153 



Edible Products. 



Darjilling, Doars .and the Terai lie considerably nearer to and almost due 

 north of Calcutta, while Chitagong is near the sea coast to the south-east of 

 that city. (Jhota-Nagpur, which is the driest and least prosperous district, is 

 situated in the centre of Bengal, and so far from the Himalayas that it is not 

 blessed with the heavy rainfall that is poured over the other districts. 



The Kangra Valley, Dehra Doon and Kumaon are three small districts lying 

 on the slopes of the Himalaya Mountains, on the north-western extremity of India. 

 They were three of the localities originally selected by the Government of India 

 as particularly suitable for the cultivation of tea, when the idea was held that the 

 steeper the ground the better the plant— one long since exploded. 



The Nilghiris, Travancore and the Wynaad are all in the southern part 

 of the peninsula ; the latter two places enjoy a climate very like that of Ceylon. 

 They are the latest districts opened out in India, and were there any prospects 

 for the further expansion of cultivation, they could supply countless acres of the 

 richest forest land. 



The tea plantation in Kashmir belongs to the Maharaja of the Province, and 

 was started about the same time as he established vineyards for the production of 

 wiue ; but the exquisite climate of the laud of Lalla-Rookh is not suitable for the 

 profitable cultivation of tea.— Herbert Compton in Tea & Coffee Journal, New York. 



CEYLON'S IMPORT DUTY ON INDIAN TEA. 

 For some time past the Ceylon papers have made mysterious references 

 to a Despatch from the Secretary of State for the Colonies regarding Ceylon's 

 import duty on Indian tea. Our readers know that the Calcutta I. T. A. have 

 transferred the matter to the London Committee to bring pressure to bear on 

 the authorities at that end. The Despatch to the Ceylon Government, however, 

 is now published, and is as follows : — " I would be glad to know whether your 

 Government remains of the same opinion as a year ago, and still considers 

 that the present restriction should not be relaxed, or whether ' the conditions 

 of the case have been altered in any way. As I understand, the object of 

 maintaining the duty is to safeguard the purity of Ceylon tea, and the Ceylon 

 tea growers seem to think that the encouragement to the blending of Indian 

 and Ceylon teas, which would be the result of removing or modifying the 

 present restrictions, might benefit India at the expense of Ceylon, although some 

 additional trade would be attracted to Colombo. It is a matter on which local 

 opinion must prevail, no Imperial interest being involved ; but the present 

 policy seems to be of somewhat doubtful value, and you may be of opinion 

 that the time has come to reconsider it." The Governor of Ceylon, in forwarding 

 the Despatch to the Planters' Association, takes a very broad and statesman- 

 like view of the question. He says: "The object of the Ceylon Planters is, 

 it is understood, to ensure that no tea other than that grown in Ceylon is 

 exported from the Colony as pure Ceylon tea, and in this desire His Excellency 

 considers that the planters are justified. But His Excellency regards it as worthy 

 of the condsideration of the tea producers whether the object referred to could 

 not be secured without prohibiting the blending of tea in Colombo in bond. 

 Colombo is the natural centre of the world for tea blending, and if precaution 

 be taken that all tea leaving the bonded stores is marked as blended tea in 

 unmistakable manner, it is not clear how the Ceylon grower can be injured. 

 If Java or China teas are required for the market, they will go to Europe to 

 be blended there as easily as they could be sent to Colombo, and in prevent- 

 ing the blending of tea here in bond the Ceylon growers seem to prevent the 

 creation of an additional market, while Colombo is losing what would probably 

 be a lucrative business.'' 



