4^6 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1889. 
no difficulty in selHDg Oeylon tea, because as a self 
tea it is eo much more palatable than Indian teas. 
It is perhaps just as well that Oeylon is not in favour 
or demand, there beiDg no reliable supply on hand, 
as the trade would undoubtedly palm off their inferior 
China as Oeylon and so do more harm than good. 
If Ceylon tea is to be introduced here with success, 
it must be judiciously advertised and distributed in 
packets from depots where only Oeylon tea is to be 
had, the packing would have to be done h6re, as duty 
in tea at 5J per lb. is paid on the gross weight loss 
23 per cent for tare. 
I have obtained valuable information from the lead- 
ing advertising agents, and I am convinced that with 
their help and that if someone connected with the 
press Ceylon tea could at a given moment be most 
extensively and judiciously advertised and at no con- 
siderable cost. But once this is done, arrangements 
for continuing its publicity must also be made. 
As regards the consumption of tea, I append 
statistics showing a slow but steady increase during 
the last 10 years. I also append the remarks on tea of 
the Berlin Chamber of Commerce in their report on 
Berlin trade for 18:8. 
It will be impossible to convert the Germans 
from coffee to tea drinking, but everything points to 
its becoming more and more in vogue. There are 
certainly only a few shops in the whole country where 
tea only is sold, but it is exposed for sale in every 
grower's window there almost every tenth shop is a 
colouiil produce store. The number of advertise- 
ments in the papers is also on the increase, and I am 
told too that once the quality of tea improves, the 
demand will aleo. 
Russia sends a good deal of tea into Germany, cara- 
van tea enjoying the same sort of fictitious popu- 
larity that Mocha coffee once did. I annex parti- 
culars of the duty paid in Russia to show that the 
tea thus exported to Germany must be of the very 
worst description, ss good tea would not bear the 
double duty. I reserve further remarks for a subse- 
quent letter, and remain, dear sir, yours faithfully, 
(Signeil) M. Bbemee. 
IMPORTS FOR HOME CONSUMPTION FROM 1ST JANUARY 1889 
TO 31ST AUGUST 1889. 
China 521,000 kilos 
Great Britain ... 276,000 „ in 8 months 1888, 
1,361,000 kilos. 
Holland 170,000 „ „ „ 1889, 
1,232,000 kilos. 
Java ... - 175,000 „ 
British India ... 53,000 „ 
Other Countries... 37,000 „ 
1,232,000 
DUTY ON TEA IN RUSSIA. 
On all teas imported across the European frontier 
21 roubles per pud., about 2s per lb., rak. 6304, equal to 
16,379 kilos. 
On Kiachta tea via Irkutsk from China or via 
Amoor such as flowery orange and black 
teas 13 roubles per pud., equal to £d 
Brick tea ... 2£ „ „ „ 2d 
Other sorts (Stein „ 
Thee) 6 „ 6d 
Average wholesale prices in August 1889 compiled by 
Impl. Statl. Office from Ohambor of Commerce returns 
for \ kilo : — 
Hamburg. — Congou mk... 1*35 in bond, equal to Is 3|d 
» 2s 
„ Is 2Jd 
„ 2s 4Jd 
„ 5s 7d 
Souchong „ ... 2'00 „ 
1-20 „ 
Ronigiberg. — Oongou, good 
common... ... 2'40 ,, 
Moning medium 
line 5'60 „ 
CONSUMPTION OF TEA IN GERMANY (FROM CUSTOMS 
RETURN) 18S0-1888. 
1880 .. .. 2,059,200 lb. (English) 
1881 .. .. 3,260,400 „ 
1882 .. .. 3,264,800 „ 
1883 .. .. 3,502,400 „ 
1881 .. .. 3,432,000 „ 
1885 .. .. 3,935,800 „ 
1886 .. .. 3,911,600 „ 
1887 .. .. 4,210,800 „ 
1888 .. .. 4,193,200 „ 
EXTRACT FROM REPORT OF THE REKLIN CHAMBER OF 
COMMERCE 1888. 
Tea. — The consuption of tea in Berlin this year 
Bhows a deBcit of 12,874 lb., viz. 1887, 274,814 lb. (Germ) 
equal to 1-1 lb. avoir., and 1888, 262,000 lb. (Germ), the 
reason probably being because dealers took advantage 
o£ the very low prices ruliDg at the close 1887 for 
the lower grades in order to replenish their stocks. 
The quantity of the recent crop might have been 
better — only small quantities of really fine Moning 
Congous came into the market and fetched high 
prices — medium and ordinary sorts were sufficiently 
on hand and at moderate prices. It was almost the 
same with Souchongs. Pekoes were scarce and ob- 
tained high prioes right through the other grades 
have no importance for the German market. 
The production of tea in India has assumed enor- 
mous proportions in the last few years and competes 
with that of Chit a in a manner not to be under- 
rated. Let us hope the Chinese will be induced 
thereby to pay more attention to the manufacture 
of their tea and more especially to cultivate larger 
quantities of their finer grades. 
THE REFORM OF THE TEA DUTIES. 
The following letter has been addressed to the 
editor of our contemporary the "Times," and a proof 
has been sent to us for publication : — 
Sir, — In your leader of October 2nd you base your 
opposition to the reform of the tea duties on your 
belief that the existing tariff acts as a differential 
duty in favor of high as against low-priced teas — 
i. c, of Ceylon against China growers. If your 
theory is correct, it follows that the duty is also 
differential in favor of high against low-class teas 
grown in Ceylon itself, and differential in favor of 
high against low-class teas grown on the same estate, 
to say nothing of the inference that it must further 
be differential in favor of high-class China teas 
against low-class Ceylons. But, on the local illus- 
tration merely, it appears that some Ceylon estates 
are " protected" by the duty against others, and 
that the best parts of the same estate are protected 
against the worst. This is the logical conclusion to 
your premises. It is one to which Ceylon planters 
would be slow to subscribe contentedly, since the 
quantity of low-grade teas made, even in Ceylon, is 
largely in excess of the quantity of fine tea made 
there. If the effect of the duty is differential, as 
you assert, it must protect only a small portion, 
comparatively, of each estate against the great bulk 
of the acreage. 
I deny your theory in toto. The duty is not differ- 
ential at all. It does not affect the selling price in 
bond any more in the case of a China Congou than in 
that of Hoolankande Orange Pekoe. The grower in 
either case is equally subjected to the hampering 
effect of the duty in checking consumption, but 
neither in the one case nor in the other is the pro- 
ducer one cent the better or the worse, for it as 
against his rival producer. To the retailer's selling 
price, again the duty makes exactly the same cash 
difference on the cheap as on the dear tea. In each 
case the retailer adds to his profit price on the cost 
of the tea precisely the same amount in order to 
recoup himself for his payment of duty and for his 
interest on that payment. There is absolutely no 
sign of differentiation in the duty, 
