March I, 1895.] THE TROPIC \L AGRICULTURIST. 
599 
PLANTING PRODUCTS. 
(From the Forty-Jirst Annual Report of the 
Ceylon Planters' Association, held 
17th Feb. 1895. ) 
TEA. 
The past season has been one that has quite upset 
Estimates. The shortness of crop may be put down 
to the two extremes of want of moisture in the 
Eastern and of too much moisture and want of sun 
heat in the Western and Southern Districts during 
the South-West Monsoon. The average price for the 
year was about 8A. pence in London, as against 9 
pence for 18'J3. The difference was, however, more 
than counterbalanced by the lower rates of exchange. 
And on the whole, short out-turn notwithstanding, 
the year has been a prosperous one. The develop- 
ment of new markets makes slow but steady pro- 
gress, and the real campaign against America may 
be said to have now begun in earnest. A prolon- 
gation of the Chino-Japanese war will probably 
greatly aid in introducing your teas to America 
and Russia, the two countries it is your aim now to 
reach. Your Committee deems Messrs. Gow, Wilson 
and Stanton's remarks regarding Tea as given in 
"The Times" on Trade in 1894 worth quoting 
as follows: — "The consumption of tea in Great 
Britain has steadily increased. Public taste 
has run more than ever upon Indian and Ceylon 
growths, bringing the relative consumption of British- 
grown tea in 1894 up to 88 per cent of the total. 
Estimating December figures, the total quantities of 
Indian and Ceylon tea used in 1894 were 1S9,000,000 lb , 
andof China, Ac, only 26,000,0 )0 lb. against 172,000,000 
lb. Indian and Ceylon and 36,000,000 China, &c. in 
1893." Hence the Chino-Tapanese war has at present 
exercised very little influence on the tea trade in the 
United Kingdom, although such an event a few years 
ago would have occasioned enhanced prices. The 
total conjumption of all tea per head of population 
in the United Kingdom during 1894 was 5 53 lb., 
against 5-41 lb. in 1893, 5'43 in 1892, 5'36 lb. in 1891, 
5 17 lb. in 1890. and 4 99 lb. in 1889. Again while it 
is gratifying to notice that Australasia continues t:> 
take increasing quantities of British Grown Tea, it 
is equally encouraging to learn that the Continent of 
North America has made remarkable progress in 
its appreciation of these Teas especially during the 
present year." 
COCOA. 
The crop for the past year was cwts. 22,791 
being less by cwts. 0,984 than that of 1893, on the 
other hand it exceeded that of 1892 considerably, 
and as it is ascertained that the advance in 
cocoa production must be looked for in alternate 
years, the crop for the year just past may be con- 
sidered progressive. The earlier part of the year 
was very dry. The spring crop suffered from this 
cause, and the autumn crop h is also been retard- 
ed. Rain, however, fell in the later part of the year, 
which was of great benefit, and speaking generally 
cocoa now looks well, and the promise for the coining 
year is favourable. A very considerable acreage has 
been added to the cultivation of this product in the 
last two or three years, and as this comes into bear- 
ing a large annual increase m ly be looked for in 
exports. Prices have ruled very low during the year 
and have touched, perhaps, a lower point than (Yvl.ni 
cocoa had ever before reached. Absence of demand 
forthe American markets is one cause of this, but win- 
that demand should have suddenly ceased is, indeed, 
hard to say. It is at least certain that the reason is not 
to be found in any deterioration of the bean or in 
the mode of curing. The following information re- 
ceived on the authority of London Produce Brokers 
seems of sufficient interest to be placed on record 
for what it is worth. The Guayaquil crop this sea- 
son is very large, viz 350,000 quintals (the quintal 
being approximately cwt. ll and a new source of 
supply hns sprung up at San Thome, West Central 
Africa, recently, resulting in an export of 80,000 Bags 
in the p.nt pear, obtained entirely from natural i«- 
digenom Cocoa. It appears possible, that this " in- 
creased yielding Guayaquil (Ecuador) " may havo been 
75 
a " factor " in the unexampled depression in Cocoa, 
while it is noticed that Ceylon Cocoa which suffered 
the haviest depreciation is mainly used by American 
manufacture; s and for some years commanded a price 
almost double that of other sorts viz. from 125s to 
135s per cwt. against only 58s to 63s per cwt. for 
fair Estate marks in 1894. 
■ - COFFEE. 
The crop during the past year has been sxtisfactory 
owing to a generally more favourable blossoming 
season, especially where attention has been given to 
the cultivation of this now valuable and somewhat 
scarce product. The cultivation of Liberian coffee 
is receiving increased attention and there is a con- 
siderable acreage under this product. 
CARDAMOMS.' ,,.„<| 
During the year the area under eight years old 
has yielded a good crop, but the older fields have 
done poorly and are, in the natural course, gra- 
dually going out of cultivation, and as the area 
suitable for extension is limited, the exports may be 
expeded to barely maintain the redmed out-put of 
the present year. A remarkable feature of the 
year, is the large falling off in the exports to British 
India from 203,571 lb. in 1893 to 31,116 lb. in 1894 
owing partly no doubt to the good prices ruling in 
London combined with a low exchange , and largely 
to the 5 per cent ad valorem duty now .levied in 
India. 
OFFICIAL ESTIMATE OF THE TEA CROP FOR 1895. 
Your C vmmittee after due consideration has de- 
cided to Estimate the Tea Crop of the Island 
available for export in 1895 at 90,030,000 lb. 
TOTAL KXPOPTS. 
Your thanks are pgain due to the Hon. The 
Principal Collector of Customs for the following 
valuable tables w iich are of much interest. 
Statement showing the total exports during the 
year ended 31st December 1891 from the Island of 
Ceylon of the following articles :- 
Articles. 
Areeanuts 
Coffee Liberian - 
Coffee Native 
Coffee Plantation 
Cinchona 
Cacao 
Cadamoms 
Coconuts 
Cotton 
Pepper 
Tea 
Tobacco 
Quantity. 
CWt 122,269-1-25 
cwt 790-2-Oi 
cwt 1,567-2-16 
cwt 29,629-0-03^ 
lb 2,529,261 
cwt 2-2,791-3-1 li 
I lb 310,863 
No.. 8,747,379 ., , 
cwt 1,557-3-16 
cwt : 142-3-22 " 
lbs 85,376,322'r 
cwt 54.S50-0-27 
Unmanufactured Tobacco 
and Cigars lb 253,14 and 4 pkgs. 
Statement of Exports of tea from the island of 
Ceylon to the United Kingdom and toother markets 
in '1891, 1892, 1893, and 1894 :— 
Countries. 1891. 1822. : '" ' 1893 
lb. lb. 
1891. 
lb. 
United 
Kingdom 62,698,670} 
British Colonies. 
Aden 3^360 
Australia 3,635,962} 
British India 573,241 
Cape of Good 
Hope 33,251 
Cyprus 2,800 
Gibraltar 24,215 
Hongkong 123,02V 
Malta 16,926 
Mauritius 49,672 
New Zealand 
Straits Settlement 12,069 
Canada 
Foreign Countries. 
Africa 1 Tunfs 
Atnca j-2anzjb ar 9,318 
Arabia 3,669 
Argentine Republic 
1894. 
lb. 
05,824,822^ 73,355,840} 79,434, U7J 
Austria 
Belgium 
Buenos Ayres 
Busbire 
Brazil 
< 'hin t 
Denmark 
5,360 
20 
3,125 
3,7s 1 
30, 15". 
5,610 
5,042,643}- 
810,788 
■ S.030 I 
5,400 
41,355 
79,329 
21,745 
SI, 202 
12,568 
11,631 
2,870 
3,441 
450 
420 
10 
21,180 
4,455 
6,816,410 
1,036,365 
20,432 
4,450 
34,025 
149,176 
•33,895 
80,126} 
156,137 
29,301 
14,850 
4,641 
1,580 
8,972 
I 4,234 
18,171 
1,250 
9,S18 
6,952,0984 
952,729 
13,608 
4,600 
38,370 
135,299 
51,655 
92,392 
266,739 
31,106 
99,858 
3,540 
12,950 
2,020 
4,876 
1.999 
4098 
2,400 
