THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Feb. I, 1894. 
The importB of tea into New Zealand during the 
year 1892 were as (ollowa 
Fr.)m lb. 
United Kingdom .. 7.837 
Viotora ... l,75it,527 
New South Wales „. 273,608 
TsBmaaia ... .. 20 
Fiji... ,. .. 658 
Hongkong ... ... 2.7807 
Bengal . . 676,621 
Bombay .. ... 2,400 
Ceylon ... ... 597,065 
Singapore ... ... 222 
West Coast America ... 13 
Obina .. ... 466,034 
South Sea iBlands ... 6 
Total.. 3,703,716 
valued at £139,876 or 9-06 pence per lb. in Bond. 
The total amount of tea entered for Home 
oooBumption in New Zealand in 1892 was 
4,088,349 lb. The populaton of the Colony includ- 
ing Maoris on 31st December 1892 was 692,426, 
thus the average ooneumption was 5-90 lb. per 
head of the whole population. 
Now the average price of the tea imported being 
9*06 pence we may safely assume that at least 
two-thiids of the imports from the United 
Kingdom, Victoria, and New South Wales were 
Oeylon and Indian teas, which would make the 
total of thcBO teas as follows : — 
Prom— lb. 
Ceylon ... 597.065 
Bengal and Bombay ... 579,031 
ITuited Kingdom ... ,22i 
Victoria ... 1,167,018 
New South Wales ... 182,404 
Total ... 2.530,732 
or 3-65 lb. per head of the population. 
Surely it may be estimated that one-third of the 
population of the United States and Caoada might 
be induced, as were the people of New Zealand to 
consume per head an equal quantity, viz.: — 3-05 )b. 
of Ceylon and Indian Tea. Taking these popula- 
tions at 7a millions would give a oonsuujplion in 
the future of over 90 millions lb., probably half of 
which would be Ceylon tea. And who is bold enough 
to say that the lowcounlry of Oeylon will not oontri 
bute in the future another 45 millions lb. par annum 
to swell your present export ? 
At all events having spent £30,000 bt the Chicago 
Exhibition in my opinion Ceylon would do well now 
to supplement that outlay in the manner I have 
indicated. -Yours very truly, W. WATSON. 
NOTES ON PKODUOE AND FINANCE. 
Ooffee-Tea. — Tbis new product under anilytia 
compaiea with ordinary Ceylon t'~a as follows : — 
Ooffee-Tea. Ceylon-Tea. 
Per cent. Per ceut. 
Theina 1'56 3 96 
Tannin 11-75 1308 
Mineral matte'-s— Soluble ... 3 75 317 
Mineral matters— Insoluble 1-75 1-45 
Moi^tur6 ... ... 805 7*05 
Total matters extrsotedby 
boiling ... ... 40-eo 3910 
Though it might possibly serve eome pnrpose in the 
hands of adulterators, cofiiae-tea is not of mnoh 
acconnt when taken as a proposed rival to tea or 
coffee. It has no flavour worth mentioning, nor a 
■ufiiciencv of the importfiut principles of tea. 
" PEOniGious Strides " of Ceylon Tea.— Iu the 
last issue of the Grocer there is an artiole in which 
praiie of Ceylon tea <rom the trade point of view, is 
tempered with a few mild bints about deterioration. 
The writer fiys That this description of tea t«- 
tains its hold upon pablio oonsamert no one ein deny, 
uod, from the uatore of the siatietiot now to fa^nd, 
there is liO indication that tbe limit* of iiDpjrtaiion 
and conaumptiun liave ye' be<n re*ctied. Tbe laooing« 
of Ceyicin tea in the Unite! Kingdom during trie 
mootb of Nurember, ai ebowu t-y itt« Board ot Trade 
returns ju t issued, were 6,300,;i3U lb. agaifst 
4,538,374 IK in 1892, and 3,607,831 lb. in 1891 ; and 
for ttiu eltV' u mottbs the ivlA was also bettvjrcom- 
prieing 68,160,971 lb in comtarieon w.th 61,391,307 
lb, last year, and 57,807,971 lb. ia ISHl lor tbe stmr 
period. Tbu is strung ev.dence of tbe prcduciiveuecbof 
the island of Cejln in ^rawiue satb au itumenke 
weight of tea for sbipmunt to <hia country, and 
forms a striking contrast 10 tbu 50,0OCi,U00 lb. which 
were imported in 189u yl, the mud«el -.J'.gOO.OOtj lb. 
gent forward iu 1888-t*9, the ^c»l.ty aupply of 
15,614,000 lb. in tbe ye i previous to tbat, and ibc pi etty 
amount cf 1,533,000 lb. ebipped bithtsr duriuu ibe 
seieon 1882-83. Before tbat time Ceylon tet wa« 
comparutively unknown •* an article ot ccmmrrce, 
»nJ lis iiitroductioa here in 1876 marked quit« a new 
tra io the hutory of the trade. Evt-ry jenr tinea 
tbcu tbe oons'joiption hab advanced wi'h prod'giooa 
strides, fro u mere nothing to an almost tal>uluug 
qv.autitr, and the duty-paid entrirs for hooie D>e, 
ii9 otljci-tUy ctHt d, fur iho paat eleven inoniba em- 
biao>d 59,630,270 .b. ag>in*t 59,139,997 lb. in 1892, and 
47,208,025 lb. in tl e corre-poudiu^ period o( tbe former 
year. It is lik«wit>e wortti wtile to nientioo tbal not 
only in the United Kingdom, but on the continent 
and elbowbere, the habit of drii^kii g Cejiun ita 
is being rapidly eztentied, and partly tbroog-b tbe 
ajetcy of tbe Cbicago Wo lil's Fair, tbia year, wben 
BntisL-grown tea waa cxbibi'eJ to uU conier*, tbe 
demand for the grtat speciality ia likely to goon 
iucreasiug as one beaaon snocetds auolb«r, and cun- 
sigLDients augment ia proportion." 
There Has Been Deteiioration. — It is a char<tc- 
teribiio ol Ceylou tea tbat it gams in popularity tb* 
more widely it is known, and this p<irtiy accounts for 
tbe raUtivelv firm prices which it real ses at nearly 
all times ot the year. Ihtt cieacriptiou and Indian 
sb^re a kird of monopoly in supplying the demaiid 
fur tea gOLersily, and although oou>iciN>eura in China 
gruwDis maintain that their favourite teaa are tho 
t est and cheapest, whether regard l>e bad to quality 
or value, tbe broad fact remaiaa tbat the Ceylun leaf 
Us tbe mofct readily and fetches the longest prices. 
This was particularly tt e o»><s with Ccyloa tea et.rlier 
iu Ibe year, when aU ordinary erades were rather 
Boarce, and reall> desirable sorts eiijoyed a preferi-aoe 
above all other:>. Since then, howevtr, tbere has been 
a distinct dtte: ii^ratiou in tie quulity ot tbe imports 
Irom CeyloL, and, concarieully Miih tbis lulerio- 
rity of the teas thtm.^ekes, a gradual declii.e iu 
qui'tations bas been observable. Still, in spite of 
these disadvnu'ages aud drawbacks (which may 
bo only temporary), aud notwitbsttiid ng that the 
current rates ar« a peany to threepence per pound 
below those in December last, Ceylou tea is at present 
dtarer than any other B<.rt, especially for tbe com- 
moner qualities. 
Enthusiasts Think it Unrivalled.— Statements 
such as tliese fori-idh addi ional prrof of the high, if 
not somewhat exaggerated esteem, couiinnes oar con- 
temporary, in whicb tea coming from Ceylou is 
held by the trade at large, no less than by au ever- 
widening (cotiun cf tbe consuming pubho, who like a 
clas.s of tea which is a compromise be.ween the ez- 
oessive sstringeocy of the ruugb Assam descriptions 
and the thinnens and insipidity ot certain blends 
cf C lina t>.as. A fresh stimulus to tbe home 
consumption of the article has no doubt be- n 
imp 1 ted by tbe reduced prices which have been 
established of lute, and further Leavy clear- 
ances may now be expected. At the same 
time, tbe production in the island seems to go ou 
unhindered frr the area onder cultivation now covers 
about 200,000 aor^ s and jjives employment to fnlly 
l,000£uropeau planters and 250,000 Indi»B and Sinha- 
lese labourers. By s«me enihusiasie Ceylon tea is 
considered unrivalled for its twofad virtues ot strtngth 
