118 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Aug. 1, 1902. 
Finally, we quote what is said about our 
old staple, though of no account in our 
Oeylon trade now : — 
Coffee — The exports have been : 
cwt. R 
, 1898-99 ... 270,056 1,74,98,242 
1899- 1900 ... 281,353 1,48,47,146 
1900- 01 .. 246,431 1,22,84,498 
1901- 02 .. 255,042 1,25,02,280 
There was a small recovery in the exports, bn^ 
the quantity was still much below the level uf 
former years, and it cannot be said that the trade 
is progressive. The quality of Indian colfee is 
good, so good that it is appreciated by Arabs and 
Turks, but tlie world's markets are dominated by 
the great abundance of the supply of the cheaper 
kinds from Brazil which gives three-touiths of the 
production of the world, and last year's exports 
from that country were so excessive that prices 
fell to a lower point than ever. Indian coffee 
remains depressed in price even when the available 
supply is restricted either by an unfavourable 
season or by the ravages of disease. It is difficult, 
however, to ascertain with accuracy the area, 
yield, or condition, of the colfee estates of 
Southern India, the planters being averse, for 
some unstated and uneonjecturable reason, to 
communicate statistical information relating to 
the industry. The menace of differential treat- 
ment of Indian coffee in France (to which a full 
third of it is exported) by applying to it the 
duties leviable under the general tariff while 
Brazilian coffee is charged at special minimum 
rates, has not yet taken effect. The modus 
Vivendi under which the minimum tariff is pro- 
visionally applied to Indian coffee has been 
prolonged from time to time and will continue 
tor a fesv months longer. 
average of fifty cups tasted daily, 39,125 grains 
of theine are swallowed annually by tea experls— 
a quantity sntfioient to kill 7,825 rabbits.— iV^ciy 
Zealand Mail. June 11. 
" IS TEA INTOXICATING. ?" 
A NEW ZEALAND" EXPERT AND TH« " CEYLON 
OBSERVER. 
Mr A H S Lucas, tea expert, referring to our 
published quotation frora the Ceylon Observer 
under the heading, "Is Tea Intoxicating?" 
writes: — As this query affects the whole commu- 
nity, tea being a national leverage, I should like 
you to give a few facts that have come under my 
notice during the last fifteen years' experience as 
one of a number of tea-tasters. Dr D H Lord 
states that more poison can be obtained from an 
equal quantity of tea than from beer, and yet, 
after perhaps some hundred years of continuous 
tea-drinking, the nations of the earth do not trace 
any bad effects to its use. Marvellous, but true, 
and one would think that the house on the cor- 
ner had the doctor's full sympathy ; not but that 
alcohol has its full merits, when used with dis- 
cretion. I might say that most nations have 
their harmless national beverage, and, witliont 
fear of contradiction, I state that tea is the 
one most used. For instance, the Chinese and 
Russians drink China tea ; the Britishers, colo- 
nials and Americans consume Ceylon and Indian 
teas ; the Japanese lake Java and China teas ; in 
Mauritius they make tea from the leaves of an 
orchid ; in Peru they drink Mate, a tea made of 
a species of holly ; the Abyssians make a tea with 
the leaves of "Catiia edulis," which has strong 
stimulating properties; last, but not least, tlie 
Fijians are now giowing their own teas, the plants 
being impor-tecl from India and Ceylon. At an 
TEA CULTIVATION IN INDIA :— 
ABANDONMENTS vs. EXTENSIONS, 
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PREMIER 
INDIAN TEA COMPANY. 
From the London Tiifcs of June 17th we 
take the following interesting report of the 
proceedings at the annual meeting of the 
Assam Company. The Chairman's si^eech is 
worth noting as typical of the feeling pre- 
valent among the Directors of large Indian 
Companies. It will be seen that " exten- 
sions " were called for, "abandonments" 
hinted at, and plans for discontinuance of 
plucking or destroying crop — over which so 
much time and talent have been wasted 
— were scouted : — 
The annual general meeting was held yester- 
day, June 16th, at the offices, Laurence 
Pountney-hill. Mr. J Graham, K C, presided, 
and, in moving the adoption of the report, said 
that the directors were very glad to be able to 
present a more favourable statement than that 
which they submitted a year ago, Owinsr to the 
great fall in the value of tea, and to the difficulties 
in the way of the trade, the result of the company's 
working in the previous year was that there was 
nothing to divide, but for the year under review 
they were able to pay a dividend of 7^ per cent., 
which, he thought, would be considered satis- 
factory in the present condition of the tea trade. 
He hoped in another year that they might do 
better, but at present the trade was in a transi- 
tive state. In the opinion of some it was just 
about reaching the lowest point, but others thought 
that an amendment was taking place. The tea 
produced in the past season had been excellent, 
but prices remained very low indeed, and tliere did 
not seem any immediate prospect of an advance. 
This was owing to the immense over-production 
in the past, and at the present time stocks were 
very large. Probably the area of cultivation would 
be decreased. In the past year 10,000,000 lb. of 
6ea less were produced. Many persons had thought 
that it would be a panacea for all the ills of the 
trade if the production of Ceylon and Indian teas 
could be reduced by 10,000,000 lb., but although 
that had been dozie, there did not appear to be 
any material market improvement. There was, 
however, no saying how much reduction might go 
on in the future owing to low prices, and the 
smaller the quantity of tea produced the greater 
the chance for those who had it to sell. In the 
past year the company produced about 3,500,0001b 
or 900,060 lb. less than in the previous year, 
when, however, the tea was of very poor quality 
indeed. The actual price obtained by tliern for 
their tea last year was about 8d a pound only, 
whereas in the year under review tliey obtained 
within a fraction of 2d a pound nsore. This im- 
provement and the great reduction which had been 
effected in the expenses in India had resulted in 
their making a net profit of about £16,000. The 
decrease in the expenses had been very large — 
about E2,25,000, or about £14,000, and the saving 
had been effected without in any way impairing 
the efficiency of the work, which had gone on as 
well as ever. Their estimated production lor tl\e 
