482 THE TROPICAL AGKICULTURIST. [Jan 1, 1901. 
TEA MANUFACTURE : SUITI D TO 
RKQUIREMENTS 
In discussing this question, the I. P. Gazette 
has the following : - We have heen nianul'.ic" 
taring, in bulic, a class of teas which cannot 
possibly comi)Bte in price with Chinas and 
Ceylons, Dealers at Home can get conmion 
and medium low class teas, just .as good as 
our's, from China and Ceylon at a figure con- 
siderably below ours. Therefore, for that 
very simple reason, they are not wanted. 
A drug on the market, they aie only sale- 
able at a sacrilice ; at a figure in fact wiiich 
cannot possibly cover cost. The worst feature 
aboiit the market is -that even our better 
quality medium teas are now selling at prices 
which, in former years, were realised by 
our conunons ; the whole-sale dealers and 
blenders are now using these in their Is 
canisters. The tea-drinking public are thus 
getting better value for their money; and, 
acquiring a taste for our higher class teas, 
will always demand the same quality for 
their shilling. Thus, whilst the price of teas 
is going down to the detriment of the pro- 
ducer, the ^Yholesale dealer and blender and 
consumer are more and more getting their 
money's worth, in that they are obtaining 
for the same money superior teas to the 
common qualities with which they were satis- 
fied in years gone by. We do not .-ippear 
to comprehend this very apparent fact, that 
our common low grade teas are altogether 
going out of fashion. At present there is 
not a sufficient supply of the good liquoring 
(jaality teas to meet the demand, wholesale 
dealers and blenders have, therefore, perforce 
to take the less desirable kinds, but at their 
own prices : whilst they get better value 
for their money tlian they have hitherto got, 
the producer suffers heavily in that his pro- 
duct goes for a mere song. The chief cause 
then for the present slump in prices is un- 
doubtedly over pi'oduction of common and 
poor medium kinds. This is due in a measure 
to coarser pluckmg this season, for a large 
proportion of the current season's crop has 
been of very indifferent quality ; attribu- 
table partly to climatic causes and partly 
to ;i coarser system of plucking. There was, 
unfortunately an altogether abnormal market 
last year for common teas, and although a 
note of warning was sounded by all the 
Brokers in this city it was unheeded, and 
orders were issued that quantity, ar.d not 
qnality, was to rule the roost. The inevit- 
able result has been that we have just played 
ititothe handsof the wholesale buyers athome. 
The next cause for the slump in prices of 
most importance, we think, we may safely 
assert is the shipping of teas to the home 
market direct, instead of selling in Calcutta. 
It has now become an unmistakably patent 
fact that if the Indian tea industry is to sur^ 
vivc, and animation is to take the jilace of 
depression, Calcutta must take the place of 
London .IS the chic^f ]nart for the sale and 
distriliuLi(j]i of our t(!as. Mincing Lane has 
not the diversity of buyers which oiu- local 
Market has. 
PLANTING NOTES. 
GouRAMi Fi.sH IN Ceylon — We are much 
obliged to Mr. Fowler, Government Agent, 
Southern Province, for the information which 
he gives us in a letter we publish elsewhere. 
It is extremely satisfactory to note that 
Mr. Fowler's last .attempt was so far success- 
ful, that two of the fish are flourishing at 
Galle, and that he is interesting himself in 
further introductions. We trust his example 
will be followed by some enterprising 
pisciculturist in Colombo or its neighbour- 
hood. 
CAS.SAVA OR Manioc— We direct special 
attention to the letter of the Curator of the 
Botanic Gardens on this subject and we 
trust that intelligent cultivators in different 
districts will at once comply with Mr, 
Macmillan s request, by forwarding to him 
specimens of the leaves and roots (flowers and 
fruit if possible) of the Cassava grown in the 
neighl)ourhood — Jlr Jardine and Mr. VV H 
Wright ought to be alile to help the Gardens 
in this matter. 
The Kanan Devan District.— We quote 
elsewhere a stout defence by Baron von Rosen- 
berg, of the Kanan Devan District in South 
India, against an article which recently 
appeared in the Investors' Review which 
he thought was calculated to harm the pro- 
spects of the district generally, both as 
regards its credit and its position towards 
the Madras and Travancore Governments. 
His opinion is that before many years Kanan 
Devan will be one of the most flourish- 
ing among Indian planting districts. 
Prosperity from Cotton-growing ?— 
The last product we should think likely to 
afford a promise of profit to planters is 
" cotton." The price has fallen so greatly 
in India that we doubt if any European 
could make the cultivation pay. No doubt 
where there is rich soil, a favourable climate, 
and above all a local demand, the cultivation 
of one or other of the superior kinds might 
prove profitable. But Sir W. W. Mitchell 
did a great deal by introducing new seed 
into Ceylon, without being successful in 
getting native and other experimentalists 
to make much out of cotton. Here, how- 
ever, is a paragraph from the Egyptian 
Gaz'Me (Nov. lith) which indicates that the 
American cotton plant is to be tried in 
German West Africa and is expected to 
do well : — 
Amukican Cotton Plant in West Africa.— 
If tlie Germans do not attain to .<!ucces:s as colonisers 
it will not be the fault of the " Colonial Econonrie 
Committee " in Berlin. By the help of generous ex- 
penditure they are now enabling Germans in We.-st 
Africa to make a most interesting experiment. 
Tb y have made an agreement with some American 
planters, to be accompanied liy a hundred and fifty 
workmen, to introduce tiie American cotton plant 
into West Africa. It is anticipated that the plant 
will flourish well, and in that case the commercial 
prosperity of the district should be assured. 
No doubt soil is rich and climate favourable 
in West Africa ; and if labour prove abun- 
dant and cheap, the comparative proximity 
to the Liverpool market ought to tell. But 
abundant production will render competition 
keener than ever. 
