August  i,  1892.] 
THE.  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
I05 
THE  CONTROVERSY  AS  TO  QUANTITY 
AND  QUALITY  IN  CEYLON  TEA  : 
VIEWS  OF  AN  EXPERIENCED 
PLANTER. 
We  are  glad  that  Mr.  John  Ferguson’s  letters 
in  the  Financial  News  are  to  be  supplemented  and 
the  conclusions  he  stated  verified  by  the  very  able 
letter  from  a planter  of  wide  experience  and  of 
keen  powers  of  observation,  who  occupies  a post 
of  great  responsibility  in  Ceylon.  The  gentleman 
in  question  sends  us  copy  of  his  letter  for  publica- 
tion, with  a note  to  the  following  effect : — 
“ By  the  last  mail  I sent  copy  of  the  enclosed 
letter  to  Mr.  John  Ferguson  in  London,  and  asked 
him  to  read  and  forward  to  the  editor  of  the 
Financial  News.  If  you  care  to  publish  it  please  do 
so.  There  is  nothing  new  in  it  ; but  it  may  induce 
some  other  planters  to  come  forward  and  discuss 
the  matter.  As  regards  what  home  critics  write  I 
refer  in  my  letter  to  the  advice  so  frequently  urged 
by  the  brokers  in  their  circulars  : we  understand  our 
business  better  than  they  can  tell  us  from  London.” 
It  will  be  seen  that  the  writer  has  no  doubt  as 
to  the  stability  of  the  tea  enterprise  in  Ceylon, 
but  he  is  anxious  that,  in  justice  to  local  managers, 
the  effects  of  cultivation  of  our  new  staple  on  old 
and  largely  exhausted  coffte  land  should  be  ap- 
preciated- From  such  land  or  any  land  at  low 
altitudes,  it  would  be  most  unreasonable  to  expect 
tea  of  equal  quality  to  that  grown  in  virgin  soil 
of  superior  richness  at  high  altitudes.  The 
wisdom,  therefore,  of  proprietors  of  the  former 
oiass  of  estates  is  to  cultivate  with  reference  to 
quantity,  being  contented  with  medium  quality. 
In  truth  proprietors  of  tea  property  must  study  what 
will  pay  more  than  what  will  please  exigent 
brokers  or  amateur  critics  at  home.  I he  mis- 
fortune is,  as  was  proved  in  the  oase  of  the  late 
Mr.  James  Taylor,  that  some  non-resident  pro- 
prietors devoid  of,  or  having  had  but  little,  local 
and  practical  experience  share  the  ignoraDt 
prejudices  of  the  brokers  and  the  oritice.  The 
writer  of  the  letter  does  not  fail  to  point  out  the 
influence  of  pruning  on  the  quality  of  tea.  The 
best  tea-maker  in  the  world  cannot  make  tea  of 
the  highest  quality  from  the  first  few  flushes  which 
suoceed  the  pruning  prooess, — a process  which  has 
to  be  performed  annually  in  the  case  of  many 
lowcountry  estates,  while  on  properties  at  great 
elevations  pruning  can  be  safely  deferred  for  two 
and  even  threo  years.  Finally  the  important  in- 
fluenoe  of  abnormal  meteorological  conditions,  such 
as  prevailed  last  year,  are  adduced,  as  showing 
that  in  the  face  of  masses  of  leaf  forced  into 
existence  by  excessive  and,  therefore,  crude  and 
flavourless  in  juice,  while  the  atmosphere  is 
chronioally  damp,  the  most  skilled  expert  cannot, 
make  fine  quality  tea.  Ceylon  is,  we  hold,  excep- 
tionally favoured  in  being  able  to  produce  fine  teas 
at  high  elevations  and  medium  teas,  from  sea  level 
to  3,000  feet  above  it.  To  the  owners  of  lowcountry 
properties  quantity  compensates  for  quality  ; while 
the  more  limited  quantity  yielded  at  high  elevations 
(which,  however,  is  greater  than  was  ever  anti- 
cipated) pays  equally,  from  the  higher  prices 
obtained.  What  many  brokers  and  otherB  seem  to 
desire  and  expect  is  that  Ceylon  should  export  all 
and  only  high  quality  tea,  whatever  the  state  of  tho 
market  and  the  prices  offered  may  be.  This  Ceylon 
oannot  do : cannot  afford  to  do.  It  is  no  new 
experience  that  the  buyer  should  cry  “ It  is 
naught  1 It  is  naught  1”  But  the  cry  as  applied  to 
Ceylon  tea  is  as  unreasonable  aB  it  was  when  used 
with  reference  to  products  in  the  markets  of 
Palestine  in  the  era  when  the  book  of  Jewish 
Proverbs  was  compiled.  The  letter  will  be  found 
in  another  oolumn. 
14 
THE  IMPORTS  AND  DELIVERIES  OF  TEA 
FROM  VARIOUS  SOURCES  IN  THE 
LONDON  MARKET  IN  THE 
SEASON  ENDING  MAY  31ST: 
GREAT  INCREASE  IN  DELIVERIES  OF 
CEYLON  TEA. 
The  Indian  tea  season  extends  from  June  of 
one  year  to  May  of  the  next ; and  Messrs.  Gow, 
Wilson  & Stanton  in  their  latest  circular  have 
made  up  the  figures  to  May  31st  of  the  present 
year,  which  are  certainly  encouraging  to  Ceylon 
planters  as  far  as  relative  consumption  is  concerned. 
The  total  imports  from  India,  Ceylon,  Java,  China, 
&o.,  in  the  past  three  seasons  ranged  from  28J 
millions  of  pounds  down  to  220,800,000,  and  up 
this  last  season  to  nearly  238J  millions.  Deliveries 
have  been  more  than  in  proportion,  rising  from 
a little  over  224  millions  to  228.700,000,  and  this 
last  season  to  no  less  than  241,337,000  pounds. 
While  the  deliveries  of  Indian  tea  have  risen  in  the 
three  years,  only  from  Eomewhat  over  101  and  100 
millions  to  somewhat  over  108  millions,  the  in- 
crease in  the  deliveries  of  Ceylon  kinds  have  increased 
by  leaps  and  bounds,  from  under  32  millions 
to  42,615.000  and  finally  no  to  less  than  61,359,000. 
That  is  to  say,  while  the  deliveries  of  Indian  tea 
increased  in  three  years  by  less  than  8 millions, 
the  deliveries  of  Ceylon  teas  nearly  doubled  in 
the  3 years,  the  inorease  being  29  millions.  Java 
has  fluctuated,  but  the  average  of  deliveries  is 
under  3^  millions.  China,  mfantime,  has  gone 
down  from  87,652,000  and  81,382,000  to  68,600,000, 
only  7 millions  more  than  Ceylon,  so  that  proba- 
bly next  season  will  see  Ceylon  ahead  of  China  ; 
a result  no  sane  person  would  have  ventured  to 
predict  a score  of  years  ago.  Those  who  are  so 
fond  of  decrying  the  quality  of  our  Ceylon  teas 
had  better  solve  the  problem  of  their  being  so 
much  in  demand  by  consumers,  The  deliveries 
of  Ceylon  tea  in  May  were  within  2 6001b.  of  the 
round  6 millions  of  pounds,  against  9j  millions  lb. 
IndiaD,  5,051,000  lb.  China,  and  257,000  lb.  Java. 
Stocks  of  Ceylon  tea  are  higher  in  comparison  with 
other  kinds,  but  this  will  be  remedied,  and  we  trust 
prices  may  improve.  Average  prices  for  Ceylon 
teas  during  the  season  are  not  given  ; but 
if  so  given  they  would,  certainly  compare  well 
with  those  for  the  Indian  districts  In  India  as 
in  Ceylon,  with  some  exceptions,  the  teas  grown 
at  high  altitudes  realize  prices  in  proportion  to 
elevation.  DarjiliDg,  on  the  side  of  the  Eastern 
Himalayas,  where,  as  in  Ceylon,  tea  is  cultivated 
up  to  6,500  feet,  takes  the  lead  with  an  average 
last  season  of  lljd  per  lb.  Assam  comes  next 
with  lOd.  The  Terai  (below  Darjiling)  follows  with 
9d.  Why  the  high-grown  teas  of  the  Nilgiris 
should  be  dowo;to  7Jd,  and  those  of  the  Kangra  Valley, 
Kumaon  and  the  Dehra  Doon  should  average  only 
7|d,  is  a question  whioh  wo  should  like  to  see 
answered.  Of  course  the  cold  of  the  mountains 
of  Northern  India  may  be  too  severe,  or  droughts 
may  operate  drleteriously.  An  altitude  of  6,000 
feet,  in  from  27°  to  30°  North  in  India  is  equiva- 
lent to  fully  8,000  feet  in  Ceylon,  so  near  the  equator 
as  7°  North,  and  within  the  influence  of  both 
monsoon. s 
COFFEE  PLANTING,  Ac.,  IN  CENTRAL 
AFRICA. 
Milangd,  25th  February  1892. 
Since  writing  to  you  in  August  last  there  have  not 
been  many  changes  here.  We  are  now'  well  through 
our  wet  season  and  I have  managed  to  get  over 
100  acres  of  coffee  planted  and  would  have  finished 
double  200  acres  bad  it  not  been  for  want  of  labour. 
I find  that  the  African  villager  after  he  lias  earned 
