Aug. 1, 1902.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICCJLTURIST. 
93 
mention that Indian hill tea is not in favour in 
Kabul circles, where the upper classes are great 
tea-drinkers. The product of Assam and Kangra 
Valley are considered too heating, and the green- 
leaf from China is preferred. It is, by the way, a 
mistake to suppose that the tribesmen of Afghan- 
istan consume great quantities of tea. They are 
much too poor to be able to afford the beverage. In 
the big towns and bazaars tea is commonly drunk 
by well-to-do |»eople ; while traders and caravan 
men also use it freely. If the Punjab and the 
North-West Frontier Province were properly 
exploited, they would offer a much better market 
for Indian tea than can ever be secured in 
Afghanistan.— Pionce/', June 14, 
THE INDIAN RESTRICTION OF OUTPUT 
CIRCULAR. 
The following resolutions were unanimously 
agreed to at a meeting held at the ofKces of Messrs 
James Finlay & Co., London, on 26ih May, 1902 :— 
(1) That those present agree to recommend and 
t J use iheir infiuenoe to stop manufacture of tea from 
1st to 21st August inclusive. 
2 That if sufficient support is obtained, say to 
the extent ot 65 per cent, of the crop, or 118,000,000 lbs. 
of tea, the Ceylon growers shall be approached to stop 
manufacture for a period of three weeks ; and 
provided growers representing 50 per cent, of the 
Cejlon crop — or, say a total of 72,000,000 lb=. of tea — 
agree, the scheme shall forthwith be given effect to. 
(3) That importers signing shall not alter, in the 
direction of coarser plucking, their present instruc- 
tions to managers. 
(4) That all signatories shall submit the totals of 
their estimates for the present season's crop, and at 
the end of the season will also submit the total figures 
of their actual crop. 
(5) That the following gentlemen be appointed as 
a Committee to carry out the above, and to consider 
other steps that may be beneficial to the combina- 
tion :— W H Verner, R B Magor, J N Stuart, 0 0 
McLeod. and A Bryans. 
CEYLON TEA COMPANIES REVIEWED. 
ADDITIONAL PAUTICULARS. 
We have to thank the secretaries of the under- 
mentioned Companies for supplying the supple- 
mentary information required to complete our 
statistics, and which we now print for reference 
purposes. The acreage in bearing of the Burnside 
and Higliland companies in 1901 was the same 
as in the previous year at 1,134 and 617 acres 
respectively, and tiie Kelani Valley Company 
showed an increase of ten acres only to 1,222, but 
the Poonagalla and Portmore undertakings had 
1,280 and 522 acres against 1,237 and 480 acres in 
1900, and on the other hand the EderapoUa re- 
duced its acreage by 53 acres to 1,336 acres. As 
regards two companies, of which the particulars 
of prices obtained were omirted, the Panawal 
should have been classed with those showing au 
improvement as the average rose from 5^d. in 
1900 to 6d. per lb. in 1901, but the Nahalraa 
was less fortunate than its companion, and realised 
only 4id. compared with 5Jd. a year ago. — Inves- 
tors' Revieiu, May 31st. 
THE HANKOW TEA TRADE. 
NO DIRECT SHIPMENTS TO THE UNITED 
laNGDOM. 
The following details in regard to the tea trade 
at Hankow last year, contained iu the report of 
the British Consul at Hankow just issued, will 
b« iuteiesking not only to tea dealers generally 
but to investors in Indian and Geylon tea com- 
panie.s : — 
The local supplies ot Hankow teas during the 
season w6re 531,389 half chests against 698,897 
half chests in 1900, atid the settlements 479,^87 
half-chests, against 677,738 halt-chests. For Kew- 
kiang teas the settlements were 180,620 half- 
chests, against 210,228 la?b season. Shipments to 
Shanghai on native account amounted to 62,687 
half-chests against 34,668 in 19u0. There were, 
as in 1899 and 1900, no direct shipments to the 
United Kingdom. j?he subjoined table shows 
that the demand in the United Kingdom con- 
tinues to fall as ib does for Russia direct, while 
shipments to Russia via the northern ports only 
slightly recovered from the collapse of the previous 
year; but the supplies for Canada and America 
doubled last year in fear of extra taxation, show 
a satisfactory increase on former figures, A 
certain amount of tea goes up the Han River 
for Mongolia and Siberia. This year the .supply 
of leaf, brick, stalk and dust totalled only 
6.870,800 lb against 7,300,000 and 1 1,860.00 lb in 
1899 and 1900 ; the value is returned at £160,775 :— 
Quantity, 
Destination. 1901. 1900. 1889. 
lb. lb. Ib. 
Great Britain 6,324,991 8,271,788 16,141,506 
Russia 21,828,088 35,447,580 25,940112 
Tientsin and North 7,517,219 6.905,756 23,889,948 
America and Canada 6,794,396 10,583,182 5,2154,276 
The market opened on 9th May, when the most 
atractive parcels of Khemun tea were settled at 
prices ranging from 40 to 55 taels per picul (say, 
lOd to Is 2d per lb). Quality turned out to be 
quite satisfactory, and later on lower grades were 
in strong demand, chiefly for Russia, and very 
few chops remained unsold for more than a few 
days. Crack chops of Ningchows found buyers up 
to 57 taels, but though some were excellent, the 
majority were nob superior to last season's. 
.Hankow teas were of a good average quality, 
and the two Ichang crack chops were quietly 
taken at 58 taels. There were again no settlements 
at Kewkiang. The average cost laid down in 
London of liist crop of tea, nearly the whole of 
which was setbled before the end of May, was 
9d per lb. Second crop teas began to arrive on 
the 16th June, The supply was very small; the 
tea-men, aware that the demand would be much 
less than usual, have made up their minds to 
reduce the production. Nevertheless, bub for a 
partially unexpected demand from America, a 
considerable amount would have been left on the 
market. — Financial Times, 
^ 
CRUDE RUBBER. 
(To the Editor of the India- Rubber and tiuttci 
Percha Journal.) 
Dear Sir, — There is a great deal of activity going 
on here in rubber planting, and the Peninsula 
must before long be an important rubber-producing 
country. The soil and climate seem to be parti- 
cularly suitable for the cultivation of Para (Hevea 
Braziliensis) and Ficus (Ficus Elastica) and, shouli- 
the results equal the experiments which have 
been carried out from time to time, this country 
will afford a very profitable field for investment ia 
this direction. Straits rubber has, I believe, a bad 
name, which is because it is more or less a hetero- 
geneous collection of indigenous rubbers aud saps 
collected by the natives, and, of course, 
