July 1, 1899.] THE TEOPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
11 
Calcutta agents and merchants, who sell the expensive 
article, in the hope that their couaciencei may be 
pricked. The chapters on pruning and picking tea 
bashes are full of theoretical wisdom, and will suggest 
practical experiments that may lead to valuable results. 
But it must always be born in mind that nature is 
over fond of sports and eocsutricities. Every one 
who has daily and carefully itade a study of the 
gradual development of a first flush on a pruoed tea 
bush, will have been startled scores of times by seeing 
buds coming away from spots where theory and Mr. 
Watt's diagrams ignore them. Incidentally we may 
say that we totally disagree with Mi: Watt's dictum 
that a hanji bush (i.e., one whose tea shoots ha.ve 
prematurely opened out and ceased growing) should 
not be plucked. He attributes kanji "to the want of 
energy in the entire plant," and prescribes rest. In 
oar experience it is more often due to bad prun- 
ing, drought, wind, cold, and even excessive rain- 
fall withouc compensating sunshine, than to want 
of stamina in the bush. In such cases it is of 
absolute and vital importance to pluck hanji leaf ; for 
it is an indisputable fact that an unplucked hanji 
bush will be sulking in idleness, when its picked 
neighbour alongside is in the full fig of a new flush. 
Similarly we do not agree with Dr. Watt that con- 
tinued cropping must necessarily exhaust and wear 
out a bush. We know of plantations forty years old 
and more, that are yielding larger and better crops 
to-day than ever they did before. This is due to im- 
proved cultivation, and better, though more frequent 
plucking. The older the bash the larger the root, and 
it is root power that gives leaf. If due provision is 
made to obtain a healthy leaf-iearing surface, and 
sufficient stimulant allowed in the shape of high cul- 
tivation, we would infinitely rather own a plantation 
of sixty year old bushes, than one of six year old 
bushes. 
There are several other points we had marked for 
criticism from the practical point of view, but they 
are too technical to be treated with any chance of in- 
teresting. But we may briefly state that although 
Mr. Watt considers "the presence of old wood in the 
stem (of a tea bush) must be injurious to the planter's 
aims and object," the practical planter, who seeks 
to turn out a good liquoring tea, knows for a certainty 
that to do so plenfij, of old wood in the body of the bush 
is essential. And finally, we cannot agree with Dr. 
Watt that the sau tree {Allizzi'i Stipulata) ia always 
beneficial to t&a. In Kangra at xhis moment there 
are many patches of bushes growing under sau trees 
which in this season of drought have actually not flush- 
ed at all, whilst outside the limit of the malign in- 
fluence the surrounding plants have yielded their 
ordinary crop. 
As a book of scientific research and theoretical 
teaching Mr. Watt's work is quite the best at the 
disposal of the tea industry. We should be sorry not 
to see a copy on every planter's book-shelfs : but we 
should be more sorry if the planter had not some 
sou.nd practical experience of his own, by the light 
of whioh to study it. 
INDIAN TEA FOR PERSIA, ARABIA, 
TURKEY AND EGYPT, 
INTERESTING CORRESPONDENCE. 
Messrs. W. S. Cresswell & Co., the well-known Tea 
Brokers of 10, Hare Street, Calcutta, have sent ua 
the following very interesting correspondence : — 
Dear Sir, — In December last, we wrote to the 
British Consuls in Persia, Arabia, Turkey and Egypt, 
to enquire into the state of the tea trade there, think- 
ing that the replies would be interesting to merchants 
and planters in this country. We enclose what replies 
we have received, which will show you that there is still 
room for furthering the consumption of Indian teas 
outside Europe, d2 per cent, of the teas sold in 
Calcutta, are taken for ports outside Great Britain. 
Only 6.^ per cent, of the Inaian teas sold in Mincing 
Jjaue are taken for outside markets. With another 
-.00,000 chests sold in Calcutta, the outside markets 
would develop coDsiderably more than hitherto, 
and instead of only 42 per cent, being taken, 
the consumption would be nearer 60 per cent, 
and the London market greatly ease-a by the 
supply being brought nearer the demand, unless 
something be done to regulate these supplies, we 
snail soon go back to the old faucy price of d'd. for 
common kinds. The position at present is a very 
strong one, winj not make an e fort to keep it so? 
British Consulate, Bagd.\d, Tubkby; 23rd Jami- 
anj 1899. No. 13. 
To Messrs. W. S. Cresswell & Co., 10. Hare Street, 
Ca Icutta. 
Gentlemen.— I have the honour to acknowledge 
receipt of your letter, dated the 5th December 1898, in 
which^ you make certain enquiries regarding the tea 
trade in this country. I enclose a memorandum, which 
contains the several questions in your letter under 
reply and the answers thereto. 
With reference to the remark in your letter that all 
teas sold iu the Calcutta market are absolutely free 
from any impurities, it seems probable that the native 
merchants who buy the tea in Calcutta or Bombay 
adulterate it before export so as to be able to lay it 
down in Bagdad at a low cost. — I have the honour 
to be, Gentlemen, Your most obedient servant (Sd.) 
P.J. Melvill, 3Iajor, Actimj British Consul- General, 
Bagdad. 
MEMORANDUM. 
Question.— Is it possible to find out how much tea 
passes through Turkish Arabia, and to what destina- 
tion and whether it be China or Indian or both ? 
Answer.— It is impossible to obtain entirely reliable 
figures, but it may be said that the average quantity 
passing annually through the Bagdad Cusi^om House 
during the past three or four years has been nearly 
5,000 cases of, say, 100 lb. each, say, 500,000 lb. Some 80 
to 90 per cent, of this tea goes to supply the markets 
of North-West Persia. The great bulk of the tea 
imported is Indian and is known in the trade as 
"Calcutta" tea; only a small quantity (perhaps 5 
per cent.) comes from China and Java. 
Question.— Do the people of Tui-kish Arabia drink 
much tea, if any, and what do they have to pay per. 
lb. for it? Ansioer.— The people of Tnrksh Arabia 
generally are not tea drinkers. This is clsarly shown 
by the fact that, of an annual import of some 5,000 
cases, about 750 cases are sufficient to supply the 
wants of Turkish Arabia, of which Bagdad is the 
emporium. The present wholesale price of the des- 
cription nf "Calcutta" tea most freely sold in Bagdad 
is about Grand Seigaeur Piastres llj per Constantin- 
ople oke (2-831b.) equal at exchange of G. S. Piastres 
115 per pound sterling on London to about 8J. per 
lb. Question. — Could you procure a sample of tea 
selling in your city, also letting me know how it ia 
packed, size of boxes, etc.? Ansii:er. — A small sample 
of the " Calcutta " tea selling about G. B. Piastres 
11} is enclosed. 
The tea is usually packed in cases weighing 801b. to 
llOlb. the net weight being marked on the case. The 
tea is enclosed in leaden wrappers in a wooden case 
with a covering of skins and gunny. It is sometimes 
also packed in a strong tin case with wooden boards 
at the ends, bound with two iron hoops. The tea in 
these cases is usually in bulk, but sometimes it ia 
packed in lib. tin boxes bearing a label with an attrac- 
tive design with usually the name of the native im- 
porter in Arabic or Persian. 
Question. — Do you think there is room tor further 
development in this particular trade ? Answer. — The 
trade is at present worked very cheaply by native 
merchants having agents in India. It seems to be 
increasing, but there would appear to be no room for 
a sudden development in this particular trade. It 
is possible, that, with the present low prices of Indian 
teas, Hheve may be a gradual change in the habits of 
the people of Turkish Arabia, that is, they may, 
after a time, come to drink more tea and less coffee. 
At the same time lower prices nearly always mean 
larger consumption, and, and if the trade in Calcutta 
