734 



t*ME TROPICAL AGRiCtStTV^thT. [April i, 1886. 



ation for the JTiformation of the Directors (of the 

 tea Guild), to immediately inform the tea-merchants 

 who ileal with foreigners to improve by all meani their 

 article, so that the trade may be mutually protected. 

 Do not disobey this. 



Dated 2nd day of 11th moon 11th year 

 Kwauf^-su. 



The following is the full text of Sir Robert 

 Uart's letter to the Tsung-li Yamen as translated 

 from the SlH'ii-pao: — 



The teas sold by Chinese merchants to foreign 

 countries during the last four or five years havo 

 become very inferior in quality day by day. The 

 Chinese merchants, thinking that tea is an article 

 much wanted in foreign countries, and seeing that 

 notwithstanding its inferiority it is being taken all 

 the same, have been making in this way larger 

 profits than before, forgetting that by this manner 

 of making profit they are running to certain ruin. 

 These merchants ought to know that there are 

 other places which can make tea. Besides Japanese 

 tea, which is being exported to all countries, the 

 new tea planted in India is increasing in yield, its 

 make is also becoming better every day, and its 

 demand is also increasing day by day. It the 

 Chinese merchants don't seek to improve, I really 

 fear that the consumption will be greatly dimin- 

 ished within a few years. By reckoning in catties 

 I find the Chinese tea sold to foreign countries 

 last year amounted to 200,000.000 catties, the 

 Indian tea exported to several countries amounted 

 to 1<), 000,000 catties, and the export of Ceylon 

 tea amounted to 2,000,000 catties. This year the 

 export of Indian tea has increased to 19,000,000* cat- 

 ties, and Ceylon tea to 4,000,000 catties. Consider- 

 ing that a few years ago not a single catty of tea was 

 produced in those two places, and so many having 

 been produced now, we don't know to what quantity 

 it might be increased a few years hence. Tea is very 

 important for China ; if the Chinese merchants 

 think of reducing labour and squeezing the necess- 

 ary materials for the sake of making profits only, 

 the tea trade of China cannot fail to be ruined. 

 If the nol>le Ya-meu does not communicate this 

 state of things to the Southern Superintendent of 

 Trade, so that he may direct the proper author- 

 ities to clearly inform the tea dealers by proclam- 

 ation of the importance of adding spurious things 

 to the teas, also not to make the teas heavy by 

 keeping them wet, and not to economise the labour 

 of manipulation, when this branch of business 

 has been ruined, do not say that it had not 

 been previously advised. Tea is one of the largest 

 articles of commerce in China ; it contributes to 

 the revenue of the government and supports the 

 people. The state of things having reached such 

 8 degree, I cannot be silent ; therefore I respect- 

 fully make this for the Ya-mfin's information. — 

 Mercury. 



♦ 



TEA MOVEMENT. 



From the ^tati8tical tables below it will be noted 

 that thi^ popularity of tea an a beverage docs not 

 increase, being ju.st the same per capita as it wa» iu 

 1?7!'. In consideration of an increase of over eight 

 millions iu population, the decline in the total imports 

 from IWO to 1SS3 inclusive is remarkalile. It is 

 customary for the Ooveriimont to consider .ill tea with- 

 drawn from warehouse as having passed into consump- 

 tion. If the stock held at the close of each year was 

 close to an average, such a basis would show actual 

 results. As, however, the stock held at a fixed data 

 has differed greatly, wo attribute the variation iu 



* Jiitbir the figures for India are far too low or those 

 for Ceylon too high : we do not crop 10 per cent yet 

 o what ludia produces. — Ed. 



consumption, reported below, as being due more to 

 that cause than to any change on the part of con- 

 sumers regarding tta as a beverage. \Viiiving that, 

 however, the figures .show conclusivuly that duriug 

 the past ten years the article has not grown in favor 

 with the people. 



The Government Bureau of Statistics riports the 

 quantity of tea entered for consumption since it was 

 made duty free and the consumijtion per capita for 

 twelve years past, as follows: — 



Year Consumption 



ending 'Quantity. per capita. 



June 30th. Pounds. rounds. 



1874 54,410,055 1-1'7 



1875 G4,7O8,07U 1-47 



1876 62,744,423 1-38 



1877 58,941,178 1-26 



1878 05,36(),44n I'M 



1879 00,182,463 1-22 



18S0 72,15y,2o'fi 1-44 



1881 81,949,79H 1-59 



1883 79,030,854 1-50 



1883 70,771,22.1 1-31 



1884 G.5,774,234 MS 



1885 6n,«iO,172 1-22 



The tot,al imports f<ir the last two fiscal years the 

 total value of thesan^eas declared at Custom House, 

 and average cost of inq)ortHtions per pound compare 

 as follows: — 



Average 

 per lb. 

 Pounds. Value. Cents. 



Imports, 1885 72,UI4,!t56 S14,017,5S3 19-4S 



Imports, 1884 67,665,910 13,036 053 20-15 



Of the quantity reciivcd last year Ohiiui furnished 

 35,895,835 pounds, or 49-78 per cent; .lapau, 32,150,032 

 pounds, or 4459 per cent ; Euglanil, 3,040,148 pounds, 

 or 4-9 percent, the balance of the imports coming from 

 fifteen different coimtries. 



We are firmly convinced that there will be no 

 increase in the popularity of tea as a beverage until 

 the average quality of the imports from Cbioa and 

 Japan is raised. In Japan the Oovernment lias eiidc:i- 

 vored to raise the standard by legalizing the formation 

 of guilds, the object of which is to prevent the adulter- 

 ation of the leaf . A central associatiou is to coutrfd 

 the local guilds. It is to be hoped that good results will 

 be the outcome. The average quality of I.ijst year's iui- 

 ports was below that of previous seasons, especially 

 the Cliiua greens. Finest Forinosns have not beeu 

 equal in character to the same grade received iu 1884, 

 and that was below tlie quality of the l.s,s:i cruji. Cargo 

 grades 'were about the same as received iu 1831, but 

 some claim they were below. The demand for colored 

 Japans is maintained; basket-fired tea, owing to the 

 rajiidity with which the fiavor is dissipated, docs not 

 grow iu popularity with consumers. 



In England there has been a marked decliue iu the 

 importaticu of China hlack tea, due probably to com- 

 petition with Indian and Ceylon teas. This shows a 

 necessity for improving the character and quality of 

 China tea. — Ahia-icait Grocer. 



[The unpopularity of tea in the United JStatcs is 

 attributed to the poor quality of China and ilnpan sorts, 

 and yet the fine teas of India and Ceylon can scarcely 

 find a sale. Only a little over 1 lb. of tea per capita iu 

 America against nearly .'i in Britain shews a curious 

 diflcreuce of taste. But the Americans are mainly 

 cotYee drinkers, getting their supplies cheaply from 

 Brazil.— Ed.] 



-<- 



COFFEE TKADE SFB-SECTION OF THE 



LONDON CHAMBEK OF COMMEBCE. 



REPLY TO rni; QI'ESTIONS of the ItOYAI, COMMISSION 

 ON IIKPKESSION OF TllADE. 



Question 3.— Of the total quantity of eoft'ec sold 

 iu one year, from Is .Id to Is Id" is retained for 

 home consumption, the remaimler is exported to 

 almost every country in Europe, mostly to Gerniunv. 

 The figiu-es have been :— 



