Feb, 1, 1901.] THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
556 
Cement. —Owing to rise in freights from 
Europe eastward, prices of cement advanced 
about Is per cask. Witii an article like 
cement freight is perhaps the chief factor 
in quotations. 
Metals. — A fair business has to be recorded 
in most of the standard importations. Prices 
gave away considerably for all iron and 
steel goods, chiefly due to drop in prices in 
U.K. following an exceptional output in the 
United States. The following show some of 
the chief fluctuations in prices laid down 
Colombo Harbour. 
Jany. July. Dec. 
Scotch iron EI65 175 150 
4 oz. tea lead „ 370 375 380 
Hoop iron „ 240 230 220 
Rice. — Prices ruled high during last year. 
In January good Soolye could be got for 
R3 to R3-10 per bushel, but prices rose gra- 
dually, and as the year closed the value of 
this rice was from R3-.50 to R3 15 per bushel. 
Bumper rice crops are expected in Burmah, 
and Bengal, and if anticipations are realised 
prices will become easier. (!heap rice 
will be welcomed by all Tea Estates, many 
of which cannot now afford to write otf 
monthly -'losses on rice." 
Coals.— The "Chinese Embroglio" led to 
a large number of warships and transports 
from Europe calling at Colombo to coal last 
year. The extra demand coupled with a rise 
in value at home led to exceptional prices 
being paid for ready local delivery. Prices 
eased off towards the close of the year and 
are now quiet but steady. The imports of 
Indian coal still continue to increase. In 
1899 there were 151,468 tons of Indian coal 
shipped from 1st January to 30th November 
from Calcutta to Ceylon, whereas last year 
for the corresponding 11 months the quan- 
tity was 297,803 tons, showing an increase 
of nearly 100 per cent in one year. 
SHIPPING, 
CEYLON EXPORTS IN RELATION TO FREIGHT 
AND TONNAGE— 1890-1900. 
The following figures— compiled from the 
Chamber of Commerce annual returns of 
exports and shipping — give the quantities of 
cargo exported from Ceylon, and the number 
of vessels by which this cai-go was shipped. 
The figures for cargo exported are however 
reduced to "shipping tons" according to the 
Ceylon Tonnage Scale. 
Readers will bear in mind tha<^ cargo tran- 
shipped at Ceylon is not included in these 
retiirns. 
Vesi3els Shipping Average 
cleared with tons cargo tons taken per 
In cargo. taken. vessel. 
1890 698 If 6, 159 223 
1891 872 174,316 200 
1892 871 200,986 230 
1893 848 197,823 233 
1894 808 200,489 248 
1895 784 213,843 272 
1896 830 216,844 261 
1897 756 245,830 325 
1893 773 297,211 884 
1899 856 293,507 343 
19C0 826 316,0C4 382 
The net increase in shipping tons of cargo 
exported last year over 1899 and 1898 was 
22,497 tons and 18,793 tons respectively. It is 
gratifying to note that since 1890 the tonnage 
of cargo exported has increased by 100 per 
cent. The following are the inore noticeable 
fluctuations last year compared with 1899 :— 
Tons. 
Tea shows an increase of 18,537 
Coconut oil do 3,070 
Copra do 3,088 
Coconuts do 3,273 
Coir rope, yarn and 
fibie do 5,958 
Cocoa shows a decrease of 659 
Plumbago do 11,652 
Grouping together the products of the 
coconut palm— coconut oil, copra, desiccated 
coconut, coconuts, poonac, coir i^ope, j^arn and 
fibre— we find last year shows an increase of 
15,983 tons, and the figures following are those 
for the last decade :— 
Tons. Tons. 
1891 69,879 1896 80,570 
1892 94,560 1897 100,614 
1893 79,935 1898 139,334 
1894 85,711 1899 119,154 
1895 84,567 1900 1.^5,137 
Of the total exports last year — 
Tea gives 47 per cent, of shippicg tou» 
Products of the 
Coconut palm 43 do do. 
Other products 10 do do. 
These figures very clearly show how im- 
portant the Tea and Coconut plants are for 
the shipping of Ceylon. If the Planting 
community have suffered from over-produc- 
tion of teas, they have provided shipping 
with a large increase of fine cargo. 
The number of vessels which cleared with 
cargo last year was 826 compared with 856 
in J 899. The supply of tonnage has been ample 
during the year to all countries, with the ex- 
ception of Australasia. The carrying capacity 
of vessels running on regular lines touching 
at Ceylon continues to increase as new steam- 
ers replace those taken off. 
Freights ruled low all the year round except 
to Australasia, as will be seen from the 
following table :— 
Kongh Cargo Tea. 
Max. Min. Max. Min, 
rate rate race rate 
s s s ■ s 
London 25 15 30 25 
Antwerp 20 15 30 20 
Hamburg 22-6 17-6 30 20 
Marseilles 20 12-6 .30 20 
Genoa 25 20 25 20 
Trieste 27-6 25 30 30 
Odessa 40 35 40 40 
New York 35 32-6 37-6 35 
Melbourne E50 R40 E50 E40 
The raising of rate of freight from R40 to 
R50, combined with want of regular space 
available to the main Australian ports, has 
had a depressmg effect on many of the local 
tea sales. Austi'alian markets require Ceylon 
tea to arrive regularly, not occasionally in exces- 
sive quantities. Every effort should be made 
by exporters to secure a resumption of regular 
tonnage for tea to Australia. The following 
are fluctuations in frate of freight on tea to 
London during the last decade :— 
Max. Min. Max. Min. 
1691 45 27-6 .. 1896 25 7 0 
1892 35 15 .. 1897 35 in 
U9i 80 12-6 .. 1898 40 20 
1691 35 20 ,. 1899 30 25 
1895 30 17 6 .. 1900 30 25 
Native vessels and vessels which cleared 
without cargo from Ceylon are not included 
in these returns, 
