June i, i8S6.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



8oy 



CEYLON TEAS FROM & OLD YOUNG 

 ESTATES: AND ALLE(iEU DETEKIOKATION. 

 It is news to us that there has been any 

 marked deterioration in the quality of teas from 

 the oKler estates in Ceylon, well-estabUshed marks, 

 so far as we have noticed, fully maintain their 

 position and reputation in the Iiome markets, and the 

 criticisms of London Brokers during the late months 

 have been rather directed to the generality of 

 Ceylon tea and principally under comparatively 

 new marks. In proof of this, we have only to 

 refer to the fact that such teas as those of 

 Loolecondura, ISlackstone and Galboda have con- 

 tinued to be held up in the Brokers' reports as 

 models of what ought to be followed in the 

 preparation of Ceylon teas. In some cases too of 

 extensive cultivation we know of estates or marks 

 which have rather bettered their average and 

 position— making allowance for the slaker market 

 and fall in prices. A striking instance of this is 

 afforded in the wellknowu "K. A. W." teas, because 

 apart Ironi the extensive area of cultivation directly 

 attached to this, the largest Tea Factory in the 

 Island, nowhere else is the leaf of outside plant- 

 ations so freely purchased, and yet the result so 

 far has been no deterioration, but rather an im- 

 provement and strengthening of the good position 

 of the K. A. AV. mark. KadawcUa Factory, it will 

 be understood, is fully supplitd with machinery, 

 with am))le withering room, and with an adeijuale 

 stati' in all departments carefully supervised. All 

 this would certainly point to the fact that any 

 falling-off in the ijuality of teas from other quarters 

 is due to the want of one or other of the requisites 

 we specify: needful machinery, superintendence 

 or care. In one or two cases of known marks 

 where a slight deterioration has been reported, the 

 remark has sometimes been made to us, "Oh, Mr. 



" is toe busy with e.vtraneous and very profitable 



"work to give that attention to the preparation 

 "of his own teas which he did in the early days." 

 But the complaints preferred to us and which 

 we made known about a fortnight ago, arising out 

 of the condition and quality of teas ottered at 

 local sales, referred almost entirely to young gardens 

 and new marks. It is possible that the want of 

 a sufficient statT of trained natives for the tea-houses 

 may be the cause of the inadecjuate preparation 

 which was condemned. To deny superintendents, 

 the help of "tea-men" — coolies who have learned 

 and know something of the work of preparation — 

 would indeed be a penny-wise and pound-foo)is!i 

 policy. In other instances, shortness of labour 

 and "the want of machinery (a roller especially) 

 may account for the disappointingly delicient 

 quality of the teas. But making allowance for all 

 these supposed causes, we fear that in some instances 

 at least, nothing but ignorance or downright care- 

 lessness can allord a suftieient explanation. 



It is suggested that the I'lanters' Association 

 should enquire into the subject of the " Deterior- 

 ation of Ceylon Teas;" but apart from the fact 

 that the industry is in too incipient a stage — tak- 

 ing the country as a whole — for any such inquiry, 

 and that the matter is'one of peculiar dilieaey for 

 any corporate body to deal with (/■.<(. by circular, 

 " We notice your teas selling below, and your 

 neighbours' above, par : why is this thus ? ") the 

 business is really one Bailing for the attention of 

 proprietors, agenlB of visiting agents and individual 

 101 



superintendents. A discussion cannot fail to do- 

 good by turning attention to the dcliciencics — in 

 siiperinteTidcncc, niacliinerv, labour or care — in each 

 case and by iivumoting a determination to do better 

 and a spirit of ennilation among our tea-makers. 

 The way in which Ceylon planters learn from each 

 other and never cease striving after improvement 

 in their work, is the admiration of all our Indian 

 visitors. Let instruction be made available where 

 required, and do rot let us have grasping jiro- 

 inietors neglect the fact that the reputation of 

 their gardens may be ruined at the very outset, 

 through a false economy, or a desire to ))ush their 

 superintendents into tea-making before they have 

 had the requisite training or experience and need- 

 ful assistance. It is nonsense to suppose that a 

 ring of Colombo buyers and brokers can acc'ount 

 for alleged deterioration. As a matter of fact, the 

 testing of teas for the last Colombo sales showed 

 a decided improvement on that for the penult- 

 imate series, and the prices at once rose in cor- 

 respondence therewith. If Ceylon Teas are to 

 maintain their good position and reputation, each 

 proprietor or responsible agent must see to it that 

 his estate superintendent ^has the qualifications 

 and appliances and labour which are absolutely 

 necessary to enable him to turn out satisfactory 

 parcels of the product to which attention is now 

 almost e\crywhere so exclusively directed among 

 the Ceylon planters. 



4 ■ 



THE TEA MAKKET.S IN BELFAST AND THE 

 NOKTH OF IRELAND, 



It is wellknown that the Irish in Ulster con- 

 sume a large quantity of high priced teas, the linen- 

 weavers there especially being credited with living 

 chiefly on strong green teas (up to Is and .5s a lb.) 

 and potatoes. This adds to the interest felt in a 

 correspondence which has taken place between Mr- 

 Davidson of Sirocco fame and a Belfast tea mer- 

 chant. Messrs. Davidson & Co., wrote to us as fol- 

 lows by last mail : — 



" We enclose a page from //. <(■ C. Shiil of 

 12th instant from which you will see that a news- 

 paper war has been waged here between our Mr. 

 Davidson and a local tea retailer, and, as the matter 

 is likely to be very interesting to planters generally, 

 we trust you will see your way to reproduce the 

 correspondence in the Ubsfrvcr and Tropifal Aijrl- 

 (tdtiirht as it appears in the Mail." 



I'ressure on our space forbids republication in full 

 but we give such extracts as will enable the con- 

 troversy to be understood : — 



Mr. Davidson, tlie well-known Sirocco Manufac- 

 turer, has done much to jiopulariso Jiuliau tea in 

 Belfast. He commcucod by supplying liis friends 

 and neighbours with small quantities in a quiet way, 

 and bis reputation as a wise mim about tea having 

 rapidly spread, he has developed a largo business in 

 Indian aud Ceylon teas. This seems to have occasioned 

 displeasure to some members of the tea trade in Bel- 

 fast, one of whom (Mr. Anderson, of North StreetJ has 

 entuicd into correspondence with Mr. D.ividson in the 

 " Bclfa.'it News Letter." In this correspoudencn Mr. 

 Davideon has decidedly the best of it, aa will be seen 

 from the following extraet of which wc give a first 

 instalment this week and propose to coutinuo as the 

 letters will interest Indian tea planters. 



The controversy opened by a manifesto hy Mr. Ander- 

 son, I'niivencd with italics, in which ho says ; — " China, 

 at cue time, was tin" only country from which tea could 

 be obtained ; now, te.i forma one of the staple products 

 of India, wbile ,Tapan, .Tava, and Ceylon furnish 

 their quota of the world's supply. " Tea cul- 



