674 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [February r, 1882. 
to raise this to 2\ annas. Curing during the early 
part of the month was rather difficult, as we have 
no drying sheds ; and, as most of our drying 
grounds are in ravines and surrounded by shade 
trees, we are dependent in great part on the sun. 
A scanty supply of water is the great drawback in 
South Coorg. In some notable instances there is barely 
sufficient for the coolies and the little there is, is of 
the very worst description, necessitating filters at every 
bungalow and a supply of clearing nuts (Strychnos 
potatorum) with the more careful of the coolies. 
Leaf disease is gradually disappearing, leaving our 
chicks in most cases leafless, and the more hardy Coorgs 
little the worse. On some clearings I have noticed 
a good deal of ringer, but nothing to alarm us as we 
are quite prepared for all these contingencies now, 
"borer" having taught us the necessity of always 
having large nurseries ; and no matter how large they 
are, somehow the plants are always used. In some 
cases, however, they are exchanged for rupees, much to 
the profit of the seller and at times dead loss to the pur- 
chaser. In your last Observer I notice some land sales. 
The prices have gone down greatly from what they were 
five years ago. In Coorg the price has been steadily rising, 
the highest figure for a block of any size being about 
B120 per acre. Coorgs ran the price up I believe, and 
in every case where an application is made to Go- 
vernment for waste land some one or other of the 
ryots manages to have what he considers a claim : often 
imaginary, nevertheless vexatious. We have a so- 
called Coffee-stealing Act, but it is a mere sham compared 
to the Ceylon one, loads of coffee being purchased in 
smalls from our coolies oh bazaar days, who when once 
in the receiver's hands are mere tools, knowing the 
consequences if blown on, yet afraid to "peach." We 
hope for a change and big crops next year, the 
estates being in splendid form. — Bamboo. 
THE PKOSPECTS OF INDIAN TEA. 
(Friend of India.) 
With the beginning of the present year the prospects 
of Indian tea began to revive, and while considerable 
doubt existed in the minds of many well qualified to 
form an opinion as to the cause of this revival, and as 
to the likelihood of its permanency, all were agreed that 
at the moment the change first showed itself, the pros- 
pects of the industry could not well he worse than they 
were, and had been, and that any change must therefore be 
for the better. We might have been sure that the improve- 
ment was a permanent one, because it was based on 
sound principles. For years past an effort altogether 
unworthy of tea planters was made to introduce Indian 
tea to the English public by a side wind, by mixing it 
: ! h China) tea, and thus gradually educating the En- 
glish taste. This we have all along felt was a great 
mistake, and we persistently advocated the plan 'of 
establishing a system of retail sales in such a manner 
as would dispense with the services of the middle- 
man. By this mode the tea would have reached 
the consumer pure and unmixed, and we never 
had a doubt that Indian tea would very speedilv 
assert its superiority. Latterly this plan has been followed. 
In most of the larger towns agencies were opened, selling 
tea in original packages from India, these packages being 
of a size suitable to private requirements. The result 
which we felt sure would follow has beeu achieved, and 
the taste for Indian tea is now rapidly spreading. Tea 
culthation and manufacture are of such a nature that it 
is impossible — except to a very limited extent — to man- 
ufacture in such quantities as the market requires, and un- 
fortunately the extensions made from 5 to 10 years age led 
to vterj liuitcrinlly iwmised production, which told in 
the market in the nhape of heavy stocks. These in turn 
Regit down prices, and disheartened planters. Extens- 
ions for the past three years have been on a much 
smaller scale, and we may therefore expect that the 
exports to Great Britain will not increase in the same 
rapid ratio ; stocks will fall — in fact, are falling — and 
prices will resume their wonted rates. The increase in 
recent months is remarkable, and will best be illustra- 
ted by the following table — 
Monthly Consumption. 
Indian. China. 
lb lb 
1,141,000 9,153,000 
1871 
1872 
1873 
1874 
1875 
1876 
1877 
1878 
1879 
1880 
1881 
1,388,000 
1,506,000 
1,503,000 
1,868,000 
2,145,000 
2,321,000 
3.002,000 
2,841,000 
3,653,000 
4,052,000 
9,362,000 
9,494.000 
9,949.000 
10,253,000 
10,282,000 
10,385,000 
10,079,000 
10 546.(00 
9,561,000 
9,301,000 
Total, 
lb 
10,294 000 
10,750,000 
11.000,000 
11,452.000 
12,121.000 
12,427,000 
12,606.000 
13,141,000 
13,387,000 
13,214,000 
13 353.000 
marked 
per head of the 
It will be observed that the consumption of Indian 
tea has steadily increased during theee 11 years, while 
that of China seems to have reached its maximum 
in 1875, when it remained practically steady till 
1879, after which date a change for the worse set in, 
thus showing that the absolute increase in consump- 
tion of tea was composed entirely of Indian. The 
following table will show this in an even more 
It shows the consumption in lbs. 
population for the past 21 years : — 
0/0 India. 
1- 4 
17 
2- 2 
2-7 
31 
30 
4- 3 
5- 6 
6- 8 
9-4 
11-5 
11- 5 
13- 0 
14- 1 
12- 8 
16- 0 
17- 8 
186 
23-9 
22-7 
27-7 
30-2 
From the above statements it will be seen that the 
proportion of China teas consumed has steadily de- 
creased since 1873, while that of Indian teas has as 
steadily increased. The rage for rasping, pungent 
teas has now somewhat cooled down, and the full 
rich flavour of the Indian leaf is having fair play. 
The large shipments now being regularly sent to 
Australia muse tell 'in keeping down stock, and from 
the amount of business done in that market during 
the past year and-a-half, we are in hopes that 
Australia will almost absorb the increased produc- 
tion resulting from extended area, thus leaving not more 
than fifty million pounds to go to Great Britain. This 
will have a beneficial effect on the home market, and 
tend to keep up prices. 
As a natural consequence the value of tea property is 
improving, and shares are quoted considerably higher 
than they were twelve months ago, as will be seen from 
the following statement : — 
Quotations. Increase. 
China. 
India. 
Total. 
1860 
2.622 
•038 
2-660 
1861 
2.625 
•045 
2.670 
1862 
2.622 
•058 
2.680 
1863 
•078 
2.880 
1864 
2^886 
•094 
2.980 
1865 
3.163 
•097 
3.260 
1866 
3.266 
•146 
3.412 
1867 
3-484 
•206 
1868 
3-198 
•242 
3-540 
1869 
3-334 
•346 
3-680 
1870 
3-396 
•443 
3-839 
1871 
3-478 
•442 
3920 
1872 
3-488 
•522 
4-010 
1873 
3-537 
•579 
4-116 
1874 
3-681 
•549 
4-230 
1875 
3-728 
•712 
4-440 
1876 
3-697 
•803 
4-500 
1877 
3-664. 
•836 
4-500 
1878 
3-464 
1-087 
4-551 
1879 
3-524 
1-037 
4-561 
1880 
3-314 
1-269 
4-583 
1881 
3-192 
1-379 
4-571 
Paid up. 16 Nov. 1880 19 Nov. 1881. / 
Bisnauth Co. 200 210 240 14 
HoltaCo. 100 65 95 46 
Punkabaree Co. 100 62 95 53 
TukvorCo. 200 152 190 25 
