780 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [May i, 1889. 
encourage the growth of the export trade of the 
island. In his "Notes on Economic Plants and 
Products," Dr. Trimen alludes to some products, 
which have but little interest for this Presidency, 
and we do not therefore purpose to comment upon 
all his remarks. There are some products, how- 
ever, which are deserving of the notice of our 
planters, either on account of the rivalry already 
existing, or, where the plants are not now grown 
in Southern India, with a view to investigations 
being made as to their suitability, and the pros- 
pects of working them to advantage. 
In view of the requirements of a Cotton mill to 
be erected in Colombo by the " Ceylon Spinning 
and Weaving Company," a vigorous effort is being 
made to increase the production of the plant, 
various descriptions of seed having been distributed 
on behalf of the Company for experimental culture. 
Tinnevelly seed soon showed itself only suitable for 
the dry region of Ceylon, where it grew vigorously, 
producing its usual rather scanty crop of pods 
in less than four months, i. e., early in October. 
Egyptian is only fairly reported upon, and has 
not, like Tinnevelly, been free from the ravages of 
the insect world. The Fiji has fared similarly, and 
there has not yet been sufficient time to form any 
conclusion about Sea Island seed. Dr. Trimen is 
probably aware, though he makes no allusion to 
the fact, that exotic cottons are only too apt to 
deteriorate year after year. The supply of foreign 
seed need to be constantly replenished if the staple 
is to be maintained, and we have seen no reports 
yet that would justify our considering that Ceylon 
has already established her capacities as a cotton- 
growing country. We cannot altogether shake off 
an idea that Bombay, or even Madras, has little 
fear at present from the rivalry of Ceylon in this 
direction, but her progress will doubtless be 
watched with interest by the cotton cultivators 
and spinners of India, and perhaps our planters 
may also derive a useful suggestion or two from 
some of their neighbour's report of experiences or 
progress made in other classes of cultivation. — 
Madras Times, April 4th. 
4 
TEA-GROWING IN JAVA. 
The Report for 1888 of the Planters' Association at 
Sukabumie in Java has just reached us. Sukabumie 
lies amid districts which afford ample scope to plant- 
ing enterprise iu many directions set forth in the 
Report. In that of tea cultivation, which of late 
years has been steadily extending the fall in prices 
has worked for good in enforcing economical manage- 
ment. Working expenses have been lessened, and 
improved machinery has come into greater favour. 
Tea plants from Assam are covering larger stretches 
on the estates, and ousting the other cultivated 
kinds. Planters look confidently to the time when 
these will enable them to meet successfully the keen 
competition of India and Ceylon. How increasingly 
the outturn of Assam tea in Java grows may be seen 
from the faot that on one estate alone the yield 
reached 150,000 Amsterdam pounds. Another en- 
couraging sign lies in the indisputable fitness of West 
Java in soil and olimate for this branch of cultiva- 
tion, as proved by o quarter of a century's experience. 
That part of the island has the regularity of rainfall 
to which counts much in tea planting. Official dis- 
couragement bars the extension of it from the 
hindrances laid by the Government in the acquisition 
of waste land. La'^o Tacts of the latter in West Java 
are kept out of th L (haulers' hands. It only needs a 
reversal of this policy of looking the land up to draw 
capital and labour there bo as to increase still further 
the productive wealth of the island. Taxation too 
w< ighs heavily on Java tea planters, and places them 
at a serious disadvantage with their rivals in Ceylon, 
who less handicapped, have shot a long way ahead of 
their Java fellows. The Utter have to contend against 
fiscal demands and official obstructiveness. Were Gov- 
ernment to lend more readily a helping hand, tea 
cultivation would, in the opinion of the Association, 
soon advance with gigantic strides in Java. Tbe tea 
shrub in that island has, however, a destructive enemy 
in the shape of an insect styled tbe Helopeltii Antonii, 
whose ravages cost the planters hundreds of thousauds 
of guilders. No remedy for it has been found, so that, 
what with insects, fiscal burd e iis, and obstructive land 
laws tea planters in Java must, we fear, look forward 
to a hard struggle— Straits Times, April 2nd. 
CHINA TEA IN 1888. 
A very comprehensive work has been issued by 
the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs on the tea- 
trade of China, dealing chiefly with the causes which 
have contributed to the decline of this great 
trade. As we reported some time ago Sir Robert 
Hart addressed circulars to the Commissioners of 
Customs at the various treaty ports requesting full 
reports with regard to the position of the tea-trade, 
accompanied by whatever recommendations they might 
have to make for its improvement. The result is the 
issue of a bulky volume under the title ' Tea, 1888.' 
The work contains reports from the Commissioners 
at Hankow Kiukiang, Wuhu, Shanghai, Ningpo- 
Tamsui, Foochow, Amoy, and Canton, the ports most 
engaged in the tea trade. Appended also is corres- 
pondence between the Chamber of Commerce in Ohiu.i 
the principal tea firms, experienced Chinese dealers. 
It is impossible of course to give anything like a 
summary of such a work, but we reproduce iu full the 
report by Sir Robert Hart addressed to the Tsung-li 
Yarneu, with which the book opens: — 
Report on Tea addressed to the Tsung-li Yamin by 
the Inspector General of Customs. 
Inspectorate General of Customs, Peking, 
31st August 1888. 
1. — In 1885 and again in 1887 I submitted 
my views respecting the increasing demand for 
Indian tea, the deterioration of Chinese tea, and the 
suggestions that had been made regarding preparation 
and taxation ; and having received the Yamen's order 
to instruct the Commissioners of Customs at the ports 
concerned to examine and report, I directed them to 
do so by my Circular No. 387 of the 30th August, 
1887. The replies of the Commissioners at Hankow, 
Kiukiang, Wuhu, Shanghai, Ningpo, Tamsui, Foochow, 
Amoy, and Canton have arrived : that there are faults 
of preparation to he remedied, and that taxation ought 
to be reconsidere I, is the general result of their 
inquiries. After a careful examination and comparison 
of what the Commissioners write from their several 
local standpoints, I have now the honour to submit 
this Report for the Yamen's consideration. 
2. — Not only is China the native place of tea, but 
Chinese tt a is superior in flavour to all other teas; 
and yet, although the export of Chinese tea has gone 
on increasing, a large proportion of the increasing 
number of tea-drinkers in England take Indian 
instead of Chiua's black teas, and in America take 
Japanese instead of China's green teas. The cause 
of this is not that the raw product— the leaf — has 
deteriorated in China, but rather because India and 
Japan take so much greater pains to prepare their Teas 
well that not only do the Teas keep without changing, 
but they can be sold cheaper than Chinese Teas — so 
well, too, do their painstaking producers know how to 
save wisely. China's failure to take the same pains is 
partly because of the old reason — it was always so, — 
and partly because falling prices have disheartened 
producers : old conditio, s are, in fact, beaten by new 
methods. Thus the result is that every new adv ance 
gives competitors an additional hold on the maiket; 
and although China's export trade has not yet fallen 
off, it is widely asserted that in time it must cease 
to exist. That other Teas should be sold cheaper is 
explained in two ways : — 
(a) China's Teas are more heavily taxed. — Although 
all Teas pay the same Import Duty at their destination 
they are differently taxed on departure ; e.g., while 
