July f, 1889.] TH^ TROPICAL 
TEA PROSPECTS. 
We are pleased to learn that telegraphic intelli- 
gence from "the Lane " this forenoon ia of a more 
reassuring character, reporting slightly better prices, 
while the opinion is current that we may have 
perhaps touched the lowest rates for Ceylon teas 
for some weeks at least. The relative cheapness of our 
leas this season, however, is likely to prove a 
blessing in disguise to the producers if, both in 
the United Kingdom and throughout Australasia, 
it lead to the mass of consumers getting supplies 
of really pure Ceylon teas. For, although, in 
the mother-country especially, the number of Ceylon 
Agencies has been multiplied exceedingly, while 
the Adulteration Act has deterred many of the first- 
olass blending Houses from mixing the teas of 
different countries; yet there is no doubt a large 
quantity still of very inferior stuff palmed off as 
Ceylon tea that never came from this island. Assam 
and China imports chiefly make up such blends 
with a very little of Ceylon tea added. In one case 
we are told of a distributing company which 
has been sending out four or five tons a week of 
such teas and they are sold under most glowing 
descriptions as ' aromatic ' (from the ' lovely island ' 
of spices doubtless!), as luscious and yet as suited 
to weak digestions. Now, it is very certain 
that the comparative cheapness of sound, pure 
Ceylon teas will greatly affect this blending busi- 
ness and lead to the English (and we trust 
Australian) public being supplied much more freely 
with the real article at the prices they have hitherto 
paid for inferior blends. Again, with our Pekoe 
Souchongs falling to about 7d, we might expect 
China buyers to be very chary at this critical time, of 
indulging in business with a free hand. The relative 
cheapness of our teas ought to act as a " sore discour- 
agement" of investment in the millions of lb. of China 
tea which are now doubtless offering at the shipping 
ports. It is too soon, however, to judc;e of this. 
In the face of the good reports on the bulk of Ceylon 
teas arriving home, recently recorded, it is somewhat 
surprising to receive such a note as the following from 
a London-Ceylon resident (not in tea however) :— 
" Some years ago I wrote very strongly about in. 
ferior teas and suggested using them as fuel for driers 
rather than sending to London. The ' Ed. C. O.' said 
I was sarcastic, but 1 am sorry my forecasts as to prices 
were not far wrong. I hope better prices may soon be 
got, but the quantity you are sending is enormous." 
But has our friend fault to find with the quality 
of the bulk of our teas? Let him look at the 
brokers' reports for several weekly mails up to 10th 
May. Nevertheless we are free to admit that from 
the want of adequate accommodation, especially 
in withering room, and sufficient machinery, 
there is the real danger on many estates 
which may get a rush of leaf, of the poor Superin- 
tendent, do what he may, being unable to 
turn out a decent tea. What is a planter to 
do in wet weather with leaf covering his withering 
shelves two, three or four times the proper depth and 
no other provision available ? So in respeot of inade- 
quate means of rolling and drying. We trust as one 
result of the check in prices, to see greater readiness 
on the part of those responsible for adjacent plan- 
tations, to try and coalesce so as to have one 
thoroughly well-equipped convenient faotoryfor three 
or four estates. The money frittered away in trying 
in vain to do justice to each sepavatly would probably 
more than suffice for one central adequate factory. 
One further point has reference to the extent 
to whioh tea brokers and dealers not only in 
7 
AGRICULTURIST. 49 
Melbourne and Sydney but in London, are in- 
terested in the maintenance of the China tea 
trade. Again, the extent to which gentlemen of 
the Lane and large tea dealers generally, figure 
as shareholders and directors iri Indian Tea Com- 
panies has been made the subject of remark. 
No doubt there are vested interests of a very 
important character not likely to view with favour 
the steady advance in consumption of our teas, 
but we have no fear of justice not being done to 
all produce on its merits in the Mincing Lane 
public auction rooms, and none whatever of 
Ceylon tea not holding its own against all-comers in 
the keen competitive race which may now be said to 
be fully developed. 
AN ENGLISH EUBY COMPANY FOR BURMA 
— WHY NOT A LONDON GEM COMPANY 
FOR CEYLON ?— No. III. 
MR. STEBETER'S MONOPOLY OF THE BURMA EUBY MINE -i 
REGULATIONS ' FOR AUCTION SALE OF RUBIES THU 
GEMMING DISTRICT OF BURMA — PROSPECTS OF A GEM 
INDUSTRY IN CEYLON. 
When discussing the possibility of developing 
the mining resources of Ceylon and contrasting the 
claims for support of a Company for that purpose 
with those of the recently formed Burma Ruby 
Mine Company, those who oppose the former lay 
very great stress upon the " solid advantage " 
the latter possesses in having " obtained a guar- 
anteed monopoly of the produce of the ruby mines." 
Considerable misapprehension appears to have 
arisen in regard to this " monopoly " which has 
been granted to Messrs. Streeter by the Indian 
Government. The general reading of the term 
monopoly in this concession seems to be, the sole 
and exclusive right to search for rubies in Upper 
Burma— thus barring all other persons and Com- 
panies from doing so. Nothing however, could be 
more erroneous than this idea — nor could any other 
reading of the term be possibly more misleading 
to the public. 
The ruby mine district as marked upon the 
Government plans, is a very small part of the 
country, covering an area of about sixty square 
miles, which the King of Mandalay reserved for his 
own use, and over which the British Government, 
in assuming King Thesbaw's throne and rights, holds 
the same reservation. Of this little district a moiety 
has been conceded to Streeter for a term of years. 
But the monopoly of that thirty square miles is 
not a monopoly signifying that Mr. Streeter 
alone and the Company's employees have the ex- 
clusive right to search for gems over the whole 
district. A little consideration will surely be suffi- 
cient to shew that no ordinarily constituted Com- 
pany could possibly undertake to thoroughly turn 
over thirty square miles of country, delving to 
depths of 30 — 50 — even 100 feet and examining every 
cubic foot of soil as will have to be done 
when the Company gets to work. From an engineer- 
ing point of view such an operation is by no 
means an impossibility, but so gigantic an under- 
taking would have to be taken in hand by a 
colossal Company something on the scale of that 
of the Panama Canal. Messrs. Streeter entertain 
no sueh wild ideas, but have sent up washing machi- 
nery with which no doubt a very considerable 
amount of work will be done during the term of the 
so-called monopoly. But other parties are allowed 
to work in the ruby mine district, on condition 
that all the rubies they find are to be offered 
for sale to Mr. Streeter's agent, who, if he elects 
to do so makes an offer for them. Should this 
offer be acoepted — the transaction is closed by tho 
Government taking one-third of the purchaso 
