Edible Products. 



386 



fNov. 1906. 



TEA INDUSTRY IN FOOCHOW IN 1905. 



REPORT BY MR. CONSUL HERBERT P. BRADY. 



In spite of its continuous decline tea still forms by far the largest article of 

 export of Foochow. The decline in the present year appears more marked than ever, 

 the total export being valued at £386,076, as compared with £622,744 in the preceding 

 year ; this may be accounted for in some measure by the fact that at the opening 

 of the market the price demanded for Oolongs by the native dealers was more 

 than the foreign buyers were prepared to give, which resulted in both parties 

 holding aloof, and little or no business in this variety of tea being done until the 

 beginning of the present year (1906), whei rule, the bulk of shipments 



go forward during November and December ; the whole of the last year's crop is 

 therefore practically excluded from the present returns. In the prosperous days 

 of the tea trade of some 30 years ago the value of the tea exported from Hankow 

 and Foochow (China's two great tea centres) was estimated to be worth £7,000,000 

 or £8,000,000 more or less equally divided between the two ports. In 1876 the total 

 export from Foochow amounted to 561,168 piculs (74,822,400 lb,), of the value of 

 £3,004,720 (Tls. 10,099,900), while that from Hankow amounted to 648,007 piculs 

 (86,400,933 lb.), of the value of £4,132,903 (Tls. 13,892,112), at 5s. Hid. the tael. 

 The returns for Foochow for 1905 afford a striking illustration of the remarkable 

 change that has taken place :— 126,830 piculs (16,910,667 lb.), of the value of £286,076 

 at 3s. l-10d. the tael ; and the Hankow returns show a like decrease. The Consul 

 quotes the following remarks of a local expert :— 



" Prices paid by foreign buyers were lower than in the previous season, 

 and might fairly be described as ' reasonable,' but, even at such prices, shipments 

 did not give very satisfactory results. In fact it seems hopeless ever to expect 

 satisfactory results again. Total shipments to London only amounted to 3,827,728 

 lb. as against 6,985,610 lb. for the previous season ; yet even this small amount 

 proved to be more than was wanted, and a great portion could only be got rid 

 of at prices considerably below cost. The demand on the Continent of Europe 

 showed a decided falling off, while America did not seem to want our teas at all. 

 In 188(5-87 the output of Congou was 1,451,000 half-chests ; in 1905-06 it was 173,500 

 halt-chests ! What remains of the trade, except in the case of some fancy kinds, 

 exists only on sufferance. Our teas are not wanted for themselves, but for blending 

 with Iudians and Ceylons, and are only taken when teas from those countries are 

 not to be had at reasonable prices." 



CITRATE OF LIME. 

 Report by the Imperial Institute on Samples from the Seychelles. 



Imperial Institute, 



London S. W., 26th May, 1906. 

 Sir, —I have the honour to forward a report on the citrate of a lime, prepared 

 in the Island of Silhouette, which was sent for examination to the Imperial Institute 

 with letter Mo- 29/1906 of the 6th January last. 



The investigation has given very promising results, in view of which the 

 question of the production of citrate of lime upon a commercial scale in the islands is 

 worth consideration. 



I have, &c, 

 WYNDHAM R. DUNSTAN. 



H, E. the Governor, Seychelles. 



