Nov.  x,  1892.]  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
343 
the  nearest  factory.  Bat,  to  balance  this  we  expect 
a large  local  consumption  of  our  commoner  teas  to 
spring  up  among  the  natives  both  of  India  and 
Ceylon.  Universal  tea  drinking  could  not  fai  to 
benefit  the  mass  of  the  people;  for  most  true  is 
the  old  adage  in  the  East,  that  there  is  nothing 
more  dangerous  to  drink  than  brandy  except  water ! 
If  there  is  to  be  a struggle  for  existence,  in  the 
face  of  the  tea  supp’y  increasing  out  of  proportion 
to  demand,  we  in  Ceylon  believe  that  with  our  advan- 
tages of  climate,  labour  supply  and  ready  means  of 
transport,  we  can  hold  our  own  against  India,  China 
or  Java.  What  we  want  now  is  to  get  the  people  of 
America  and  Australasia,  as  well  as  many  on  the 
Continent  of  Europe,  to  use  Ceylon  and  Indian  teas 
as  freely  as  do  the  people  of  the  United  Kingdom, 
and  then  we  should  have  an  assured  market.  Of  the 
prospect  of  progress  in  this  direction,  we  hope  to  hear 
this  afternoon  from  the  Ceylon  Commissioner  to  the 
Chicago  Exhibition,  and  very  satisfactory  are  the 
latest  statistics  showing  the  great  increase  in  Ceylon 
tea  exports  from  London.  In  the  Appendix  will  be 
found  the  latest  statistics  of  production  and  con- 
sumption, &c.  Meantime,  as  regards  production 
generally,  I cannot  help  being  reminded  of  the 
commentary  which  these  modern  times  must  suggest 
on  the  well-worn  saying,  that  he  was  the  greatest 
benefactor  of  mankind  who  caused  two  stalks  of 
corn  to  grow  where  only  one  gi'ew  before.  In  the 
present  depressed  state  of  British  agriculture,  our 
farmers  at  best  will  scarcely  agree  in  this  dictum 
of  the  famous  Dean  of  St.  Patrick’s;  and  much  the 
same  experience  has  been  realized  through  the  over- 
production of  some  of  our  tropical  products. 
I think  it  will  be  seen  by  any  one  who  studies 
the  statistics  which  I offer  with  this  paper,  that 
there  is  very  little  encouragement  to  attempt  the 
cultivation  of  Tea  in  other  countries,  than  those  in 
which  it  is  at  present  established — at  any  rate  with 
reference  to  the  markets  and  requirements  of  Europe 
and  Americe.  This  I have  also  shown  to  be  the 
case  in  regard  to  Cinchona  Baric,  Cinnamon  and 
Cardamoms,  and  to  some  extent  in  respect  of  the 
produce  of  the  Coconut  Palm  and  Pepper.  In  the 
case  of  the  firstnamed  (Bark)  the  commanding 
position  once  held  by  Ceylon  has  been  acquired  by 
Java;  but  in  all  the  rest,  as  to  a great  degree  in 
Tea,  our  island  holds  the  pre-eminence.  The  case 
is  different  in  regard  to  Coffee,  probably  Cacao 
(“  Cocoa  ”),  and  certainly  Rubber.  For  the  cultivation 
of  each  and  all  of  these  valuable  products  in  new 
lands  there  is  much  encouragement,  and,  whether 
it  be  in  Peru,  and  the  valley  of  the  Amazon,  in 
East  Africa,  Borneo,  the  Malayan  Peninsula  or  in 
Ceylon  itself,  there  is  room  for  the  pioneer,  the 
planter  and  the  capitalist  to  do  what  they  can  to 
add  to  the  supply. 
I have  ventured  to  take  up  a very  wide  subject  in 
dealing  with  the  position  of  the  several  important 
products  referred  to,  and  my  treatment  has  been, 
I am  conscious,  very  inadequate ; but,  whatever  else 
may  be  the  result,  I trust  enough  has  been  said  to 
excite  increased  interest  in  the  island  whose  industries 
have  afforded  me  a text  : — the  first  and  most  enter- 
prising of  Crown  Colonies  and  the  best  school  for 
tropical  planters  in  the  world.  That  there  is  still 
ample  room  for  experiment  and  extension  in  Ceylon 
may  be  judged  from  the  fact  that  of  sixteen  million 
acres,  the  area  of  the  Island — or  say  twelve  millions, 
excluding  lakes,  tanks,  lagoons  and  rivers,  little  more 
than  one-fourth,  or  three  and  a quarter  million 
acres,  are  so  far,  under  cultivation. 
I might  have  alluded  to  several  other  products, 
to  the  supply  of  which  British  capital  and  skill  might 
be  directed.  In  Fibres  for  instance  there  is  much 
scope,  Ceylon  being  quite  a paradise  for  the  growth 
of  fibrous  plants.  There  are  also  some  valu.ble 
medicinal  plants  in  demand,  as  well  as  other  food 
products.  There  are  valuable  timber  supplies  to  be 
rendered  available,  as  well  as  farther  cultivation  to 
be  facilitated,  by  Railway  extension  to  North  Ceylon, 
while  plantations  of  ornamental  and  useful  timber 
trees  are  likely  to  prove  remunerative.  In  passing, 
I may  further  say  that  there  is  room  for  the  pro- 
per development  of  our  Plumbago  Mines,  yielding 
even  now  over  20,000  tons  a year;  and  of  hidden 
wealth  in  Precious  Gems  such  as  are  dug  out  to 
the  value  of  20,0001.  every  year  on  their  own  account 
by  the  Sinhalese.  In  all  such  directions,  and  in 
enterprises  appertaining  to  a British  Dependency,  I 
feel  sure  your  capital  would,  at  least,  be  more  wisely 
and  safely  invested,  from  time  to  time,  than  it  has 
been,  when  given  to  projects  in  Foreign  States  such 
as  the  badly  governed,  unreliable  Republics  of  South 
America. 
APPENDIX. 
ESTIMATES  OF  THE  WORLD’S  PRODUC- 
TION AND  CONSUMPTION  OF  COCOA, 
COFFEE,  AND  TEA. 
[ Compiled  bp  Mr.  J.  Ferguson  for  “ Ferguson's  Ceylon 
Handbook  and  Directory ,”] 
I. 
COCOA:  PRODUCE  OF  “ TIIEOBROMA 
CACAO.” 
Approximate  Estimate  of  the  World’s 
Production  and  Consumption. 
Production. 
Countries. 
Cwt. 
Brazil 60,000 
Celebes  and  adjacent  Islands  . . . . 8,000 
Ceylon  . . . . . . . . . . . . 20,000 
Central  America  . . . . . . . . 85,000 
Trinidad  ...  . . . . . . . . 140,000 
Dominica  2,000  : Grenada  30,000 ; Jamaica 
5,000;  San  Domingo  10,000;  St.  Lucia 
3,000;  St.  Vincent  3,000;  Total 
Ecuador  and  Peru  . . 
Venezuela 
Guadaloupe 
Guiana  (French)  2,0C0;  (Dutch)  30,000; 
(British)  6,000 ; Total 
Hayti  . . 
Martinique 
Mexico 
Philippines 
Reunion 
Total  cwt.  
53.000 
200,000 
200,000 
2,000 
38.000 
38.000 
7.000 
20.000 
5.000 
1.000 
877,000 
Consumption. 
Countries. 
Cwt. 
America,  North  and  Central  . . . . 00,000 
America,  South  . . . . . . . . 65,000 
France  and  Dependencies  . . . . 195,000 
Italy,  South  Europe  and  Mediterranean  8T000 
Germany  and  North  Europe  . . . . 55,000 
Spain  and  Dependencies  . . . . . . 170,000 
Switzerland  and  Central  Europe  . . 60,000 
United  Kingdom  . . . . . . . . 100,000 
United  Kingdom  non-cocoa-producing 
Dependencies  25,000 
West  Indies 35,000 
Total  cwt 875,000 
Another  estimate  gives  the  total  production  and 
consumption  of  cocoa  at  80,000,0001b.  The  consump- 
tion of  cocoa  is  constantly  increasing,  especially 
in  Latin  Europe,  and  in  the  United  States,  where 
its  use  has  increased  sixfold  since  1860,  while  that 
of  tea  and  coffee  has  not  more  than  doubled.  There 
is  no  reason  to  fe  ar  over-production  for  many  years 
to  come.  Trinidad  has  43,300  acres  under  “ cacao 
and  coffee  ” according  to  assessment,  but  this  must 
be  chiefly  under  cacao  alone,  for  the  export  has 
been  as  high  as  150,000  to  160,000  cwt.  in  one  years. 
