and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society. — November, 1911. 



475 



Year ended June 

 30th. 1911. 



Year ended June 

 30th, 1910. 



lb. S. lb. & 



British East Indies 



(except Ceylon) 164,456,000 57'00 149,885,000 54-68 



Ceylon .. 91,098,000 31 58 95,083,000 34'69 



China .. 12,192,000 4-22 8,834,00(J S - 23 

 Java and other 



countries .. 20,757,000 7 20 20,303,000 7-40 



Total 



288,603,0(0 100-00 274,105,000 lOO'OO 



Russia continues to be India's best customer 

 outside the United Kingdom. Her whol e popu- 

 lation, over 120,000.000, drink tea and drink a 

 good deal of it. They are gradually giving up 

 China tea and taking more from India and 

 Ceylon. There has been a succession of very good 

 harvests, causing consumption by the peasantry 

 to increase. It is possible that their buying 

 power may diminish a little this year, as the 

 harvests in several districts are not good, but 

 this is not likely to make much difference in 

 the total amount imported. Official statistics 

 show an increase of 7,110.000 lb, or 29"6 per 

 cent, imported from India, during the year 

 ended March 31st, 1911. The increase from 

 Ceylon is estimated, to July 13th, at 1,400,000 

 lb. Calcutta has now a direct steamer service 

 to Russia. 



During the year under consideration, Austra- 

 lasia took about 750,000 lb more from India, 

 rather less than usual from Ceylon, and a good 

 deal more from Java, than during the pre- 

 ceding year. 



In the United States there is no doubt that 

 tea is gradually, though slowly, coming into 

 favour. This has probably been partly caused, 

 lately, by the high prices of coffee. During the 

 year under consideration the States imported 

 over 20,000,000 lb of British-grown tea, in the 

 proportion of about 12,000,000 from Ceylon and 

 over 8,000,000 from India, 



As we remarked when speaking about China 

 tea, the prohibition of the importation of 

 coloured tea into the States will probably have 

 the effect of increasing the consumption of 

 British-grown tea. The new regulation will 

 dobtless raise the standard of the tea im- 

 ported. Until this law camo into force a 

 certain amount of "scum," i.e., floating colour- 

 ing matter, was allowed, but will be permitted 

 no longer. This will be to the advantage of 

 Indian and Ceylon green teas, which are ab- 

 solutely free from colouring matter. 



On the continent of Europe tea-drinking is in- 

 creasing generally. The increase in the con- 

 sumption of Indian tea is particularly marked in 

 Belgium, doubtless owing to the good work done 

 at the Brussels Exhibition, which will no doubt 

 be carried on at the three Exhibitions shortly 

 to take place, at Dresden, Turin and Charleroi. 



Complaints are still made that it is difficult to 

 get good tea in France (though a French paper 

 said a little while ago that Paris had gone tea 

 mad) except at the very best hotels and cafes, 

 where very high prices are charged. The fault 

 is doubtless a good deal in the making, but is 

 also due. to the quality of the tea itself. The 



greater part of the tea consumed in France 

 comes from Annam and is of very poor quality, 

 but as it comes in duty-free, while other tea has 

 to pay a tax of lljd a pound, it is naturally 

 cheaper in proportion. Also, French merchants 

 frequently buy their tea by the appearance only 

 without tasting it, so that even if they buy it in 

 England they often do not get tea likely to give 

 what an Englishman calls a "good cup." 



It is extremely difficult, practically impossible, 

 to get reliable statistics as to the consumption 

 of tea in India itself, but there is no doubt that 

 it is increasing. It is estimated ^t from 7,000,000 

 lb to 12,000,000 lb a year, but these figures are 

 more or less conjectural. The natives are cer- 

 tainly taking more, and many native traders are 

 interested in the trade. 



We think that the above details prove that 

 the position of the tea producer is happier than 

 it has been for many years past, though his life 

 is far from being an idle or even an easy one, 

 nor is it by any means free from cares and anxie- 

 ties. The position of the distributor is not at 

 the present moment quite as happy. He has on 

 the one hand to pay high prices for his teas and 

 on the other to satisfy consumers accustomed 

 for years to pay very low prices for really good 

 tea. He suffered this spring, as usual, from the 

 dislocation of trade which takes place yearly 

 before the declaration of the Budget, owing to 

 the anticipation of a change in the duty. This 

 year, also, the strike greatly interfered with his 

 trade, tea being affected by the stoppage of 

 work at the Docks as much as any commodity 

 and more than many. 



Nevertheless, in spite of all these drawbacks, 

 the trade continues to be in a fairly flourishing 

 condition, both with regard to production and 

 to distribution, tea being considered by most 

 people, in spite of all that has been said to the 

 contrary a necessity of life, — yours faithfully, 

 Brooke,, Bond & Co., Ltd. 



HOW RUBBER PROGRESSES. 



A School of Technology in London. 



A school for the practical training of young 

 men in the technology of rubber is being formed 

 at the Northern Polytechnic Institute, Hol- 

 loway. On Thursday next a course of instruc- 

 tion on '* Kubber, its Chemistry and its 

 Analysis" will be commenced by Mr. F. Kaye, — 

 to. Post, Oct. 21. 



The extensive industries of rubber production 

 and of rubber goods manufacture, of many mil- 

 lions value per year, have not as yet, like other 

 great industries in England, had special atten- 

 tion from educational authorities. Now, how- 

 ever, a school devoted to rubber technology is 

 to be established at the .Northern Polytechnic 

 Institute, Holloway, N. Tomorrow a practical 

 course on Rubber — its chemistry and its analysis 

 — will commence at that institution to be organ- 

 ised by Mr. Frederick Kaye, A. R. C Sc., who 

 has clone much work in rubber investigations 

 in several foreign countries as well as in Eng- 

 land. It is to be hoped that this venture will 

 be rewarded by the development of a world- 

 known school devoted to rubber chemistry and 

 industrial rubber problems.— F. Times, Oct, 25, 



