48 



TKE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



[July t, 1885, 



In passing in review some of the more prominent 

 features of seasons 1SS5-86, one fact stands pre-emin- 

 ent, viz. : the status of the native teaman today. 

 Sii short weeks ago, only a limited amount of sycee 

 had been sent into the country, a small quantity 

 of tea made, and a very sloomy prospect of outlet. To- 

 day, ficlsle fortune, ever Celestially sympathetic, comes 

 to his aid with the glad tidings of peace, backed up by the 

 appreciable gifts of cheap exchange aud cheaper 

 carriage. The result of these kindly favours will be 

 a very full supply of tea and assured large profits 

 to the natives. Truly if ever fortune's favoured nation 

 clause were extended on behalf of any race, it has 

 been stretched to its utmost limit in the interest of 

 these long-tailed, long-nailed, long-headed middlemen 

 who batten upon the profits of this vexatious trade. 



Now as regards the produce itself. Injerioriti/ is 

 its characteristic. The teas of nine districts out of 

 ten are poorer in leaf and poorer in cup, and super- 

 add to these misfortunes the ever present objection- 

 able tarry or burnt flavours. It would appear that 

 the three great tea-producing provinces of Kiangsi, 

 Hupei and Hunan had all done a thriving trade with 

 Stockholm. Taking tlie Kiukiang teas in their order ; 



1. — The Ningchows are tarry, burnt, mouldy or 

 weathery, 



2. — Tlie Keemuns, if not tarry, "are for the most 

 part burnt. These classes of tea have been bought 

 by the great judges, and are out and out the best 

 teas of the year. 



3. — Hohows generally quite enough baked. 



The Oopack teas, Sungyangs, Yuug-low-tungs, 

 Tongeaus, &c. are a jejune lot ; all thin, dry and 

 hungry. They lost a great deal of money last year 

 for shippers, and will probably repeat the perform- 

 ance this. 



The Oonahm teas are a motley crew. They are all 

 touched with the tar brush. 



In the first rank as regards quality are the Tonyuens. 

 They are well made, i)owerful teas, possessing any 

 amount of brute force. 



The Oanfas are soft, tarry things, fit for the eighteen 

 penny canister. 



The Kokens are few in number and of fair 

 quality. 



The Lilings, Shun.fa3,Fa-tam9, and Shun-tams beggar 

 desoription, 



FOOCHOW. 



CONSULAR NOTIFICATION. 



To the British mercantile community of Foochow. 

 British Consulate, Pooohowfoo, 14th May 18S5. 



The undersigned begs to circulate for the inform- 

 ation of the British mercantile community the anne^ed 

 translation of au address that has been made to him 

 by the native tea firms and brokers of this port. 



They therein represent that certain abuses have 

 grown into existence in the conduct of the tea 

 business of Foochow and that through these abu.sca 

 they have sufi'ered aurioug losses ; they refer in partic- 

 ular, firstly, to the overplus of weight taken from them 

 in the process of weighing ; and seoondlj' to the long 

 delays in settling up accounts. 



It would then appear to be their fixed purpose 

 to endeavour to place the tea trade on a fair 

 and uniform basis ; with tliis end in view, a set of 

 Trade Rules lias been drawn up, and a copy been 

 submitted to tlie undersigned with a request that tliey 

 may bo nntilied to the BritiBli Merchants at the port 

 for their olnervancc aud guidance. 



In compliance with that request, a translation 

 of the eaid rules is herewitli published, and to 

 them the attention of the British Mercautilo Com- 

 munity is now kindly iuvited. 



H. JVI.'s Consul nowise pretends to dictate the form 

 in which business should be conducted with the native 

 Tea Firms; he may, nevertheless, be allowed to give 

 expression to an opinion in regard to these Trade Rules, 

 namely, that they appear to him to contain not only 

 'nothing illiberal and unreasonable, but much, on the 

 contrary, that is likely to conduce to a healthy and 

 mutually profitable trade, if carried out in their 

 integrity, aud be hails the introduction of such rules 

 with pleasure. 



He may add, that in this view of the 

 subject he shall feel disposed to guide his 

 decisions by these Rules, in those cases which 

 might come before him judicially, where it should 

 be shown that no special contract had been made 

 on the part of the buyer. Cuarles A. Sinclair, 



Her Majesty's Coimul. 



PETITION OF THE FOOCHOW TEA GUILD TO 

 CONSUL .SINCLAIR. 



Petitioners, the Committee of the Foochow Tea 

 Guild, beg to state that in consequence of the 

 heavy losses they have sustained from the system 

 of giving over-weight and taking credit, tliey have 

 held a meeting, and framed an agreement of which 

 they beg you will cause the observance. 



Having invested their capital and opened Tea Honga 

 in Foochow, they beg to point out that trade between 

 Chinese and Foreigners is entirely dependent on good 

 faith, and if it is carried on without dispute, it maybe 

 expected to be permanent. 



Now of late years Foreign merchants when pur- 

 chasing tea have adopted methods of weighing aud 

 making payment which have been very detrimental 

 to Chinese teamen aud brokers ; for 2 or 3 catties 

 a chest overweight have iu some instances been given, 

 in others 3 or 4 catties ; sometimes 5 or G mouths' 

 credit has been taken, and occasionally over a 12 

 months' : and cases have even occurred where firms 

 who have first taken long credit have eventually 

 suspended business, and have jiaid only a com- 

 position, or not even a cash, thus involving pet- 

 itioners in serious loss. As a result, of lite years 

 many of the native tea firms have had to close their 

 establishments, and have been plunged in the deepest 

 distress. Now the merchants at all theTreaty Porta 

 ought to deal fairly. If they take overweight, then 

 their estimate does not tally with that of the seller, 

 and all the tea firms alike suffer ; if long credit be 

 taken, then the latter have to bear a further and 

 considerable loss of interest. Moreover the tea ought 

 to be weighed without delay immediately the order is 

 entered in the books. 



Petitioners have been compelled by the great diffic- 

 ulties under which the trade labours, to hold a meeting 

 and pass resolutions that in future in all transactions 

 the true weight be adhered to, that payment be made 

 at the stipulated time, and tliat no one be allowed to 

 reduce the weight at pleasure or to take credit at will. 

 These rules will, it is hoped, prove beneficial to the 

 Tea Trade in the South-East of China. Buyer and 

 seller should treat each other in a reasonable and con- 

 siderate manner, so that henceforward their good faith 

 may be manifest to all. They must not take an unfair 

 advantage of each other. 



Petitioners enclose the rules framed by the Guild, 

 the terms of which they beg you will view without 

 prejudice and be good enough to make known to all 

 Foreign merchants, that trade may be carried on iu 

 accordance therewith. Compliments. 



RULES FROMED BY THE TEA GUILD, 



May 1SS5. 



I. — All Foreign merchants buying tea must pay 



ready money ; or, where this ia impracticable, within 



three days after clearance at the Custom House : or, 



