August  j,  1892.]  THE  TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST, 
127 
TEA  AND  COFFEE  IN  BHAMBO. 
In  Saturday’s  Burma  Gazette  there  are  some  papers 
published  relating  to  tea  and  coffee  plantation  in 
Bhamo.  Mr.  C.  W.  Palmer,  Deputy  Conservator  of 
Forests,  reports  that  he  considers  all  the  lower  ranges 
of  hills  between  Bhamo  and  Shwegu  and  also  in  the 
upper  defile  most  suitable  for  the  cultivation  of  tea. 
Tea  is  grown  in  nearly  all  Kachin  villages  in  these 
hills  and  seems  to  flourish.  Tea  will  also,  he  thinks, 
do  well  on  the  highest  bank  of  the  Irrawaddy  as 
well  as  coffee  anywhere  above  flood-level.  Some  coffee 
plants  which  v/ere  put  out  in  the  forest  compound 
last  rains  are  doing  well.  He  recommends  that  a small 
plantation  be  started  in  Bhamo. 
Mr.  George,  the  Deputy  Commissioner,  says  that 
it  would  be  best  at  first  only  to  throw  open  for  tea 
and  coffee  cultivation  three  tracts,  as  they  are  nearer 
the  line  of  communication  than  others.  These  tracts 
are:  (1)  The  tract  between  the  Tapin  andNamtabet 
and  Namsiri  chaungs.  (2)  The  hills  east  of  the  third 
defile.  (3)  The  land  on  either  side  of  the  main 
Irrawaddy  anywhere  above  Shwein. 
The  Forest  Officer  says  these  are  good  for  tea  and 
coffee  cultivation.  These  tracts  all  lie  on  the  river, 
by  which  there  is  communication  either  by  boat  or 
launch.  Communication  by  land  is  in  most  instances 
impracticable.  There  are  no  large  villages  properly 
so  called  anywhere  ; and  if  labour  in  any  quantity 
is  required,  it  would  most  probably  have  to  be  im- 
ported. Provisions  would  have  to  be  got  up  by  river. 
Except  in  the  case  of  Tract  (1),  practically  provisions 
in  any  quantity  are  locally  unprocurable.  The  people 
barely  grow  enough  for  their  own  needs.  As  to  the 
terms  of  the  proclamation  Mr.  George  thinks  it  would 
be  sufficient  to  notify  that  land  said  to  be  suitable 
for  tea  and  coffee  is  -available  and  that  it  would  be 
leased  in  accordance  with  special  rules  made  by  the 
Financial  Commissioner.  Most  of  the  land  in  the 
tracts  is  overgrown  with  thick  jungle,  except  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Bhamo,  and  it  would  take  some 
time  to  clear. — Rangoon  Gazette,  June  24th. 
NOTES  ON  PRODUCE  AND  FINANCE. 
Tablet  Tea. — That  493,392  lb.  of  tablet  tea  should 
have  been  exported  from  the  port  of  Kiukiang  last 
year  4s  plain  indication  that  this  new  substitute  for 
brick  tea  is  popular.  Unlike  brick  tea  tablet  tea  is 
made  from  the  very  best  quality  of  tea  dust.  It  is 
formed,  by  pressure  alone,  into  small  cakes,  which 
are  perfectly  hard  and  solid  and  somewhat  resemble 
ohocolate  in  appearance.  The  material  is  not,  like 
brick  tea,  moistened  with  steam  before  being  com- 
pressed, and  the  flavour  is  not  in  any  way  impaired 
by  tbe  process  of  manufacture.  As  it  takes  up  little 
space,  and  is  most  udikely  to  get  spoilt  or  dam- 
aged, it  is  a convenient  form  of  tea  for  travellers, 
backwoodsmen,  or  armies  in  the  field,  and  the  Chinese 
at  present  have  the  control  of  the  market  in  it. 
English  Grown  Tea  at  the  International  Horti- 
cultural Exhibition — Last  Friday  H.R.H.  the  Duke 
of  Connaught  visited  the  Indian  tea  gardens  at  Earl's 
court,  and  was  shown  the  manufacture  of  tea  in  its 
variong  stages  by  Mr.  Maogregor,  an  Iudian  tea  plan- 
ter. The  Duke  tasted  the  tea,  whioh  he  pronounced  to 
be  good.  The  Exhibition  bids  fair  to  eclipse  all  former 
Exhibitions  held  at  Earl’s  Court,  and  tbe  tea  garden 
and  factory  are  amongst  the  chief  attractions.  The 
small  hand-power  Jackson’s  tea  roller,  especially  made 
by  Messrs.  Marshall  and  Sons,  Limited,  for  the  Exhi- 
bition, is  doing  its  work  most  satisfactorily. 
The  Size  of  Tea  Chests. — The  efforts  that  are  now 
being  made  to  push  Ceylon  growths  in  Canada,  the 
States,  and  tbe  Continent  would  be  largely  aided  by 
the  growers  packing  their  teas  in  hslf-ohasts  of  about 
60  lb.  net.,  says  the  Produce  Markets’  Review.  It  cannot 
be  too  clearly  pointed  out  that  the  foreign  buyer  ob- 
jects to  cheats,  and  will  not  handle  them  if  he  can  avoid 
it,  but  takes  naturally  to  the  smaller  packages  equal  in 
weight  to  half-chests  of  China  tea,  to  which  he  has 
always  been  acoustomed. 
Produce  in  Bond. — According  to  the  “ B”  Bill  of 
Entry,  the  bonded  stock  of  tea  in  the  Customs  and 
Excise  warehouses  of  the  United  Kingdom  on  the  31st 
ult.,  was  74,098,210  lb.,  against  79,020,834  lb.,  on  the 
corresponding  date  of  last  lear  and  85,239,638  lb.,  in 
1890  ; of  cocoa,  12,340,666  lb.,  against  11,746,084  lb. 
and  12,584.730  lb-  ; coffee,  258,477  out,,  against  236,924 
c«t.  and  377,686  cwt. 
Last  Week’s  Tea  Market.— Of  last  week’s  tea 
market  the  Produce  Markets'  Review  says  : — “ The  me- 
dium grades  of  Iudian  especially  were  in  good  demand, 
aod  enhanced  values  were  in  most  oases  paid,  as  the 
stock  of  these  kinds  is  now  reduced  to  small  dimen- 
sions. A fairly  good  business  has  been  traneaoted  in 
the  lower  grades,  at  gradually  hardening  rates,  and, 
with  the  probable  absence  of  Rny  imports  of  impor- 
tance for  some  time  to  come,  it  is  Dot  unlikely  that 
higher  prices  will  be  obtainable  later  on.  Hitherto 
leaf  teas  have  offered  such  exceptional  value,  that 
broken  descriptions  have  been  comparatively  neglected, 
but  owing  to  the  advanced  rates  for  the  former,  dealers 
have  been  obliged  to  resort  to  the  use  of  broken  tea 
in  an  increased  proportion  ; hence  the  improved  de- 
mand, which  will  no  doubt  continue.” 
Cinnamon. — At  the  quarterly  sales  of  oinnamon  held 
last  week  1,800  bales,  18  parcels,  and  14  boxes  Ceylon 
were  offered,  and  importers  experienced  diffionlty  in 
disposing  of  their  consignments.  The  prices  were 
about  on  a par  with  those  of  the  Feb,  auctions  in  some 
instances,  hut  in  the  majority  of  cases  they  were  2d 
pfr  lb.  under  former  rates.  Out  of  the  quantity  at 
sale  not  more  than  two-thirds  were  sold  in  the  room, 
and  a large  portion  (580  hales)  of  “ unworked”  cinna- 
mon, included  with  the  amount  of  “fourths”  brought" 
forward,  was  realised  at  such  reduced  figures  as  from 
4d  to  7dper  lb-  Firsts  went  at  7d  to  10d.,  superior 
plantation  at  Is  2 4 to  Is  3d  seconds  at  63  to  8Jd  fiuest 
at  Is  2d  thirds  at  5|d  to  7£d  a few  up  to  91  and  lOd 
and  fourths  at  4|d  to  6£d  also  broken  (inboxes)  at  4£d 
to  5|ddotvn  to  3d  and2§d. — H.  and  C.  Mail,  June  10th. 
♦ 
S.  I.  PLANTING  DISTRICTS  AT 
CHICAGO. 
Our  panting  correspondent,  St.  Louis,  has  already 
announced  that  the  Indian  Tea  Association  of  Cal- 
cutta is  prepared  to  arrange  for  the  representation  of 
our  tea  districts,  but  that  it  cannot  undertake  the  re- 
presentation of  coffee  and  cinchona.  Of  course,  tea 
is  the  most  important  staple  to  be  pushed,  and  as  the 
Tea  Association  has  little  or  no  interest  in  either 
coffee  or  cinchona,  it  has  no  doubt  rightly  decided  not 
to  be  hampered  with  either  of  these  products.  A 
large  sum  of  money  will  be  required  to  make  the  ex- 
hibit at  Chicago  a success,  and  it  is  hoped  that  at  least 
R50,000  will  bo  raised  in  India,  apart  from  a contri- 
bution from  the  Government  of  India.  All  gardens 
are  being  invited  to  subscribe  at  the  rate  of  2 annas 
per  acre,  but  subscriptions  will  also  be  required  be- 
sides from  Agents,  Brokers  and  Managers.  Several 
firms  in  Calcutta  have  subscribed  R.1,000  each,  but  so 
far  we  have  not  heard  of  any  Madras  house  following 
suit.  The  two  principal  tea  districts  in  Southern 
India  are  the  Nilgiris  and  Travancore,  and  doubtless 
if  planters  there  subscribe,  firms  who  are  interested 
will  also  make  donations,  and  both  the  Government 
of  Madras  and  the  Travancore  Government  may  be 
approached  on  the  subject.  The  Travancore 
Planters’  Association  did,  we  see,  request  the  Ceylon 
Planters’  Association  that  its  district  might  be  in- 
cluded in  the  Ceylon  representation.  In  his  letter, 
the  Chairman,  Mr.  Knight,  writes: — “Travancore 
might  well  pay  at  least  about  B8,000,  which  would 
be  at  about  the  rate  of  Iil  per  acre  on  the  culti- 
vated area,  if  Ceylon  will  consent  to  the  combin- 
ation, and  there  would  be  no  difficulty  in  carrying 
out  all  arrangements  for  selection  of  exhibits  on 
the  same  lines  as  Ceylon  may  determine  upon.” 
That  island  has,  however,  decided  that  it  must 
stand  alone,  so  we  hope  that  Travancore  will  now 
arrange  with  Calcutta.  118,000  is  a handsome 
contribution  from  so  young  a district,  and  we 
trust  it  will  be  supplemented  by  a substantial 
subscription  from  the  Government  of  that  State. 
So  far  we  have  heard  of  no  movement  on  the 
