and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. —July, 1910. 89 



on first class gardens where quantity is the 

 second consideration, have well maintained thoir 

 position. Notwithstanding the cry for cheap- 

 ness — by which is meant low price— there are 

 still many consumers willing to pay a good price 

 for a good article, who persistently refuse to be 

 put off with one that is only second-rate. Here 

 again the exporter steps in, and fine teas, prin- 

 cipally leaf grades, have been bought in large 

 quantities for Russia ; their appreciation there 

 being evidenced by the high prices and sustained 

 demand accorded them. 



It is with pleasure that we are able to report 

 that, with few exceptions, the past season has 

 been an unusually good one for producers. A 

 record crop has been secured under conditions 

 which, from many contributing causes, have 

 been on the whole more favourable than those 

 of last year— the better labour supply and the 

 lower cost of rice being important factors. In 

 recapitulating the results from the several pro- 

 ducing countries, we find that, INDIA has shown 

 an increase in its export of sixteen million lb. 

 During the earlier part of the season the returns 

 showed a considerable shortage, but about the 

 beginning of July a change in the weather took 

 place, and conditions prevailed which produced 

 the largest crop on record. In Assam the early 

 flushes gave the best quality and some choice 

 teas were seen and appreciated on this market. 

 Later flushes after the rains were conspicuous 

 by a uniform quality which can only be described 

 as medium and the Autumnal teas were dis- 

 appointing. From Cachar and Sylhet good, 

 useful crops have been shipped, in some cases, 

 as regards appearance and make of leaf ran- 

 king with produce from the Assam gardens. 

 Leaf teas from these districts have always 

 been in favour with foreign and colonial 

 buyers, and the larger crop produced by the first- 

 named district has been readily absorbed. The 

 Dooars district has furnished a fair quantity 

 of tea superior in quality to that made in recent 

 years, very little coming down to the lowest 

 level of price. The bulk of the teas, especially 

 those that came to hand during October and 

 November, possessed the flavour and colour 

 which are usually associated with the best gar- 

 dens in this district, and they are in growing 

 request. TheTerai has been unfortunate, suffe- 

 ring severely from blight throughout the season. 

 This year perhaps, more than any recent one, 

 has been most satisfactory for planters in Dar- 

 jeeling. In our last annual review we recorded 

 that teas from this district generally had been 

 disappointing, lacking that distinctive character 

 which obtains for them the highest prices that 

 are paid. This season, however, much of the 

 crop has possessed the flavour characteristic of 

 hue Darjeeling tea, and has fully merited the 

 strong support accorded to it. Improved cha- 

 racter of Travancore and Southern Indian teas 

 has placed their value close to the average of 

 Ceylon growths, showing that they can be 

 readily used as a substitute for the Island's tea 

 when the latter falls short in quantity. 



CEYLON secured a record crop during the 

 year 1909, unexpected by those on the spot who 

 feared that interplanting rubber trees with the 

 tea bushes would soon lead to a reduced output. 

 Such, however, was not the case last year, 



12 



for although about 67,OOU acres are inter- 

 planted with rubber out of a total of 395,000 

 acres under cultivation, there was not a general 

 or material diminution in output from those 

 gardens where the two products are inter- 

 mingled. The productiveness of Ceylon estates 

 is no doubt due to 



EFFECTIVE MANURING AND HIGH CULTIVATION 



— at the time of writing, however, output from 

 some of the gardens— especially those situate 

 in the Kelaui Valley— is consider ably behind- 

 hand, owing, it is said, to the tea bushes being 

 now affected by growth of the rubber trees, 

 while there is also a rather serious deficiency of 

 leaf, duo to drought. Quality has been very 

 much on a level with the previous year. 



CHINA.— The percentage of China tea sent 

 to this market has again been small, but 

 owing to the relatively high price ruling for 

 other common kinds, the quantity of low 

 Monings and Panyongs imported has been 

 readily absorbed. The number of really fine 

 teas received here has been very limited, and 

 high prices were given for crack chops ex. early 

 arrivals The rate of home consumption of 

 China tea does not now amount to per cent 

 of all the tea used in the United Kingdom. 



JAVA teas have again formed an interesting 

 item in the world's production although the out- 

 put from this source for the past twelve months, 

 owing to adverse climatic conditions, only ex- 

 ceeded that of last year by some 100,000 lb. But 

 while it is thought that a limit may be put upon 

 production, owing to the disinclination of the 

 Dutch Government to lease further land for tea 

 cultivation, it is understood that many of the 

 existing gardens have considerable areas of 

 virgin land yet to be opened up, while all that 

 is planted is not yet fully bearing. The quality 

 of the produce sent to this market has been 

 satisfactory, with the result that many more 

 buyers are to be found for Java tea than used 

 to be the case. 



OTHER SOURCES, 



The amount of tea coming to this market 

 from sources other than the above-mentioned is 

 immaterial. Natal, where some 6,000 acres are 

 devoted to tea cultivation, is able to consume 

 the entire crop locally, and only an occasional in- 

 voice, to gauge the market, is sold here. Tenta- 

 tive efforts in tea planting have been made in 

 Nayssaland and in the highlands of British East 

 Africa, but are as yet in their infancy. Both in 

 the Straits Settlements, Queensland and the 

 Fiji Islands small gardens have been opened, 

 but in each case the local demand has been 

 sufficient for the produce made. 



At the present moment, now that the Indian 

 crop has been sold, it is interesting to note that 

 this has been achieved in practically the same 

 time as last year without any undue pressure. 

 At the beginning of the season it was observed 

 that exports from Calcutta were showing an 

 increase on those of the previous year, at a time 

 when the crop manufactured was known to be 

 several million lb. behindhand. The reason of 

 it doubtless is that additional facilities for the 

 rapid handling of large quantities of tea are now 

 afforded by the two principal River Companies 

 in theshape of an improved service of express 



