during the excitement which prevailed in their 

 market in March, a few Indian teas found their way over 

 from England, and were sold at auction during April at 

 about London prices, though in some cases at rather less. 

 Notwithstanding these sales there had been a fair demand 

 for Indian teas privately, and a moderate quantity of black 

 leaf could have hten disposed of on satisfactory terms. 



The Committee have not yet had any particulars of the 

 sale of the small purchase made on account of the Syndicate, 

 which was referred to in their last circular. 



Northern Europe. — The Committee have as yet received 

 only one parcel of 40 half-chests of New Season's tea for 

 shipment to Amsterdam, so it has been thought desirable for 

 the Syndicate to make a small purchase for this market also. 



In his Report on the Indian Department of the Amster- 

 dam International Exhibition which has lately been issued, 

 Mr. J. R. Royle, the Executive Commissioner for the Govern- 

 ment of India, writes as follows : — 



The steps taken by the Calcutta Tea Syndicate in send- 

 ing over with the assistance of the Government of India, 

 a valuable series of samples of tea for exhibition, as well 

 as in fitting up a tea-room where native servants supplied 

 cups of tea gratis to all comers, had the wished for effect 

 of creating a demand for Indian tea. The mere idea of 

 any refreshment being given without any charge appeared 

 so strange to Dutch notions that visitors crowded to the 

 tea-room daily, and could scarcely believe that no charge 

 would be made. Some of the better class of visitors at first 

 objected to placing themselves under any obligation by 

 drinking tea without payment, hut this feeling soon wore 

 off, and the tea-room was thronged during the hour ami 

 a half to which it was found necessary to restrict the 

 distribution. On an average about 500 cups of tea were 

 given away daily, or more than 40,000 cups during the 

 whole time of the Exhibition. 



Shortly after the opening of the tea-room, seeing that 

 no practical result was likely to ensue from the mere giving 

 away cups of tea. I obtained the consent of the Tea Syn- 

 dicate to the sale of J lb. and 1 lb. packets which were 

 made up in the Exhib'tion by the native servants. For 

 these there was at once a brisk deniand, and although the 

 sale was only carried on during the time tea was served, 

 and had frequently to be temporarily suspended while await- 

 ing the arrival of further supplies from London, about 2,7**0 

 ot the packets were sold during the Exhibition. 



Unfortunately it was only in the power of the Indian 

 Department of the Exhibition to create a demand tor tea, 

 but it was unable to create also a constant supply." 



The Committee would beg to invite your very particular 

 attention to the above extract from Mr. Royle's report, and 

 they trust that' as the demand has been created by the Ex- 

 hibition, andhas been kept alive by the small shipments which 

 tin Syndicate has been able to make hitherto, it will not be 

 allowed to die out in consequence of a failure of contributions 

 of tea on the part of the members of the Syndicate. The 

 funds of the Syndicate are limited, so the Committee cannot 

 do much in the way of purchasing tea for shipment to new 

 markets, but must depend largely on the support of pro- 

 prietors and agents of gardens. 



