The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



tically impossible of recurrence whab had really 

 been long before put an end to by the good sense 

 oi traders. Deceptions of another sort are 

 followed now. Recklessly improper descriptions 

 of quality are advertised ; Tea is offered at prices 

 utterly inconsistent with the high character 

 attributed to it ; and it is rare for packets of Tea 

 made up ready for sale to contain the ostensible 

 weights printed thereon. A. collection recently 

 made of the packet Teas most generally known 

 and sold revealed only one brand that contained 

 " full weight without the wrapper.'' The matter 

 has net escaped the notice of the Inspectors of 

 Weights and Measures, and at one of their 

 recent meetings, careful returns were presented 

 showing how far from full weight were many of 

 the Tea packets offered for sale. It would be 

 well and in the interest of morality and common 

 honesty, as well as common sense, if the English 

 law were to ordain that the weight of every com- 

 modity sold should be irrespective of the con- 

 taining substance, in the same manner that 

 goods sold by measurement do not include the 

 containing vessel in the quantity. There would 

 soon be trouble were the publican to try and 

 include the size of the pot when serving a quart 

 of beer. 



History or Tea. 



Some most interesting facts about the early 

 history of tea cultivation have been re-discov- 

 ered during the year, aud they carry historical 

 knowledge oi the business further back than do 

 most of the well-known references so frequently 

 reproduced. Even that in Pepys's diary bears 

 date 25th (September, 1660 (U.S.), while the book 

 containing those referred to was published in 

 London in 1698, and is stated to be a second 

 edition of a translation from the French. The 

 writer was a Jesuit Father, by name Louis le 

 Comte, who had apparently travelled extensively 

 in China and wrote descriptive accounts of much 

 that he saw there. The following brief extracts 

 may be of interest : — 



" *Tis certain that their usual waters are not good 

 which, perhaps, hath obliged the inhabitants, especially 

 in the Southern Provinces, to drink it always warm ; but 

 because warm watur is unpalatable and nauseous, they 

 bethought themselves of putting some leaves of a tree to 

 it, to give a gusto Those of tea seemed to be the 

 best, and so they frequently made use of it. It may be 

 also that God Almighty, whose !-rovidence hath so univer- 

 sally provided for the wants of His people, and, if X may 

 be bold to say it, for their delight and pleasure, would 

 not deprive Uhina of that which is necessary to life ; so 

 that for to supply the defect of wells and fountains, which 

 the nature of the ground h^th made everywhere salt and 

 brackish. He hath been pleased to produce that species of 

 a particular tree in abundance, whose leaves serve not 

 only to purge the waters from their noxious qualities, but 

 also to make them wholesome and pleasant." 



"Among these samples there are two that I may speak of 

 beforehand. The first is the leaf of thee (thee is a cor- 

 rupt word of the Province of Fokien, it must be called 

 tcha, this is the term of the Mandarin language) as they 

 call it in China; they are much divided in their opinions 

 touching the properties they ascribe to it. Some do main- 

 tain that it hath admirable ones." 



Railway and Dock Strikes. 

 The current working of the Trade in its 

 distributive channels has been much interfered 

 with in London and elsewhere by the disturbed 



condition of the labour market. In addition to 

 the grave inconvenience and loss of trade caused 

 in many quarters, a permanent addition to the 

 cost of doing Tea business has now been made 

 in the increase of the warehouse charge for 

 handling, sampling, rent, etc., necessitated by 

 the concessions made to the dock labourers. 

 Advances in rates of freight have also to be 

 faced and when the Port Rates imposed during 

 1910 are taken into account the enhancement of 

 working expenses is seen to be material. 



Prospects. 



The level of prices, as recorded in London 

 Auctions, was, at the close of the year, on the 

 average about the same as at the end of 1910, 

 while the stocks in hand of all growths were 

 fully four million pounds more. The prospective 

 arrivals are an uncertain factor. The figures 

 for Indian Tea do not show that we have re- 

 ceived into warehouse all the excess shipped, 

 while it is well known that more must arrive 

 from Ceylon early in 1912 than did last year. 

 Should the horns and export demands continue 

 at about the recent level it should not be diffi- 

 cult to handle all available supplies if adequate 

 time be given. Importers have, however, so 

 frequently, in their fear of falling market, un- 

 duly pushed realizations and thus produced 

 what they feared, that there is great risk of some- 

 thing of the kind again happening, because of 

 the large unoffered stock that apparently re- 

 mained iu bond at the close of the year. 



Statistics. 



A tabular statement of statistics relating to 

 the last six calendar years is issued herewith, 

 and a diagram illustrating various trade changes 

 during the last 21 years.* 



By order of the House of Commons a White 

 Paper was recently issued containing much in- 

 teresting and useful information as to the pro- 

 duction and distribution of Tea. It is frequently 

 said that statistics can be made to prove any- 

 thing, and this particular paper shows a fairly 

 steady progressive gain in the rate of consump- 

 tion within Great Britain, and a very irregular 

 use par person of Tea in several other countries. 

 It is exceedingly difficult to ascertain in count- 

 ries where Tea is a Duty-free article, what is the 

 consumption per person, and the assumption 

 that importations are equivalent to consumption 

 has produced in the tables great variations from 

 year to year of the rate consumed. For instance 

 it is improbable that there has been a falling off 

 in the rate of consumption in the United States 

 of America or even in Russia, although the latter 

 is a country with a heavy rate of Duty. The im- 

 portations shown into Australia and New Zea- 

 land give for 19u9 average rates of consumption 

 of 6'83lb. and 7'45 lb, per person, but the quan- 

 tities shown as imported from India and Ceylon 

 much exceed what was actually shipped down 

 there in the same year. 



{McMeekin & Co. 



10 and 11, Lime Street, London, January 

 16th, 1912. 



* Not reproduced. 



