November i 1887.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
35 9 
and on behalf of Ceylon; but the Eusaian tea 
morchants are too strong and conservative I fear, 
to givo in to the advantage of buying Ceylon teas 
all at once. However, some enquiry is likely ere 
long to ariso, and meantime it is of interest to 
read our friend's account of his experience which 
he has kindly put on record at my request as 
follows : — 
Vichy, 27th Sept. 1887. 
Dear E , — You would like to know my experi- 
ences of Oeylou tea iu Russia. They are certainly not 
very encouraging, but I will relate them nevertheless 
for tho benefit of those who are interested iu the 
Oeylon and Indian tea trade. 
The first time I became acquainted with this new 
kiud of tea was about two years ago, when I happened 
to taste it in the oflice of a London merchant. At the 
time I was so struck by its superior strength and 
flavour to an) thing I bad previously come across, that 
I determined to introduce it iuto Russia whenever 
I had au opportunity. This I did about a year later, 
when I imported a few chests of Indian and Ceylon. 
I had no iuteution of becoming a regular tea merchant 
as I kuuw it woidd be impossible to compete with tlio 
large tea houses in Moscow, but I did not despair of 
introducing the finer qualities among the English re- 
sidents. To my surprize, the tea did not tako at all. 
The general opinion of tbose who tried it was that it was 
too strong, and too aromatic. The fact of the matter 
was that they had become so used to the light 
" ltussiau " tea, that they could not appreciate the 
real thing when they had a chance of getting it. 
As the tea found no favour with my countrymen I 
offered it to the Moscow grocers, but with very 
small success. Tho majority of these gentlemen 
declared that tho tea was scented with herbs, 
whilst one Holiinan coolly informed me that it was not 
tea, but " tea-extract." In a word it did not suit the 
market. After catling on nearly all the principal gro- 
cers in Moscow without finding a purchaser I managed 
at last to come across an intelligent Russian, a tea 
taster, who at once recognized the superior qualities 
of the Ceylon tea for mixing purposes. This enler- 
prizing individual not only bought up all the tea I had 
left, but after h« bad sold it at a high profit had tho 
courage like Dickens's boy to ask for more. One must 
bear in mind that tho Ceylon tea was not sold in its 
pure state, but mixed with cheaper Chinese tea. This 
mixture gave great satisfaction, and bad I been able to 
carry on the business I could have sold a much larger 
quantity. 
Judging from my experience and what I have heard 
from tho tea taster who bought my tea, I kave no 
hesitation in saying that there should sooner or later 
be a good market for the finer qualities of your 
Ceylon tea iu Moscow. The Indian, which is much in- 
ferior in quality and flavour, is already imported, and 
if this is the ease Ceylon tea ought to follow. But 
it is necessary to create a demand before it can be 
imported iu large quantities. Tho taste of the Mos- 
oow public is very hard to hit, and it is only by judi- 
cious mixing that Oeylon tea can come much into 
use in the Moscow market. 
In my humble opinion the best way for the plnnl- 
ers to obtain a firm footing for their tea in tin 
Moscow market is to open a small tea shop, and sell 
direct to the customers. There would be nu difficulty 
iu obtaining a clever Russian who would see that the 
lea would be properly mixed. In order to attract tho 
public it would be a good plan to have it fitted up 
in the Slubaleso style, with a Sinhalese attendant to 
wait on customers. The cost of such a shop among 
a nunibtr of planters would be vrrj small, and there 
is every reason to believe that such a speculation 
would leave n good profit. 
Bi-fore leaving Kussia, a Russian merchant with a capi- 
tal of 10,000 rouble! Offend to takemOtnto partnership 
if 1 would juin him iu opening an Indian tea shop, but 
as I did Doi wish to bind myself duwn to that coun- 
try I refill d his idler. Although I have bad a small 
loss en your tea through being as it were the pioneer, 
I do not regret having touched it, as it has been the 
means of my gaining some valuable iuformation about 
the trade which I have no doubt will be useful should 
I decide to continue the business. 
I have also bad the satisfaction of making tho ac- 
quaintance of one of your tea planters, Graeme Dal- 
rymple Elphinstone, Esq. Hearing that 1 had been 
trying tointrodu e the tea he came down from l'eters- 
burgh and paid me a short visit. I did not uufortunately 
see much of him, but tho littlo I did convinced me 
that he was a " man" in the real sense of tho word, 
and I think you are to be congratulated if you have 
many such on your island. I have since heard that 
ho has attained to a Baronetcy, and I am glad to bear 
it, for I an convinced from what I saw of him that 
the "guinea stamp" has for once in a way been 
stamped on the true metal. In case I can send you 
any further information, I shall be very glad.— Yours 
most truly, W. B. S. 
That there is ample margin for a profitable trade 
in Russia was seen by the table furnished some 
time ago by Mr. Elphinstone of the retail price 
in Russia and London value of the samples of tea 
got by him in St. Petersburg and Moscow. The 
following table has I think already appeared in 
the Tropical Agriculturist, but it will bear re- 
petition here in connection with Mr. Stevani'a 
remarks: — 
LIST OF TEAS FROM RUSSIA. 
London Value and Report. 
Petersburg Teas. 
Report. 
Roubles. Per 
Rouble. 
Equal to 
>fo 
* .. -Or 
8 
Is lid 
15s 4d 
Reddish leaf not in 
London, Oolong 
liquor value 8d 
i$; 
do 
9s 7d 
Flowery Pekoe va- 
2 
lue is, not in 
London 
4 
do 
7s8d 
Moning with Flowery 
Tip-leal not in 
London lqr. vl.9d 
i 
3'Ul 
do 
5s 9id 
Mouing Pekoe 
flowery leaf JOJd 
2 Of 
do 
5s J jd 
.Moiling Ninchow 
value 8id 
6 
240 
do 
4s Cd 
MoniDg value 7]d 
7 
2-21 
do 
4s 3>d 
Mouing 7d 
8 
do 
:is lod 
Moiling 7d 
9 
P84 
do 
3s (Ud 
Mouing 7d 
tu 
I •BO 
do 
3s Ojd 
Moiling 61d 
Moscow 
Teas. 
Wi'i 
2-G8 
do 
5a l id 
Ninchow Pekoe 
is Id to Is 2d 
a 
2-20 
do 
43 2d 
Pungent Ninchow 
Pekoe flowery Is tid 
8 r.a.! 
2 
do 
3s lOd 
Ninchow Is Id 
4 
a 
do 
3s lOd 
do lOJd 
5 
1-80 
do 
33 5 id 
do lOd 
6 
I 10 
do 
2s sjd 
Honing Stanton Gid 
DISTRIBUTION OF CEYLON EXPORTS. 
(From 1st Oct. 1887 to 27th Oct. 1887.) 
To United King lorn 
,, Marseilles 
,, Genoa 
,, Veuic« 
„ Trieste 
,, Hamburg 
,, Antwerp 
„ Bremen 
Havre 
„ Rotterdam 
,, Africa 
,, Mauritius 
,, India ft lentwnrd 
,i Australia 
,, America 
Total Bailor tl fr.mi I > 
188i tu Oct. 37, 
Do 1S5U do 
Do 1MSA do 
Dj l i do 
Bkl, 
iss; 
l-s| 
Coffee 
Cehqna 
Branch 
& Trunk 
Tea. 
C'con 
Carda- 
moms. 
owt. 
lb. 
lb. 
cwt. 
lb. 
583 
80 
26 
"l73 
394000 
5X462 
itfo97« 
8430 
16 
1847 
ISO 
*"fi0 
24fl 
23074 
2*852 
*278rt 
1020 aa&sd 
sain si msi 
llrtAM I17HU07 
7*4 li 4IOH17 
«08iW4 
' 4AOTU1 
20S?Gil 
147 wo 
u 
1 180 
an 
4133 
P7I& 
MM 
4771 
