"fvwE i, 1882. J THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE RIVALRY OF INDIAN AND CHINA 
TEAS, AND THE CONSUMPTION IN 
AUSTRALIA. 
The steady growth of the tea iuduetry in British 
India, not only promises to place the world in pos- 
session of an alternative -source of supply of tea, in 
the event of the China supply being interrupted by 
war or revolution, and not only holds out the promise 
of increased revenue and prosperity to this country ; 
but it also warus people interested in the well-being 
of the tea trade in China, to he on the alert. It is a 
moot question, whether China or India is the original 
home of the tea plant; and it has been contend d bj 
some people that t he shrub is indigenous in boili 
couutrios. It is now beyond a doubt that tea can bi 
grown as easily on the highlands of India, as on those 
of China ; and that it is only a question of time, 
when China will rind the world at large wavering in 
its affection for her special product. There is a wide 
difference between the flavours of the rival commod- 
ities ; and it is a serious matter for Cbiua, that so 
agreeable is the flavour of Indian tea, that those people 
who have once become accustomed to it, do not readily 
resume the use of China tea. Moreover India enjojs 
the great advantage over China, that her teas are cultiv- 
ated, and prepared for market, under immediate 
European superintendence. In China tea is grown by 
natives, in ancient native fashion ; and it is only when 
it has been prepared for market, that it is brought 
under the control of Europeans. If tea could not only 
be bought at the treaty ports aud shipped, but could 
be cultivated upcountry in China, by Europeans there 
would be much less chance than there now is of India 
cutting China out in the irade. A Shanghai paper 
perceives this, and recently pointed out: — 
"There are no squeezing Mandarins in India: there 
is European supervision in the packing and firing of 
the leaf, aud the plantations are connected with civil- 
isation by the railway and the telegraph. Every- 
thing is done to give India an unfair advantage over 
China. Consequently, Indian tea of the same quality 
is far cheaper in London than ihe ill-regulated produce 
of Hankow and Fuochow, and it is only the conserv- 
atism of the consumer who is not yet entirely 
habituated to ihe .Indian flavour that prevents our 
losses beiug much heavier than they are. Every year 
this preference for the leaf that has been longer 
known is wearing away, and our buyers will soon 
have to reckon with lis disappearance. As yet Indian 
tea is hardly taken on the Continent of Europe at all, 
but here too it will penetrate sooner or later, as it 
is doing into America and Australia; and then there 
will be no corner of the earth where the sway of China 
tea will be undisputed. Until foreigners can supervise 
the packing of ihe leaf iu China as they do in India, 
the produce of the latter country will continue to 
have an unfair advantage. The time no doubt will 
come wheu we Bhall be able to go up and buy the 
raw leaf on its native hills, pack it by our own 
methods, and bring it clown by railway to Shanghai 
for shipment; but foryrarsyet we shall labour under 
the d ^advantage of having to buy it just as the 
Chinaman chooses to prepare it, without any real 
knowledge of the total crop at any time, or any 
immediate power to manipulate the teas to suit the 
tastes of consumers." 
Our contemporary is to be commended for looking 
disagreeable facts full in the face, instead of seeking 
to allay local anxiety by underrating the danger (head! 
The Chinese themselves will be slow, perhaps, to 
credit the character of tho rivalry that is rising in 
far distant, and, to them, I ttle know n India : but 
when they find that their own product cia en 1 - 
mand tho high price it used to do, they will begin 
to ask "the reason why"; ami when the truth has 
been brought home to them, 
self-int'-rest to heed at last the 
the systematic adulteration, a 
ing up of their tea. 
The following statement she 
exported from India, and its 1 
twelve years ending 1 87* 7!' : 
ws the quantity of tea 
ifficial valuation, in the 
Fei 
1*09-70 
1870- 71 
1871- 72 
1872- 73 
1873- 74 
1874- 75 
1875- 76 
1876- 77 
1877- 78 
1S7S-79 
1879 80 
1880-81 
Quantity. 
lb. 12,750,000 
13,232,000 
17,4030,000 
17,920,000 
19, 41 2,000 
21,392,000 
24,56'1,000 
27,925,000 
33,656,000 
34,800,000 
38.173,521 
46,413,510 
Value. 
£1,080,000 
1,139,000 
.;.(iiii,(iiiD 
3,170,000 
3,050,000 
3,054,000 
follows : — 
Year. 
Quantity. 
1S69 
lb. 139,223,000 
1870 
141,020,000 
1S71 
169, SOS, 000 
1872 
184,927,000 
1873 
163,765,000 
1874 
162,782,000 
1875 . 
197 505,000 
1876 
185,536,000 
1877 
187,515,000 
187S 
204,872,000 
1879 
184.076,000 
1880 
206,971,000 
In the twelve years ending 18S0 the imports of tea 
Value. 
£10,311,000 
10,097,000 
11,635,000 
12,9."3,000 
11,372,000 
11 532,000 
13,765,000 
12,697,000 
12,4S0,000 
13,04S,000 
11,262,000 
11,613,000 
It thus appears that the exports from India increased 
from 12 : ; million of lb. in 1869-70 to nearly 46A million 
of lb. in 18S0 81, or by about 3-33 per cent; and 
that in the twelve years ending 1880 the imports' from 
all quarters into the United Kingdom increased bv 
about 50 per cent. The tea industry in India is a 
thing of yesterday's creation ; and the estates that are 
coming into bearing will year by vfar 
formidable total of export. The induati 
supported by a civilised and powerful 
and is stimulated by local and foreign ei 
is there! ore not unreasonable to expect 
a few years India will be able to expo 
millions of lbs. 
Much attention is bl 
of India and the Calcutta Tea Syndicate, to the desir- 
ability of Im'ia's cutting iu for a share of the tea 
trade of the Australasian Colonies. Coffee is but little 
to the 
ordially 
reefed by the Govern ment 
} ate quite J nnsonian 
country is more opened 
us, the demand for tea 
lports stated in millions 
out, and becomes more po 
will become very great. 1 i 
of lb. were as follows : — 
Year. Victoria N.S. Wales. S. Aunt. 
1865 ... 4 6 ... 5-3 ... 1-3 million M*. 
1866 ... 7 0 ... 6 0 ... 0 8 do 
1S67 ... 6-8 ... 4 3 ... 1-2 do 
1868 ... 10 1 ... 7 0 ... 1-4 do 
1869 .. C-9 ... 6-2 15 do' 
1570 .. 6 9 ... 3-K ... 0-8 do! 
1571 ... 7 1 ... 50 ... 1-3 da 
1872 ... 6-6 ... 3-9 ... 1 0 do. 
1873 ... 10-5 ... 5-0 ... 1 6 do. 
1874 ... 71 5 1 1 0 ,l 0 . 
1875 ... 90 ... 5-2 ... 1-S do. 
1876 ... 1) 7 ... 4.9 ... 1-0 do. 
1877 ... S3 ... 6-0 ... 1-2 do 
1878 ... 8-2 ... 5 3 ... 2 3 do.' 
1879 ... 8 3 ... 7 6 19 do. 
1 The- imports of Tasinauia amount to about 350,0001b. 
