656 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [April 2, 1888. 
By Cash at Bankers and in 
hand, Ceylon.,. 
Less Exchange 
Sundry Debtors London ... 
Produce in Londou & afloat 
Office Furniture, Londou 
Cash at Bankers and in 
hand, London 
948 10 6 
33,230 1 3 
£123,230 1 3 
10,405 1 2 
£112,925 0 1 
12 2 
3,575 7 4 
ISO 0 0 
8S7 17 10 
£117.504 17 5 
PLANTING IN MAURITIUS 
(Prom the Commercial Gazette, Peb. 10th) 
Shipments of Sugar. — It will be observed that we 
are in advance in our shipments as compared with 
those of the previous crop to the extent of 2,060 
tons, and with respect to those of 1885-86, to the 
extent of 318 tons. The total shipments during 
the last 4 we ks have equalled 11,860 tons. 
Vanilla. — In spite of the unfavourable news re- 
ceived last mail from Europe, there has been a cer- 
tain enquiry for best qualities and we have to 
quote the sale of about 120 kilos extra fine quality 
at R21 per kilo and vanillom at R12 per kilo. A 
lot of 250 kilos fine quality fetched R20 per kilo 
(about 6 inches average.) 220 kilos good quality 
were sold at auction at R17 60 per kilo. 
Owing to the abundant rains which have fallen 
since last week, the dropping of the pods is con- 
siderable in certain parts of the island and we re- 
gret to say that the out-turn of the coming crop 
will be from 50 to 60 per cent, inferior to that of 
last year. 
Aloe Fibre. — The market is firm and the demand 
very brisk for superior qualities. 
We have to quote the sale of 85 bales fine quality 
at R326 per ton, a lot of 50 bales good to fine, was 
sold at auction at R325. 
Owing to the rainy weather, manipulation has 
been stopped in certain parts of the island. This 
will cause some delay in the shipment of this 
staple. 
. 4 
THE TEA TRADE OF CANTON. 
We have been favoured with a copy of the following 
minutes of a meeting of the Oommittee appointed to 
enquire into the state of the tea trade at Oanton, held 
at Messrs Deacon & Oo.'s house on the 26th January 
1888 
Present : — Messrs. P. Deacon (in the chair), K. D. 
Adams, E. W. Mitchell, and R. B. Alien (secretary to 
the meeting). Mr. P. O. Seaton was unavoidably 
absent. 
The Chairman having read the notice convening the 
meeting, invited the members of the committee to give 
their views on the subject under consideration; a pro- 
longed discussion then ensued, and it was dually deci- 
ded to put the following on record as being some of 
the points worthy of the consideration of the Chinese 
authorities unless the tea trade at Oanton is to be 
seriously crippled, if not altogether annihilated by the 
yearly increasing competition with India. 
Section I. Oanton Scented Caper. — This description 
of tea, of which the bulk of the Canton Export con- 
sists, competes more keenly with Indian kinds than 
any other class of China tea, being especially use- 
ful for mixing purposes. The competition with India 
is now, however, growing so severe, and homo prices 
have reached so low a range, that unless some steps 
are shortly taken to relieve the produce of the ex- 
cessive burdens of Lekin and Export duty, a time 
must arrive when scented tea will cease so be an 
articlo of consumption altogether. 
As regards quality, the districts from which the 
best descriptions of leaf arrive, being the most re- 
mote from Canton suffer most heavily from Inland 
Taxation, and this induces native merchants to admix 
inferior leaf, grown nearer Canton, and suffering in 
consequence lighter dues. One of the greatest com- 
plaints, however, that buyers have to make ib in 
respect to the large proportion of dust found iu the 
teas — the dust should if possible not be scut to 
Canton from the districts at ail, as the likin dues 
have to be paid on it as well as on the whole 
leaf, and this of course increases the ultimate 
cost of the tea: this complaint is especially to 
be made about leaf arriving from the Loting aud 
Hoynne districts. 
Section II. Canton Scented OraDge Pekoe. — It may 
almost be said that this class (both the long and 
short leaf descriptions) has already been beaten out 
of the field by the success of Indian teas. This 
is amply proved by the significant fact that during 
the past ten years the export from Canton has 
fallen from 3,870,000 lb. to 1,100,000 lb. : this de- 
crease in export continues year by year, aud it now 
seems impossible that this class of tea can regain its 
lost position on the London market. 
Section III. Cougou. — Of this kind, the best teas 
arrive from the Tayshan districts, and as a rule there 
is a steady market for these in London. The only 
suggestion that might be made is that better quality 
would be obtained if growers were contented with 
fewer pickiugs during the year. Experience has shown 
that teas plucked in the months of August and 3ept. 
are deficient in every quality except " make" and the 
picking of the leaf in these months affects the supply 
as well as the qaality of the Autumn crop which is 
the best produced from the district. 
Section IV. Weights. — It is worthy of remark that 
teas shipped from Oanton waters invariably lose iu 
weight on the homeward voyage, whereas those 
shipped from Foochow and the northern ports always 
show a distinct gain. The remedy for this is in the 
hands of the Imperial Maritime Customs, for native 
packers are prepared to allow an extra \ lb. per box 
provided no export duty is charged upon it, a conces- 
sion which the Imperial Maritime Customs will not 
grant. 
Section V. General.— The steady fall in exchange 
during late years has been of material assistance to the 
China grower, for it has enabled tea shippers to lay 
down their purchases in London at lower sterling 
prices year by year, while paying almost the same tael 
prices to the Chinese as formerly. The native grower 
must be looked to for any improvement in manufac- 
ture or production, and as long as he feels no necessity 
for such improvement, it need not be expected. 
The members of the Oommittee have read with much 
interest the correspondence which has already been 
published by the Shanghai and Fcochow Chambers of 
Commerce relating to the decline of the China Tea 
trade, and they heartily concur in the opinions ex- 
pressed by those bodies, and cons ider that the only 
real remedy for preventing the total extinction of the 
trade is the abolition of all Lekin and Export duties, 
so that the China article may be on the same footing 
as the Indian, Ceylon, and Java, all of which are free 
from tax.— China Mail, Feb. 22nd. 
The Kola Nut as an article of trade has a re- 
markable history of its own. It is said that slave- 
dealers were in the habit of carrying with them a 
supply of nuts for administration to their slaves as 
an antidote to the suicidal mania with which from 
time to time they were afflicted, and that it was 
through these salve-dealers that the Kola nut was 
introduced in the West Indies, Blexico, Brazil and 
Mauritius. In these countries, however, the population 
have never paid the slightest attention to the tree, 
of whose presence in their midst the vast majority 
are quite unaware. A regular export trade is even 
carried on in kola nuts from Lagos and Loanda to 
Brazil. It is also suggested that a large proportion 
of the kola nuts imported into England are used in 
the preparation of low grade chocolates with the 
addition of a little cocoa. —Indian Agriculturist. 
