59 
Cau to proceed to India, Southern ern China, and Ceylon, with the 
object Eo thoroughly examining ee M of tea culture and curing 
in those countries. The Commercial Agent for the Appanage Depart- 
ment of e Russian Imperial Court has recently visited Kew to study 
the subjec 
Seri ré remarkable statistics as to yy tea produetion of the world are 
given in a paper read by Mr. A. G. Stanton at the Society of Arts 
(Journ., vol. 43, pp. 189-201). In 1683 the total consumption of tea in 
the United Kingdom was 170,780,000 lbs., or 4:82 lbs. per head of 
population. In 1894 these figures "had risen to 214 941,044 lbs., or 
5:53 lbs. per head. 
'The remarkable feature in the tr aei is the na in which India and 
eylon have displaced China source of supply. Taking Mr. 
DIA 8 Eve a gi the piéporions of the total supply stand as 
follo 
aga China. India. Ceylon. 
| | | 
1883 | 66 | 33 1 
| | 
| | 
1894 | 12 | 55 | 33 
In 12 years Ceylon has pushed to the gun at first occupied by India, 
and this almost entirely at the expense 
Mr. ton states :—'* The annual consumption of tea in the civilised 
world, exclusive of the United ea iM mt 250,000,000 Ibs. Of 
this quan uantity aay about 30,000,000 Ibs. are Indian and Ceylon.” It is 
evident, then, that if Russian tea can be successfully placed upon the 
market, it will fats, in the first instance at any rate, to compete with 
China tea. The new competitor is not likely Meloni to affect British 
production. 
As the experiment to grow tea in the Russian Empire e possesses an 
interest in connexion with the large tea industries of India and Ceyion 
the following particulars are reproduced from the report for the year 
1894 on the agricultural condition of the Batoum Consular district, 
ak f forwarded to the Earl of Kimberley by Mr. Consul Stevens, 
n Office, Annual Series, 1894, No. 1481] :— 
plantations at Chakva, near Batoum, pbi to Messrs, 
opoff, 
extended this year under the supervision of the Chinese tea planters, 
who were brought over in 1893; a large number, about 600, natives of 
the Caucasus, are also employed in working on the plábtatfor" of this 
firm 
fi a letter to the * Caucasian Agricultural News," Mr, A. Solovtzoff, 
who for several years past has been cultivating tea on his estates at no 
great distance from the lands belonging to Messrs. Popoff, gives a some- 
what interesting account of his experiences in the raising of this platit 
since the year 1884. He states that at that time his chief concern was 
the question of procuring tea plants for planting, he feared to order seed 
lest old seed should be sent, besides this the seed of tea contains a 
volatile oil in considerable quantity which, during a long voyage, edil 
