DECTiMHER, 1010.] 



Edible Products. 



for should the demand for this article 

 prove elusive, the bonus offered would 

 not go far in the way of compensation. 



The scheme, however, is to be given 

 another trial in the coming season, but it 

 is sincerely to be hoped that it will not 

 meet with the unfortunate fate which 

 attended the Green Tea experiment of a 

 few years since, for the result of the 

 latter is still fresh in the minds of the 

 Trade, and uufermented teas, so far as 

 the local auctions are concerned, are now 

 almost a thing of the past. 



The Future of the Industry. 



Regarding the prospects in the coming 

 season these seem more encouraging 

 than for many years past, and unless 

 some untoward circumstance happens, 

 and it is difficult to see from what source 

 this may arise, the coming period holds 

 out hopes of good things for producers 

 generally. There is always, of course, 

 the possibility cf a temporary shifting 

 of demand in favour of a particular 

 class of tea which might be reflected ad- 

 versely in the value of another grade, 

 but with the world's consumption gradu- 

 ally outstripping production, the oppor- 

 tunities afforded to distributors of dis- 

 criminating between the various des- 

 criptions and of conducting their busi- 

 ness entirely on the basis of any parti- 

 cular class of tea are every day becom- 

 ing fewer, 



There appears to be no new source 

 from which any marked increase in 

 supplies can be looked for, and Java's 

 extensions in the growing centres of 

 that island which we have been accus- 

 tomed to regard as a real danger to the 

 Indian Tea Industry are not likely to 

 materially affect values at present. The 

 marked improvement in the produce of 

 the Dutch Colonies is, however, being 

 recognised by Russian, Australian, aud 

 Home buyers, and the finer invoices are 

 said to be equal to and oiteu better than 

 good useful Indian and Ceylon teas, so we 

 cannot allow the quality of our produce 

 to deteriorate. A larger crop can scarcely 

 be anticipated from Ceylon, for that of 

 the past season was a full one, and 

 although growers are not neglecting tea 

 for the more lucrative rubber tree, as has 

 been said to be the case in some quarters, 

 the probabilities of any material expan- 

 sion in the area under the former are 

 very remote. China is the only other 

 possible disturbing factor, but with con- 

 sumption declining in almost every 

 market whereludian aud Ceylon growths 

 have been introduced.there is little likeli- 

 hood of John Chinaman enlarging his 

 output. 



65 



Everything indicates that the welfare 

 and future prosperity of the Indian 

 Tea Industry rests almost entirely with 

 producers as a body, and the course of 

 events pursued in the growing districts 

 in the past season caunot well be improv- 

 ed upon. Iudian tea has gained a footing 

 in the market of the world by reason of 

 its excellent qualities, assisted largely of 

 course by the depression in prices some 

 few years back which tempted foreign 

 markets, and introduced our produce 

 where China growths were then almost 

 exclusively consumed. Therefore, if the 

 most successful results are to be aimed 

 at, we must maintain a sound desirable 

 standard in manufacture, and we need 

 entertain little anxiety with regard to 

 outside competition. The principal mar- 

 kets where tea has been the popular 

 beverage are not overstocked, and a full 

 crop can probably be again absorbed 

 without affecting values, but this must 

 not be produced by artificial means and 

 an expansion in the planted area to meet 

 the world's increase in consumption, 

 which is likely to be recorded in future 

 years would serve the interests of grow- 

 ers more profitably than the plucking 

 of an extra leaf or two from acreage at 

 present under cultivation. 



PHENOMENAL INDUSTRY • 



Output op Cigars Over Eight Billions 

 a Year— Also Increase in Production 

 op Manufactured Tobacco. 



(From the Manila Bulletin, October 6, 

 1910.) 



The output of cigars in the United 

 States during the past fiscal year was 

 8,139,030,144. The official report from the 

 internal revenue bureau showed that 

 there was an increase of 313,330,524 in 

 large cigars and an increase of 42,388,167 

 in little cigars. .„„ 14 ; 



There was also the phenomenal in- 

 crease of 1,776,583,714 in the output of 

 cigarettes in a total of 7,852,874,622. 

 There was an increase of nearly forty- 

 eight million pounds in the production 

 of manufactured tobacco. 



That the tobacco industry is one of the 

 most promising in the line is shown by 

 the reports of the bureau of internal 

 revenue of the United States. 



When it is remembered that the 

 Philippines offer a special field for the 

 cultivation of tobacco, and that as good 

 tobacco as is grown in the world can be 

 raised here, it opens a wide field for in- 

 vestment and enterprise. 



