100 



The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



VOLUME OF BUSINESS WITH FOREIGN MARKETS, 



done either through London, Calcutta or 

 Colombo, continues to expand, and we believe 

 that its limit has n©t yet been reached, but 

 that further development will result from the 

 combined efforts of the Agents of the producers 

 and of London merchants, by whose enterprise in 

 the past, our foreign and colonial trade has been 

 built up. 



Russian business looking up. 

 Despite the serious financial crisis that took 

 place in America last autumn and the consequent 

 crippling of trade for some months throughout 

 the world, the improved demand from Russia 

 more than made up for any less enquiry from 

 elsewhere. This fact in itself perhaps may be 

 considered a good omen and a sign of ameliora- 

 tion in the condition of that country both 

 politically and commercially, in which case the 

 improvement noted should not be transient but 

 permanent. 



The decision to remit on September 1st 

 the surtax of nearly Id. on British grown 

 tea entering Russia at European frontiers, 

 should tend to promote more business in our 

 products, and we understand that some of the 

 London Export houses are already looking for 

 a renewal of orders which were diverted from 

 this market whilst the surtax was in force. 



Now though there has been progress, and 

 while after a careful study of the various Re- 

 ports of the season's working, it is patent that 

 the properties have as a whole gained ground, 

 it must be noted in analysing the working 

 of the estates that very different results have 

 been attained as compared with those oi last 

 season, which seem to require some explanation. 



It is seen that both Ceylon and Indian gardens 

 producing low-priced tea have secured a better 

 profit than those which have worked for and 

 aimed at producing quality and flavour — that is 

 to say Cachar, Sylhet and Dooars have improved 

 their average, whilethe districts of Assam and 

 Darjeeling nave in only a few instances done as 

 well. The same is the case with low and high 

 grown teas in Ceylon — so that the difference of 

 value of the crops of the districts that 

 pluck fine and of those that pluck freely 

 has been brought down to a very narrow 

 margin — less indeed than the intrinsic quality 

 would warrant. 



DISTRIBUTORS NARROWING PRICES. 



Now this narrowing of prices is mainly due per- 

 haps tc the action of distributors who have chosen 

 to sell the lowest canister for little or no profit 

 in order to compete with their rivals. The 

 consequent concentration of demand upon low 

 priced tea, coincident with the prospect of 

 total supply barely sufficient for requirements, 

 has maintained the value of common tea at 

 a comparatively high level, though at one which 

 with average crops and the natural increase, 

 of population, should be considered normal and 

 by no means excessive. In addition to the above 

 we have to bear in mind that owing to climatic 

 causes the teas from Assam, Darjeeling and the 

 Dooars have been notably wanting in the dis- 

 tinctive flavour and characteristics, which in 

 ordinary seasons can be counted on. The June 

 pickings, as also the autumn, which latter fre- 



quently enhance the average of the whole pre- 

 vious working, were conspicuous by the want 

 of fine flavour, and the quality being of uniform 

 level, the preponderance of good medium tea 

 from every district has often made buyers 

 indifferent whether they dealt in one mark or 

 another, instead of picking out some special 

 brand and following it through the year. 



It will be remembered that once before the 

 same causes were at work, and Planters Were 

 asking themselves whether it Would not pay 

 better to pluck freely, irrespective of the district 

 and character of the produce. It seemed at 

 the time a reasonable proposition but the follow- 

 ing year really choice teas were shipped from 

 the districts above alluded to, and realised re- 

 munerative prices, showing that the Public can 

 and will pay for a first rate article when it can 

 be procured. 



It would bo well indeed if the Consumer 

 could for once and all be brought to realise that 

 cheapness is not true economy, and we feel con- 

 vinced that were this principal better known and 

 carried into practice, the Public, the Producer, 

 and the Distributor would all materially benefit, 



India. 



In recapitulating the result of the various 

 crops, we find that India, from Cachar, Sylhet, 

 and Southern India, has shipped good all-round 

 medium teas of a character that has doubtless 

 helped to promote their use in every canister — 

 while Assam proper, as noted elsewhere, the 

 most important district of the tea producing 

 area, has only been able to forward a crop of 

 good medium tea and has been conspicuous by 

 the absence of its usual fine invoices which are 

 always looked for early and again late in the 

 season. Darjeeling and the Dooars too have 

 suffered in these respects, occasionally short 

 in outturn and lacking the fine flavour for 

 which they are so deservedly known and appre- 

 ciated. Now while the results from the former 

 district are disappointing and the average in 

 many instances its less than that of last season — 

 when the prices paid for Cachar and Sylhet 

 growths showed an all-round advance— it should 

 be pointed out that this loss of position is due 

 to climatic causes,— labour difficulties and high 

 cost of rice, — and not to want of skill in the 

 planter's management as some possibly not con- 

 versant with the working of the estates may 

 think. The teas received have been well-made 

 and finished with the usual care — we may here 

 state that the bulking and packing in India 

 have been quite satisfactory and it ie now but 

 very rarely that a parcel has to be rebulked here 

 on account of irregularity. There is however 

 one point to which we feel attention should be 

 drawn — and that is, of late years there has been 

 a tendency to cut or mill the leaf teas so that 

 they come under the trade term "Choppy"; 

 the intention of this is no doubt to make the 

 common leaf lcok better and to save Blenders 

 here the necessity of again " Milling "—but we 

 hardly think this object is gained and there is 

 no doubt that shippers generally far prefer 

 an even whole leaf tea and pass over as undesir- 

 able for the export trade the " Choppy " broken 

 lines; it must be remembered that all blenders 

 have their own ideas as to size. 



