2, 190S.] THE TROPICA. 
AGRICULTURIST. 
557 
suit. With very moderate stocks held in the 
States, the new year should see a larger business 
1)assiiiK on sounder lines, the present position 
jeing certainly in favour of slock holders. 
Indian teas have been disappointing in quality. 
The earlier shipnieuta were distinctly good, but 
with heavier arrivals the teas seemed lacking in 
point and distinctive quality, and they have 
certainly lost ground with the blenders as com- 
pared with Ceylon, Tlie trade, liowever, are quick 
to notice all teas with point, as they form a valu- 
able element in all blends owing to their superior 
keeping quality, as compared with Ceylon, 
The Calcutta market has risen consideiably in 
the last three months, especially in common teas. 
The crop is expected to be less tlian was esti- 
mated, and an early closing of the season is looked 
for Colonial imports will be 25 per cent, below 
last year, 
China teas are getting into smaller and smaller 
compass. The year's imports will only be about 
1,000,000 lb ; the only demand has been for a little 
line tea, fine buds, line Panyongs and scented teas, 
which are in sliort supply. iJooloos are not so 
much used, and their sale has been slow and un- 
profitable. Stocks are now very much reduced, 
but the outlook for next year is very poor. -Afje 
Jan. 2. , 
JAVA GOVERNMENT CINCHONA 
PLANTATIONS. 
A sum of 289,000 fl. has been allotted to the 
Java Government cinchona-plantations, in con- 
nection with the estimates for 1903. Tliis sum is 
an increase of 189,000 fl. on the estimates for 1902. 
It is intended for the purchase of quiniue, gather- 
ing, manufacturing, transport, and sale of cinchona, 
&c. In 1902 the production of Government bark 
was estimated at 1,000,000 Amsterdam lb but this 
year they hope to increase the output by 50 per 
cent.— i. e., 1.500,000 Amsterdam lb. In view of 
this, and also because more money is required 
for laying out new nuiseries, upkeep of nurseries, 
&c., expenses of the Grovernment ])lantations are 
estimated at 5,00OJ. There is also an increase of 
3, 250Z. in the estimates for the purpose of meeting 
the extra cost of manufacturing the quinine pro- 
duced by the Bandong Quinine Works. The 
revenue for 1903 is expected to realise 399,000 11., 
chiefly derived from the sale of Java quinine. — 
Chemist and Druggist, Jan. 3. 
EAVART, MACCAUGHEY AND COMPA- 
NIE'S ANNUAL TEA REPORT, 1902. 
CEYLON. 
The New Year brought in a strong market, parti- 
cularly for oornmon tea. which was quoted at Cjd 
per lb, while over say 6|a per lb. there was cou- 
Biderable irregularity. With occasional flnctnations 
the general feature of January was firmness for tea 
up to 7d per lb and great irregularity over that 
figure. Worse quality towards the end of the mouth 
led to au easier market, and in February prices 
favoined buyers, common leaf receding to biA per lb 
or f)Jd per lb., while Broken Pekoes round about (id 
per lb were remarl*,bly cheap. Importers were in- 
clined to meet the market when anything near to 
valuations was bid, so that little tea was held up 
Quality on the whole, if not fine, was fairly useful and 
the range of prices wo) ked all in favour of a very large 
trade, the blenders parlicularly in buying freely from 
week to week. Good tea w:i3 coining along in March, and 
from Is Id per lb there were plenty of buyers, but plain 
ordinary Pekoe kinds from 6d per lb to 7d per lb ruled 
easy, and Colombo bought invoices were not receiving 
much attention. A large proportion too. although fine, 
was over light in cup for home requirements, and, 
lacking support from foreign buyers, went very cheaply. 
After the Budget in April we had an easier market, and 
from 5fd per lb there was a general .Jd per lb decline, 
while tea for price was at 5id per lb. The month 
closed with heavy offerings, mostly of poor quality, and 
averages began to look very bad, teas between 6d per lb 
and 7d per lb being a perfect drug on the market. The 
general feature pretty well followed Indians in that 
from 5d per lb to 7d per lb prices were anyhow, while 
over lid per lb top rates were being paid. The middle 
of May brought more general enquiry and, as a whole, 
better quality. Common stood at 5d per lb, and tea far 
and away better at 5Jd per lb, all grades over lOd per 
lb making fancy prices. June opened with an easy 
market under 7d per lb, although ooinmon stood at 5d 
per lb against .3|d per lb or 4d per lb in the previous 
season. Fine kinds were dear, in fact, much of the tea 
that was being paid up for would in ordinary times not 
have been called fine at all. There were, however, no 
Darjeelings to speak of. and this fact largely helped up 
any Ceylon with the smallest approach to quality 
Common dropped to 4:ja per lb before July, with Pekoe 
quotations of per lb, and excepting one week in 
1901 the average price of 6d par lb at the beginning 
of the month was lowest on record. Weekly offerings 
were at this time very heavy, 3(j,000 packages being 
nothing unusual, but towards the close there was a 
slight rally and the month finished with a healthier 
feeling. Quality came a little better again in August, 
and Auctions dropped to about 28,000 packages a 
week. A slightly better enquiry set iu, as buyers 
could not let teas go past them at the tempting range 
of prices. A considerable Export business, too, came 
along, the unusually low prices having attracted at- 
tention all the world over. September came in badly 
for common and plain kinds of teas and, just as on 
the Indian market, everything without special character 
stood on a dead level of cheapness. Pekoes at 5d 
per lb to 5^d per lb were showing wonderful value, 
while commonest leaf was quoted at 4:|-d per lb. Good 
medium tea fell ?,-d per lb in the middle of the month 
and, with the blenders more or less standing out and 
few Export orders, only extra fine parcels were 
doing good. The early October sales showed con- 
spicuously better quality from many estates and im- 
proved competition resulted. Common, too, advanced 
a little but there were still 4.^d per lb quotations. 
Russian orders were invnluable in helping prices for 
flavoury kinds, and but for them, some of the fine 
light teas would have fared badly, particularly as 
outside influences not usually calculated upon, were 
upsetting everyone. A carefully engineered boycott de- 
moralised the closing Auctions, but November brought 
along some recovery, and from 4|d per lb at the open- 
ing, common tea went to 5!Jd per lb at the close of 
the month, showing Ijd advance form lowest point, 
while in the case of medium to good kinds the rise 
was even more pronounced. Buyers made another 
attempt to get the market down in December, but 
on this occasion the importeis would not humour 
them, and although some cheaper tea was sold the 
general instructions were to take out any invoices 
which did not reach previous quotations, and common 
loaf closed at 5:,'d per lb. The feature of the year 
has without doubt, been the extraordinary value 
generally shown among teas from just above common 
to just under fine. The whole weight of offerings as 
a rule has ranged from .'id per lb to ltd per lb. The 
quantity of fine tea included was never excessive, 
and for a large portion of the year not sufliciont for 
the ordinary weekly requirements of the trade, 
