34 
TEE TROPICAL 
LONDON TEA COMPANIES. 
Wilton Tea Company of Assam, Limited ; capital 
(paid up), £28,000; area under cultivation, 735 acres. 
The crop of tea was 3,499 maunds 10 seers, or 279,940 lb., 
and wai made at a cost of 9|d per lb., and sold at an 
average of Is Ogd per lb., giving a profit of 2|d per lb. 
Seeing that the average price of tea was in 1886 fully 
2d per lb. lower than in 1885, the result of the year's 
working may be considered satisfactory, and reflects 
credit on the management of the superintendent, Mr. 
Eannay. The estimated out-turn for the present year 
is 3,757 maunds or 300,560 lb. of tea, at a garden cost of 
4 annas 6 pies per lb., or slightly under that of last year. 
The following figures are interesting, as showing the 
gradual improvement in the working of the company's 
property : — 
Cost of Price 
Manufacturing realised Loss Profit 
Season Per lb. Per lb. Per lb. Per lb 
8. d. s. d. s. d. s. d 
1883 ... 1 If ... 1 0i ... U ... — 
1884 ... 0 11^ ... 1 011-16th — ... 13-16 
1885 ... 0 10 2-5 1 1-3 ... — ... 214-15 
1886 ... 0 9J ... 1 0§ ... — ... 2f 
Total Loss, Season 1883 ... £1,119 8 0 
„ Profit, „ 1884 ... 1,159 1 0 
„ „ „ 1885 ... 3,162 12 8 
„ „ „ 1886 ... 3,082 16 8 
During the past two years the drainage of the gard- 
ens has been undertaken on an extensive scale, the old 
gardens at Wilton needing it most. The drains are 
connected with the neighbouring river, and the work 
it being carefully carried out, and the superintendent 
states that when the whole of the drainage is com- 
pleted he hopes to reach an average yield of six mounds 
per acre from the plants in full bearing, and if this is 
realised it will still further reduce the cost of manu- 
facture. The number of coolies now on the gardens is 
428 men, 334 women, and 95 children, equivalent to 809 
■tatute adults. — The Jokai (Assam) Tea Company, 
Limited ; capital, £120,000, in 12,000 shares of £10 each. 
Out-turn. — The crop estimates and actuals for the 
past season were : — 
Estimated Actual Out-turn, 
lb. lb. 
Bokel Division ... 264,000 269,065 
Jokai „ ... 100,000 80,327 
Muttuck „ ... 144,000 165,208 
Jamira „ ... 172,000 193,380 
Total... 680,000 707.980 
Being an increase of 27,980 lb. over the estimate, 
and of 67,662 lb. over the yield of the previous year. 
The entire crop, less 5201b. lost in taring, &c, being 
707,460 lb. was sold in London, reaziliug, with the 
sale of seed, a gross sura of £35,044 12s 6d. or an 
average per lb. of ll - 89d, showing a decrease on last 
year's average of a penny per lb. 
The gross average price per lb. with cost of pro- 
duction and the profit realized in each division is 
shown in the subjoined tabular statement : — 
1886. 1885. 1884, 1883. 1882, 
e. d. s, d, s, d. 8. d. s. d. 
» Bokel 
Jokai^f Oiw} 1 ^7 0 11-55 1 0<58 1 0-58 
) No returns, teas 
Muttuck,, OH'23 1 0-81 1 0-30 >being sold at Cal- 
) cutta. 
Jamira „ 0 11"27 1 1'90 1 2"73 1 1*04 1 0 04 
Average of the 
whole 0 11-89 1 0 - 91 1 076 1 1-02 1 020 
Cost of produc- 
tion 0 9-23 0 10'56 0 10'5.3 0 11-95 0 1V00 
Profit per lb. 0 2-6G 0 2'35 0 2 23 0 1-07 0 T20 
The large sum of £5,975 0s lid was expended dur- 
ing the year in importing labourers and in the supply 
of additional or improved machinery. The board be- 
lieves that there are no other estates in Assam better 
found with labour, machinery, buildings and appliances 
ef every kind, than the properties of this company. 
* This division, it should bo borue in miud, was formerly 
known as fhe Jokai, but was divided last year, the emalle 
portion retaining the original name. 
Estimates. — The abstract of the detailed revenue 
estimates for the current year indicate a crop 720,000 
lb of tea, for an expenditure of K252,62t in India, 
or £18,947, at Is 6d rate of exchange, and of £7,358 
for Euglish charges, making together a total of £26,300, 
or an average cost of 8 - 76d per lb. for laying down 
the tea in London, ineluding administration, sale 
charges, &c. Market. — As anticipated by the Board 
in last year's report, a considerable fall took place 
in the general value of Indian tea. The con- 
sumption having, however, lately outgrown even 
the enormously increased production, the fall has 
been checked, and the value of the article during 
the ensuing season iB not likely to be materially less 
than in 1886-7. 
Dooars Tea Company, Limited ; capital, paid up, 
£106,000 ; area under cultivation, 3,080 acres. 
There were in 1886, 690 acres of tea in full bear- 
ing, and 2,190 acres of younger plant ; and, as the 
permanent value of the company's shares must depend 
mainly upon the young tea, every effort has been 
made, with success, to maintain and develop this 
cultivation. The capacity of the company's gardens 
to yield eight to ten maunds an acre, and to deliver 
tea in Calcutta at less than 6d. per lb, has been 
proved. These results guarantee future prosperity. 
Cholera appearing with terrible severity at the 
main garden, in the height of the manufacturing 
season, reduced and disorganised labour, so as to 
greatly diminish the out-turn, and spoil the quality 
of much of the tea. Fortunately, such outbreaks 
are rare. Further, the tea market was unusully 
depressed, and the season of excessive rain and defici- 
ent sunshine was unfavourable for manufacture. Thus 
through exceptional circumstances, the company has 
had to meet a short out-turn, combined with low prices. 
But though the out-turn was shorter than anticipated 
it was 140,2531b, more than in 1885. The expend- 
iture of 1886, has been well within the sanctioned estim- 
ate. Turning to 1887, the general superintendent's 
estimate contemplates an expenditure on revenue ac- 
count of R253.080 for an out-turn of 760,0001b., or 
more than 200,0001b. increase for the year. 
From these figures it is further apparent that 
2,880 acres now under plant, will be five years old 
and upwards in 1891, and taking an average of 
only seven maunds, will yield 1,612,800 lb of tea. 
The latest report for the current season are reas- 
suring. The weather and other conditions have proved 
propitious, and the out-turn of tea is well in 
excess of that for the corresponding period of 1886. 
—H.dC.Mail, May 27th. 
NOTES ON PEODUCE. 
The position of the Indian tea industry, at least 
those concerns which are judiciously managed, has 
never been brighter than now, and shareholders a6 
well as directors and managers of gardens have reason 
to congratulate themselves. With but few except- 
ions good dividends are anticipated, and it is surpris- 
ing that in view of the handsome returns made by eco- 
nomically managed concerns, the shares of some com- 
panies are not quoted higher. When the investing 
public begin to realise the prospect, something like a 
rush for tea shares will take place. 
As an illustration of the wild theories which respect- 
ing the manufacture of tea, possess the minds of 
some grocers, the following letter, which was printed 
in the Grocer of last week, is some indication. The 
correspondent asks, why does Ceylon tea deteriorate, 
and he then embarks on the following ; "In the inter- 
ests of our trade I wish to call attention to this 
question. Now, I hold that it is not so much the pro- 
duction or growth of tea but in the method of curing 
that the fault lies. The method most generally used 
in Ceylon is most diametrically opposed to those in 
other parts of India and China, where they almost 
universally adopt the method of firing tea by means 
of atrrnspheric sir passing through glowing charcoal, thus 
formi: g what is called 'carbon dioxide,' and we never 
hear of tea cured in this way losing strength and 
flavour after the packages have been opened as we 
