Nov. I, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRicULTURIST, 
m 
the choicest Assam and Darjeeling growths which 
were lieenly bid for and fetched extreme rates. 
The downward tendency noticed last week in 
Ceylon teas has received a check in the consider- 
ably smaller supplies brought' forward, and most 
of the common grades ruled firm, while in many 
cases a rise was established. No public sales have 
been held since Tuesday, and the quantity at pre- 
sent advertised for next week again shows a falling 
off, so that lower prices are very improbable, even 
in the face of the cheap Indian teas now offering. 
The bulk of the sales has consisted of the medium 
and lower kinds, good Pekoes about 9d and upwards 
continuing very scarce, and all fine descriptions 
have met with a good demand." 
The Tea Trade of China.— Mr. O'Conor, in a 
report to the Earl of Rosebery, on the foreign trade 
of China, makes the following references to tea: — 
" Tea has not been so profitable for the Chinese 
middleman. Money was made by him at Hankow 
on what he sold there, but the Russian demand 
was limited, and a later demand expected through 
L Hidou never came. The oonseqaenoe was that some 
good teas brought from Haokow to Shanghai were sold 
at a reduction of 30 to 50 pur cent of prices obtainable at 
Hankow early in the season, and upon these teacaen 
suffered heavy losses. The foreign exporter ot tea 
tore in mind the heavy losses of previous years, and 
displayeii much caution in purchases which has lorni 
good fruit. A shrinkage in the export of tea from 
In ia and Ceylon owing to drought helped him, as it 
itupartud strength to the London market, and, on the 
whole the tea exporter to London has had the best sea- 
son on record for some years. Teas to America 
have practically done fairly well, and exporters to 
that market are satisfied with their operations. 
A SuBFRiSE Indbss. — Indulging in playful specula- 
tion m to (ha future of Indian oosl, the Globe aajs :— 
"Although India does not jet figure among the great 
coal-producing oonntries of the world, her out turn 
ut bldok diamonds is ssauming quite respeotshle di- 
men^ion6. What an unpleasant surprise for the 
British miner it would be if India were literally 
to " send ooila to Newoastle." Yet hall a 
century ago wheat growmg was unknown ia (he 
peninsula; now India is one of its chief exporters. 
At the same date China monopolised the English 
market for tea ; now both India and Ceylon are a 
long way ahead of her. Then, too, there are the 
Bombay cotton mills steadily eating into Lanca- 
shire's trade with the Far East. In presence of 
these quite recent conquests our pitmen should not 
make too sure that they would have the game in 
their hands against consumers even if Continental 
competition came to an end. 
The Bank Rate.— At a meeting of the directors 
of the Bank of England yesterday the Bank rate 
was reduced from 5 per cent, (at which it has stood 
since Aug, 24th) to 4 per cent. — M. and C. Mail, Sep. 15. 
INDIAN TEA NOTES AND NEWS. 
Our Moiiani oorreapondeut writes on 9kh September : 
— Kiinfall up to date 72-10, total for same period last 
} ear 77 '67; most gardens now doing fairly well although 
very little ahtad of last year. There are already 
^it$u8 of aa early close to tne season, viz., the asnal 
fo< in the morning and cold nights. 
Our Uulmari correspondent writes on the 6th 
September :— The weatlier for the last week has been 
dry with a very high temperature* Kainfall to 
(lite 86" •gainst 132" last year. There has been a 
good deal of sioknois amongst the ooolies, and a large 
percentage down with fever daily. Leaf ia fairly 
p'.intiful and most gardens are ahead, but the prices 
real zed for first iuvoioes are not encouraging. 
The weather in Chittagong during the past week 
has been somewhat more favourable ior leaf and most 
or the gardens in the northern part of the district are 
dicing well, while those in the aoutheru — notably 
ClmuJpore aiid Xuogoo — dtill sutler from the etfeota 
of the late tluods due to a large portion of the tea 
be ng ill low-lying fiats, the tap root being water- 
loggecl,"/i'.(^i«?i flcnteri' Gatctkf Sspt. 16, 
CEYLON PRODUCE IN AUSTRALIA. 
In B report of the Spring Show in connection 
with the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural 
Society which appears in the South Australian 
Register, of the ICthult. i': is stated: — 
Among the many interesting exhibits at the Show 
is a tine collection of Ce>lon and Indian produce, 
arrayed by Messrs. Drummond Brothers. On the 
stand are to be seen photographic views of tea and 
coffee plantations with the natives at work in the 
fields, and performing the various operations neces- 
sary before the tea is fit to be put in cases for ex- 
port. It is interesting to see displayed the many 
varieties of tea, from the strong black pungent 
article to the exquisite-flavoured flowery orange 
Pekoe. A sample of "Golden Tips" at four guineas 
per pound provoked a farmes to say that if gentle- 
men indulged in high-priced wines the gentler sex 
must sometimes indulge in expensive teas. 
MADAGASCAR RUBBER. 
Some people who ought to know have come to the 
conclusion mat Para rubber will find formidatle rivals 
ia some of the Madagascar grades as soon as ratioLal 
and uniform methods cf procuring and coa^ulatiLg 
the milk are adopted. From recent French reports 
it appears that rubtier vines abound in the forest, 
but the proJuct (as in other rubber districts) be- 
comes rarer, and cotaequently rises iu price, in 
consequence of the watitetul methods ot tne native 
rubber gatherers. On the East Coast the article has 
gone up considerably in price, in the thinly populated 
West it is as plentiful as ever, and can be purchased 
at a very low figure. But the natives mast he taught 
not to saw dowu tbe.vines for the sake of drawii g them, 
bal to tap them anuually instead. They also nesd 
iuBtructiju iu the pri-paruiiou of the rubuor. They use 
warm water and oitrom juice, or tveu tei salt, with 
very imperfect resuUa. Only where iSuropeans are in 
authority is sulphuric acid used, and ol course, pays 
well for the extra expense and trouble. The future 
of Maaagascar, oommercially and financially speak- 
ing, is declared by men who nave carefulli considered 
the subject to rest largely upon the proper manage- 
ment of its rubber product. The auihorinea who may 
hold the destinies ot the island in their hands, whether 
native, or French, or English, or any other, will be 
guilty of inexcusable lolly it they neglect to take 
proper measures for enforcing economical aud efficient 
methods of tapping the wines aud preparing the pro- 
duct for. commercial purposes — India Rubber Journal. 
MOEE ABOUT TEA IN CEYLON. 
PROSPECT OF EXTENDED NATIVE CON- 
SUMPTION : AND IS IT TO BE 
ENCOURAGED ? 
On page 306, we referred to the rapidly extending 
oonsumptiou uf tea among the Sinhulose and 
Tamils. The uups 
" that cheer but not inebriate " 
are fast supp;yiDg the favourite bdverage at every 
roadside bouuque, in native boaruing-oohools aud 
even in the village dwellings of the people. Nor 
is Ceylon doing more than following the example 
of Morvheru India at least in this matter. It 
was not atove the dignity of the Gojernment of 
India some years ago to take an interest in the 
eatabliehmeut of waysiue tea-shopa where the 
people oould get this refreahiug beverage supplies 
and this led later on to the esiablishment ui an 
ABBOOiatioQ in calouita in the interests of the 
tea planters, aud having for it3 ouj.'ct, the pro- 
motion oi a taste for lea among tne t5i) milliona 
of natives iu Beugal, as well aa among the vatt 
population io the JNorth- West and Oancral Frovinoee, 
the Punjab and the borders generally. These 
