March i, 1889 ] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
589 
KEVIEW OF THE CEYLON TEA TRADE 
FOR 1S88. 
(Steiiniuff, Inskipp iy Oct '9 Indian $ Ceylon Tea 
Market Review for 1888.) 
London. 9 Great Tower Street, Jan. 1889. 
Present Prices. — Compared with the position of a 
year ago, dusts are 2d and broken teas id to Id dearer, 
but souchongs and pekoe souchongs aro slightly cheaper, 
medium pekoes and broken pekoes show the greatest 
variation, pekoes Doing Id to 2d and broken pekoes 2d 
to 3d cheaper, Fino and finest are about Id to 2d 
cheaper ; hut really choice liquoring parcels are on a 
level with values ruling at the end of 1887. 
The Season. — So far results are disappointing to 
many owners of gardons, more especially of those 
which, from causes probably beyond the control of the 
manager, do not turn out tea at a sufficiently reduced 
cost to compensate for the lower prices. On the other 
hand, a large number of estates more favourably situa- 
ted, and yielding a larger outturn of fair quality, are 
still able to work to a good profit, though a diminished 
one compared with former years. 
It seems to us that the safest course would be to 
keep to a moderately fino system of plucking, so as to 
avoid poor liquors, even at the expense of lessening, 
fomewhat, tho production, and thus aim at quality as 
well as quantity the general leaning now appearing to 
be too much towards quantity. Growers in India must 
keep in miud that, as Ceylon is not only likely to 
largely increase its output for many years to come, 
but is producing a good article, and one which is ma- 
king great way in the estimation of consumers, there 
shonld be no relaxing of effort in the direction of quality 
if Indian tea is to maintain its supremacy. 
The low point to which the average value of Indian 
tea has now fallen is due to several causes, namely : 
competition with Geylon, pressure of supplies, and a 
I ailing off in quality. The first and last of these causes 
have just been referred to. The second poiut is one 
which is receiving anxious consideration from all con- 
cerned, but at present no practical solution of the 
l<rnliloiii how to more evenly distribute supplies over the 
season is forthcoming. 
Results ok Purchases. — So far, Teas boueht in 
Calcutta have left disappointing results to importers, 
eopecially those - coming under the category of me- 
dium and fiue, but the extent of the heavy aud con- 
tinuous fall here could not have been forescon. A 
few invoices of common grades, however, have left 
a profit. Some of the heaviest losses have been made 
in D.trjoeliug descriptions which on arrival have been 
found wanting iu the full characteristic flavour of 
this district, while really good flavoured teas have 
covered cost anil in nam" cues left a substantial profit. 
Value compared with China. — A poiut which has 
attracted much notice during tho year, aud more 
especially in the autumu, when new China Teas 
were soiling at high rates, is the extraordinary 
difference in valuo between them aud teas of Indian 
growth. Tho latter at 8d to lOd being from 3d to 
od per lb cheaper than the former. As time goes 
on any existing prejudice in favour of China will no 
doubt give way, and should the China imports con- 
time' to fall off, both in quantity and quality, a reaotion 
in favour of British grown Tea may be established. 
l!ut it may be assumed that the Chinese will endeavour 
to avert this by making u better claus of tea than 
that of recent years. 
Competition- m OhTLON. — The largely-increased sup- 
plies from < ' j Inn have had a very marked aud deprecia- 
ting Bffeot o,i Wilms of the medium and fine grades of 
India growth. \\. .-.idea adding great l> to the total weight 
of tea, the continuous arrivals, more particularly In 
tho spring and eaily summer, deprive bUj era <>f "that 
period of rest from public sales durum which, in 
former years, they woro enabled to substantially ro- 
dnco their accumulated stock, and thus clear the 
way, so to speak, for the tiexl uew crop. The rapidly 
jneroMina supply from Cuylou must bo reckoned with 
in the future. 
Soiti*o.— Tho increasing den. aud for Tea for price, 
and tho relatively low rates paid for medium grades 
lb. more than 
in 1887 
of Pekoe and Broken Pekoe, especially the former, 
would seem to call for some change in the present 
system of Sorting. The market for a long time past 
has been ovei weighted with medium Teas, the Pekoes 
in the great majority of cases being only Pekoo 
Souchong in appearance, and sometimes not throwing 
so good a liquor as tho Pekoo Souchong of the same 
invoice. It ia a question for managers to consider 
whether in order to better meet the requirements of 
tho trade, they Hhould not reduce somewhat the pro- 
portion ofthese descriptions by sorting a little differ- 
ently and producing a fair precentage of true Pekoe and 
Broken Pekoe, and also improving the quality of tho 
Pekoe Souchong. Broken Pekoes should be made as 
leafy as possible, and be quite free from Dust and 
coarse leaf. Attention should also be given to the pro- 
duction of a blackish leafy Broken Tea, a class which, 
if good in liquor, will probably command a large sale 
in future, owing to the comparative dearness of China 
Tea ; breaks of from 100 to 200 chests would not he 
too large. The present very large consumption for 
good Souchong kinds seems likely to continue. 
Finest descriptions may be expected to be saleable to 
a fair extent, but with the keen competition existing 
amongst retailers to sell cheaply, it is obvious that 
the demand for high priced Teas can be but limited. 
On some gardens, we believe, it has been found 
possible to pluck the fine and coarse leaf separately, 
and where the labour force is sufficieut to admit 
of this, the systom is, no doubt, attended with great 
advantage. The foregoing remarks do not apply so much 
to true flavoured Darjeelings. 
American Market. — Steps have been taken with a 
view to more thoroughly introducing Indian Teas, 
whereby an additional outlet for the increasing pro- 
duction will be tecured. 
Figures. — Indian — Imports in 1888 
were 7,000,000 
Deliveries „ 4,000,000 
Stocks „ 5,250,000 
Ceylon— Imports „ 9,000,000 
Deliveries „ 8,500,0110 
Stocks „ 2,000,000 
China-Imports „ 10,500,0110 ) , , 
Deliveries ,. 6,000,000 «„\i£? tllan 
Stocks „ C,000,000j m lbhl 
Bulking in India. — This process has been thoroughly 
done in many quarters but not in others. As we 
long ago pointed out, bulkiug should not be under- 
taken unless it can be so thoroughly done as to 
insure perfect uniformity of quality ; an equal quantity 
of tea moreover must be given with each chest ; nor 
would it be worth while to risk loss of quality through 
binning prior to bulkiug. The chief advantages of 
hulking in India are as follows : — 
1st. — Saving of timo in bringing tea to market. 
2nd. — Saving of Warehouse charges to the extent 
of about Is a cheit. 
3rd.— Prevention of risk of damage to leaf through 
hulking here. 
4th.— Less liability to loss in weight, test packages 
only beiug weighed. 
5th. — Tho superior condition iu which the packages 
reach the buyer. 
Weighing Net. — This system has made fair progress 
but there is still a want of;accuracy in some quarters 
the variations often much exceeding the limit of L'lbs 
either way, i.e.. above or below ; and frequent instUOM 
of great irregularity in invoice weights havo occurred, 
so much so, that buyers ure agitating for a return to 
the old system ol weighing »ach packages gross aud 
tare. It is to bo hoped that no such retrograde step 
will bo found u cessury. 
Weiouim. Indian Tka. — The following are the amen- 
ded regulations which came into force November, 1SS5, 
Tho weight of Indiau Tea for duty may, if desired 
by tho Impor'e s, ho ascertained under tho following 
regulatious : — 
L — The packages on arrival to bo weighed to an- 
ct! :u I., gi... . weight of each package. 
