Maech 1, 1901. j THE TEOPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
631 
THE "TEA" PROBLEM: 
THE VIEWS OF THE LONDON 
BROKERS : 
"SWEET CLEAN CEYLON PEKOE SOUCHONGS" 
SELLING FOR 3|D.— AND "NOW IS THE 
TIME TO PAY ATTENTION TO 
CHINA TEA "! ? 
WHY ARE AMERICA AND EUROPE NOT SWEPT 
CLEAN OF CHINA- JAPAN TEAS— WITH 
" SWEET CLEAN CEYLON8 " 
SELLING AT S^D. PER LB.? 
" In the multitude of counsellors there is 
safety "; and surely if the scriptural adage be 
true, the position of the tea- planters of 
Ceylon ought to be safe enough ! For, apart 
from the .prolonged discussion before and 
at the Planters' and Merchants' annual 
meetings, our Correspondence columns shew 
that there is no abatement in the interest 
felt in the subject or in the varied advice 
tendered to the tea-grower. The latest letter 
of importance comes from a gentleman, who 
mentions that he has had residence and ex- 
perience in ("hina to guide him and whose 
name and firm will be recognised as con 
nected v/ith some very extensive tea inter- 
ests in Ceylon. The gist of the warning 
tendered by Mr. M. P. Evans is that the 
growing inferiority of Indian and Ceylon 
tea, if continued, is bound to encourage a 
re\!^al of the China tea trade with the 
United Kingdom ; and, secondly, that in 
*' going for quantity " without caring about 
quality, Ceylon planters, or certain of them, 
have taken the surest step to ruin the re- 
putation of their teas and to injure fatally 
the trade in the same. Now, with very few 
exceptions ("theblacksheep"who maybefound 
in every large conmmnity) Ceylon planters 
do not mean this year to go for " quantity " 
at the exi>ense of " quality." The universal 
determination, we believe, is to "pluck 
fine " and to turn out better teas ; and if the 
same is done in Indi;i, we may be sure ihat 
the overplus of common teas will soon dis- 
appear. But why is it that our London 
friends and advisers do not confess that much 
of the blame for the deplorable state of 
things during 1900, lay at the doors of the 
London tea trade. How long ago was 
it— during 1899 ?— that we had the 
commoner grades of tea so much in de- 
mand, that the prices closely approximated to 
those paid for the higher, that is for the fine 
teas, and this continued so long that, of 
course, it set the mass of producers to go 
ill for the very policy of "quantity" latterly 
condemned. Now, we are bound to have 
the other "swing of the penduluii;, a ad 
we shall see how long it will be bei'o. ■ acre 
is a cry at home of "too much fine tea"? 
But is the mass of the Ceylon tea that 
has been selling in London of late at 3d to 
4d per lb. mere "rubbish"? We have good 
reason to doubt this ; and here is our autho- 
rity in the report of a London Broking 
Firm who must know what they are writing 
about— note the sentence we have italicized : — 
I. A. EUOKBR & BENCRAFT'S WEEKLY TEA 
CIRCULAR. 
LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 7tH, 1901. 
Tea. — Oeyi.on — Deliveries for January shew an in- 
crease of one millioa pounds over those of same month 
SO 
last year, but as Imports were veiy large, we are 
carrying a stocli of i'8 millions against 21 millions. 
As the Indian stocks are nearly 75 millions compared 
with 63 millions, the position is adverse to price, and 
we are now lower than ever. 
The market feels the weight of common tea, which 
is njw at about 3|d /or clean sweet Pekoe Souclionys 
wi'h fair leaf, such as were selling at 6iJ jjer lb. saino 
time in 1900. 
Ceylon Tea is really not doing so bidly as Indian, 
as deliveries in the past eight mouths have increased 
by four millions of pounds, while those of Indian Tea 
are less by uiuo millions. Very heavy clearances of 
both kinds are being made, in prospect of a further 
increase in the Duty. 
In the fiist three working days of February i, 3^7,000 
lb. all kinds were cleared against 2,200,000 lb. last year 
Now, here we have a most important ad- 
mission, and we want to know from tea 
authorities, both here and at home, why it 
is with "clean sweet Pekoe Souchongs with 
fair leaf" selling at S^d, there is (1) a single 
million of lb. of China tea wanted in the 
London market; (2) why the American 
market for " black teas" is not swept clear of 
Chin;is and Japans from the Atlantic to the 
Pacific Coast. [Some years ago we were con- 
stantly assured that only the high price pre- 
vented Ceylon's superseding Chinas and 
Japans in America ; that the importers and 
dealers could not get their profits out of 6d 
to 9d teas. Well now can our "sweet 
pekoe sonciiongs " ever be cheaper than 
3id and why does Commissioner Mackenzie 
not report that they are clearing out the 
black teas of the China-Japs ? It is all 
very well to divert attention by crying up 
"green teas"; but after all America con- 
sumes more black than it does of green tea 
and now or never should be the time to get 
the dealers and drinkers accustomed to the 
"clean, sweet," cheap machine-made teas 
of Ceylon. Is the "Thirty Committee" awake 
to the fact and should not tbeir Agent be 
even now in Mew York urging this new 
phase on the dealers' attention '?—'! hat Ave 
should have here a splendid opportunity for 
winning the Continent of Europe is equally 
true.] But (8) we have to ask, how it is that 
another London Broking Firm— Messrs, St 
Rucker, Marshall & Co.— on the same date, 
7th Feb , urge on the Trade, that now (with 
,,' clean sweet P.S.'s " at 3|d) is the time to 
pay more attention to China tea ! Here 
is their report : — 
London, E. C.,7th February, 1901.— Business during 
the past month has been exceptionally quiet, prices 
for all descriptions showing a heavy decline ; the larg*) 
quantity of Indian and Ceylon Teas offered at public 
auction, combined with the heavy duty payments 
made owing to the fear that the Dhancellor of the 
Exchequer may again increase the Tea Duly, has 
tended to depress the China Trade more and more, 
neither the Dealers nor Shippers showing the slightest 
inclination to buy, even at the exceedingly low prices 
now ruling. In our opinion the Trade would do well 
to pay rather more attention to China Tea, as in all 
probability tbey will never have such an excellent 
opportunity of securing such good value again. 
Ceylon. — During the past month the market for 
Ceylon Tea has been very irregular. Up to the middle 
of January it remained fairly steady, when owing 
to the large quantities brouglit to auction prices fell 
away all round, especially for common sorts. Com- 
mon Pekoe Souchongs have been sold as low as 3|d 
per lb., and common Pekoes at 3fd to 4d per lb. The 
export trade is quiet. During January 14:8,520 packagea 
