2Q4 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Nov. i, 1894. 
sums of money and much advertising in the 
last five ye^rs, has not attained the proportions of evtn 
500,000 pounds p r r annum. * * * 
Unfortunately, the element of reciprocity of trade 
is absolutely absent between tbe Uuited 8tates and 
Ceylon ; for while the United States takes nearly 
$2,500,000 worth of Ceylon prjduots yearly, and 
mostly free of duty, Gey lou imports nothing direc:ly 
from the United State", and very little indirectly, 
whiie transportation between the two countries is 
oircuitous and expen«ive. 
Formerly some keroaene oil came here direct from 
New York — not mucb, to be sure, and never amount- 
ing in value to $100,000 per annum. Even opon this 
an import duty waa levied in 1885 Against mj probes'. 
Now the import of kiroseue oil direct from the United 
States has actually ceased. The fame is true of 
American drills, which formerly came here in consi- 
derable quantities, but which are no 1 difpUcid, 
mostly by locally manufactured drills, which are 
neither as good nor as cheap as as Pepperill drills. * * * 
Possibly, however, after several years of careful 
consideration and observation, I may sta'e as an 
opinion that Ceylon tea, worth looally free on boarr 1 , 
20 to 25 cents per pound, is probably as go-.d an 
article at present as can begot for the eame prica 
anywhere; bat as a rule, that quality of te» is 1 ot 
largely sold locally. Again, as tbe years roll by, 
Ceylon taa, to re-state the fact mildly, doas not 
improve in quality. 
1 am informed by the largest locil shipper of tea 
to the Uuited Statrs that his advice* from the 
United States intimate that the Ceylon export 
price should not exceed 15 cents p tx pound. If 
such is the case it is doubtful if auy couaiderabie 
tea trade can Le dooe between the two couatries 5 
for, in my judgment, the tea3 sold locally, for much 
let's than a rupee per pound, are very poor. I myself 
have sampled some that was invoiced at 18 cents 
(United Stated money) per pound free on board, and 
it wbb rot, to my taste, drinkable. _ 
The Editor of the paper above-mentioned, remarks-.— 
* * • The proouotion of Ceylon tea has increased 
from 4,353,000 pounds in 18S5 (o 81,406,064 p u.ids in 
1893— a truly wonderful increase — nearly twenty fold. 
Unfortunately, this increase in production has been ac- 
companied by a marked de'eriorat on in qu.lity, lor 
which several reasons are alleged ; tbe chief reason 
being, in the opinion of the Consul, the constant 
cropping, wh ch practioo soon exhausts the tea 
elements in the soil. It may be gathered from the 
report that another reason is the employment of toil 
which is not well adapted to the cultivation of tbe tea 
p'ant. The inferiority of quality hns naturally led to 
a serious decline in prices, and it is now compLined 
of that the average price ot Ceylon tea U public 
sales in England iu 1893 had fallen aa low as nine 
pence (18 cents) per pound. * * » r ; . _ 
In a formr attempt to establish a trade in Ceylon 
teas iu the Uui'ed States, agents were appointed iu 
this city and in Chicago for the purpose of pushing 
this trade. The enterprise proved a failure, as might 
have been expected, because by this plan the whole- 
sale trade was slighted and overlooked. In order to 
sacceea, the wholesale trade mast be eniisted, by 
whose oo-operation alone can any new article be 
successfully introduced to their wide connection among 
tbe retail trade. 
The imposition or continuance of the proposed ex- 
port duty camot improve tbe export trade to the 
United States, as the exports to London will obtain 
the tame advantage as those to New York, to that 
the propjsed plan would simply continue things just 
as they are cow. We have no great fa th 10 tbe 
success of this trade through the appointment of the 
proposed representative in New York. As the resolu- 
tion passed at the meeting of the planters r.bjve 
referred to reads, this representative would hive to 
pay the bonus of 2J percent on Ceylon tea imputed 
into the United States, via BDgland or other route." 
* This refers to the abandoned bounty scheme. 
—Ed, T.A, 
In order to (he establishment and e xteoaion of the 
trade in Ceylon teas, there must be direct importation 
from CeyloD. This mu-t te followed up by a g«Dt ral 
distribution among tbe wholesale Irade. With the 
fund oi tail ei from tbe export duty, part of it rni.ht 
be invested in tbo venture of tbe direct shipment 
of a carefuily selected cargo of Cetlon teas expressly 
gitbered for tbe Unit*d States ma-ket. Tb^crgo, 
whore expected arrival should he largely adv<rtised 
in the priucial citiep, i-hould be offoret to the trate 
of auction, tbe date, hour and >•)■%• e c' aue'irn beii 
widely announced on arrival. Tfnre *bou'd cot be 
any fenr but ihat th'i sale will be Jar f > Ij attended, 
and that tbe competition will be keeu enough to 
ensure that tbe whole, or at l- ast the greater part, 
of tbe cargo would be sold at such fair prices as the 
merits of the different Jots should command. 
CEYLON TEA IN AMERICA. 
Mr. Consul Morey sticks to his Report as may be 
seen from his letter elsewhere, lie is quite right 
not to base bid writing on information which be 
coosiders interested and one-sided; but we meant 
that a Director of the l.cal Cotton Mills could 
probably have given him information wbiob, when 
compared with what be got elsewhere, would have 
enabled bim to generalize a little more accurately. 
Certain we are, at any rate, that in respect of our 
tea indurtry, its condition and prospects, Mr. Morey 
has generalized in a way to do tbe Colony some 
injustice. He has by no means so discriminated aa 
t» leave a fail impression on tbe minds of his 
American readers. Tbey ought to have been told 
that tbe old worn-out tea land to which be refers 
is ohiefly confined to a limited middle belt, where, 
however, liberal cultivation with manure is 
effecting wonders with t-a even in very 
old coffee land ; while the vast proportion of our 
higher and lower tea plantations being on virgin 
land, or on land that had done very little in 
coffee, are as vigorous and promising as any 
similar tea gardens in tbe world. 
In this connection, we may refer to the reoeipt 
by tbis mail of the " 25. h Anniversary" number 
ot the American Grocer, eplendidly printed wiih nu- 
merous engravings. The paper was started in 1869, 
and ever sinoc, with but brief intervals, we have 
studied its pages. In this special issue, tbe staples 
of grocers — cacao (chocolate), coffee, tea and sugar— 
p,re the subjaots of tpscial papprs well illustrated 
Central America is referred to for illustrations of 
cofite plantations and preparation ; while some 12 
pages ere devoted to " tea," led off by a very beautiful 
engraving of " a tea p'antation, Ugi, Japan," a 
fine level garden on the side of river or lake, backed 
by a cedar-clad mountain range. Then follow pio- 
tures of " Firing Tea," •' Sorting Tea " and 
"Picking Tea" in Japan with maps on very small 
scales of Japan and China Tea districts. Then 
comes a chapter on " Indian Tea and its Manu- 
facture by Modern Methods," well written and 
fairly illustrated showing a flush," withering room 
rolling tables, firing, handsome cooly woman plucking 
leaves, sorting room, &o. There is no reference to 
Ceylon save in the statistics. Mr. Blechynden has, 
no doubt, seen that justice was done to India ; 
for we find the following advertisement prominently 
displayed in this cumber of the Grocer: — 
Indian Tea Dem nstrations — Are being given by — 
Natives of — India in costume At Grocers' Stores Only, 
By way of Introducing India Teas to th6 American 
Consumer. R. Blechynden, Commissioner Indian Tea 
Assoc atiou, (Gare of L. Sutro & Co.) 105 Hudson 
Street, New York. 
It is quite time that Sir Graeme Elphinstone, Bart., 
and his colleague were on tbe spot, to push the 
claims of Ceylon tea, 
