Nov. 1, 1899.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
323 
INDIAN AND CEYLON TEAS. 
The popularity of British-grown teas is ever 
increasing with ahnost phenoiuenal rapidity, 
ousting China teas from tlie position they have 
occupied for so many years. The planters of 
India and Ceylon are far-seeing men, and, recog- 
nising that unity is strength and dissension com- 
mercial suicide, they have coalesced to conquer the 
world, and seem in a fair way to success. They 
have imposed upon themselves an export tax 
which is devoted to fostering tlie trade in their 
teas in countries in which they have nob yet 
established a firm footing, and wiiere they are 
comparatively unknown. Thus, in North America, 
two Comtnissioners, representing India and 
Ceylon respectively, were appointed, and, working 
harmoniously togetliej', they have done splendid 
service. The merits of British grown teas have 
been ])ersistently kept before our American cousins 
and Canadian brethren by means of advertisements 
and subsidies to fians who have taken up the 
trade. Blends containing Indian tea mixed with 
the long-known China variety were found to sell 
well, and as the proportion of Indian increased, so 
did the demand. The result of this wisdom and 
push is that British tea* (bounty-fed, by the way) 
have a firm held upon the North American markets, 
from which they are steadily driving China. The 
following table of imports gives some idea of the 
strides made in the use of Indian and Ceylon teas 
in North America of recent years : — 
1F97. 
1898. 
lb. 
Indian 
5,97?,000 
Ceylon 
7,637,C00 
Total . 
. 1 3,609,0' 0 
1895. 
lb. 
Indian 
4,072,000 
Ceylon 
3, 745, ceo 
Total . 
7,817,000 
lb. 
5,663,000 
c,699,000 
11,362,000 
1894. 
lb. 
2,428,000 
2,295,C0J 
4,733,000 
1896. 
Ih. 
5,259,000 
4,365,r00 
9,624,000 
lfc93. 
lb. 
2,111,000 
1,871,000 
3,982,0C0 
From this table it will be noticed firstly that the 
total exports of tea from India and Ceylon to 
North America have more than trebled in six 
years, and secondly that the produce of Ceylon 
meets with more favour than that of India. 
We have taken North America to illustrate the 
pushfulness of the Indian and Ceylon exporters, 
because for the past few years special attention 
has been devoted to the trade there. Efforts are 
being made to develop the business in other 
countries, hiit not on such broad and liberal lines. 
The following table, however, shows very clearly 
that the tea exported from these countries is mak- 
ir g rapid strides in Foreign and Colonial markets, 
exclusive of North America : — 
1897. 
Indian 
Ceylon 
Total 
Indian 
Ceylon 
Total 
lb. 
20,058,000 
28,763,000 
48,821,000 
1895. 
lb. 
12,743,000 
16,167,000 
28,910,000 
lb. 
16,536,000 
23,250,000 
39,786,000 
1891. 
lb. 
11,722,000 
12,268,000 
23,990,000 
1896. 
lb. 
13,947,000 
19,101,000 
33,048,(00 
1S93. 
lb. 
11,91C.C00 
11,268,000 
23,184,000 
Here again it will be noticed that the consump- 
tion of Ceylon teas is greater than that of Indian. 
[Reference is then made lo Bussii but the infor- 
mation is scarcely up to date.— Ed. CO ] 
In the rest of Europe; in Australia, in fact all 
over the world, the same constant increase in the 
consumption of the tea grown in our great depen- 
dency, and its friendly rival Ceylon is found. It 
is even the case iu China itself, 
At home again we find the demand ever in- 
creasing, at the expense, to some extent, of China, 
although the total consumption of teas of all 
kinds is also growing. v\'e append a comparative 
statement of deliveries in the United Kingdom 
for home consumption only. 
1894-5. 1895-6. 18fi6-7. 
lb. lb. lb. 
Indian . 113,600,000 121,000,000 123,750,000 
Ceylon . 71,500,000 76,0C0,O0O 83,500,000 
Total . 185,000,000 
China and 
other teas 30,000,000 
197,000,000 
26,000,000 
207,250,000 
21,000,000 
Tctal 
Indian 
Ceylon 
215,000,C00 223,000,000 231,260,000 
1898-9. 
lb. 
138,605,197 
60,108,167 
Total 
China and other 
teas 
218,713,364 
21,569,953 
Total . 235,000,000 240,2S3,.317 
The totals given above do not, of course, re- 
present the imports into the United Kingdom ; a 
large quantity in addition, which in 1894-5 was 
about .31 million pounds, and in 1898-9 wns 
33,400,3981bs., is re-exported every year. 
A source of annoyance is the import duty, 
both in England and America. In this country 
the duty amounts to 4d per lb., and the Chancel- 
lor of the Exchequer derives from this source the 
comfortable sum of something over four millions 
per annum. Coffee, on the other hand, pays only 
about Id per lb. in import duty, and the spirit of 
the tea-importer rebels against this " partiality," 
but in view of the fact that fourpence a pound 
is in itself a moderate duty, and that the impost 
on tea and tobacco are the only means of obtain- 
ing any sensible contribution from the temperate 
working man towards the expenses of the Empire, 
it seems unlikely and undesirable that any fur- 
ther decrease should be made. In America, also, 
coffee is more kindly dealt with than tea, and this 
was particular the case during the war with Spain, 
when a w^ir tax of ten cents was charged upon 
every pound of tea imported. With the great 
reduction of the duty in recent years, there has 
been an immense impetus given to the cup which 
cheers and the hearts of good Imperialists espe- 
cially rejoice at the knowledge that British 
gardens supply the great bulk of the tea tables of 
the world with fragrant leaf — Investors' Guardian, 
Sept. 23. 
Mb. Alex. Whyte and Uganda Clover.— 
The Uganda clover is an ally of the widely 
dispersed trifolium rcpens, which it closely 
resembles, and was originally discovered by 
Sir Harry Johnston of Kilima N'jaro at 
10,000 ft. in 1885, and has been found to be 
common by Mr. Scott Elliott at Kikuyaat 5,000 ft. 
to 6,000 ft. A supply of seed has now been 
sent to Kew by Mr. Alex. Whyte, F.L.S., curator 
of the botanical station, Uganda, [late of Ceylon. 
— Ed. T.A.I who writes that it is a splendid 
plant to introduce into the hill pastures of tropical 
countries, as the pastures of Kikuyr in which 
it flourishes are very rich. Seed has been 
distributed for trial in the colonies and else- 
where, and the results will be awaited with 
interest by all those interested in tropical pastures 
at high altitudes.— C/tj'o?iide, Sept. 15. 
J c63l . MO . 
