June i, 1894.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
827 
SMALL CREAKS OF TEA. 
The information given in our London Letter (see 
page 828) evidences that there is thorough discontent 
at home with the existiog system of dpaling with 
small breaks ; nnd, the statiatioa afforded, materially 
strengthen the probable good result of the pro- 
posal, emanating from the brokers,— a pro- 
posal however, that was rejected both 
by the Tea Committee of the Cevion As- 
sociation in London and by the Wholesale 
Tea Dealers' Assooisition. A member of the tea 
broking community, Mr. Long, writing on the subjeat 
of the difficulty and of the methods recommended 
for its removal, has annlysed the effect the broliprs' 
propoeals would have had upjn the saloa effeeto.l 
on a particular day at the Mincing Lane sale rooms. 
When we formerly eommeuted upon the suggestion 
of the brokers that a re-elassifioation of what 
constitutes a small break might go fir to redress 
present causes for complaiot, wo remarked that 
we oould not see any other effect from it 
than an increase of the difficulty. We 
confess, however, that Mr. Long's figures as giv- n 
by our London Cotraspondent have materially 
modified the impression we then stated. It 
appears that the proposal of tlie brokers is that 18 
chests, or 24 half-eheats, or 40 boxes, or less, 
should for the future be held to come under the 
heading in the sile lists of small breaks, and 
that all such breaks should be offered for sale on a 
Thursday. Now buyers attend mainly the Tues- 
day sales. Consequently the lists of these auctions 
are always full. The attendance on Thursday is 
always small, little bcjoud the small breaks 
being in the list to atlraot buyers. The argument 
of the brokers is :—" Increase tbe quantity to be 
dealt with on the Thursday, and the buyers will 
attend that day's sales." Therefore it is that they 
propose to widen the classification of the email 
breaks and to relegate them to Thursday's auction. 
Mr. Long, taking the sales of the 10th April as a 
datum, points out that there were 762 large breaks 
and 281 email breaks up for sale on that day, a 
total of 1,043 lots. The sale was therefore over- 
crowded. Now if the wider classification suggested 
had received adoption, there would have been but 
568 large breaks and 475 small ones to be 
dealt with; and the amount of the small breaks, 
if postponed till Thursday's sales, would have 
been sufficiently large to have attracted a good 
attendance of purchasers. There is one reason 
always advanced why Thursday's sales are disliheJ 
by the London agents, Their constituents in 
Ceylon desire to receive account sales by the Friday'^ 
mail, and some difficulty is felt in obtaining the 
" prompt" in time to enable this to be done. But 
Mr. Long and Mr, Alec Roberts both assured our 
Correspondent that any difficultyas to this, need not 
exist if both buyers and brokers do their best 
to expedite matters. Their willingness beiog 
assumed, the proposal of the brokers seems to 
have a oommonsenee basis. As matters at present 
stand, none of the London agents like to have their 
lota put up on the Fhursday. as these are fore- 
doomed in such an event to meet with lessemd 
competition. Meanwhile the Wholesale Tea Dealer.^ 
Association has made no sign of stirring Appa 
rently it is thou(^ht at home that this waul of 
interest is due to the fact that its members buy 
cheaper at the Thursday sales than at these of 
Tuesday. If the bulks offering on both days 
were more equalised, a3 they would bo uodtr the 
brokers' proposition, they would sioriliou iliia U'i- 
vantago. It i'' certain, howover, th<it a remedy 
must bo,foaiehi)W iouiul. and pi rhaps ii wi 1 bo 
bettor to laku iteps williuut further oonsullatiou 
of the Buying Trade? Is this, in fact, not a 
practical matter upon which the Ceylon Planters' 
Association and Chamber of Commerce should 
take action ? 
OPENING OF THE NEW CHINA 
TEA SEASON : 
Last Season's Exports; and Important News about 
Tea BEiNa Uprooted in Certain Distbicts. 
In the Hongkong Weekly Press of 26th April 
we find the first market report for new season's 
tea : it only refei a to small parcels from Canton 
a 1 far ; but no doubt the rush will speedily com- 
mence. Meantime wo quote as follows : — 
GaNiON, April 21.— During the last month about4,700 
bosfs have charged bands, making the total to date 
5,700 boxes, all of wbich have gone forward. Prices 
range from Tls. 13 to 17 per picul, laying down at 
5jii to 6id per lb. which compare favourably with 
last year's openiug rates. Although the Teas show 
a falling off in appearance, the liquors are good, and 
the quility, on t*ie whale, may be described aa being 
eqaal to last season'.s early ehipmentB. A moderate 
quantity of J-eheats have been taken for the Colonies, 
but the demand from that quarter is not equal to that 
of previoaa yeira. Considerable contracts for common 
old-leaf Teas have been placed for the Cootinent, but 
as yet no shipments have gone forward. 
In the same journal we find the final figures for 
the past season to the different countries which 
we may as v^ell put on record: — 
EXPORT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO GREAT BRITAIN. 
1893-94. 1892-93. 
lb. lb. 
Canton and Macao ... 8,178,734 9,767,927 
Foochow ... .. 21,336,687 15,165,743 
Hankow and Shanghai ... 25,514,030 30,125,338 
Total to date ... 55,029,415 55,059,008 
EXPOUT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO UNITED STATES AND 
CANADA. 
1893-94. 1892-93. 
lb. lb. 
Canton ... ... 1,356,153 3,225,358 
Amoy ... ... 21,291,281 17,545,672 
Foochow ... ... 6,392,610 5,183,323 
Shanghai ... ... 24,176,826 23,162.255 
.53,216,869 49,116,608 
EXPORT OF TEA FROM CUIKA TO ODESSA. 
1893-94. 1892-93. 
lb. lb. 
lUkow and Shanghai ... 22,057,162 15,577 999 
EXPORT OF TEA FROM JAPAN TO UNITED STATES AND 
Yottobama 
Kobe 
CANADA. 
1893-94. 
lb. 
... 28,623,687 
... 17,213,605 
1892-93. 
:1b. 
23,488,881 
19,295.629 
Total to date ... 45,837,292 47,784,510 
It will be observed that to the United Kingdom, 
there has been a slight decrease ; to Russia, 
through Odedoa, an increase of 6i million lb. 
apart from the quantity sent overland as well as 
through other ports than Odessa. To America, 
there was a comparative increase of over 4 
million of China tea, but a falling-ofl of nearly 
•1 million lb. of Japan tea. The grand total of 
the ospnitd as above given, becomes:— 
1893-4 1892-3 
ICxport i f China and .lapan tea 
to v. K . .\nierica and lb. lb. 
Odessa .. .. 176,110.7.18 167,538,125 
Increase lb.:— 8,602,613. 
