454 
THF TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January i, 1890. 
Tea planters do not brave the vicissitudes of climate 
and exile from home for the inferior pleasure of putting 
money into the pockets of the retailer, nor of illustrat- 
ing the laws of political economy. Nor is it the lead- 
iner idea of investors in tea shares that tea should be 
" laid down " in London at prices which mean ruin to 
the garden. If the tea drinker reaped the benefit of 
this " sweet plethora " of the leaf there would perhaps 
be some small satisfar ion derivable from the fact, al- 
though even then thp p'anter might think the gime was 
not worth the candle. But there is not this consola- 
tion. The retailer and those who supply him are en- 
abled to revel in the situation, to turn up their business- 
like noses at the quality of tea offered, and to com. 
mune with themselves and their friends upon the folly 
which permits it. 
With the probability of a short crop, the tea market is, 
at the present time, in a miserable condition as regards 
prices. The deliveries are excellent, but this goes for 
naught, because of the rush to be first in the field — or 
in the "Lane" — with tea. There are times when in- 
dividual interests must give way to the general welfare. 
This is a case in point. Let the tea companies and tea 
agents meet in council, and make some effort to stop 
the flux of tea, and the consequent loss to the grower 
it involves. 
We print a letter from Mr. D. F. Shillington, who 
calls attention to an episode in the history of t^a 
upon its arrival at the London warehouses which 
tells its own tale. The planter " freta his soul " 
in the endeavour to send home tea in good condition, 
and the Custom House officials, who only come round 
to the warehouses " when there is something worth 
while to do," can upset all his plans, and cause 
his tea to be exposed to the London fog for hours 
or days. We feel sure the zealous secretary of the 
Indian Tea Districts Association will communicate 
•with the magnate of the Customs on the important 
subjpet. It might be pointed out that fog does not 
conduce to aroma or flavour in tea, and that the pro- 
ceeding of the Custom House subordinates in this 
matter are likely to cause growers in India and 
Oevlon to "say a swear." 
But the injury the planter suffers in the matter 
is perhaps less than that inflicted on the dealer 
and the grocer who purchase tea from samples. 
They really taste and smell one tea, while they are 
buying another, supposed to be like sample, but which 
is, owing to the course of bad atmosphere to which 
it has been subjected, of an inferior quality. 
" H. 0.," who refers to himself as the " boycotted 
tea planter," seems to have opened the campaign 
against Mincing Liane with a light heart. The back 
page of last Sunday's edition of the New York Herald 
contained the story of " H. O.'s" alleged wrongs in six 
short chapters, and it also conveyed the intimation that 
" H. C," was willing to play the part of two business 
gentlemen rolled into one — i. e.,he would abolish the 
broker and the dealer, acting himself as the onlv inter- 
mediary between the planter and the grocer. He says 
he has already received the support of a number of 
grocers, and he infers that he is going to do a roaring 
trade.— H. and C. Mail. 
CONTROLLING THE QUANTITY OF TEA 
PLACED NO THE MARKET. 
To the Editor lof the "Home and Colonial Mail." 
Sir, — In March last, and again as far back as De- 
cember, 1838, 1 addressed a letter you on the above sub- 
ject. 1 regret to find, however, that nothing has ever 
yet been done, cn the self-help principle, on the line 
then indicated. 
Without, however, again going into any detail, I 
venture once more to urge on your readers the 
importance of acting together in this matter for the 
common good and would refer them to my letter 
which appeared in your issue of 15th March last. 
Urgent as it was then, and strong as was the position 
nl that time, it is now very much more urgent, wh'le 
the position is much stronger. We have — 
1. A large falling off in China supplies. 
2. The quantity of Ceylon tea considerably short 
of expectations. 
3. A distinctly short crop from India. 
While on the other hand we have — 
4. Au enormously large consumption of Indian teas 
steadily prosressing. 
The peculiar feature of the present Indian season 
is that, owing to unfavourable conditions in the e«rly 
part of it, the great bulk of the crop is coming 
upon the market almost all at one time, which- of 
course intensifies the difficulty of the pos'ton 
during the months of November to February • but, 
despite of this, the crop is distinctly short, and 
actually less than our current year's requirements. 
We find, however, that although the crop, to lan d here, 
cannot exceed 100 millions, we are actually selling 
just now at the rate (if continued through the year) 
of 200 millions, or practically twice as much as is neces- 
sary were the supply distributed over the whole year. 
This speaks for itself. 
I am aware that most of the large importers will 
retort that they have on different occasiors held back 
their teas, and that to their own detriment ; but I 
contend that no united action has ever been taken, 
and without some united effort of this kind any indivi- 
dual attempt to stem the current will undoubtedly 
fail, those who take action being themselves probably 
the chief sufferers. 
If only, say, 40 to 45 per cent, of sellers were agree- 
able to combine with a view, not to taking any action 
which would unduly raise prices, but merely to control 
excessive supplies rushed upon the mirket, we should, 
instead of haviag a dropping or declining market, — 
unfavourable alike to buyer and seller — have a steady 
and possibly even a slightly advancing market from 
now on to the end of the season. 
As I write I 'earn that several of the large importers 
are seriously considering as to " hnldi-ig off the 
market;" unless, however, there is combination these 
parties will probably only themselves suffer, to the 
advantage of others. — Believe me, yours faithfully, 
George Seton. " 
HOW THE TEA TRADE SUFFERS. 
To the Editor of the "Home and Colonial Mail." 
Sir, — In your last issue you favoured your readers 
with an extract from the Grocer, under the heading 
of " Here is a wail from the 'Lane.' " It may interest 
them to have further particulars of how the tea business 
it at present c< -nducted in some of the lara;e dock 
warehouses. I had occasion to go into one of them 
last Friday, and on going up to the tea floors was 
astonished to see no less thin twenty-three breaks of 
Indian tea all in bulks on the floor. 
I made some enquiry and learnt that in the usual 
course the packages would be refilled in two days 
from being turned out. I then asked why each 
break was not turned out, bulked, and refilled before 
commencing the next one, and the answer was that 
as each chest had to be separably tared they had to 
wait for the Customs officer, who only came round for 
the purpose when there was something worth while 
to do. 
Now, it seems to me that all the care of planters 
in fine plucking and careful firing is to a large extent 
thrown away if after it the tea is to lie open for two 
days on the floor of a London warehouse with all 
the windows and doors open in damp and foggy 
November. The importer gets a few chests put on 
show from which the trade draw samples, but the 
bulk absorbs moisture in proportion to its dryness and 
quality, and a secondary fermentation is started, which 
destroys the flavour within the prompt. Who is to 
rectify this state of things? The dealers know noth- 
ing of it ; the selling brokers do, but whilst they are 
well aware of the damage to the tea they seem to 
be powerless to alter it. Anyhow, the thing is wrong 
and it is in the hope that drawing attention to 
it ia your paper may iuduces some one to stir in 
the matter that induces me to trouble you with 
tliese lines. Should not the Indian Tea Districts 
Association represent the matter to the Commissioners 
of Customs, in order that the delay in refilling might 
not rest with the Customs officer ? — I am, &c, 
D. F. Shillington. 
