114 
tHE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [Aug. 1, 1899. 
that the wants of consumers may be at once met 
and the danger of a check to consumption averted. 
Failing such a full an.d free supply, traders will turn 
elsewhere ; for opposed to the frequent assertioii that 
when rnce British-grown tea has been used it will 
never be given up, stands the fact that the public 
have to take whiit retail.- rs sell them ; and some 
retailers have a way ol usiBg for a time anything 
that can be called tea sooner than raise the piice 
to their customers or for"go their accustomed profit. 
The door has already been opened here through which 
foreign rubbish enters, and it should be closed as 
soon as possible. 
Bnt there must be limits to this plicy. The pro- 
duction of large crops of low-priced tea should 
be left to those who can attempt it with the 
least huzard. It would be most imprudent for those 
in Assam, Darjeeling, or the highlands of Ceylon, 
whose estates can yield tea of fine quality to risk 
their pre-eminence. We have behind us the evidence 
of many years that demand for fine tea is an assured 
and constant feature of the home market, and 
although, for the time being, those who produce 
it may not be getting their due proportion of 
profit, this will be adjusted when liberal supplies 
once more come forward and the normal range 
of value between fine and common tea is re-establi?hed. 
An ideal crop would be one containing the widest 
possible variety of character and value, with enough of 
the best to meet the honne demand and to maintain 
the reputation of British-grown tea all over the world, 
and with a sufficiency of such as growers could 
afford to sell at low rates, in order to increase our 
trade abroad by supplanting the produce of other 
countries. New markets can neither be opened 
nor kept open with short supplies and high prices. 
Recognizing how much of encouragement there is 
in the present position, we feel there are too many 
uncertain factors of the problem to justify the very 
sanguine forecasts in which some hfive indulged : — 
the quantity that may possibly be drawn from China 
by the prices now ruling is unknown ; Ceylon as well 
as India, is liable to suffer, and has suffered from 
drought and blight ; in India the difficulty of getting 
coclies increases; and though freights may be lower, 
an exchange at Is. 4d. has still to be reckoned with. 
On the other hand, the Home Trade is in a strong 
position, abundantly supplied with capital ; the advance 
in quotations was a genuine movement, entirely due 
to the fact that supply had fallen short of demand 
and not to any artificial manipulation of the market ; 
stocks are lower than they have been since 1886, when 
the annual turnover was 50 million lb. less than it is 
now and the price of tea 50 per cent, higher; — 
and although an increase in the importation from 
India may be expected, very little more will 
come from Ceylon ; there is consequently not much 
reason to expect to total supply from these 
sources will be larger than we require here, pro- 
vided that a. free consumption at home and abroad 
is not hindered by very high prices at the outset. 
It is no longer necessary to enlarge upon the im- 
portance of gaining for our tea a better share of foreign 
trade,for the result of taking a few million lb. from 
the London market has been seen. It is sufficient to 
state that 92 per cent of the home trade, and 75 per 
cent of the Australian trade have already been secured, 
in order to show that we more than ever need the help 
of other outlets, if there is to be further development 
of the tea-growing industries of India and Ceylon. 
As regards home requirements for the coming season, 
it should be safe to take the year 1898 as a criterion. 
The Board of Trade returns show that in that year 
we used at home or sent abroad 141 million lb. of 
Indian, 94 million lb. of Ceylon and 36 milion lb. 
of China and -lava tea: — total 271 vrillion lb. We should, 
therefore.be ablelo handle here without much difficulty 
during the season ending the iilst May, 1900, about 
145 millions from India, 95 millions from Ceylon, and 
35 millions from elsewhere— say a total of 275 million lb, 
We refrain from details relating to manufacture, 
assortment and so on, respecting which managers 
mnst already be in possession of the information they 
need : but inasmuch as it is desirable that the re- 
quirements of Continental and American buyers should 
be studied by tho.se who can produce the sort of teas 
they take, it may be useful to mention that the 
(lesuhi-ata for those markets are— an 3ven leaf, not 
broken or dusty; flavour rather than strength; aroma 
on the dry leaf : large breaks and sound packages 
made of the best material. 
And whereas the stability of the home market is 
undoubtedly endangered for more by the excessive 
number of seperate invoices and breftks than by the 
actual weiyJit of tea brought to sale when it is neces- 
sary to hold large Auctions, we would once more urge 
those who pack many different kinds or send forward 
small invoices at short intervals, in their own interest 
to do what they can (short of sending unassorted tea) 
to lesson the difficulty experienced by the Trade in 
handling the large- quantities which liiast of necessity 
be brought to market during the busy months of the 
season. 
WM. JAS. & fly. THOMPSON. 
Showing the progress of the Ceylon Tea Trade 
in London: — 
Season ending 31st May, 1897. Imported 92 mil« 
lion lb. Total of Auctions, 1,140,000 packages. Average 
price 8d per lb. 
Season ending 31st Blay, 1898, Imported 93i 
million lb. Total of auctions, 1,160,000 packages. 
Average price 7Jd per lb. 
Season ending 3 1st May, 1899. Imported 93 mil- 
lion lb. Total of auctions, 1,105,000 packages. Average 
Sjd per lb. 
London Warehouse Returns, including all kinds of 
tea, for the past three seasous, ending 'dlat May. 
(Estimated Weights) :— 
IMPOET : 
Indian 
Ceylon 
China 
Java, etc. 
Total 
Indian 
Ceylon 
China 
Java, etc. 
Total 
1896-7, 
lb. 
131,650,000 
92,073,000 
33,012,000 
3,606,000 
1897-8. 
lb. 
135,377,000 
93,580,000 
31,997,000 
3,682,000 
1898 9. 
lb. 
136,073,000 
92,947,000 
27,683,000 
3 849,000 
260,341,000 264,636,000 
DELIVERY : 
126,165,000 129.399,000 
90,677,000 
39,691,000 
3,800,000 
96,303,000 
32,895,000 
3,719,000 
260,552,000 
142,646,000 
90,150,000 
29,436,000 
8,824,000 
260,333,000 262,316,000 266,056,000 
Of which were 
Re-Exported 
about 
Indian 
Ceylon 
China 
Java, etc. 
Total . 
33,300,000 33,700,000 
STOCK 1st JUNE : 
32,235,000 38,213,000 
19,953,000 17,231,000 
12,891,000 11,993,000 
865,000 827,000 
32,700,000 
31,502,000 
19,790,000 
9,967,000 
812,000 
.. 65,944,000 68,264,000 62,071,000 
THE EXPORT TRADE OF CHISfA. 
Season 1897-98. 1898-99. 
To England 
To Russia* 
To America 
To Elsewhere 
lb. 
31,000,000 
26,800,000 
45,200,000 
11,000,000 
lb. 
27,000,000 
24,800,000 
42,200.000 
13,000,000 
Total .. 114,000,000 107,000,000 
* Overland trade not included. 
THE EXPORT TRADE OF JAPAN. 
To United States 
To Canada 
To Elsewhere 
Total 
Year 1897. 
lb. 
35,000,000 
7,000,000 
1,000,000 
1898.. 
lb. 
31,500,000 
7,500,000 
1,500,000 
43,000,000 40,500,000 
