April i, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 



729 



COST OF THE MANUFACTURE, TRANSPORT, 

 ETC., OF CEYLON TEA. 

 The latest contribution which Mr. Rutherford has 

 made to the literature of the tea enterprize in Ceylon 

 is specially valuable, because of the considerable 

 quantities on which the deductions of comparative 

 cost are founded and the evidence of conscientious 

 care with which the results have been arrived at and 

 stated. The comparisons instituted, it will be seen, 

 embrace tea prepared entirely without machinery ; 

 tea prepared partially by hand and partially by 

 machinery ; and tea prepared entirely by machinery. 

 The results are less in favour of the direct saving in 

 cost of manufacture by machinery as against prim- 

 itive modes and appliances, than were previous state- 

 ments by Messrs. Armstrong, Owen and others ; but, 

 taking into account all the circumstances, including 

 a defective water-power, where that power was 

 applied, and remembering the fact that in most 

 cases neither rolling nor drying machinery used come 

 up as j et to the performances claimed for them by their 

 inventors, the direct saving established by the use of 

 machinery is satisfactory. But, as Mr. Rutherford so 

 justly remarks, we have to take into account 1 he large 

 indirect advantages secured by the use of good 

 machinery : first and foremost the great saving of 

 human labour and generally a better and more equable 

 quality of tea made. The highest direct saving shown 

 by Mr. Rutherford as secured by the use of rolling and 

 drying machines (sifters do not seem to be taken 

 into account) is 3i cents per lb., as against Mr. 

 Armstrong's estimate of G^ cents, Mr. Owen's of 6J 

 Mr. Hay's of 5J and other calculations of 4 67 cents 

 and 4 '75. 



The authors of the estimates referred to may probably 

 now be able to give the resulls of more extended 

 experience and with different machines'. It will be 

 seen that the machinery used on the estates in which 

 Mr. Rutherford is interested are Kinmoud's rollers 

 and driers, Siroccos of the old type and Thomson's 

 •'Challenge" hand-power roller. Other items besides 

 manufacture, as enumerated, beiug taken into account, 

 the average total cost free on board in Colombo of the 

 teas from the estates treated of is given at 17 60 cents 

 per lb. instead of, say, "20 cents, which would probably 

 have been the figure had no machinery bern used. 

 Such being the case, 15 cents would not, per- 

 haps, be too low a calculation for the manufacture and 

 conveyance to the steamer in Colombo Harbcur (a 

 work which gives the tea planters low freights), 

 where circumstances of water power &c. are favour- 

 able. Perhaps correspondents, good at figures, will 

 add to this turn of 15 cents per lb. the cost of gi ow- 

 ing the tea up to plucking point, and the dock, 

 brokerage and other charges in London up to the 

 sale of the leaf and the realiza'ion of the price paid 

 for it. Typical cases might be taken, from estates 

 near Colombo with the great advantage of excessively 

 cheap water carriage (so low as 30 decimals of a 

 cent per pound in one case !) to those near Nanuoya 

 which have to pay 1 85 cent per lb. and others in 

 distant UVa which must disburse two or even three 

 cents per lb. But we must not forget that the present 

 excessive charges on the railway beyond Nawala- 

 pitiya are sure to be considerably reduced at an 

 early date. — As an average for tea picking, we 

 believe Mr. Rutherford's figure if 13 lb. per cooly 

 to be much nearer the mark (as an average) than 

 92 



the Indian rate of 16 lb. as specified by Col. Money- 

 While we are waiting for definite information, as 

 to the average whole cost of a pound of Ceylon te a > 

 up to the period of sale, shall we be wide of the 

 mark if we double the 15 cents, which represent 

 cost, from plucking to packing and placing in the 

 hold of a steamer for London, and say 30 cents? 



An average of 60 cents per lb. would, after 

 clearing London charges, mean 50 per cent (unfit, or 

 R150 per acre where the yield averaged 500 per acre. 

 If we are at all near the mark with our 30 ceuts 

 per lb. total cost, we suppose it will beadmitti d that there 

 is a good margin for reduction of selling price, and we 

 suppose that even if value in the London market 

 went down to an average of lOel per lb. tea 

 growing in Ceylon would still pay? 



CEYLON PLANTERS' ASSOCIATION; VALU- 

 ABLE INFORMATION ON THE COST OF MANU- 

 FACTURE, TKANSPORT, ETC., OF TEA. 



Planters' Association of Ceylon, Kandy, 27th Feb. 18S5. 

 Sik, — I beg to enclose for publication an interesting 

 and valuable letter received from Mr. H. K. Rutherford 

 on the cost of tea manufacture &c. — I am, sir, yours 

 faithfully, A. PHILIP, Secretary. 



Watawala, 20th February JSS5. 

 The Secretary, Planters' Association, Kandy. 



Dear Sir, — Since Messrs. Armstrong, Hay and Owen 

 and others in the latter part of 1S83 gave to Ceylon 

 planters much valuable information regarding the 

 cost of producing tea, I do not think the details of 

 the cost of manufacture have been again brought up 

 in the local papers. Iha\e much pleasure in send- 

 ing you the following figures showing the actual 

 cost of considerable quantities of tea made on four 

 gardens with which I am connected. The saving by 

 machinery over hand-work, I do not find to be so 

 great as wa3 stated by the abovenamed geutlemen 

 in 1883, but I have no doubt they are now in poss- 

 ession of much further da'a than they. had iu those 

 days and will be able to give their later experience 

 of the caving effected by machinery. As tar as I 

 can gather, the following were the estimates given 

 of the saving that would be effected by the use of 

 machinery : — CeDts. 



24th Aug. 1883 Mr. Armstrong gives saving at 6 34 

 15th Sept, ,, ,, Owen 7 cents afterwards 



modified to 6 50 



12th Oct. „ „ Hay (Nallebodde data) 5'50 



19th Oct. ,, " Adam's Peak "* „ 467 



23rd ,, ,, "Proprietor"* ,, 475 



* Newspaper correspondents. 



From the following figures, it will bo seen, the most 

 favorable result obtained was a saving of R3'25 per 

 lb. where steam-power was used. 



With peifeet water-power the saving might be in- 

 creased to 3'50 cents, but I am of opinion a greater 

 direct saving cannot be obtained, although, i i 

 the indirect saving and advantages by using mach 

 are very great, so as to make itd application a necessity 

 on almost all gardens. 



I beg to suggest it would be exceedii 

 and interesting if you could collect information from 

 others as to cost of manufacturing tea by other 

 machines than those stated below, so that comparis- 

 ons could be made. As many estates arc making 

 large quantities of tea, accurate data ought now to 

 te available. Previously we had to be ci 

 assumptions worked out on the quantity 

 a machine could rjll and lire per hour; tut, to arrive 

 at anything like accuracy, fairly largo qua it ties 

 must bj dealt with, and, if possble, a whole season's 

 yield. 



