May 1, 190 ^] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 733 
Wilson, 5mithett & Co.'s Ceylon Tea Memoranda for 1902. 
London, March, 190;-<. 
AllHougb the ycur under rcviuw cauuot he con- 
sidered one of actual probperity for tea planters 
generally, it may at least be regarded with more satis- 
faction than its three immediate predecessors, inas- 
much as during its progress the industry would 
appear to have, at length, emerged from the period 
of storm and stress, resulting from over-production 
oil the one hand, and on the other from the disor- 
ganisation caused by the additional fiscal burden 
imposed upon it in 1900, and the apprehensions on 
the same score in the two succeeding years, which 
found expression iu the abnormal duty payments of 
the ante-Budget periods. Since the date of our last 
"Annual Memoranda," however, the clouds of doubt 
and depression, which so long obscured the outlook, 
have been almost dispersed, and we have, we believe, 
entered on a period which requires only ordinary 
care and prudence to ensure a return to comparative 
prosperity. If we cannot, therefore, absolutely con- 
gratulate planters upon a profitable season, we think 
we are entitled to indulge in more hopeful anticipa- 
tions for the future. It was generally considered 
that the year 1902 would produce the heaviest yields 
yet recorded, both iu Ikdia and Ceylon, owing to 
the fact that it was the year in which the most recent 
important extensions would come into full bearing. 
The caprices of climate, however, had not been taken 
sufficiently into account, and the estimates made 
with regard to the crops both in Ceylon and India 
proved, fortunately, to be excessive, and this factor, 
in conjunction with a further marked expansion in 
the demand for British-grown teas fi'om extraneous 
markets, has resulted in a satisfactory re-adjustment 
of the balance bet^veen supply and demand. The 
problem for the future, which should now engage the 
serious attention of producers, seems to us to be that 
of securing the maintenance of this re-adjustment, 
and for its solution we look naturally to the steady 
following up of the successes already gained in the 
exploitation of new markets. In this connection we 
would strongly urge the desirability of developing, 
as far as possible, the characteristics peculiar to each 
district, bO as to satisfy the varying demands, not 
only of foreign markets, but more especially of the 
United Kingdom, which, after all, constitutes the 
principal tea consuming community of the world. 
One of the chief reasons, perhaps, of the periodical 
depressions experienced in recent years in the home- 
trade, apart from the question of over-production, 
has been the monotony and laciv of character ot a 
92 
large proportion of the supplies. Too often in the 
past has a temporary scarcity of common tea resulted 
in a universal resort to coarse plucking, or a super- 
abundance of common tea has been followed by a 
general rush to the other extreme ; and although in 
the past year plucking was evidently conducted with 
considerable care, we regard with some anxiety the 
exceedingly strong position of common tea at the 
present time. 
The average Price of all Ceylon Tea sold on 
Garden Account in 1902 was 6 85d. per lb., 
against 6-80d. in 1901 and 7 25d. in 1900. 
Home Consumption of Ceylon tea during 1902 is 
somewhat disappointing, seeing that it only equals 
the figures of 1897, when the Impoets were almost 
8,000,000 lbs. less. The true explanation seems to 
lie iu the smaller proportion of common tea received, 
and the increased demand from Foreign markets, as 
well as the cheapness and abundance of Indian im- 
ports of a similar character. In the past year the 
deliveries amounted to 85,541,000 lbs. for Home 
Consumption and 17,352,000 lbs. for Export, 
whereas although 85,494,000 lbs. were cleared for 
Home Consumption iu 1897 the Exports in that 
year only reached 10,684,000 lbs. 
Foreign Trade. —The development in this respect - 
has again realised the most sanguine expectations, 
and is most encouraging for the future. The increase 
in the consumption of British-grown tea iu Russia 
is very remarkable, and now that Ceylon and Indian 
teas have gained such a foothold in that country, we 
may fairly look forward to an annual expansion in 
the quantity absorbed, and it is a most favourable 
feature that the demand is no longer confined to light 
liquoring delicate sorts and the whole-leaf grades, 
but that semi-broken Pekoes and ordinary fermented 
teas are now more freely taken, if not actually pre- 
ferred. The Australian market has also again 
bought freely in Colombo to the extent of 19,000,000 
lbs., and for America and Canada the Colombo pur- 
chases of Black leaf tea shew an increase of 700,000 
lbs. in 1902, having amounted to 4,o65,000 lbs. 
against 3,654,000 lbs. in the previous year ; in addi- , 
tion to this and to the direct Exports from London, 
transhipments from London to New York shew a 
considerable increase. 
Green Tea,— The ready sale of some 2,000,000 lbs. 
of Green tea in 1902 to the States and Canada is 
of happy augury for the attempt to break dowu the 
monopoly hitherto enjoyed by .Japan and China for 
