May 1, 1901.11 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
795 
and from the Shire River. The Tanganyika Rail- 
way will ij;ive a fresh impulse to the opening u|i 
of Northern Rhodesia, and when the federation of 
South Africa is an accomplished fact, Northern 
Riiodesia and the British Central Africa Protec- 
torate will naturally be included in that great 
movement. The Protectorate will soon be as ripe 
for self-government as Southern Rhodesia, so long 
as it does not stand isolated as it now does, but 
as part of a system, and its only hope for such a 
result lies in the prospect of becoming a portion of 
the Great Federation of the South. This ought 
to give fresh and increased vitality to the country, 
and fittingly crown the great work so brilliantly 
inauguriited by Sir Harry Joiinston and continued 
by Mr Sharpe, who has successfully performed the 
niost difficult of tasks in showing himself able to 
carry the weieht of the heavy legacy left to him 
by his distinguished predecessor. 
export figures at this date next year will compare 
very unfavourably with those just published. — 
Foochow Echo. 
THE FOOCHOW TEA TRADE. 
DIMINI.SHED SUPPLIES EXPECTED NEXT SEASON. 
The statistics for the season now closed show the 
Total Export to be 40,342,288 lb against 44,148,650 
lb in 1899-1900, 38,718,940 lb in 1898-99, 35,887,522 
lb in 1897 98. 
As compared with ten years ago, the past season's 
export shows a falling-off of 33 per cent. The fol- 
lowing comparative figures are given to show the 
changes that have taken place in the destination 
of the shipments ; — 
1900-1901. 1890-91. 
Europe 
Australia and New 
Zealand 
United States and 
Canada 
South Africa 
Coast Southward 
Northward 
lb. 
11,299,703 
0,514,722 ' 
11,855,217 
1,378,864 
4,260,213 
5,033,569 
Jb. 
25,661,017 
15,250,738 
3,404,957 
1,543.652 
4,713,889 
8,884,488 
. . 40,342,288 59,458,739 
The comparative figures of the deliveries of 
China tea in London and Australia are correspond- 
ingly disappointing, notwithstanding that the 
lowness to which prices have made the tea attrac- 
tive to buyers, if solely on account of its unpre- 
cedented cheapness. It has been apparent for some 
time past that Foochow tea, with insignificant ex- 
ceptions, is only bought in London to mix with 
that from Indian and Ceylon, and not then until 
the importer, tired of liolding, parts with it at a 
price below the cost of production. 
Under these circumstances the prospects for the 
trade are exceedingly gloomy. The Chinese were 
losers last year and will act vvith great caution this 
>ear. They know, as vvell as we do, the low scale 
of prices current in the consuming mavl^pt.s and 
will run as little risk as possible. Everything points 
to diminished supplies next season. The money 
usually advanced about this time of the year is 
not forthcoming, the native banks giving as a 
reason for withholding facilities the unsettled state 
of affairs in the north. Thus the teamen vvill have 
to tall back on their own limited resources which 
the well-informed say may be taken to mean that 
a considerable portion of the first crop will not be 
picked at all : and if present eurreiit prices in the 
consuming markets are to be any guide to the 
Chinese in their later operations in the season the 
THE SALE OF NOXIOUS TEAS. 
(To the Editor of the London Times.) 
Sir, —Permit me to refer to and protest against 
the recent refusal of the Government to use the 
powers they possess to protect the British tea 
drinkers from the injurious use of spoilt and 
damaged teas. For some time past most unpleasant 
rumours from some of our tea-producing countries 
have warned us that damaged, and, therefore, in- 
jurious, teas were being craftily blended and manip- , 
ulafced and sold as genuine or sound co.iimercial 
articles. For such purposes " the fine art of blend- 
ing " was being unv/orthily used, and should be 
promptly stepped by the Government authorities. 
In the Ceylon newspapers, for instance, quite re- 
cently, there is a report of a meeting of Planters, 
called to consider a resolution reque.?ting the Gov- 
ernment to supervise or impose checks upon the 
exportation of unwholesome tea. The mover of 
this resolution stated, and (what is most signifi- 
cant) he was not contradicted, "that it was well 
known " that "teas known to be unfit for human 
consumption" had been exported as tea for sale and 
consumption. In the examination of a number of 
recent samples of tea obtained in this country I 
have been struck by the discovery of dried but per- 
fectly rotten leaf tissues, upon which colonies of 
microbial forms, both adult and in ova, were found, 
indicative of damaged and objectionable materials 
for dietetic use. 
I will admit that the adult microbial forms may 
be destroyed in the process of tea infusion, but the 
ingestion of the ova and the products of rotten vege- 
table matter are neither useful nor invigorating to 
healthy or invalid. If tea was a production of the 
British Isles, no doubt the Sale of Food and Drugs 
Act would meet the want an.d stop the mischief ; 
but, unfortunately, tea is an imported article, and 
in its dry rolled condition the consumer sees no 
suspicious signs, aud the chances of detection and 
conviction are in consequence rendered doubtful 
and remote ; and, again, should detection result, 
the guilt might rest upon the ignorant middleman 
and the real culprit escape. 
Instead of throwing the responsibility upon the 
British local authorities, as the Government seem 
disposed to do, it would be perfectly easy and 
simple for the Government to supervise the im- 
ported teas at the London, &c., bonded warehouses. 
These officials would be in touch with the Govern- 
ment experts of the chemical and biological labo- 
ratories of Somerset House and South Kensington. 
In point of fact, such stoppage of " rubbishy tea" 
would be advantageous to the trade and prove 
beneficial to the consumer. In this case the truth 
of the old saw may be again seen — prevention is 
better than cure. 
The Adulteration of Food and Drugs Act is a 
useful instrument for local authorities in local 
matters, but as regards teas and other imports we 
possess the immense advantage of port supervision. 
Let damaged tea, like diseased matter, be stopped 
there and the mischief is stopped from circulating, 
for it is probably the cause of the modern dyspeptic 
or " I can't drink tea" condition to afargn ,' -c 
extent than many are aware or have any idea oi, 
I am, Sir, yours faithfully, Geo. Brownen, f.c.s. 
.38, Gloucester-place, Boscombe, Hants, April 9tb, 
— London Times, April 13th. 
