and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— April, 1912. 381 



tedly extended to teas which are known to be 

 packed in reliable boxes. Venesta, Imperial 

 and other patent packages of more or less the 

 same description, continue to find favour with 

 buyers for the Russian market, but generally 

 speaking the ordinary country box, when well 

 put together, with corner pieces, gives satis- 

 faction. The comparatively small percentage 

 of claims put forward for loss in weight oc- 

 casioned by bad packing must be admitted as 

 sound evidence of steady improvement in the 

 strength and durability of the packages nowa- 

 days supplied to the trade, but there are still in- 

 dications that the importance of good and sound 

 packing is not even now universally realised. 



During the past season a 



DIVERGENCE FEOM THE USUAL FRIDAY SALES 



was made m favour of Tuesday, this was 

 done at the instigation of the Warehouse 

 authorities who were of opinion that the change 

 of day would enable both sale and shipment 

 teas to be handled more expeditiously; the 

 alteration has proved a success and will be 

 continued during the coming season. Improved 

 transport facilities have resulted in tea being 

 brought to market more rapidly year by year 

 and this has tended to confine the selling season 

 within a shorter period with the result that any 

 cessation of sales during the busy months might, 

 in the opinion of the authorities, temporarily 

 disorganise working at the Warehouse ; to miti- 

 gate this the trade have been asked to discon- 

 tinue the usual break during the Poojah holi- 

 days and to hold sales continuously. Sellers 

 have expressed their willingness to assist 

 the Warehouse in the manner suggested and 

 the decision now rests with buyers who, it is 

 hoped, will see their way to suffer the incon- 

 venience entailed by the proposed innovation. 



THE LABOUR QUESTION 



continues to cause much anxiety to pro* 

 prietors, particularly those whose interest 8 

 are centred in Assam, for it is with diffi- 

 culty and only at great expense, that th© 

 labour force on the majority of gardens ca 11 

 be maintained on a basis sufficient to ensure 

 efficient working. The Government of India 

 have notified their intention to abolish Act 6 

 on July 1st, 1913, and in this connection we 

 understand a memorial, which is now under 

 consideration locally, has been drafted in 

 London by the Committee of the Indian Tea 

 Association ; this memorial, while recor- 

 ding the feelings of the industry on the 

 various points at issue, prays for some modifi- 

 cation of the restrictions at present placed on 

 recruiting as an offset to the abolition of Act 6 

 in the labour districts, at the same time drawing 

 attention to the difficulties with which Assam 

 Las to contend as compared with the Grown 

 Colonies who are assisted in the acquirement 

 of indentured labour. It is unfortunate that it 

 should be considered necessary to embarass 

 Assam with onerous restrictions, for the Tea 

 Industry has done much in the past to open up 

 a Province which otherwise would have re- 

 mained waste and unprofitable. 



The diversity of opinion which existed am- 

 ongst proprietors regarding the methods by 



which this problem can best be solved has to 

 some extent disappeared, for although all are 

 not in entire agreement with regard to Penal 

 labour, the necessity for an act dealing with 

 enticement is almost universally accepted, and 

 it is probable that this conformity of opinion 

 will enlist the sympathies and assistance of 

 Government ; at the same time all industrial and 

 agricultural undertakings are passing through 

 a period of great anxiety on the labour question, 

 not only in India but in other countries and 

 although every consideration is now extendep 

 by proprietors to tea garden labour, it would be 

 unreasonable to expect the Tea Industry to 

 escape the difficulties that are at the present 

 time so widely felt. 



In anticipating the ensuing season, 



CONTINUED PROSPERITY 



may be looked for, though the measure 

 thereof will depend to a great extent on the 

 quality of the crop, for provided a good useful 

 standard is maintained it is difficult to see 

 how supply can be in excess of demand. It 

 should be remembered that India has gained 

 her position of eminence amongst other tea 

 producing countries through the merits of her 

 production in the past, and any falling away 

 from the standard looked for will jeopardise her 

 hold on the markets of the world to the benefit 

 of other growths. It is unfortunate that a freer 

 system of plucking should, in some quarters, 

 have been resorted to in the past season, and 

 although results may have proved otherwise, 

 the success attained can only be temporary, for 

 there have been indications that Russia and 

 other countries will revert to China growths in 

 preference to 



ROUGH, STALKY AND UNPALATABLE TEAS 



from this country. The strong demand for 

 tea that existed from all foreign markets at the 

 close of the season is indicative of depleted 

 stocks and points to considerable activity being 

 manifest when the new season's teas are offered ; 

 it is also thought possible in some quarters that 

 the recent troubles in China may be the means 

 of materially restricting the " first crop " teas 

 in that country and from reliable information 

 received through private sources, we believe 

 such will be the case ; Russian buyers therefore 

 in particular may be expected to operate on this 

 market with exceptional freedom. 



EXPANSION OF PLANTING IN 

 PORTUGUESE ZAMBESIA. 



Ceylon coconut planters will be interested 

 to hear of the possibilities of competition from 

 Portuguese Zambesia. information to the fol' 

 lowing effect has been furnished by H.M 

 Consul at Lourengo Marques, Mr. R C P 

 Maugham, who says : — 



The soils of Zambesia are extraordinarily rich, 

 and capable of producing every variety of 

 agricultural produce usually associated with 

 this part of Africa. Both black and deep choc- 

 olate organic soils are constantly met with, 

 and immense agricultural estates containing 

 these, and also a rich red, argillaceous clayey 

 soil, especially suitable for coffee, could be 



