do4 



f fiE tROPICAL AORICULTOftlST. 



(May 1, 1886, 



After the few first Hliipmenta, which lost hoarily, importers 

 of Calcutta -bought teas did well for a time, but later on 

 the business prove unsatisfnctory. Tht* uui-ertainty again 

 prevailing; ns to the probable outturn has boen misleading, 

 and made it extremely ditUrult to forecast the future of 

 our market, as the estimates availiible for {rreat Britain 

 liave varied from about sisty-thrce to sixty-six raillioiis during 

 the season. 



Importers liave sho^v'll more discrimination in briuginj; 

 their tens forward, especially siiuc \hf. rommr-ncemoiit of 

 1886, and therefore the market his not been so heavily 

 weifihted at one time as in form-T years. The effect of this 

 has proved salutary, for had excessive quantities been . 

 forced on tin" market during tlie first two mouths of this 

 year lliere is litlledoubtthat, owing but to the depressed state 

 of trade throughout the country, especially in Ireland, a 

 serious collapse in prices Mould have occurred. 



The statistical position of China tea is exceptionally good 

 30 far as stocks are concerned, but that of Indian is, at tirst sight, 

 less favourable, the deliveries for the pfist eight months beiug 

 behind those of the corresponding period of the previous 

 season, in consequence of the excessive clearances last spring 

 in anticipation of the Budget. 



Prospects for the coming season appear to be fairly good, 

 though there is a great dang-er of managers beiug tenipt-^d 

 to go in for quantity owing to t!ie high prices wliich have 

 been for some time ruling for the lower grades. If 

 similar quality^ be maintained we can absorb a large 

 quantity, but should, tliis, however, not be the cnse prices 

 will rule very little above China Congous as in season 

 l?84-5, the tendency beiug to a lower canister than 2s, 

 say from Is tid to Is 8d. The way in which some re-illy 

 rlioice teas (especiilly (he Asaams received last August) 

 have been competed for by the trade should encourage the 

 manufacture of line full llavoured parcels with a bright 

 copper coloured infusei) It-af, and a rich dark litjuor, which 

 creams over « lieu t_ooled down ; given this with a fairly 

 well made leaf free from Dust, and good prices are almost al- 

 ways eusured. 



Willi an increasing yield every year, especially from 

 Ceylon, it becomes a serious question whether the con- 

 sumption uill krep pace with the supply. It is. there- 

 fore, satisfactory to note that, lliougii America li-is not 

 responded well at present, the Colonies now take about 

 two million pounds ; while a demand seems to be springing 

 up on the Continent for flavoury teas, especially Ceylon. 

 Should this develope it will be a great help to our market, 

 as it will relieveour stock and indut,e more competition. 



As, however, China will not beousted from.theContinental 

 trade without a severe struggle, wetiiiukit not unlikely that 

 the average price obtained here may decline and would, there- 

 fore, advisee Managers of Gardens tu strain every nerve to 

 keep up the quality of their protluctions, while lessening the 

 cost of manufacture, if possible. Ceylon teas appear to be 

 still much appreciated for the home trade, as the average 

 is Is 3sd against about Is Kd for Indian, and say mid for 

 China. 



Fewer complaints have been made about undesirable quality, 

 partly owing no doubt to the weather and greater attention to, 

 manufacture, together with more experience having been 

 gained in the useot drying machines. 



To obtain a ^ood name for the produce of a garden should be 

 one of the chief aims of tlie manager, a.s many retail houses 

 will give several pence per pound above the ordinary market 

 rates, if necessary, to secure a band of wliich they can be de- 

 pend upon obtaining aeertain supply, and at the same time 

 can rely on tlie quality bt-ing good. For this reason, entire in- 

 voices shipped (.irect invariably sell best in Loudon, as tbey at- 

 tract the attention of the regular buyers, but when sold in 

 Calcutta the br'^aks lose their individuality and on ar- 

 rival here are often passed over amongst a lot of mixed 

 mark^*. 



As regards sorting it is to be hoped, as the trade is so rapidly 

 expanding, that it will be found practicable to niiniraise tlie 

 number of breiks by making them larger, so that by liaving 

 fewersamples to bo gone through daily, buyers may be able 

 to tn«te nil the sali's carel'illy. Tliodividing up of parcels of 

 Ihe same ten inCulc'itta lias not been so noticeable cfuring the 

 past senson, but Ibere has been a very )ar>5e projwrtion of chi pli- 

 cate breaks of similar tea in tlie same garden in^oices, «here 

 they havebeen " Factory Bulked." So often did this occur 

 Ivhilst the^alcs were heavy, that the leading buyers refused to 

 bid for such duplicale lots unless they were re-lmlkcd together 

 hereinto larger parrels. This is an important matter, and 

 every endca\onr shnuM be made to avoid the recurrence of this 

 (luring the present year. 



Ceylon tea** have been unusually noticeable on account of 

 llu' nttrnber cf sorts, ns nearly every new garden has been 

 tppresented in its first shipments by live orsix diff rent prescrip- 

 Uons, wlitiitwo orthree at the most would have sufficed. In 

 fact, now that teas of n moderate price are sought after, we 

 Ufe of opii'itn that it would answer, especially on small 

 ffardens, to ]ia,ss all the unassorted ten through an e(pinlizer,and 

 Obtiiin a small even leaf Pekoe Souchong or I'eke, freefroin 

 dust, and chips it as " one " large break, instead of sift- 

 ing into four or five non-sampling ones, whith are not seen 

 by ihc leading bny#T< audlmvc to be offered by themselves after 

 ^h« sale?. 



' Fewer instances of the use of improper wood for chests have 

 I occurred. We understand that a new metal package has been 

 . patented, which, if successful, willsupply a want in districts 

 ^\ here timber is scarce, 



A larger proportion of " factory bulked** invoices lia-s been 

 sent home, and in many cases the teas havepassed inspection, 

 bvit on the other hand theappearance of some has been so ir- 

 regular that it was necessary to re-bulk them. We cauuottoo 

 strongly impress upon Managersthe necessity of greater care 

 bei'jgtakcn to obtain evenness of quality and appearance, not 

 ' only by careful blending prior to putting the tea into the chests, 

 but also by using every precaution iu pressing it into the 

 packages so that the leaf should be uniform. It has been prov- 

 ed by experience in packing breaks of oO to 100 chests that the 

 end of the pile or heap becomes more or Ie--s broken and dusty, 

 and if placed in the last few package;;, renders their appear- 

 ance sufficiently different to destroy the regularity of the 

 whole parcel, as the colour of the leaf is altered when crushed. 

 It would be better to reserve the balance of the pile for the 

 next packing. 



It is, however, to be hoped that bulking in London will soon 

 be done away with, for, as we have several times pointed out, 

 many line Pekoes and Broken Pekoes are deteriorated several 

 pence per lb. by the treatment they receive here, especially if 

 they are hurried out forsale, as is often theease when heavy 

 arrivals are taking place and the warehousemen are fully en- 

 gaged. Take a Calcutta purchase for instance which may have 

 been bought on a sample drawn out of one of tlie best chests iu 

 a break, and compare it after bulking on this side, and its 

 unfortunate purchaser would liardly recogidze it. This 

 often accounts for much of the discrepancy between the Cal- 

 cutta cost and London value. We hear that one of the lead- 

 ing firms of Loudon Agents is sending out printed bulking^ in- 

 structions, lobeposted up in each teahouse, being cognizant 

 of the necet-sity that this branch of the industry should be care- 

 fully and efficiently carried out, partly to save expense and 

 al-io to ensure the teas going into the hands of the re- 

 tuikrs, without being turned but, just as tuey left the 

 gardens. 



ilany shipments have shown a decided improvement in 

 quality, no doubt traceable to some extent to the useof seed 

 from India and the greater familiarity obtained with the 

 niachiuery employed. The leas are in good demand for ex- 

 port as well as for home eonsumptiou, as they can now be used 

 much more freely than when they nearly all possessed the 

 peculiarity attaching to them a few years since. Moreover, 

 tliey have one great advantage, particularly where it is de- 

 sired to sell immediately on arrival, viz., they rarely require 

 re-bulking, and the packages have an even tare. In 

 that respect the island of Java has set a good example 

 for India to follow, and we hope for the interests of all 

 concerned she will do so. 



COMl'AKATIVK (jl-ALlTV OF TIIE OUTTfRN OF THE UlF- 



FLKKNr Dlstricts fok th k Past three Season. 



CEYLON.— 10'), 000 acres, greater portion not yet in bear- 

 ing. 



Fstimate of tea made during 1885.— Season 1885-6, 

 ♦4,.')00,000 lb 



18S5 Crop.— Still in favour with consumers, and whenever 

 supplies have fallen off, there has ben u strong demand 

 and full rates obtained. These teas have made a great name 

 for themselves which will probably be maintained if the 

 quality iskept up, 



18a4 Crop.— Still in favour owing to their useful qualities. 

 Some undesirable shipment, however, have realized low 

 averages. Demand likely to continue for all parcels with 

 full llavonr. 



^SS^^ Crop.— In consiilcrable re(|uest at steadily improving 

 rales throughout the seasoi , the demand for these grow ths 

 having become general from all par s of the I'nited 

 Kingdom. 



PL.VNTING IN WESTERN DOLOSBAGE, 

 CEVL()N. 



18th April. 



I have been thinking for some time back to send 

 you a few planting notes, but the cares of this 

 world and the deceitfulness of riohcH have so far 

 checked the good intention— like the pavement to a 

 certain j'lace which shall be nameless. 



yVff.^In all directions one sees signs of renewed 

 activity in preparing.; for, and planting this deservedly 

 popular product onboth new and old land. There are 

 some plnoes which one would think hard'y justify- 

 ing^ the expense, and, ulterior protitb may be doubtful, 

 but tea i^ a wonderful shrub, and it Is ditticult 

 to say where to draw the line. I am working ut 

 a small *' toonda " which well illustrates the vicissit- 

 udes of the partt planting years. First of all it 

 was planted up with coffee, ili ;i, it was laid down 

 with guinea grass at a time when palatial cattle* 

 " " tikely tu be much uearer 3,0i)i?,00i),— EP, 



