apsil i, 1890] the tropical agriculturist. 683 
HOW TO INTRODUCE CEYLON TEAS 
INTO RUSSIA. 
To have Russia as a buyer of our teas is an aim 
worthy of the best efforts of our Ceylon Tea Fund 
Committee ; for not only do its people oonsume large 
quantities of tea, but Russian buyers are prepared to 
pay full prices if they oan get the artiole they 
want. It will be in. the remembrance of many 
of our readers how when the China market opened 
last year, such high prices were paid by the Russian 
agents for all the fine teas that were for sale 
that the English buyers were unable to compete 
With them. As a consequence there was a scarcity 
of fine teas for a time in London, and those 
Ceylon estates which laid themselves out for pro- 
ducing teas of the highest grades benefited thereby. 
If there is one thing which the Ceylon tea 
growers are prepared to affirm more than another 
it is that their teas cannot be beaten anywhere, 
and that if their finest qualities were put against 
the best that China can produce, Ceylon should not 
suffer in the comparison. If then we could only get 
some of those Russian buyers who assemble yearly at 
the China tea ports and are ready to pay almost 
any price for teas which suit them, to come to 
Colombo and test what can be done here, w e 
have a strong belief that we should be able to keep 
them to the Ceylon market in the future. 
As it is, our efforts to catch the Russian tea 
dealers or market, have been but paltry and unworthy 
of the Colony. When we think of the scope which 
Russia offers for the consumption of our prin- 
cipal product, and that, if secured, her market 
could not fa il to assure us of paying prices 
for many years to come, it is certainly 
worth both sacrifice and effort on the part 
of Ceylon planters to get a footing there. The 
commercial interests of any English Colony is, 
of course, nothing to the Russian : the 
aim, indeed, of the Russian autoorat is 
to make his magnificent Empire self-contained, 
so that its wants may be supplied within its own 
borders, and not require to seek anything beyond. 
This very likely is the explanation of the planting 
of tea in the Caucasus — an industry, however, never 
likely to produce much result. In the meantime, at 
any rate, tea from outside must be had. It is 
satisfactory to learn from the latest authority on 
Russian affairs,— the Hon. George M. Curzon, 
M. P., — that, instead of a feeling of hostility to 
England as was supposed to exist, there is rather 
the contrary, and " the main and dominating feeling 
is an abiding and overpowering dislike of Ger- 
many." When Mahomet could not get the 
mountain to come to him, he went to it, and the plan 
which we advooate for getting at the Russian 
buyers is the old one, — if they will not, on our mere 
invitation, oome to Colombo, we must just go to 
them 1 Wo do not forget what the Russian Consul 
and Agent for the Volunteer Fleet at Colombo has 
alieady done by distributing samples of Ceylon 
teas ; but it is evidently necessary to get at the 
big buyers after a more direct fashion. 
Every year regularly now, to the China tea ports 
the Russian experts resort to buy, and they are men 
who do not represent merely a single oity or even a 
province, but in reality the whole Russian tea trade. 
What we have therefore to do is to send a Ceylon 
representative to meet these gentlemen and bring 
under their direct personal notice what Ceylon can 
do in fine teas. This would cost very little. All 
that ib wanted is an energetio, able young business- 
man of good address, who speaks French well, 
and has a fair knowledge of tea. He might well be 
accredited as the agent of the Ceylon Planters" 
Association, — not for trading purposes, but simply 
as the medium of making Ceylon teas known. He 
could be on the spot wh; n the China tea market 
opened, and then, provided with ample samples, 
he could in the course of a few days do more to 
have the merits of Ceylon teas discussed, tested 
and, we trust, recognized among Hussian experts, 
than by years of our present indirect methods. 
The teas for distribution should be provided at 
the expense of the estate s represented, in the hope 
of securing Russian orders later on. Nothing but 
the very best should he sent, and each packet 
should have its own estate name printed on it with 
the price at which it would be prepared to supply 
a similar tea. The Tta Fund could well afford 
to pay all the expenses of the special agent to 
and from Hankow orFojehowas the caBe might 
be and for the two months or so that he would 
be away, he might be allowed an honorarium of say 
R1,000 with all expenses paid. At the very outside 
therefore R3.000 should about be all that the scheme 
would cost the Tea Fund, and how otherwise, could 
it be possible at such a low price so effectually to 
advertise our teas among the chief Russian 
buyers and dealers ? The estates which con- 
tributed samples, say 100 lb. each, would not lose 
much even in the case of those whose manu- 
facture was not successful in catching the Russian 
taste ; for if some of the others were more 
favoured and there sprang up a demand for 
Ceylon fine teas which would be shipped from 
Colombo to Russian ports direct, it would be 
felt immediately at home. The plethora of fine 
teas in the London market would be relieved forth- 
with, and this would have the effect of raising the 
prioe of our poorer qualities. At present Russia 
consumes only a very small quantity of our teas, 
much of it bought in London ; whereas if we could 
secure her as a local buyer, tnere would be a con- 
siderable saving to be effected by shipping direct, 
and an advantage to local planters as well. 
The Tea Fund is prepared to spend a good deal 
of money in trying to open Amerioa, and it is right 
that every effort should be made to secure new 
markets for our steadily increasing production ; 
but there is one great difference between 
America and Russia. The Americans — at least 
in the older States— have evidently to be edu- 
cated to appreciate our product, whereas the 
Russians already drink black teas. In both fields, 
we believe, that in time success will be ours, 
but whereas the subjects of the White Tsar have 
only to be got at to prove allies — the majority of our 
American brethren unfortuntely have to be humoured 
and coaxed. The China market usually opens at the 
end of April or the beginning of May, so that if any 
thing is to be done this year in this important 
matter, it will have to be done at once. 
In conclusion we may be permitted to say that 
the scheme we have advooated, and which we consider 
to be a very promising one, is the idea of Dr. Duke, 
a gentleman who some time ago was one of the first 
to point out how Amerioa might be reached, and, 
who again shows his brother planters the way od 
speedily, cheaply and effectually reaching the 
very important Russian buyers. We feel sure 
that thanks will be due to him for the result, if 
the Tea Fund Committee take up the proposal 
heartily and take care to secure the right descrip- 
