388 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [December i, 1888. 
CHINA AND JAPAN TEA EXPOETS FOR 1888-89 : 
TOTAL SUPPLY FOE UNITED KINGDOM. 
As three-fourths of the current season's supply 
from China for Great Britain has now been shipped, 
the interest in the export returns has so 
diminished as to render it unnecessary for us to 
incur the expense of having the fortnightly 
figures telegraphed to us from the Far East, 
for the information of our planting subscribers. 
We hive therefore discontinued these telegrams ; but 
we shall resume them when next season's supply 
becomes one of interest to our readers. In the 
meantime, in order to keep our tea-planting friends 
in touoh with a subject of bo much importance 
to them, we will occasionally publish compara- 
tive returns as we did before we commenced 
the special messages. Our readers will see that to 
provide for deliveries of 220 millions of pounds 
iu Great Britain, the estimated quantity required 
between the 1st June 1888 and the 3 1st May 1889, 
the probable receipts were given by Messrs. Stenning, 
Inskipp & Co. at 221 million lb. They put for- 
ward in June last, the following figures • — 
Probable i'ea Shipments to the United Kingdom ; 
China and Japan 100,000 000 lb. 
India 93,000,000 „ 
Ceylon 25,000,000 „ 
Java .. .. .. 3,000 000 „ 
Together .. .. 221,000,000 lb. 
It was evident, therefore, that the supply to Great 
Britain and the deliveries for consumption and ex- 
port were so nearly equal, that there were good 
grounds for anticipating a healthy state of the 
Tea Trade until the prospect of the supplies for 
1889-90 had to be dealt with, provided the figures 
for this season's supply were not under-estimated. 
As three-fourths of the China and Indian supply 
for the current season have now been shipped, we are 
in a position to form a tolerably correct opinion on 
tue above estimates put forth at the commencement 
of the tea year. By the subjoined figures it will 
be seen that the China and Japan exports to the 
20th March amounted to 75,359,963 lb., against 
90,676,«23 lb. last year: — 
Exports from China and Japan to 
United Kingdom for... 1888-9 75,359,963 
„ „ „ „ ...1887-8 90,676,023 
„ „ „ ...1886-7 120,088,784 
to America for. ..1888-9 42,304,225 
„ ...1887-8 37,786,845 
„ ...1886-7 47,988,674 
„ ,, to Australia for.. 1888-9 21, "59,531 
„ „ „ „ ...1887-8 20,516,371 
„ „ „ „ ...1886-7 18,627,307 
„ „ to Continent almost 
entirely to Bu8sia...l888-9 18,070,667 
„ „ „ „ ...1887-8 12,820,667 
To make up Messrs. Stenning, Inskipp & Co.'s esti- 
mate of 100 million lb. 24§ millions of lb. only should be 
shipped during the remainder of the season to the United 
Kingdom. Last year between the20lh October and the 
end of the season 32i millions of pounds were shipped. 
The question therefore is, as regards the China and 
Japan supply, what is the prospect of the remainder 
of this season's export being 8 millions of pounds 
b< low last year's figures? Taking into consideration 
the advanced period of the year, and the stocks 
in the chief treaty ports, we are inclined to think 
fcbatj the China supply will be from 3 to 5 per 
cent over the estimate, but 18 to 2 i millions below the 
tat il of last season. The great falling-oil so far this 
year has been in the Foochow supply : the decrease 
hus been If. 1 , millions of pounds. From the Yan^tse 
porta it bus only been lj million, and from 
Canton and Macao 1\. There is little doubt, but 
that there will be a further considerable decrease 
from the Yangtse ports, as the stock at Shanghai 
is only half of what it was this time last year. The 
supply from Canton ai d Macao is dwindling down 
into very small figures, and the quality of what is now 
coming to market is of the lowest possible description. 
The arrivals at Foochow have as usual at this 
time of the year become small ; but, as the stock 
there is 30 per cent more than last year, namely 
10 million pounds against 8 millions, there may be 
some increase from that port. A careful compari- 
son of the figures induces us to think that the 
total supply from China will be under 105 million 
of pounds. 
From India up to the 1st instant to the United 
Kingdom, 57 million lb. have been shipped out 
of an estimated supply of 93 million pounds. 
Judging from the tenor of the Indian advices 
we should say that the full quantity estimated 
will not be shipped' to the United Kingdom from 
Calcutta, — the increase will probably be this season 
8 millions of pounds against an estimated increase 
of 10 millions. The only doubtful element, then, in 
the calculated supply is that from Ceylon. The export 
from the loth of April to the end of October, or 6| 
months, has been 14 million lb., out of an estimated 
supply of 25 millions for the year ending 31st May 
1889. There is thus 11 million lb. to be shipped 
between the 1st Nov. and 15th April next. The 
question is, will it be more or less ? Our own 
idea is that the quantity will be about 1-3 mil- 
lion pounds, against Messrs. Stenning, Inskipp & 
Co.'s estimate of 11, showing an increase which 
exactly balances the estimated decrease in the case 
of Indian exports. The estimated supply from Java 
to the United Kingdom may be taken at from three 
to four million lb. 
Looking at these figures as a whole, therefore, 
(here is nothing to indicate an oversupply of our 
staple to the olst May next, and therefore no 
occasion to anticipate otherwise than a firm market 
and good prices, save from any passing fluctuation 
due to temporary causes. 
♦ 
CEYLON TEA AND COPYING OF ESTATES' 
NAMES. 
The lessee of Taprobana estate, Dimbula, has 
just had a curious experience. His London Agents, 
m reporting a sale of his tea (9ih October) as 
follows : — 
Marks. Packages. Goods. Price per lb 
Taprubana 16 half chts. Pekoe Is 
8 „ Broken Pekoe Is 6£d. 
10 „ Orange „ Is Id. 
34 
add in their letter : — 
" You will be interested in seeing the enclosed 
wrapper which covers packets of tea sold by a trades- 
man in the Borough. We have brought and tasted 
the tea which is fairly good, but as tbe man sells it 
at Is lOd per lb. we expect there is cheap China mixed 
up with the Ceylon, but it is difficult to detect it." 
The label enclosed is a bright yellow one, and 
runs as follows : — 
" Bich Ceylon tea, — Taprobana, — Harrington and 
Lucas, Tea and Coffee Merchants, 155, Borough High 
Street, London, S. E. 
lid per half lb. 
This delightful tea surpasses iu excellence the growth 
of China or India ■ it is absolutely pure and unmixed 
combining the delicate flavour of the finest China teas, 
with the strength and fragrance of fine Indian. This 
tea is peculiarly adapted fur the dyspeptic and for 
invalids, being free from excessive astriugency and 
tannin. To be had only of Harrington and Lucas, 155, 
V. rough High Street, London, S. E." 
