.TuKE 1, 1903.] THE TBOPICAL AGEICULTURIST. 
833 
very hard to cope with- Mr. Green's circular 
on the Tea tortrix gives all the information 
that is required ; and he mentions th^t the 
loss from the pest has been estimated in 
Maskeliya at RIO per acre. The pale yellow 
eggs appear on the upper surface of the 
older leaves, turning to white when the 
green caterpillars (paler green as they get 
older) emerge ; the caterpillars make their 
shelters by joining leaves together. The 
chrysalis, half an inch long, is deep red ; and 
the moths, of a pale reddish brown. These 
are the elementary points for identification. 
In conclusion— as we warn all planters at 
high elevations to give the matter im- 
mediate (even if renewed) attention— we may 
add that the tortrix attacks not only 
grevilleas and tea, but also acaciaa albizzias 
and even the eucalyptus. It was first noticed 
by Mr. Green in 1889, in Dimbula : hut it 
has never been more worthy of careful and 
systematic eradication than now. 
CHINA TEA IN 1902 
C From the Returns of Trade Jot 1962. ) 
Although the quality showed some improvement 
as compared with that of 1901, there seems a con- 
census of opinion amongst experts that ihe Teas 
from all districts, except Ichang, have fallen ofi 
dep'oiably in quality and style during the last 
20 yeais. The Chiae-ie will take no advice aad 
refuse to listen to any suggestions regarding 
chauge in euUivaton and manufacture v.hile their 
great rivals in India and Ceylon pay the closest 
attention to all details and are ever on the look- 
out for improvements. Strong representations made 
in the spring induced the Chinese Go,vernraent to 
reduce the Export Duty to one-half, but it still 
remains too high, being at lease 12^ per cent on 
common teas ; and, as lekin and other internal 
taxes were not interfered with, although in some 
districts they almost equalled the Export Duty, 
it is to be feared that this half-hearted step 
towards putting China teas on a level with un- 
taxed competitors will not be of much benefit to 
the trade. The transport of some three millions of 
pounds by the Siberian Kailway was a new depar- 
ture which will be watched with great interest, and 
one which might lead to important developments if 
the Chinese could be induced to pay more atten- 
tion to quality. Some reduction in the heavy 
Import Duty charged in Russia would be of great 
assistance to the trade, especially as Knssia is now 
the principal purchaser of lilack Teas. The total 
export ot all kinds of Tea was about 31 per cent 
higher than in 1901 ; but the shipments to Great 
Britain showed no improvement although the 
deliveries from bond in London from June to 
December were better by 3 millions of pounds. 
The United States took 168,501 piculs of Black 
Tea, as against 96,8i0 piculs in the previous year, 
and 126,190 piculs of Green Tea, as against 88,747 
piculs. This is explained by the fact that the 
War Tax of 20 gold cents per pound was to be 
removed on the ist January, 1903, and stocks had 
been reduced to a minimum to escape the expense 
of bounding. Moreover, it is anticipated that 
lower prices in consequence of the removal 
of the Duty will inciea J the demand. 
Black Tea via Kiakhta rose from 17,7.5 
to 66|464 piculs presumably because the route 
was safe again after the late disturbances. 
The export of Brick Tea showed a considerable 
advance. Black Brick having improved from 244.565 
to 493,103 pioals, and Green Brick from 
to 29,932 piculs. Congou Tea consumed east; of 
Irkutsk wa-i formerly free from Duty, which has now 
been imposed ; the consequence has been that its 
place is being taken by Brick Tea, of which a finer 
quality is now demanded. Ceylon Dust, which is 
blacker in colour than China Dust, is imported to 
improve the qualit-y and appearance of the Bricks. 
It may be meutioned that the export of Green Tea 
from Ceylon to the United States, which was till 
lately the monopoly of Chim, rose from 797,796 
pounds in 1901 to 1,963,456 pounds in 1902. 
It is to be regretted that the Cliiaase Government 
and the Tea guilds do not tRke more energetic 
measures to assist this valuable but moribuni 
tra,de,—nongkonfj Daily Press, April 11. 
MANUFACTURii: AND RELATIVE 0UTTU3X 
OF GEEEN AND BLACK TEA. 
EXPERIENCE OP CEYLON MANU- 
FACTURERS. 
(!!onsiderabl3 interest has been evinced 
among green tea manufacturers in Ceylon o,; 
the statements made by " G. T." in il- 
columns "you can never get the same or-. 
turn from green teas as you can gib fi<;. 
black" and from the mild insinuation by. Jli . 
Judge, that if that is so in Ceylon we are ao': 
quite up to-date in manufacture. In additiou 
to the emphatic opinion we published on April 
18th, which stated that only careless maau- 
faeturers in Ceylon could endorse the state- 
ment that green tea cost more than black, 
we have applied for and received the opi- 
nions of two green tea manufacturers which 
we have pleasure in giving below : — 
Mr. J A Hunter, of Sunnycroft, Veyangoda, 
writing on 24th April, says : — 
Dear Sir, —In reply to your enquiry as a 
to respectiive outturn of black and gieen 
teas, I am pleased to state, in the interests 
of this new industry, that I find the out- 
turn of greens the same as that of blacks. 
The short outturn so much complained of 
in greens is entirely brought about by the 
wasteful system of manufacture adopted. 
To saye cost of firing, the general idea is, 
to squash as much moisture as possible out 
of the freshly steamed leaf, by rolling it 
40, or 45 minutes, and then putting on pres- 
sure. This Juice is then allowed to find i.s 
way to the nearest stream, carrying with 
it a considerable amount of the essential oil 
of the tea leaf, leaving the finished article 
all that the poorer, and the outturn so much 
the shorter. 
P.S. — If all moisture in green leaf is got 
rid of by evaporation the outturn of greens 
is bound to be the same as black is. There 
are cheaper ways of evaviorating the excess 
of moibture than by hot air from a dryer. 
J. A H. 
Another manufacturer, at a higher eleva- 
tion, writes under the same date as follows : — 
De.vrSir, — In reply to yours of the 22 id 
instant, I have only made green tea for j\ little 
over 2 months and have scarcely had tiu\e to 
