3&2 
THE TROHCAL AGRICULTURIST. [Bec, 1, 189^. 
GEYLON TEA SHIPMENTS. 
MEMO OF DISTRIBUTION. 
1st January, 1890, to 31st October, 1899, and 
In- 
De- 
Countries, 
1899 lb. 
1898 lb. 
crease. 
crease. 
U. Kingdom 
83,857,219 
80,627,843 
3,229,376 
Austria 
7,491 
13,398 
5,907 
Belgium 
13,099 
10,540 
2,559 
France 
80,470 
63,694 
16,776 
Germany 
304,120 
273,825 
30,301 
Holland ... 
30,211 
22,631 
7,580 
Italy 
12,471 
6,260 
6,211 
— 
Russia 
2,719,244 
2,140,125 
579,119 
Spain 
14,300 
36,150 
21,850 
Sweden 
57,362 
33,230 
24,132 
TURKUY 
15,674 
64,434 
48 760 
India 
442,995 
889,408 
446413 
Australia... 
13,210,163 
12,662,760 
547,403 
America ... 
2,657,330 
1,907,950 
749,380 
Africa 
236,775 
317,000 
80,225 
China 
1,174,743 
977,643 
197,100 
Singapore... 
57,946 
51,113 
6,833 
Mauritius... 
80,566 
14,759 
65,807 
Malta 
226,767 
172.794 
153,973 
Total Export 
10 months... 
105,198,952 
100,285,557 
5,516,550 
603,155 
Less decrease ... 603,155 
Net Increase, 1898-99 ... 4,913,395 
1897... 94,386,043 lb. 
1896... 88, 433, 172 lb. 
Exports from United Kingdom to 30tli September 
from Gow. Wilson and Stanton's Circular. 
1899 lb. 
5,494,425 
945,212 
1,296,009 
192,959 
984,184 
1898 lb. 
5,035,871 
1,070,275 
1,426,855 
156,625 
1,141,914 
Countries in Europe 
U.S. America 
B. North America 
Newfoundland 
Other Countries 
Total lb. , 
United Kingdom Imports 
Ee-Exports 
Leaving for Consumption in U.K. ... 74,944,430 
8,912,789 8,8.31,.540 
1899 lb. 
83,857,219 
8,912,789 
TROPICAL CULTURE IN AUSTRALIA. 
THE LABOR PROBLEM. 
Below we quote one of the leading articles, 
which appealed in the Sydney Daih/ Telegraph 
of Monday, October 23, in which the benefits, 
which will accrue to North Queensland agricul. 
turists when Federation is established, are pointed 
out and attention is also drawn to the success 
which has already actended the cultivation of 
many products, which we, in Ceylon, are interested 
in. One of the chief difficulties in tlie way seems 
to be the labour question, as the prejudice against 
the introduction of " colour " is very strong in 
Australia, not only on account of labour, but also 
from tl.e fear of a half-caste race springing up 
in the community and the article in question 
comments on this point. No trade will be regarded 
as worth having if it involves any menace to 
the principle of a " White Australia." Fiscal 
difficulties are also alluded to, but the .irticlB 
itself is well worth perusal 
TKOnCAL CULTURE. 
It can hardly be (juestioned that Federation and 
the extensive imi)ort duties which will accompany it 
v/ill open a field for tropical cultivation, and Northern 
Queensland and probably the Chinese in the Northern 
Territory will be enabled to reap a harvest out of the 
needs of the southern markets. Hitherto it has only 
been a question of tropical labor which has stood in 
the way of the extension of such cullivatioii, even with 
the southern markets alienated by high duties. But 
with those markets freed and protection against the 
world outside Australia, there will be added induce- 
ments of a very powerful description to cater for 
consumers within the commonwealth. In New South 
AValea the sugar industry can thrive upon £'i per 
ton protection, and in Queensland it can hold its 
own even without the favoritism it is certain to 
secure at the hands of the Federal Parliament. 
Last year Australia turned out enough sugar to 
cover its entire consumption, and it may therefore 
be taken as beyond controversy that in the case <ft 
tiis most important of all tropical products the 
problem of internal production has been already 
fully solved. But sugar by no means covers the 
entire field. Those who perused the Queensland 
Financial Statement delivered by Mr. Philip on the 
3rd inst. must have been struck with the amount of at- 
tention now being directed in that colony towards other 
forms of tropical culture. In 1896 Queensland put 
138 acres under coffee, and last year this" was in- 
creased to 482 acres, while in 1899 a further con- 
siderable 'lextension has been notified. Queensland is 
already in a fair way to supply her own market, and 
with similar duties on imports into Australia she may 
look forward to supplying a very much larger one. 
Rice cultivation is entirely in its infancy in Queens- 
land. But the area of 863 acres in 1898 was double 
that of 1897, and the yield was over 44 bushels to 
the acre. It may be argued that rice stands specially 
in need of colored labor, but the crop is highly prolific, 
and even a halfpenny per lb. duty will be found a 
great incentive. Queensland is also turning her atten- 
tion to tobacco cultivation, more particularly to cigar 
tobaccos, and is likely to make a better show than the 
southern colonies have done. In times past Queens- 
land has grown good cotton, arrow-root, and other 
tropical products, and of the suitability of ths soil 
and climate to such crops there can be no question. 
The difficulty has been to offer sufficient inducement to 
grower*, and there are many directions in which a large 
and protected market will act as a powerful stimulant. 
That through the entire range of tropical culture 
the labor problem is pretty certain, sooner or later, 
to crop up is a point we shall not now attempt to dis- 
cuss. It has to be recognised that the United States, 
with its £200,000,000 worth of tropical culture annu- 
ally, and its entire command of the cotton markets 
of the world, could never have reached its present 
exporting and internal manufacturing power without 
the negro. The presence of the negro, how- 
ever, has created a growing racial trouble, 
which renders even this trade dear at the 
price. We may take it for granted that no such 
price will be paid here, and that no trade 
will be regarded as worth having if it in- 
volves any menace to the principle of a " white Aus- 
tralia." But lhat will not be the question now in Aus- 
tralia. The problem is that of supplying a favourable 
internal market with products upon which already 
high import duties are levied, and there is really no 
reason why even the great revenue-yielding import 
of tea should not be covered by the northern pro- 
ducer. Thus Federation is more than likely to 
bring in its train a very extended utilisation of the 
tropical north, much more so than is at present 
understood. But from a revenue standpoint there 
will be serious trouble. The duties now paid upon tro- 
pical imports are high, and play a large and important 
part in our State finances. It has always been a safe 
source of income to levy high duties upon such pro- 
ducts in the southern colonies, because internal sup- 
ply was impossible. It will be different in the future, 
and the prospect appears to be that gradually, but 
surely, internal markets will command a growing 
share of attention to the possible detriment of pro- 
duction for export. That Australia must continue 
to export largely is beyond question, because the in- 
terest on her indebtedness has to be covered in that 
way, but there is at present a very large excj^sg 
