March i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
645 
Lethbridge gives the figures for the Imports: on the 
other hand Mr. Koberts has given me as the authority 
for his figures the annual circular of Messrs. Stenning, 
Inskiop & Co. I do not know where that firm obtained 
their figures, but there is no doubt, I think, that they 
have fallen into error. The nearest approach to an 
estimate of the Home consumption that we can make 
is by taking the Customs returns of the weight of tea 
on which duty has been paid, and I have good authority 
for giving the following figures for the four past years 
as the weights in question : — 
1886 ... 176,600,000 I 1888 ... 184,200,000 
1887 ... 180,550,000 | 1889 ... 186,890,000 
These figures ehow a steady increase in the three 
years of nearly 2 per cent per annum. The increase of 
population is nearly 1 per cent per annum. No aooount 
is taken here of the increased number of cups of tea 
consumed owing to the displacement of China by 
British grown tea. 
For the figures I have the authority of Messrs Lloyd, 
Matheson & Co. supported by the figures given by 
Messrs. W. J. & H. Thompson,— I am, yours faithfuly, 
(Signed) Wm. Mabtin Leake, Secretary. 
Copy, — Minutes of meeting of Tea Committee held at 
4, Mincing Laue, B.C., on Monday, 27th January 1890, 
at 3 p. m. Present:— Mr. T. Whittall in the Chair, 
Messrs. J. Anderson, Alex. Brooke, R- A. Cameron, 
T- Dickson, S. Gray, J. A. Roberts, H. K. Rutherford, 
O. J. Scott, J. L. Shand. A. G. Stanton, W. J. Thomp 
sou, Jr., G. White, and the Secretary. 1. The minutes 
of last meeting were read and confirmed. 2. Circulars 
from the Indian Tea Districts Association, dated 16th 
and 18th, December 1889 were read and discussed. It 
was resolved: — ■" Thit the committee having had under 
consideration the regulation of supplies of Cey on tea to 
the London market will be gla \ at 'all times to 
co-operate with tbe Indian Tea Districts Association 
when they can do so effectually, but looking at the 
regularity of imports of tea from ''eylon throughout the 
year they do not see that any assistance could be ren- 
dered at present by making special arrangements in 
regard to Ceylon teas." 
3. — Letters from the Ceylon Planters' Association 
dated 2nd Nov. 1889 and from Messrs. Willing & Co., 
dated 14th Dec. 1889, on the subject of advertising 
Pure Ceylon Tea in the United Kingdom on a large 
scale, were read. After a full discussion the foUowiug 
resolution was passed : — " That the Committee are of 
opinion that it would he advantageous to advertise in 
the United Kingdom as proposed, but that if tin open- 
ing could be found for effeotual advertisement Ui Russia, 
the United States, Canada or the Colonies the benefit 
to Ceylon tea growers would probably be greater. 
Any advertising to be effective must be done on a 
large scale." 
4. — A letter was read from Sir Roper Lethbridge, 
M. P., K. c. 1. B.i dated 26th Januuary, on the subject 
of the recent letters in The Times on the probable effects 
of the proposed reduction or Abolition of the Tea 
Duty. After a discussion in which considerable differ- 
ence of opinion was made manifest, the following 
resolution was carried with four dissentients : — 
" That in the opinion of this meeting the reduction 
of the Tea Dutv will be advantageous to the Tea 
Growers of Ceylon." 
Copy. — Indian Tea Districts Association. 
Regulation op Supplies. — Report of the Special 
Committee, appointed by the General Committee of 
the Indian Tea Districts Association at their meeting 
held on the loth November 1889, to woik<u dut.aU 
of a scheme for regulating the supplies of iea placed 
on the market, with a view to prevent the deprecia- 
tion in values, not unjfrequently caused by hurrying 
forward moro tea than the buyers are able to deal 
with. The Special Committee, having had the ad- 
s'. muge of conferring with the representatives of 
noa-lv all the lea iing brokers, has arriv d at the con- 
clusion that, looking to thn difficulty of formulating 
nny avrang' Blent of a hard and fast nature, and con- 
sidering tho many conflicting iuterests iuvolvod, tho 
object in view can be best attained by a general under- 
standing among growers and importers and the brokers. 
The Special Committee find that the following are 
among the contributing causes of a depressed market: — 
(1) The unnecessarily large number of separate 
breaks sent home by gardens, thereby harassing the 
trade. 
(2) The offering of an enormous quantity of Tea 
for sale on a single day. 
(3) The printing for sale of breaks of tea before 
the teas are actually ready for sale in the warehouse, 
and consequent frequency of withdrawals from sale 
at the last month. The Brokers being more fully in 
possession of the information necessary to enable them 
to exercise control over: supplies, inform us that it 
has hitherto been their endeavour, as far as possible, 
to confer together to a certain extent with regard to 
printing, but that more might be done by Merchants 
themselves to support their efforts. The Brokers are 
accordingly recommended to endeavour, as far as pos- 
sible, to dissuade their principals from. (1) Printing 
their teas for sale before all the teas of each break 
are actually in the warehouse, and have been bulked 
and worked. (2) Bringing out fresh catalrgues of tea 
to be sold on the last days of the same week in 
which the catalogues are issued, when the total amount 
already advertised for sa'e appears sufficient, or more 
than sufficient, for the requirements of the trade. 
M mbi rs of the Association are invited to do their 
utmost to strengthen the hands of their respective 
Brokers, and at the same time to endeavour to attend 
the fortnightly meetings of the Association, on Tuesday, 
at 2 p.m., to confer with one another, and with the 
Brokers, with a view to better regulation of the sup. 
plies put on the market. 
Robert Lyell, Geo. Seton, R. G. Shaw, Members 
of the Special Committee. 
Ernest Tyb, Secretary. 
London, Dec. 16th, 1889. 
Indian Tea Districts Association. 
Regulation op Supplies. — A meeting of the Gene- 
ral Committee of the Indian Tea Districts Associa- 
tion was held on tbe 17th inst. to receive ths Repoit 
of the Special Committee appointed to consider the 
question of Regulating the Supplies of Tea placed ou 
the market. 
The following members attended: — Chair — Messrs. 
Wm. Roberts (Jorehaut, Darjeeliug & Tiphook & Co.) ; 
R. G. Shaw (Assam Frontier Co.) ; Robert, Lyell 
(Geo. Williamson & Co.) ; R. B. Doake (Duncan 
Macneill & Co.) ; A. Bryans (P. R. Buchanan & Co.); 
J. Berry White ( Jokai Tea Co.) ; W. L. Watson (Jas- 
Finlay & Pp..),; W. N. Clark (Begg, Dunlop & Co.) ; 
Geo. Seton (Octavius Steel & Co.) ; Henry Earnshaw 
(Alex. Lawrie &Oo. ); W. F. Raban (Gotoonga Estate*; 
Arthur Thompson (W. J. & H. Thompson and Noaka- 
chare Tea Co.) ; George White & Oo. ; Gow, Wilson & 
Stanton; Arthur Capel & Co.; and Stenning, Inskipp & Co. 
After a very lengthy discussion the following resolu- 
tion was movid bv Mr. W. L. Watson, seconded by Mr. 
J. Berry White, and carried unanimously : — " That 
the brokers be requested to meet once a week, and 
endeavour by matual agreement to regulate the offer- 
ings as far as possible in accordance with the demand 
at the time, nod the members of the Association 
preseut hereby pledge themselves to support them." 
It is hoped that all memoers of the Association 
and others interested will give their cordial support. 
Ernest Tye, Secretary. 
14, St. Mary Axe, London, boo. 18th, 1889. 
Viticulture. — A matter of greal importance to viticul- 
turists has been worked out by a French botanist, M. Petit, 
lie 3hows thai, the disease called chlorosis (characterised 
by tho pale sh'klj yellow colour of the leaves and tho 
stunting of the branches) is due to an excess of 
moisture in the soil— in otber words, to defective 
drains fe. Chi >i\>ms i* very destructive in French 
vinevarcis. M. Petit savs that the mi isture, fills the 
cavities ol tbe voAs — which ought to be full of air — 
and practically chokes the roots.— Australasian. 
