92 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Aug. i, .894. 
INDIAN AND CEYLON TEA: 
The Annual Review by Messrs. W. J. & Hy. 
Thompson of Mincing Lane. 
The well-known Mincing Lane leading firm cf 
Tea Brokers always furnish an instructive and 
interesting Annual Report on the market and 
proBpeots, and the cne supplied on the present occa- 
sion is no exception to the rule. It is full of 
suggestive remarks, and practical hints which 
ought to be turned to acoount, at least by the 
more careful and thoughtful among our planters. 
We see how clearly seasonal, climatic causes 
are reoognised as affeoting the crop, quality 
of leaf and even the manufacture ; and the 
evidence that the planters and Factory managers 
were not to blame is afforded in the fact 
that the properties which were wanting in Indian 
tea, as a rule, last season, were those that must 
be " in the leaf when plucked." The result was 
found in lower priceB, and the average for 1893-94 
as well as the orop are likened unto those for 
1891-92 and contrasted with the finer crop and 
better prices of 1892-93. The comparison is as 
follows :— 
Indian tea — average price : — 
1893-94 9-65d. 
1892-93 11-30 
1891-92 10-17 
1890-91 11-75 
But there is one fact brought out in the figures 
appended to Messrs. Thompson's Report which 
deserves some consideration : the average yield 
per acre is wonderfully the same in the two years 
of high, as in the two years of lower, average 
prices. Thus in 1890-91, the crop per acre averaged 
413 lb.; in 1892-93 it was 406 lb., and the prices 
approximated (notwithstanding increasing exports) 
to within 45 cents of a penny; while in 1891-92 
the average orop per acre was as high as 441 ib. 
and last season it was 439 ib. Now, surely, here 
we have a close oonnection between fine plucking 
and a high average and between heavy crops per 
acre and a lower average ? 
What we are told ebout the wide diversity of 
typ3 in tea required to meet the varying de- 
mand of different districts and towns in 
the United Kingdom, is very interesting; and 
the nature of the water in the various localities 
ohiefly accounts for the variety. Moreover, in this 
faot we have the reason why Russia, the United 
Sta'es and Canada are slower to take up our British 
grown teas ; but it seems that in such directions 
Oeylon has a cons : derab!e advantage over India, 
as it is her " clean sweet liquors " which are most 
in request in both America and Russia. But then 
we are glad to see that the Messrs. Thompson 
most emphatically — and more than once— insist 
that there oan te no rivalry between Indian and 
Ceylon teas in respect of new markets ; for, 
whatever quantity of the one is re-exported by so 
much must the other benefit in Mincing Lane. 
It would be well if Ceylon planters more clearly 
realized this lesson with reference to the Tea 
Campaign in America projected for both countries. 
— Finally our planters are urged, if possible, to 
arrange for greater variety in the character of 
their teas and more especially to see that their 
" Broken Pekoes " have the distinctive liquor and 
leaf associated with that favourite grade. 
Turning to the Statistics appended, it is satis- 
factory to find how well "Ceylon" keeps up in 
home deliveries and re-exports ; but the steady 
fall in average price from 10Jd and lid to 9Ji and 
8£d is far from being equally satisfactory — even j 
though India during the past season has suffered i 
in equal if not greater proportion. Meantime we | 
commend this very full and able Annual Report 
—reproduced below— to the careful attest '.on of oui 
planting readers. 
Since writing the above, we have seen an article 
in the Indian Planters Gazette on the "prospects 
cf the tea season," which contains a good deal 
of advice for the plantere of Northern India. We 
make a few extracts of the more telling parages : 
It s, we believe, generally ouderetcod that nuts 
plucking is to be tho rule, and looking to the in- 
creased yield from fresh plantings and greater 
maturing of buslc, this is a wien decision. All 
must realise the iojudiciousness of throwing a lot of 
oca-ee, weak tea, on the market, that but reali'es 
barely enough to meet expenses. The first two sales 
held in Calcutta emphasise the necessity cf confining 
manufacture to the choicer varieties and, though 
possibly, owing to the rate of exc! a-jgp, more tea is 
likely to be shipped to Europe on garden account, 
the idea of imagining that purchaser* here will take 
anything, ae a remitting medium, moat iso longer be 
indulged in. It must be patent to most people that 
the tim« has arrived when none but the better classes 
of tea will pay, and fhess proprietors who, from 
poorness of soil of their lands, inferior jat, difficulties 
of communication or other csuses, cannot put Iheir 
tea» down here to realise an average of at least five 
annas, will have to seriously cousider their position. 
The days for showing a big out-turn regardlees of 
quality are gone, :wid coarse teas will no longer meet 
with attention at the hand* of purchasers.* * • 
In so far as outturn, strength ond flavor the te.a», 
of 1894 will hold their own against any previous 
sca'or, and we have dwelt at length upon the only 
rock ahead, which should be earnestly studied, ere 
too late The United KiDgdom reckons uprn re. 
ceiving from India pome 118 million pounds, tut it 
would bo far better for the grower to send but 100 
million, though of solflv good qnali ics. One- yfar'e 
diminished supply to Louden would prove to tho 
traie that we are Lot prepared to he satisfied with 
a mere fifth of tho profits of our industry, and it is 
c-rtiuuly time that the annually increasing downward 
tendency of the auction prioes should be arrested ; 
restrioticn of out-turn is the only way in which thin 
can bo accomplish. fd. From the present date the 
season is promising enough— if the prtat mig. 
tako of flooding the markets ie not committed. The 
tta interest hss the command of affairs entirelv 
in its own hands, and if it fails to steer clear of 
the shoals and quicksands we have pointed out, will 
have but itself to blame for the consequences. Since 
the foregoing was written we notice that Indian 
tea is more in favor in London, several samples of 
Ceylons shewing a marked inferiority not only being 
thin in liquor but sour. If this is correct our planters 
should strive their very utmost to retain the position. 
It is worth remarking that our opinions as to the 
market b.ing in the hands of producers isendorsed. 
and we earnestly hope that this consensus of views 
will be laid to heart, by those responsible for the 
conduct of affairs. We cannot, however, in face of 
what we have written, share in the anticipations 
of lite Indian Daily News that stocks are likely to 
be lower by the ead of August than in any previous 
year, as we have shewn the amount in steck, and 
our advices from the districts indicate heavy con- 
signments en route. If any proprietors can afford to 
hold ; let them do so. 
INDIAN AND CEYLON TEA : 
ANNUAL REVIEW. 
38, Miocing Lace, June 1894. 
Publication of the figures for the 12 months enting 
31st Mey, completes tilts statistical record of the s-a- 
sot!, a»id gives a u opportunity for rt-vi wing the. year 
that is past, and of examining prospects for the npfir 
futu 
