and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



75 



latest returns show a falling-off in immigration. 

 Malay and the Straits attracted in 1906 some 

 50,000 Tamils, thus lessening the number avail- 

 able for Ceylon estates, and it is possible that 

 tea-planters may have to face the question of 

 paying higher wages. 



Present Crop Positions. 

 The crop positions are as follows : — India will 

 make less than was expected, short yields at the 

 end having followed the good increase made early 

 in the season. Last year's total of 240,000,000 lb. 

 may not be much exceeded, and considerably 

 less will be received here. The total export last 

 advised by mail showed an increase of about 

 4,000,000 lb., which has gone abroad, but later 

 telegrams show that the shipments in the inter- 

 val have been short, and that there is a consi- 

 derable falling off in exports to the United 

 Kingdom. Garden returns to the end of October 

 disclosed an average increase of about 2 per 

 cent, in the crop so far gathered, more being 

 made in the aggregate of Assam, Cachar, Sylhet, 

 and Travancore, but less in Darjeeling, Dooars, 

 and the Terai. The best results to growers, 

 which can now be said to be already assured, are 

 for those who have made heavy crops at a low 

 cost-price and have been able to sell them readily 

 at Id. to 2d. per lb. more than they obtained for 

 their last crop. The average of London sales to 

 date is about 8£d. per lb., against 8d. per lb. 

 last season, and of Calcutta sales 6 annas 10 pies 

 against 5 annas 5 pies in 1906. Ceylon will ship 

 a total of about 180,000,0001b., contrasted with 

 170,000,000 lb. last year, including some that is 

 grown in Southern India but sent through 

 Colombo, estimated to be between two and three 

 million pounds. Of the increase only about 

 3,000,000 lb. will come here, the rest having been 

 sold abroad. London sales average 8d. per lb. 

 against 7^d. obtained last year, and Colombo 

 sales have returned the growers 41 cents against 

 35 cents all round in 1906. 



Dutch and Japanese Teas 



The London market, preoccupied with Indian 

 and Ceylon, seems to pay little heed to other 

 kinds of tea, but a grower needs to extend his 

 outlook, watch other sources of supply, and 

 see what competition threatens. These must 

 be examined, and they are confined to Java, 

 Japan, and China. The Dutch island's useful 

 little crop cf about 28,000,000 lb, shows no sign 

 of increase, and does not affect the position, 

 though its tea is readily saleable and competes 

 with the lower qualities of British growth. 

 About half the crop comes to London, and has 



realised 7|d. per lb. this year, against an 

 average of 6d per lb. in 1906. Japan tea meets 

 ours only in North America, where it finds 

 favour, but has lost ground as the merit of our 

 stronger growths became appreciated. In the 

 season 1904-5 the United States and Canada 

 imported 48,700,000 lb. of it, but only 

 41,600,000 lb. in 1906-7, while the importation 

 of British-grown varieties rose from 35,300,000 

 lb. to 37,600,000 lb. It appears, moreover, that 

 production is steadily decreasing in Japan ; in 

 1896 the plantations covered about 146,000 acres, 

 yielding about 70,000,000 lb., but by 1905, the 

 last year for which figures are available, the area 

 had fallen to 130,000 acres, and the total made to 

 57,000,000 lb. If these returns, which are 

 official, include all produced for trade 

 purposes, there is no present reason to 

 fear competition from that quarter ; but 

 at the State farm experiments have been made 

 in rearing plants, methods of manufacture, use 

 of machinery,and improvement of quality which 

 may bear fruit. The outturn of Oolong tea in Tai- 

 wan (Formosa) has also declined since the island 

 passed into Japan's possession. Between 1900 and 

 1905 the wage of farm labourers under contract 

 in Japan rose 17 per cent., while the rates 

 for many kinds of skilled labour rose from 10 to 

 30 per cent., a consequence of its great indus- 

 trial developments, raising the cost of pro- 

 ducing tea. 



China Tea. 



China still confronts the British grower in 

 many markets, but, contrary to expectation, 

 has not regained this year very much of its 

 lost trade here (though the percentage increase 

 is large), notwithstanding the demand for 

 cheaper tea than can now be bought elsewhere. 

 Up to November 15th the total China tea 

 exports oversea were 93,000,000 lb, against 

 83,000,000 lb. in 1906, much of the increase 

 being to America and some of it coming here. 

 China's large trade in black tea with Russia is 

 endangered by the growing reputation and pur- 

 chase of our produce there. America has taken 

 more of China and less of our growths this year 

 and our home consumption shows an increase 

 of 3,50U,000 lb. in China tea. It is claimed that 

 part of this increase is due to the growing con- 

 sumption in this country of the higher quali- 

 ties of China teas and an appreciation of their 

 digestive values, though upon this point opi- 

 nion is not unanimous. Judged by despatches 

 from our Consuls in China, the general feel- 

 ing there is not hopeful. From Shanghai we 



