538 
THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
Feb.  i,  1893. 
TEA  PRODUCTION  AND  CONSUMPTION: 
ANNUAL  REPORT  OF  MESSRS-  GOW, 
WILSON  & STANTON. 
Messrs.  Gow,  Wilson  & Stanton's  Tea  Report  for 
the  past  year  has  certain  features  which  call  for  some 
comment  at  our  hands.  Very  true  and  forcible  are 
the  opening  remarks  in  reference  to  the  transfer  of 
the  English  tea  trade  from  China  to  India  aDd 
CeyloD.  Never  was  thiB  shown  more  strikingly 
than  in  the  figures  adduced  which  tell  us  that  cut 
of  every  100  lb.  of  tea  used  in  the  United  Kingdom 
last  year,  53  lb.  were  grown  in  India  and  31  lb. 
in  Ceylon,  or  84  lb.  in  British  Dependencies  against 
only  16  lb.  in  China  1 Verily  China  has  indeed  at 
length  “ been  nearly  beaten  out  of  the  market.” 
We  are  not  so  well-satisfied  with  the  explanation 
given  in  the  oircular  before  us  of  the  fall  in 
prices  of  Ceylon  tea  last  year  : the  average  which 
was  lOd  for  1891  being  only  9td  for  1892  against 
10Jd  and  lOd  respectively  in  the  same  two  years  for 
Indian  tea.  This  is  considered  by  a contemporary 
to  be  very  extraordinary  in  the  face  of  the  faot  that 
our  shipments  of  tea  to  London  in  1892  were  so 
very  little  in  exoess  of  1891— why  then  should  the 
price  fall,  with  short  crops  both  from  India  and 
Ceylcn?  But  it  will  be  observed  that  the  deliveries 
of  our  tea  last  year  were  much  in  exoess  of  those 
in  1891,  the  increase  being  no  less  than  13  mil- 
lion lb.  Still,  we  want  information  on  two  points 
not  referred  to  in  the  Report  before  us  (1)  if 
with  shipments  to  London  of  from  63  to  64 
million  lb.,  the  price  for  Ceylon  tea  falls  to  a 
point  very  near  the  remunerative  limit,  what  will 
be  the  result  of  our  sending  the  80  million  direct 
next  year  (or  the  year  after)  which  some  of  our 
good  tea  friends  in  London  have  been  urging  us 
to  despatch  as  soon  as  possible  ? It  is  true  there 
are  16  million  of  China  tea  still  to  suppress  in 
the  United  Kingdom  ; but  we  think  the  riek  at- 
tending increased  shipments  to  London  too 
great,  not  to  lead  us  at  this  end  to  cultivate  the 
direot  trade  with  Australasia  and  other  countries 
by  every  means  in  our  power.  Secondly,  we  are 
a little  disgusted  to  see  in  this  annual  Report 
from  Rood  Lane,  not  the  slightest  refer- 
ence to  the  influence  which  big  crops 
or  anticipated  big  crops  in  India  and  Ceylon, 
might  have  had  on  the  purchases  and  shipments 
of  China  tea.  We  are  told  that  “ the  excessive  crop 
estimates  indulged  in  both  from  India  and  Ceylon” 
■huDg  like  a pall  over  the  market  but  the 
aotual  outturn  barely  coming  up  to  that  of  last 
season,  there  came  a reaction  in  price  to  a more 
remunerative  figure.  But  here  surely  was  the  place 
for  expressing  an  opinion  on  what  must  have 
happened  in  China,  had  the  estimates  early  in  1892 
indicated  that  the  India  and  Ceylon  tea  orops  were 
to  show  no  increase.  Would  there  not  have  been 
larger  shipments  from  China  to  London,  and  would 
the  prices  then  not  have  tumbled  down  in  the  end, 
in  place  of  in  the  beginning  of  that  year  ? 
It  is  satisfactory  to  see  credit  given  for  improved 
quality  in  Ceylon  teas  which,  towards  the  end  of 
the  year  “ were  particularly  good,  those  grown  at 
high  elevations  being  noticeable  for  very  fine 
delicate  flavour.”  Let  us  hope  that  all  through 
1893  our  teas  may  continue  in  similar  good 
repute.  It  is  also  gratifying  to  note  that  flavoury 
kinds  of  Ceylon  tea  are  finding  a market  in 
Ruseia  at  remunerative  prices.  This  must  mean 
a direot  trade  from  London ; but  unfortunately 
no  figures  are  given  to  enable  us  to  judge 
of  the  extent  of  this  trade,  or  the  total  of 
the  tea  re-exported  from  London  to  the  Con- 
tinent of  Europe,  Amerioa,  &o.  Such  a return  will 
no  <?oubt  some  later  on.  Meantime  it  is  very 
satisfactory  to  note  that  the  stook  of  Ceylon  tea 
which  stood  in  November  1891  at  14,966,572  lb. 
was,  at  the  end  of  November  laBt,  no  more  than 
12,205,854  lb.  The  stock  of  Indian  tea  was  also 
btlow  that  at  the  same  date  in  1891,  and  there  is 
therefore  every  reason  to  anticipate  a good  market 
during  the  present  year,  unless  indeed  China 
buyers  make  a great  effort  to  secure  a bigger  share 
of  the  home  consumption  thsn  was  allowed  them 
during  the  past  year.  Of  this,  we  trust  there  is 
not  much  likelihood  ; for  eaoh  year’s  experience 
of  Indian  and  Ceylon  tea  must  confirm  the  British 
taste  for  a produot  superior  both  in  flavour  and 
strength  to  the  poor  and  oit-adulterated  China  teas. 
COFFEE  IN  S.  INDIA. 
A correspondent  of  the  S.  of  India  Observer  thinks 
that  the  failure  of  the  N.-E,  monsoon  has  resulted, 
or  will  result, in  a loss  of  one-fifth  of  the  coffee  estimate 
on  an  average,  and  also  in  the  spoiling  of  a certain 
amount  of  wood,  which  has  already  had,  or  is  about  to 
have,  an  untimely  blossom.  Tea  has  not  suffered  much, 
though  the  lack  of  rain  and  cold  nights  have  lessened 
yield  to  some  extent.  As  regards  Cinchona  he  says 
that  “ there  is  a general  belief  that  the  worst  is  over, 
and  that  Java  production  will  gradually  lessen;  at  the 
same  time  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  this  idea  is 
causing  a good  deal  of  Indian  bark  to  be  harvested, 
which  will  probably  prevent  any  rise  to  speak  of  at 
present.  Those  who  are  wise  will  hold  on  for  another 
year,  at  least.” 
THE  AGRICULTURAL  CONDITION  OF  SAMOA. 
Mr.  W.  D.  P.  Keppel,  (formerly  in  Ceylon  ?) 
writing  to  us  from  Samoa  to  register  him 
as  a subscriber  to  the  Tropical  Agriculturist 
as  likely  to  be  of  great  service  to  him, 
says  : — “ As  nominal,  unofficial,  unappointed  and 
unsalaried  aoting  minister  for  agriculture  for  the 
Government  of  this  little  kingdom,  but  practically 
only  a ‘ globe-trotter'  of  the  botanical  persuasion, 
I have  ‘ stayed  over  ’ for  over  twelve  months, 
endeavouring  to  raise  the  place  from  a bankrupt 
state,  as  a solitary  export  of  about  4,OOU  tons  per 
annum  of  copra  to  a low  and  falling  market  implies,” 
We  wish  him  every  success  in  his  efforts. 
YOUNG  ENGLISHMEN  IN  THE  COLONIES. 
NOT  AFRAID  OF  HARD  WORK. 
Wonderfully  invigorating  is  the  “ Old  Students' 
Column  ” in  that  excellent  little  publication  “Colonia,” 
the  Hollesley  College  magazine.  The  number  for  this 
winter  session,  dated  December,  1892,  has  been  for- 
warded us,  and  the  first  forty  pages  are  devoted  to 
letters  from  old  students  at  the  College,  giving  their 
experiences  in  Greater  Britain.  The  forty  pages  will 
well  repay  perusal.  The  real,  straight  up-and-down 
tone  in  which  everybody  writes,  and  the  utter  absence 
of  the  smallest  approach  to  pride,  except  the  pride  of 
doing  one’s  duty,  presents  a striking  contrast  to  the 
unreality  of  modern  life  in  England.  Here  everybody 
is  trying  to  be  just  a little  bigger  than  he  can  afford 
to  be  : the  young  man  who  has  begun  to  try  his  fortune 
in  Australia  or  Canada  has  an  evident  contempt  for 
anything  of  that  kind.  For  example,  Mr.  A.  C.  Hardy 
writes  from  Ceylon  telling  how  after  three  years’  work 
in  Australia  he  has  come  to  Ceylon,  where  he  hopes  to 
manage  a tea  farm.  ‘‘I  booked  my  passage,”  he 
says,  “ to  Colombo,  and  contented  myself  with  a £10 
steerage  ticket,  thereby  keeping  20  golden  sovereigns 
in  my  pocket.  I had  no  cause  to  regret  it.  And  here 
let  me  suggest  to  some  of  your  embryo  colonists  that 
they  too  should  let  their  false  pride  keep  company 
with  a few  extra  pounds  in  their  pockets,  and  for  a 
few  weeks  do  in  Rome  as  Rome  does,  or  to  use  a 
Darwinian  expression,  ! correspond  with  their  en» 
