and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— July, 1912. 87 



JAPANESE TEA TRADE. 



The 1912 tea season opened a week later 

 than last year, owing to the cold Weather that 

 prevailed at the time the tea leaves of the 

 early districts were tender and also to the 

 frost that followed the cold spell. The un- 

 favourable weather, however, affected only the 

 early districts ; so the tea from those dis- 

 tricts is poor both in quality and style. How- 

 over, traders are expecting good quality and an 

 abundant crop, as the weather is quite normal 

 and there is no insect injury, so far as the 

 first crop is concerned. 



The price of new tea is higher than last 

 season by 15 to 20 per cent., due to the high 

 price of rice and other necessaries, while, on 

 the other hand the American market, which 

 is the best customer of Japan tea, has been 

 and is in a very discouraging condition. It 

 is a very peculiar phenomenon, indeed. 



Already quite a number of American buyers 

 are in Shidzuoka, and as long as they are 

 in the business they have to face the con- 

 ditions that prevail in the Japanese market. 

 For that reason some of the foreign buyers 

 bought a fairly good quantity of early teas 

 and have shipped by the " Empress of India,' ' 

 which sailed from Yokohama, April 30. These 

 early shipments are simply intended to lay in 

 new stock on the other side ; consequently 

 shippers do not expect to make any profit, 

 only to please their clients at home. 



After the sailing of that boat, the market 

 showed a slightly downward tendency, falling 

 about 5 yen per picul, yet 10 or 12 per cent, 

 higher as compared with the corresponding 

 period of last year. The market is still ruling 

 high, and therefore most of the American 

 buyers are waiting for the time when the mar- 

 ket will settle down nearer to normal condition. 



Some of the foreign buyers have a pessi- 

 mistic view as to the future of Japan tea, if 

 the price goes up as it (has done for the past 

 five years, because the consumption of Japanese 

 green tea in the United States and Canada 

 will decrease on account of too high prices, 

 and the inflow of Ceylon or Indian teas, which 

 are formidable rivals of Japanese tea. 



Shidzuoka, May 5th.— According to the mar- 

 ket reports received by American buyers now 

 in Shidzuoka, the Japanese green tea market 

 in their country is unquestionably overstocked 

 with tea of last year, and in consequence a 

 number of wholesale houses and jobbers are 



still holding large quantities of old teas, and 

 these holders are very anxious to get rid of 

 the goods even at a great sacrifice. 



Not only many foreign buyers, but native 

 refirers, are indignant over tho injudicious act 

 of Messrs. Whitney & Co., who bought 200 half 

 chest quantity of new tea at the very begin- 

 ning of the season, paying an exorbitant price, 

 this creating a high and abnormal market. 



Another reason for the high market is that 

 year after year there is an increase of refirers, 

 mostly^ natives, who, once started in tiring, 

 wish to keep their plant running for the entire 

 season ; consequently they buy, disregarding 

 the high market. 



Shidzuoka, May 9th. — The daily arrival of 

 raw leaf at Shidzuoka is about half the quan- 

 tity compared with that of the corresponding 

 period last year. This is mainly due to the late- 

 ness of the season by at least one week or more. 



It is rumoured that the well-known firm Mitsui 

 Company will start handling Japauese tea, be- 

 sides the Formosan tea which in exported to 

 America year after year by the Company on a 

 large scale. — Japan Times, May 11. 



TEA GROWING IN RUSSIA. 



The Imperial Russian Domain has an estate 

 at Chakva, near Batoum, where successful ex- 

 periments are being carried on in the cultivation 

 of tea, oranges and other fruits, and Bamboo. 

 So far, it is said, no official reports on the results 

 accomplished have been made public, but an ex- 

 haustive report is in preparation for an industrial 

 exhibition to be held at St. Petersburg during 

 1912, where the resources of the Caucasus will be 

 exploited. The property consists of 43,200 acres 

 and covers what was formerly 3 hopeless tangle 

 of rank vegetation. During t he past few years 

 a considerable portion of the territory has been 

 cleared and improved, and has become one of the 

 most attractive and healthful districts on the east 

 coast of the Black Sea. The estate, according to 

 the American Vice-Consul at Batoum, has a 

 western frontage of about two miles along the 

 sea. From there it stretches eastward, and is 

 enclosed at its extreme limi's by a semicircle 

 of hills that give protection against the cold 

 winds sweeping down from %) j mountains. The 

 greatest altitude of the hills mmediately sur- 

 rounding the estate is about vo thousand feet. 

 The soil is principally red clay, black earth and 

 sandstone. There is an occa^. jnal sprinkling of 

 limestone. Tea-growing beg^n on the estate in 

 1890. The most promising ground was cleared and 



