Aug. 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
1} 
London market. It might be sliippetl to Russia 
and sold tliere for whatever it wouki fetch, but for 
tlie danger tliat it niiglit be sent from there to 
London. It is beyond doubt that were 10 or 
12 millions diverDed in some such way from this 
market and a shortness of supply thus created, 
more money would be got for the remainder 
of the crop than for the whole at present 
prices. 
As a case in point, taking the last 
series of ten years — the year which 
gave the shortest crop of Australian 
wool, had the largest return in total price. Again 
cofFee has risen 30 per cent on what is a siill 
uncontirmed short estimate of the Brazil crop. 
A second method, equally sure, though slower 
in its action, would be that planters should aim 
at quality rather than quantity, and pluck 10 per 
cent less. 
A third method is to make the teas the American 
public drink. This I have constantly uiged for 
live years, but, of course, while tea planting was 
prolioable, there was no ciianoe of an audience. No, 
with true British stubborn wrong-headedness, we 
said.— " Let the American tea drinker abandon his 
coffee and green teas and pay his devotion to 
the Ceylon article, just as we ciioose to make it." 
The American ear is not so easily tickled. Our 
black tea has displaced black Chinas in America 
to a considerable extent, but we have made no 
progress against green teas, which are usdd to 
three times the quantity black teas are. Had 
we been sensible enough to begin to make teas 
for America five years ago, our preseuD difficul- 
ties would not have arisen. But then the ex- 
tension of planting would have gone on, and we 
must in tlie end have out-paced consumption. 
Our blind persistence in trying to make converts, 
has perhaps happily allowed the evils of over- 
production to be earlier apparent to us. 
To get speedy relief in this way, Ceylon miglit 
make during the next few months, say ohree to 
four million lb. of green teas — entirel>/ uncoloured 
artificially (6uch teas have already been made 
from sea ievel up to nearly 6,000 ft.) and ship them 
to America. If carefully made, I believe, these teas 
would sell at a price quite as good as we are 
now getting for black teas. But even were there 
a loss on them, the gain by taking that quan- 
tity off the market here would amply compen- 
sate. 
India could make the same quantity of coloured 
greens, and dispose of them in a similar way. 
There are such a number of varieties of unfer- 
nienled or under-fermented teas langing from 
pure^ Japans to Formosas and Oolongs used in 
America, that the teas would sell, even if not true 
to any particular type. 
BuL shippers would require to have Agents to 
protect their interests, unless prepared to sell 
them at ANY PRICE, as the few large importers 
would do all they can to have the goods "smashed" 
out at auction. And we cannot blame them : — 
they have costly establishments in lUiina, For- 
mosa and Japan. They have had the trade in 
their hands lor many years, and arc not likely 
tamely to submit to hive it snatched from them. 
As Mr. Kutherford pointed out, it would pay 
Ceylon and India to get a quantity of!" this mar- 
ket, even if growers of black tea made good the 
loss on green teas. 
If either of the first two methods is adopted 
to help us speedily, I believe the green tea busi- 
uess will increase so rapidly in America as to 
prevent our again falling into the pres^tlt slough. 
What it wants now is careful nursiitiJ and di- 
rection. The chief dithcalty just at present is to 
get the tea; but arrangements now being made 
will, I hope, overcome this, without at the same 
time Hoodint; our young market too soon with 
crude or faulty teas, which might upset the 
good opinion many judges in America have formed 
of Ceylon greens. 
TheUj as Messrs, Gow, Wilson and Stanton 
suggest, the South American markets n)!ght be 
tried, liussia too is making remai kable proirress 
with our teas. One gentleman asked at the 
meeting what Green teas were worth in America. 
Well, like Ceylon, the prices quoted in papers just- 
to hand, rangetl from 5d. to Is. Id. One report I 
see is to the effect that Japans are stronger antl 
rising in price, while Ceylons and I idians are 
weaker on reports from London. There is more 
sale for Japaus over 8d. than for Ceylons over that 
price. 
All we want is unanimity, whicli should easily 
be attained in the community of educated men, 
when faced by what is, if not ruin to all, at least 
that to many, and pinched rations to the lest. 
The only question is, Has the true cause of this 
" lash of necessity '' yet been recognised ? What 
can it be but over-production ? Shorten the 
supply and instead of a ring of buyers, organized tO' 
dole out to the grower only as much as will keep- 
him alive, you would find them as Americans, 
would say, " tumbling over one another " to get. 
the stuff. 
In a case before the Courts today, I see that: 
peaches costing M. each at the Cape, were sold here; 
at 65s a dozen. Why 1 Because scarce i^X, a certiits 
season of the year. 
These suggestions are to meet the ne^d for 
immediate relief. For the future, say beginning 
early next year, what is needed is niach more exte- 
sive pruning before the gieat rusli of leaf, w' ^j^i^ 
comes with the April rains. Teas made 5u April 
and May lack quality, and their qui^j'^'^j^y ^^^j 
great that they smash the price every y jMay 
and June. A leading distributor he ^ gJ^j^l me 
quite recently :-" We have sy,„patliy with 
the Ceylon planter now. Fiftt^y'ou are pouring in 
millions of pounds of poGA^ p^Aii' tiess teas which if 
we buy, we must get in.to, consumption within 
two months, as after that ti-.ne they are worthless, 
except to make bulk in, ^Jlends. They have no 
keeping quality. 
WM. MACKENZIE. 
OUR TEA INDUSTRY : HOW AN 
"OUTSIDER" VIEWS IT. 
The Jungle, July 10. 
Dear SiB,~I am not a tea planter, 
but take a general interest in our staple 
interest, and have been reading tlie re- 
cent utterances of various authorities on 
Over production and Reduction of Prices 
It has struck me that one branch of the 
subject has not I'eceived any elucid.itioii, viz, 
the additional income from the additional 
quantity produced, and the reduction in cost 
of production in dealing with larger quan- 
tities. Do not thege savings act as offsets to 
