and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— May, 1910. ill 



CHINA TEA IN 1909. 



A GLANCE AT THE SEASON. 



Another season passes into review, and 1909 

 goes down to history as a year that on the 

 whole has been favourable, both for black and 

 green descriptions, alike to the native manufac- 

 turer and to the foreign shipper. There may 

 have been, of course, as there generally are in 

 most seasons, times when business has actually 

 been unprofitable for both parties, but taking the 

 bitter and the sweet together final results have 

 been on the right side, though possibly in a more 

 modified degree than was at one time antici- 

 pated. The quality of the black tea crop all 

 round may be correctly stated to have been 

 "quite good ' : ; particularly was this the case 

 with Keemuns and Oanfas, For a short time 

 after the opening of the Hankow market on 

 May 11, liussian buyers seemingly had abso- 

 lute control over the arrivals of the first-named 

 teas and paid fancy prices for fancied Kee- 

 muns — lis, 70 to 75 per picul — which intrinsi- 

 cally were not worth more than the later 

 purchases at TIs. 50 to 55. But prices all round 

 for Keemuns must have yielded a golden 

 harvest to tea men, while the teas themselves 

 fully proved in results that they were worth 

 the money paid for them. These teas were 

 brisk and strong and pre-eminently commanded 

 the attention of the homo trade. Regarding 

 the quality of the Ningchows there were certain 

 differences of opinion, some expert buyers 

 affirming them to have been quite as good teas 

 as for some years past ; others that they pos- 

 sessed more strength than usual, and again 

 others declaring them to be thin and insipid, 

 a view shared in by the native. These teas were 

 approved of in Russia, but though the average 

 buying price was a fairly reasonable one, the 

 teas did not " catch on " in the home markets. 



For Hankow teas prices ruled throughout 

 considerably below the currencies of 1908, and 

 notably was this the case with the commoner 

 grades, which averaged all round some twenty 

 per cent lower prices than in the previous year. 

 The quotations are worth repeating, if only to 

 warn intending operators that, if exceeded, 

 there can be no repetition of 1909. First crop 

 Shuntams TIs. 9 to 11 per picul, Koktnvs TIs. 

 10 to 11, Lylings TIs. 11 to 12, and sweet 

 Otopacks at TIs. 12 to 14 per picul. How cheap 

 these teas were does not appear to have been 

 recognised at the time they were offered ; in 

 fact they hung fire, but they were subsequently 

 bought in the Shanghai market by those who 

 failed to appreciate their value, at an advance of 

 20 per cent to 25 per cent, that is, that common 

 teas which were literally going a-bogging in 

 Hankow in July and August at TIs. 9 to 12, in 

 many cases realised TIs. 14 to 17 in Shanghai in 

 October and November. And even at these 

 enhanced prices these common teas did not lose 

 money to ultimate shippers. 



Regarding these teas it may not be 

 out of place to restate what was written 

 of them in these columns last May — 

 "Tho good cup quality of the crop is bound to 

 be recognised, but it is matter for regret that 

 their stalkiness and dustiness are not unlikely 



to prejudice the value of common teas for blen- 

 ding purposes." From what we know these con- 

 ditions kept home currencies to the low level of 

 cents 4 to 4g per lb, though these teas were by 

 no manner of means in over-supply. 



The Year's Export. 

 The total export from North China of black 

 teas this season is the lowest for the past four 

 years, as indicated by the following figures : — 



1906 1907 



Russia ... 32,250,000 36,120,(00 



TJ.S, and Canada . . 6,10t>,000 5,500,000 



United Kingdom ... 4,8<)0,000 8,500)000 

 Continent of Europe . . 2,300,000 3,300,000 



53,420,000 



Russia 



U'S. and Canada 

 United Kingdom 

 Continent of Europe 



1908 1909 



34,350,000 28,000,000 



13,300,003 6,600,000 



7,4' 0.C00 6,400,000 



3,600,000 3,000,000 



58,550,000 44,000,000 



The position of China Congous in the several 

 markets of the world is, at the momett, exceed- 

 ingly favourable. It is up to buyers next 

 month to gang warily, and not spoil the horn in 

 their endeavour to make a spoon. 



Though no snow fell in this neighbourhood 

 during the Chinese New Year holidays, yet the 

 country of the tea district is said to have been 

 sufficiently visited, and native advices are to 

 the effect that a crop of good quality may not 

 unreasonably be expected. 



Tea Marking. 

 Incidentally attention may be drawn to tho 

 anomaly of marking tea chests with a double 

 season. In the old factory days at Canton, when 

 teas were not brought in to market until the fall 

 of the year, and shipped off by sailing vessels in 

 the winter months, it was reasonable to mark 

 teas in that manner ; but now-a-days when the 

 whole crop goes forward in the year of its pro- 

 duction the practice is generally maintained, 

 and uselessly. 



improvements in culture. 

 It is gratifying to be able to record the fact 

 that steps are being taken with a view to the 

 improvement of China black teas generally, and 

 that the first move will be an attempt to regain 

 in some measure for Ningchow teas the quality 

 and popularity which for long years they en- 

 joyed. Towards this desirable end a 



MEMORANDUM HAS BEEN SUBMITTED BY AN 

 INFLUENTIAL TEA HONG TO THE 

 MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, 



Industry and Commerce at Pekin, pointing out 

 the difficulty of securing a combination of tea 

 hongs, tea dealers and tea growers, and sugges- 

 ting that the Viceroy and the Governor of 

 Kiangsi may be instructed to advance TIs. 

 30,000 or TIs. 40,000 to begin with for the sup- 

 ply to growers of bean-cake, ground nuts and 

 vegetable refuse for manuring purposes. This 

 has special reference to the Yiuingchou dis- 

 trict, where it is pointed out that supplies of 

 the article have declined from 200,000 half- 

 chosts to 60,000 half-chests, entirely owing to 

 the fact that the natives have neglected to 

 clean the ground, turn it over and fertilise it. 

 Keemun is pointed to as an object lesson, for, 



