THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [April i, 18S2. 
CALCUTTA TEA SYNDICATE. 
(Circular.) 
Calcutta, 26th January 1882. 
Dear Sirs, — With reference to my circular letter of 
the 10th ultimo, pointing out for your special consider- 
ation the extensive demand which has been established 
for Indian tea in Melbourne, by the operations of the 
Syndicate, I am desired by the Committee to state that 
in their opinion the time has hardly yet arrived 
when the Syudicate should withdraw from the field 
and give place to private enterprize. 
The effect of the above letter has been to induce 
further parcels of tea to be entrusted to the Syndicate 
for shipment, but it is probable that the exports during 
the next three months will be insufficient to provide for 
the present demaud, which our Melbourne Agents es- 
timate at the rate of 1 to 1 J millions lb. per annum. 
The shipments of the Syndicate to Melbourne during 
the season, which commeuced in May last, up to the 
31st ultimo, have been 375,452 lb., and the total ship- 
ments to Australia and New Zealand during the same 
period have been about, 700,000 lb., from which it 
appears that more than half the total export is due to 
the operations of the Syndicate, and there is still a 
large deficiency of about 500,000 lb. required to meet 
tbe above estimated yearly demand in Melbourne alone. 
The shipments of the Syndicate to America have been 
only 156,454 lb., and of this quantity only the first 
despatch of 29,552 lb. to Chicago has arrived at its 
destination. By a telegram dated the 12th instant, 
from Mr. Sibthorp, at New York, we learn that these 
teas were selling well at Chicago, and that more were 
required. It is therefore to be hoped that the intro- 
duction of our Indian teas into the United States will 
meet with the same measure of success that has attended 
our operations with Australia. Owing to ill-health Mr. 
Sibthorp has unfortunately been incapacitated from 
work for some weeks, and has therefore been unable to 
furnish the detailed report he has been asked for, upon 
his tour through the States and Canada, but it is hoped 
that this important communication will not be much 
longer delayed. 
The attention of the Committee has been drawn to 
the advantage of opening up a further market at the 
Cape, and letters have been received from houses at 
Natal and Port Elizabeth, giving useful information 
regarding the tea trade in those places. 
Under all these circumstances the Committee of the 
Syndicate are of the unanimous opinion that it would 
be premature to bring their work to a close at present, 
and they accordingly propose that the Syndicate 
shall continue to undertake the despatch of tea to the 
several markets named, in such manner as shippers 
may desire, and upon the same terms as have been 
in force during the season now closing. 
I am further desired to hand you an extract from 
our Melbourne Agents' letter of the 5th ultimo, refer- 
ring to the sale of the shipments per steamer " Mon- 
golia" and " Khedive," in September last, together 
with particulars of these shipments, showing the Cal- 
cutta valuations at time of despatch and the prices 
realized. 
Since the foregoing was written an interesting letter, 
dotted 13th December, has beea received from Messrs. 
J. W. Doane an?l Co., the Agents of the Syndicate at 
Chicago, a copy of which also accompanies this com- 
munication. The Committee, having due regard to 
the telegram referred to above, intend that their next 
despatch to America shall be sent to Chicago, and 
they trust that the opening up of that market may 
lead to an extensive deinatul for our Indian teas 
throughout the Western Stages of America. 
I am, dear sirs, Yours, fuith fully, 
Jv, B, Maoor, Honorary Secretary. 
Extract from Messrs. James Henty & Co.'s letter, 
dated Melbourne, 5th December 1881 :— 
" On the 24th ultimo we tried our entire stock of 
Indian teas by public auction, say : — 
O H|« 
... 515 
12 25 
... 1,162 
... 1,445 
... Ex "Mongolia," Account Syndicate. 
Ditto. do. J. H. & Oo. 
... Ex "Khedive," Account Syndicate. 
32 "Carlisle Castle," Account J.H.&Co. 
12 3,147 167 32 
"The attendance was large, biddings brisk, and the 
whole quantity sold without any difficulty. 
" Assams show, on the whole, a decided advance; 
Pekoes Id. to 2d. higher than last sale, Pekoe Sou- 
chongs will average higher rates, whilstpricsarewe.il 
maintained for broken teas. Medium Pekoe Souchongs 
in tins show a decline — tins as a package being evidently 
over-supplied. 
"Cachars realized fully up to the rate obtained at 
the previous sale, with broken teas and Pekoes showing 
rather better result. 
" Darjeelings sold at an advance of Jd. to l^d. on 
Pekoe Souchongs, but fine Pekoes are 2d. to 3d. lower. 
" The Dooars teas being in tins suffered in the same 
way as Assam medium Pekoe Souchong in tins, and 
sold at cheap prices. 
" Dehra Doons, though very pretty in appearance, 
did not realize so much as expected, expect for Broken 
Pekoe, which commanded full prices. 
"As the next six weeks are generally given up to 
holiday- making, we do not anticipate selling any more 
Indian teas before the end of January or early in 
February. 
'■ The high prices ruling on your side and our endeav- 
ours to force our market up correspondingly on this 
have resulted in curtaling the number of our buyers and 
throwing more business into the hands of the wholesale 
packers and blenders. We have fewer buyers at 
present high rates, but larger purchasers. What we 
should like to see, and it would be safer for U3 in 
the future, would he more general buyers and larger 
area for the sale and disposal of Indian teas. 
" In the analysis of the Dehra Doon teas, you will 
notice they show a large percentage of mineral ash 
with a small percentage of soluble salts in proportion. 
This brings them below the chemist's standard for 
Indian teas, 
"The ' Connaught Eanger ' has arrived, and the 
samples are just comiDg in. 
"One of our largest China tea-dealers is preparing 
to go fully into the Indian tea trade, and is inclined 
to purchase tbe whole of the ' Connaught Ranger's ' 
shipment. We will try and do business with him 
after the mail has left. We hear that the buyer of 
most of tbe tea in tins at auction has just resold 
the whole of his purchases at a profit. We therefore 
advise you to send some more of these packages." 
Copy of Messrs. J. W. Doane & Co.'s letter, dated 
Chicago, December 13th, 1881 :— 
Your favors of the 3rd and 10th Sept. are at hand, and 
contents have our careful attention. The shipment per 
S. S. " Compta " is just arriving here, and while we j 
have little or no encouragement to offer yet, in the way 
of sales, we hope soon to able to do so. We shall 
not commence advertizing the goods until after the | 
holidays; as business is always very quiet with us 
at this time, and, in addition to this, the advertise- i 
ments of holiday goods, which fill our papers at present, I 
attract all the attention. 
As you are probably aware, but very little Souchong 
and Congou teas are used in the United States as 
