October i, 18S5.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



265 



CEYLON TEA IN THE LONDON MARKETS. 



We give prominence and specially call attent-.on to 

 the letter with which the eminent tirni of London 

 Brokers, Messrs. W. J. & H. Thompsan, have favoured 

 us by this mail. Their remarks will be carefully 

 weighed by our planting readers, and it is most 

 encouraging to note that we have in Ceylon— iu the 

 managers of Loolecondera and Blaokstone estates — 

 the models whose practice may be copied with 

 advantage in regard to the preparation of our teas. 

 We notice that a respected member of the Maakeliya 

 Planters' Association has given notice of a motion 

 "that a SnbCommittee be formed in order to obtain 

 all possible information from tea makers, in aud out 

 of the district, on the subject of Tea-planting, 

 Manufacture. Transport, Machinery, &c." This is a 

 good idea, and we would suftgest that as the most 

 practical step for the present, the .Sub-Committee of 

 the Maskeliya planters should resolve themselves into 

 a Deputation to visit — with the permission of the pro- 

 prietors of course — the Loolecondera and Blackstone 

 estates and draw up a report on the result of 

 their observations and on the 'wrinkles" which 

 we have no doubt tbe managers would be glad 

 to piint oat or illustrate as aiiiing to secure the 

 marked success referred to by Messrs. Tbompsun. 

 There can be no particular mystery ; because as is 

 mentioned, other well-known marks of local estates 

 approach closely to the tine prices received for the 

 teas in question, and nearlv all our bearing tea 

 p'antations have at one time or another secured tip- 

 top prices, although with the sreater rush of crop, 

 and perhaps less care in manufacture, a falling-off 

 in price has been, in some cases, latterly noticeable 

 Care, patience and intelligeuce, in fact, comprise all 

 the mystery, and our rising generation of tea planters 

 will do well to lay to heart the lesson which Messrs. 

 Thompson considerately afford in the following 

 letter : — 



CfTVLON Tea is the London Market: Eepoet 

 BY Me-ssr.s. W. J. & H. Thompson". 



38, Mincing Lane, 7th August 1885. 

 To the Editor, "Ceylon Observer," 



Dear Sir, — We forward herewith a copy of our 

 circular containing details of the important busi- 

 ness which i3 passing in Ceylon Tea. In the last two 

 weeks 5.800 packages have been sold, as compared 

 with 2,400 packages during the same time laet year : 

 and it is most encouraj>in2 to find that a growing 

 demand enables us to sell these larger (juantities 

 without having to make any abatement in the price. 

 The rapid development of the iodustrj- is attracting 

 attention in new quarters : that is, am"ng some 

 of the larger consumers, who have hitherto held aloof 

 on account of the unevenness of supply and the 

 difficulty of buying regularly, sufficient for their 

 requirements. 



You will observe in our circular a special reference 

 to the teas from Blackstone and Loolcondura estites 

 — these standing away from others in the prices 

 realized. The results are so exceptionally good 

 that information as to the assortment in tbe invoices 

 is likely to be asked for : we have therefore printed 

 TUE FCLL p.*RTicrLAP..s— just as the teas were sold in 

 om AltTiON — the transactions, as far as this market 

 is concerned being public. 



As it will be asked by many : " In what points are 

 these teas so superior toothers?" we would s.iy in 

 anticipation: " Id almost every point which distin. 

 guishes 'fine' from 'ordinary' tea." Although of 

 different appearance and type, both the Loolcondura 



34 



and the Blackstone teas have a very fine, closely- 

 twisted leif, quite fret) from coarse reddish or II iky 

 leaves : the btter has also plenty of bright yellow tip: 

 the firing is perfect, abundance of aroma, without 

 approach to the "scorched" or burnt llivour : the 

 infused leaf is deep reddish with scarcely any of 

 the green or darkbrovvn leaves usually seen, while 

 the liquors are rich and full, and in eac'j case 

 possess the distinctive Gtylon jiavour. 



These are by no means the only good Ceylons nnw 

 coming forward, as the quotations for the KooUwooi, 

 Glenti;t, Orurie, Barnagalla, KAW, and many others 

 show, but we have written you specially about them 

 as we feel the traneactions to be of more than 

 ordinary interest. 



The lesson which they teach, seems to us to be 

 the reward in store for those who determine to make 

 " quality " their aim and object— a lesson which we 

 have from the beginning endeavoured to incubate, 

 aud which we are extremely glad to see is being 

 impressed upon planters iu the Tropical AgriciiUiirist. 

 — We are, dear sirs, yours faithfully, 



W. Jas. & Hy. Thompson . 



From another well-known firm of Tea-Brokers we 

 have a communication, from which we quote remarks 

 which are al-0 of practical service : — 



13, Rood Lice. London, E. C, 7th Aug. I8S5. 



Dear Sir, — We thank you for your notice of our 

 circular on the subject of Ceylon tea in yonr valuable 

 paper. In reply to one or two of your observations, we 

 would point out that we suggest that " when ne- 

 cessary an occasional dust should be made " ; and 

 as to size of breaks we would remark that though in 

 the slack season it is not of so much importance, yet 

 when the large sales begin there are often over 300 

 breaks for bujers to taste and value between 9'30 

 and 12 o'clock, and this has to be repeated four 

 days in each week, so tliat smiU lots have bu' small 

 chance of being looked at hy the large buyers We 

 take this opportunity of sending you our circular 

 issued today, and with reference to ours of 24th instant 

 would correct an error in <'Ur list of averages, viz , 

 for 51 packages. Abbotsfr.rd which should have been 

 lOi, not 9i as printed. — We remain, yours faithfully, 

 Gow, Wilson & Stanton. 



Apart from the information given in our com- 

 mercial column, we may mention that the Produce 

 Marht-t Hevirw—tho organ of wholesale Tea-d-alera 

 — has been declaring that although the Indian teai 

 this season are beyond the average, th y are sur- 

 pas.'cd loth by ""tie new China black b af and 

 Ceylon teas," which "just now ofl"er much better 

 vrtlue than Indian orowths." The Home and Colonial 

 Mail on this remarks that -'undoubtedly Indian tea- 

 pUiitershave very formidable rivals iu their l cylnn 

 competitors, and it behoves the former to do their 

 best to maintain their bold on the market." The piece 

 of advice may, of course, be equally applied ot our 

 local planting readers, who, we hope, will do all in 

 their power to maintain the prestige of Ceylon teas. 



The ELEPii.\NT Sugar-cane in Jamacia. — The Eleph - 

 ant-cane, says Mr. Morris in the report of the 

 Botanic Gardens of Jamaica, continues to maint.iin its 

 pre-eminence as a rapid grower, with early maturity ; 

 but it requires very rich soil, a moist climate, and to 

 be taken off as soon as it i.s ripe. It " ratoons" well 

 the second year, but, like most vigorous growers, it 

 retiuires to be renewed iu the third or fourth year. 

 In favourable localities the Klephant-cane, where it 

 has been tried, throws immense canes, looking almost 

 like clumps of Bamboos ; tbe yield per acre has not, 

 however, been quite ei]ual to the show of canes, 

 but it has yielded at the rate of 2 to 2i tons of 

 sugar per acre, which is far beyond the average of 

 ordinary caucs in .Jamaica. — Ga/dtrntn' Chronicle, 



