July 1, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
lived in Ceylon for six. months, and althongli his 
business is small, he takes a great interest in the 
article. 
The principal partner in the fifth firm is a gentle- 
man who from his position, wealth, and influence 
ean give us a gTeat deal of help. As a large Export 
iVJerchant ho does a largo trade with Ceylon. His 
sale of our tea is entirely retail, and he has issued a 
large number of circulars and distributed a quantity 
of Bamber's pamphlets. 
The sixth firm may be said to be the pioneer of 
Ceylon tea in Switzerland, their present manager 
having been resident in Ceylon as a planter for many 
years : they keep Indian and China to prevent their 
clients going elsewhere for those sorts, but by far 
the bulk of their trade is all Ceylon. In addition to 
their customary propaganda by circulars and price 
lists, the feature of their work last year was special 
lectures on Ce) lon tea delivered by the manager in 
13 towns in Switzerland. These lectures have been 
illustrated by magic lantern views ; free samples of 
tea, and tea in cup have been distributed at them. 
The seventh, a London firm, has established a tea 
room in St. Moritz. Pull particulars of the under- 
taking and vouchers for the expenditure have not 
reached me as yet. In Italy, this same London firm 
received a small advance to commence work through 
a firm of colonial produce brokers in Genoa, but no 
parvioulars of the expenditure have as yet come in. 
At the instance of a Colombo export firm small grants 
were made to firms in Naples and Florence. Their 
expenditure has only just begun, and has been 
confined to a view advertisements in papers and 
tramoars. One of the Basel firms has entered Italy 
and has commenced work with the H otels and Res- 
taurants in Nothern Italy. This house is able to 
report an import of 8,734 lbs. into Italy against nil 
in the previous year. Only four out of the seven 
firms working in Switzerland have furnished me with 
particulars of their imports for 1901. I see that their 
total increase over 1900 amounts to 20,963 lbs. 
The expenditure in Switzerland in Italy amounts 
to £1,054-4-2, to which I have contributed £476-1-9. 
But in return for this year's grant, one firm has still 
to spend if 160 in Switzerland, and another should 
render accounts for £150 to be sp>ent in Italy. 
Russia. I only visited this country in order to 
make tbe necessary preparations for the Ceylon tea 
room at the Exhibition to be held duringthe summer 
at St. Petersburg. I took the opportunity to visit 
Moscow, and while there I called on all the principal 
importers. The unanimous opinion of the Russian 
houses was that our tea was doing very well in 
Russia, and required no outside help to stimulate 
the expansion of its consumption. Messrs. Rogivue 
& Co. think otherwise. My stay in Russia was not 
long enough to enable me to advise or say in what 
way any further propaganda on behalf of Ceylon tea 
should be made. That the great mass of the people 
know nothing about Ceylon and its tea is certain. 
I think special Ceylon tea rooms in Moscow, St, 
Petersburg and three or four of the largest towns 
would do good, and help to popularise our tea. But 
I should be very careful not to offend the suscepti- 
bilities of the trade. If, however, anything special 
is to be done in Russia, it will have to be on a very 
large scale and be continued for some years. I am 
inclined to think that a rebate or return of 1 or 2% 
to the Importers would probably have more imme- 
diate results than any other method. Tea in Russia 
is drunk so weak that one might almost call it hot 
water flavored with tea, lime juice and sugar. It is, 
however, a most palatable and agreeable beverage at 
a I times, especially in the cold winter months. Our 
object IS not so much, as in the other countries of 
Europe, to get the inhabitants accustomed to the 
taste of our tea, b;it to show the Russians that in 
the long run it is much the cheapest, because a little 
of It goes further. Although Russia imports about 
WS million lbs. of tea, the consumption per head of 
their population is only 0-82 lbs., therefore the 
cheaper the article can be given to the public, the 
greater the chance of an increase in consumption. 
There is not only no chance of obtaining an equalisi- 
tion of the duty on sea-borne as against overland tea, 
but I .-ee statements in the English newspapers to 
the effect that from this year, in order to brin" 
freight to the Siberian Railway, the duty will be 
abolished on all teas entering Russia by the Siberian 
frontier. In the meantime the Russian Importers 
advise me they would buy more of our teas if, 1st, 
the net weight of the packages ran more evenly. I 
have great complaints on this head. They insist 
they are always coming to grief with their clients 
over the difference between the Invoice and actual 
weights. 2nd, If quality were always uniform. 
Complaints have come from the interior as to differ- 
ence in quality, not only in one line of tea, but in 
single paolcages ( f one line. Singly chests supposed 
to contain Pekoe, for instance, have been found to 
contain dust and coir yarn. 3rd. If Colombo price.s 
were more on a par with London. They cannot 
understand why the London marker is always 
cheaper than Colombo. They would buy more in 
Colombo if the prices were equal, astlie idea of buy. 
ing in London does not commend itself to some 
importers. I venture no opinion as to whether the 
London market is cheaper or dearer. I merely 
pass on tne opinion of the Russian dealers. They 
are all unanimous in thinking there is a future for 
Ceylon tea in Russia, provided the quality be main, 
tained. The expenditure of £270 in Russia has been 
solely in disbursements for the tea room at the exhi- 
bition. 
Spain.— 1 mention this country simply to note 
the fact that the Colombo export returns show a 
fallir)g-off of 17,480 lbs. in the export to this 
country in 1901 as compared with 1900. I think 
it will be found that the reason for this is that the 
bulk of the export in 1900 was for the Army 
and Navy Contractor in Gibraltar, and that sup- 
plies, hitherto drawn direct, have in 1901 been 
obtained from London, the excessive and irregular 
treight from Colombo to Gibraltar rendering it 
unprofitable to continue to obtain direct ship- 
ments. 
Conclusion. — In conclusion I would like to 
express my, opinion that with one single excep- 
tion in Switzerland and Italy, I am convinced I 
have received very full value, both in work and 
morey, tor the grants I have made. I feel certain 
the funds have been well and economically 
spent. What the result will be it is impossible to 
say. 1 do not believe we shall ever — at least not 
in the time of this generation — see France, Ger- 
many and Austria ten-drinking countries to the 
-same extent as Great Britain, but by quietly 
pegging away, I think we shall in course of time 
oust China tea in all the three countries, and in 
Germany and Scandinavia I hope we shall lio 
more. My cone pondeuts in France, Austria and 
Germany are most hopeful, and notwithstanding 
the fact that, -owing to the general trade depres- 
