June i, 1885.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



909 



that on Malia Uva (Lower Maturata) where the coffee has 

 suffered terribly and recently from leaf-disease, and the 

 trees are much punished therefro*", and from a really 

 heavy crop the outturn is 6 per cent better than 

 here : the sample has hitherto always been inferior 

 and the outturn worse, but there the bug is not. I 

 should feel much obliged if you would Pt me Unow 

 if the insect and its ravages have come under your 

 notice before? The Tamils also say that it sucks the 

 sap frem young wood, and so prevents its bearing." 

 Of course, the ' scale insect ' referred to in the 

 letter "From the Hdls " was the coccus and not 

 this green bug. Mr. S. Green writes to us : — " I have 

 written to Mr. Downall for further information. 

 The scale insect is a coccus, while the bug 

 belong* to quite a different family, and is even 

 placed by some entomologists in another order. 

 It is not the green bug so unfavorably known 

 in Colombo, being more yellow than greou and 

 spotttd with brown marks. It however belongs to 

 the same family. Mr. Downall has also sent with 

 the bug a few specimens of the beautiful green 

 weevil, described in Nietner's ' Enemies of the Coffee 

 Tree,' No. 26, page 19 of the new edition. It is covered 

 with iridescent greiu scales. Perhaps Mr. Downall 

 calls this a scale insect." 



The Taxing of Tka in China. — That the conduct of the 

 hostilities with France in Tonquin and Formosa should 

 severely tax the finances of the Chinese Government and 

 sooner or later compel them to resort to extraordinary 

 means for increasing the revenue was only to be expected. 

 It is proposed to increase taxation on tea, opium, salt, ac- 

 cumulation of foreshores (fit. " sand-fields "), and wine 

 and tobacco shops. Of these propositions the one that 

 will most nearly concern foreigners engaged in trade with 

 China is the one for increasing the duty on tea. The 

 Hu Pent says that " the alternative proposals for taxing 

 tea are (1) to levy a tax of o mace per five catties at the 

 place of export ; (2) to levy 3 taels 9 mace per hundred 

 catties, in addition to the barrier dues ; (3) to levy the 

 foregoing, but to allow the barrier fees to be commuted 

 by a first double payment. This does not affect the Cus- 

 toms export or frontier dues. The Empress approves 

 provisionally, but the details are to he referred to the 

 provincial authorities." The least of these alternative taxes 

 would, on a rough calculation, be not less th.au 2d. per 

 lb. on all qualities, a huge increase on the common grades 

 of tea, which are most in demand in the English market. 

 No differential duty is imposed on tea in the United 

 Kingdom ; whether it comes from China, India, or Ceylon, 

 it pays the same tax. Hence China tea can compete 

 with the Indian and Ceylon product on equal terms, and 

 secures a market. "What would happen, however, if the 

 Ohiuese tea had to pay a heavier duty before export ; 

 Even under present conditions it is being gradually under- 

 mined by the Indian and Ceylon teas, owing to the superior 

 cultivation and preparation of the latter. With increased 

 duties levied at home, China teas would simply become 

 unsaleable in the English market in a few years. Nor is 

 this all. The business in tea is the backboue of foreign 

 trade in China; its ruin would mean the decay of trade 

 generally, and the loss of fully half the revenue derived 

 through the Imperial Maritime Customs. "We say nothing 

 of the reduction of British trade, for that would probably 

 only change its field from China to India, but the damage 

 to China would he great and irreparable. The Chinese 

 Government instead of thinking how they can raise the 

 duty on tea, should — malt/rc their present finnncial diffic- 

 ulties — rather consider whether it is not expedient to re- 

 duce that duty. They have to face the fact that every 

 year the export; of Chinese tea to England, its principal 

 market, declines, while that from India grows steadily and 

 rapidly. Ceylon is also fast becoming a rival as a producer 

 of tea, and it is reported that tea of the finest quality 

 can be grown in Natal. There is every reason to believe 

 that it will also soou be cultivated in Borneo and probably 

 in Burmah. It will be difficult enough for China tea to 

 holff its own against its rivals ovon if compoting on equal 

 erms, but hampered by an extra duty of something like 



2d. in the pound, this will become impossible. Moreover 

 the Peking Government will, as our Shanghai contempor- 

 ary points out in the course of an article on the subject, 

 ruu the serious risk of causing disaffection among the 

 tea-growers if, as is most probable, their produce becomes 

 able in the chief market of the world. The man- 

 darins will consult their own interests equally with the 

 interests of their country in rejecting any proposal to 

 increase the tax on an article of export the trade in 

 which cannot survive such an impost many years, and 

 would, by restricted consumption, speedily show signs of 

 approaching extinction. — Daily Press. 



Referring to the letter from Mr. IT, Shuck, of 

 Larut Lapas Plantation, Island of Sooloo, which ap- 

 peared in our issue of 28th March, regarding a disease 

 which has appeared in cocoa trees, wo are informed 

 by Mr. Shuck that ho has forwarded to Mr. Hullett, 

 Principal of Raffles Institution, specimens of both the 

 grub and the beetle to which he attributes the disease 

 in question. The specimens, we understand, will be 

 placed in the Museum, so that planters and others 

 interested in the matter, may have an opportunity of 

 inspecting them. — Straits Times. 



Tea at a Hioh Altitude in Ceylon. — Upper Abbots- 

 ford, Lindula, 1st May. — The following is my picking 

 for last week : — 



Date. Pluekers. Green Leaf. Aver. lb. per cooly. 

 ... 105 2.S12 26-7S 



... 114 2,044 25-82 



... 75 1,318 18 



... 52 784 15 



... 18 2SS 16 



April 20th 

 „ 21st 

 „ 22nd 



„ 23 rd 



,, 24th 



364 



8,17(5 



22 46 



Average for the year up to date of lb. green leaf per 

 cooly 20-20. Average rate per acre for •the 110 acres 

 (deducting 5,2S6 lb. for young tea), 8S7-G4 lb. The 

 total rainfall for April is 272 inches, which fell on 

 ten days. This makes the total for four months of 

 this year 8'40 inches, against 8'79 last year. Today 

 it is very close and cloudy. 



Tea in Russia.— The Russian Ministry of Finance has 

 published some statements r-especting Kussian trade with 

 China, with special reference to the advance of the duty 

 on tea. It is stated that in settlement of the balance 

 of trade Russia has paid to China in the course of 

 twelve years not less than 130,000,000 roubles (say 

 13,000,000/ ), and that the Chinese consumption of 

 Russian productions, especially manufactures and the 

 materials for manufactures, has not only not increased, 

 but has declined in a marked manner. The reduction 

 of the Russian duty on tea, witli a view to the en- 

 couragement of Siberian trade, cost the Imperial re- 

 venues during the period from 187S to 1883, on the 

 average, 4,500 000 roubles per annum, without giving 

 any apparent stimulus to direct trade. Regret is 

 expressed that the Russiau tea merchants keep en- 

 tirely aloof from the trade in Russian manufactures. 

 During the course of eleven years the exports to 

 Russia from China luxve more than doubled, the de- 

 clared value having risen from 9,200,000 roubles to 

 19,700,000 roubles per annum. The tea merchants 

 concern themselves merely with the profitable satis- 

 faction of the demand of consumers, and this demand 

 is continually expanding, especially amongst the lower 

 classes. They make no efforts to introduce Russian 

 goods to the Chinese but pay for the tea with silver, 

 and frequently with gold. It is urged that this is 

 due to the want of organization amongst Russian 

 traders, each of whom pursues his own personal gain 

 regardless of the general interests of Russian trade 

 ami economy, and that it is important that no effort 

 should be spared to promote the consumption of 

 Russian goods in China. — Indian Planters' Gazette, 

 21st April. 



