8o8 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Junk r, 1888. 
TEA. 
The following figures show, in millions of pounds, 
the deliveries (both for export and home consump- 
tion) of Tea in the United Kingdom coming from 
China, India, Java and Japan respectively, during the 
past ten years: — 
FROM 
China. 
India. 
Java and Japan. 
Ceylon. 
1878 
... 157 
37 
Not separated. 
1879 
... 160 
34 
51 
>» 
1880 
... 160 
44 
2 
1881 
... 154 
48 
1 
V 
1882 
... 160 
50 
if 
») 
1883 
... 155 
59 
2 
t> 
1884 
... 152 
63 
3 
»• 
1885 
... 152 
65 
3i 
3 
1886 
... 143 
66 
4 
64 
1887 
... 120 
82 
31 
10 
When it is remembered that the export of tea from 
the United Kingdom has diminished from 45£ million 
lb. in 1886 (the largest export trade done in any one 
year during the decade above referred to) to 34f 
million 1 to which it had sunk last year, it will bo 
seen that the lessened quantity of tea required from 
China — whose teas almost alone figure in our export 
trade — to supply deliveries, is very considerable. At 
the same time, there can be no doubt that China can, 
and will, send us better teas than she has lately, and 
there can also be very little doubt that, notwithstand- 
ing the enormous strides which have recently been 
made in India and Ceylon towards supplying this coun- 
try, there will always be a demand for good Congou, 
such as China has sent us liberal supplies of in 
the past. — Produce Markets' Review, March 31st. 
♦ 
BBITISH NORTH BORNEO NEWS: 
Interesting Items. 
(Prom the North Borneo Herald, April 1st. ) 
We understand that the Borneo Planting Company 
are making rapid progress. Mr. A. Walker, their 
Manager, has'felled 160 acres on the Segaliud River for 
Liberian coffee, cocoa, Manila hemp, pepper, coconuts 
&c. At Bocara 60 acres are planted with Manila 
hemp and pineapples, and further land is being cleared 
for this purpose. We wish this Pioneer Company every 
success, 
Great progress is being made in the erection 
of the Saw Mill of the British Borneo Trading 
and Planting Company. The two powerful Boilers 
are fixed in their places and all the earthwork 
in connection with the levelling and raising of the site 
is finished, upwards of 2,000 tons of each having been 
cut from the hill at the back and taken to the site a dis- 
tance of 700 feet by the portable railway and tipped on 
the ground. The tunnels for the main and inter- 
mediate shafts are finished, and we understand that 
the erection of Saw Mill Buildings will be started at 
once. Mr. Boultbee and his energetic staff are to be 
congratulated on the rapid strides they have made 
in so short a time. 
Mr. Lind of the German Borneo Company, has 
finished sorting his Tobacco and was to ship it in 
the " Paknam " leaving Banguey about the 25th March. 
By the "Paknam" arriving on the 16th March, Messrs 
Jonkher A. van Oitters and R. Doom, both of Java, 
arrived at Sandakan. These gentlemen propose to 
take up land for Tobacco planting. 
AVe hear that Mr. Jan C. Teves has formed a Com- 
pany in Holland with a Capital of 1,000,000 guilders 
to work his concession on the Sugut River. We 
also hoar that the Capital will be fully paid up and 
that the working capital of the Company will be 
least 750,00"/. 
The Government of British North Borneo has de- 
cided to limit the area of Land to be taken up by one 
Company to 10,000 acres. The large amount of land 
applied for by Tobacco Planters has rendered this 
necessary, and it is quite possible in the face of the 
continued application for lands, that the area to be 
allowed in euoh oases may be yet further diminished. 
Price of British North Borneo Tobacco. — The 
Indische Mcrcuruer of the 31st December, J 887, con- 
tains a review of the prices obtained during 1887 for 
Tobacco, and among the quotations we notice : — 
Borneo Cover Tobacco. 
15 B. N. B. (Ranow 18S6) 185 c. 
12 do. Bando 65 c. 
27 Average. 132 c. 
We have received a valuation of Cotton obtained 
by Mr. W. B. Pryer from Dorningal, ou the Kina- 
bataugan River, which is as follows : — 
" The Sample of cotton you forwarded to us is a 
very good useful cotton, is well cleaned, without 
injury to staple which is good, and worth 5£<1. per 
lb ; if equal to sample would sell readily. W. J. & 
H. Thomson." 
The Cotton plant here referred to is a shrub, not 
unlike Fiji cottou, but somewhat taller, say eight 
feet high. — Straits Times, April 24th. 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
The following appears in " The Literary and 
Society Journal " of America received by the 
mail : — 
A short announcement of an interesting nature 
has been made to the elite of this city in the 
shape of a postal card which reads as follows : — 
" On the 17th day of December, 1887, at a meet- 
ing of a joint committee of the Chamber of Com- 
merce and the Planters' Association of Ceylon, it 
was resolved : 
" That the sum of two thousand rupees be voted 
for the purpose of buying tea to be 6ent to Mr. J. 
McOombie Murray for free distribution in America. 
"Please call at St. George's Hall building, No. 
60 N. Thirteenth street, and receive a sample of our 
tea free of charge, in accordance with the above 
resolution. Tea will be served from three to five 
o'clock every afternoon. 
" The Ceylon Pure Tea & Coipee Co. 
" J. M. Murray & Co." 
It is very interesting to note that Ceylon tea is 
fast becoming first favorite at our fashionable after- 
noon teas, as it has been for some time past in 
England. We cannot do more than congratulate 
Mr. Murray, himself a teaplanter and proprietor 
in Ceylon, for the success he has met with in 
his endeavours to introduce a pure, wholesome and 
fine flavored tea in this city. The independent 
position he has taken up, and the energetic way 
in which he has gone about his work, is in itself 
a recommendation of the quality of the article he 
is introducing to our best families, and we are 
glad to see that his efforts are acknowledged by 
the Chamber of Commerce and the Planters' Asso- 
ciation of Ceylon. We understand that among the 
number of appreciative drinkers of Ceylon tea are 
President and Mrs. Cleveland. [The fact of the 
President's sister and family, Di. and Mrs. Hastings, 
having devoted their lives to missionary service in 
Ceylon affords another reason for interest in our 
island. — Ed.] 
Indian Tea Notes. — Sylhet has had 4 73 inches of 
rain. More than 2 inches have fallen in Sibsagar and 
Lukhimpoor. The weather in most districts of Assam 
has been hot and windy. Tea plucking has become 
general, and prospects are good. The hot weather 
has begun in earnest at Dehra Doon, and they are all 
busy making tea. The gardens on the whole are look- 
ing very well indeed for this time of year. A note 
from Dibrugarh, dated the 18th April, says : — " Still 
more rain to chronicle 
Total to date . . ... 20-15 
In 1887 ... ... 15-50 
In 1886 ... .. 11-90 
" Plucking is now general. Fine plucking and high 
fermentation is to be the rule this season. No new 
machinery appears to be coming to this district this 
year, but several improved Victorias are on the way 
out," — Indian Planters' Gazette, April 17th. 
