Jan. 1, 1900.] THE TROPICAL AGEICULTURIST. 
481 
Upon a show of liands, the motion of the Chair- 
man was cai iied by 12 to ti. 
Tlie letiiing tlirectois (Mr. E H Hancock and 
Mr. T J Lawrence) havinu been re-elected, the 
auditors were reappointed. 
A vote of thanks to Mr. F. Thani (the nianag- 
-ing director in Ceylon) and to the agents (Messrs. 
Anlhony Gibbs and Sons) terminated the proceed- 
ings.— and C. Mail, Dec. 22nd. 
^ 
THE INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION 
(LONDON.) 
The following is an abstract of the proceedings 
of a meeting of the committee held on Tuesday, 
December 19th, 1899. 
Present : Messrs. D Cruicksliank (in the chair), 
C C McLeod, J Kiddell, F A Koberts, A G Stanton, 
J N Stnart, W H Verner, and S A Went. 
The minutes of the last meeting, held on Tues- 
day, December 5th, were read by the Secretary 
and conlirmed. 
Correspondence with Calcutta, which been pre- 
\'iously circulated to the members, was laid upon 
the table. 
Tlie revised estimates, showing available crop 
(140 millions for London) and also the quantity of 
tea entered for export to the United Kingdom, 
taken from the Calcutta Customs daily entries, 
for first half of December, 11,200,000 lb., against 
same period last year, 5,710,000 lb., making 
a total from April Ist, 1899. to December 15th, 
1899, of 129,792,000 lb., compared with 116,757,00u 
lb. for same period last year were noted. 
Warehouse Chargks.— Tlie Secretary and 
Mr. McLeod reported having seen Mr. Foock, 
who was unable to say that any definits decision 
had been come to by the Tea Clearing Hoiise 
Committee. He had "promised, however, to write 
to the Association as soon as it had been ap- 
proved by the Cliairman. 
Conditions of Sales.— It was noted that a 
meeting had been fixed to take place this >yeek 
between the buyers and Special Sub-Cominittee 
of India and Ceylon to discuss this question. 
Scheme for a Dock Trust for the Port of 
London.— A letter was read from the Secretary 
of the London Chamber of Con)merce inviting 
the Association, in conjunction with the Ceylon 
Association and the Tea Buyers' Association, to 
nominate two members to jointly represent the 
tea trade on the sub-commitlee that has been 
formed to consider this question. It was decided 
to request the Chamber to allow a nominee to 
be appointed for each section. 
Work in America.— A cheque was signed for 
£159 19s lid, being remittance to New York in 
payment of India s share of advertising British 
grown teas in the United States for the month 
of November. 
At the close of the meeting of the General 
Committee a meeting of the Paris Exhibition 
Committee was held to meet Mr. Langdale and 
a gentleman from the India Office, in order to 
discuss plans and arrangements for finishing the 
Indian Tea Courts in preparation for the open- 
in<^ of the Paris Exhibition on April 15th, 1900, 
Ernest Tye, Secretary. 
—Home ,h Colonial Mail, Dee. 22nd. 
PRODUCE AND PLANTING, 
Tea in the United States.— The imports of tea 
for the first ten months of 1899 were 68,913,718 Ib^ 
aoainst 54,887,062 lb. for the same time in 1898, and 
79 310,181 lb. in 1897. Of the total imports Japan 
furnished 29,782,657 lb., or 43* per cent. ; China, 
32,840,467 lb., or 47-8 per cent, of the total imports. 
From these figures it will be seen that British tea- 
growers have a big task if Ihey are to displace China 
and Japan teas iu the United States. In the first 
place, as the New York correspondent of the ''Grocer " 
points out, Americans are not partial to the beverage, 
and probably because of climatic influences. In the 
next place, nine out of ten consumers care little for 
niceties of flavour, and are satisfied with a hot beverage 
so long as there is no objectionable feature. The 
Americans are yet to be educated up to an apprecia- 
tion of tine flavour ; and to some extent this is true 
of coffee. 
The Russian Tea Experiments.— An expert points 
out with reference to the tea growing experiments in 
llussia that tea production there on a ccmmercial 
basis is an impossibility. It cannot be produced in 
the Caucasus to sell at such a low figure iu Russia as 
imported Indian and Ceylon teas do, even after pay- 
ing the import duty of Is lOJcl per lb , which the 
local production entirely escapes. In addition to that 
fact there is no comparison in point of quality. 
New rimiE in Brazil. — A correspondent of the 
"Jornal do Commercio," of Rio de Janeiro, drawa 
attention to the fibre of the guaxima, which grows 
wild everywhere, but is found in large quantities on 
the low lands near the sea. It is believed that this 
fibre would prove an excellpnt substitute for jute, 
which is all imported, and when cultivated prove 
the basis of an important industry. The threads are 
long and very strong, and will resist the action of 
water, the fibre being used by fishermen on the coast 
for their nets, which last for years if soaked in a 
tincture of aroeira bark. The process of elaboration 
of the guaxima fibre does not require long maceration 
in vessels, as is the case with jute; immersion for a 
few days in running water being sufficient to loosen 
the green outer bark with the hands, after which the 
rods are exposed to the sun in order to dry the woody 
part ; this then contracts and. allows the fibree to be 
easily separated. A sample was to be sent to England 
to be spun and woven, and its uses and application 
thoroughly investigated.— iyoiKe and Colonial Mail, 
Dec. 22. 
TexV in America in 1899 and Prospects. 
— The correspondent of the London Grocer, 
writing from New York on November 29th, 
has the following rather discouraging deU- 
verance in reference to onr staple and its 
prospect of being more largely consumed: — 
The imports of tea for the first ten months 
of 1899 were 68,9i::i,718 lb., against 54,887,062 lb. 
for the same time in 1898, and 79,310,181 lb. in 
1897. Of the total imports Japan furnished 
29,782,657 lb., or 43Jj per cent. ; China, 32,840,467 
lb., or 47'8 per cent, of the total imports. From 
these figures it will he seen that British tea- 
growers have a bi,s- task if they are to displace 
China and Japan teas in the United States. In 
the first place Americans are not partial to the 
beverage, and pi'obably because of climatic in- 
fluences. Ill the next place, nine out of ten 
consumers care little for niceties of flavour, and 
are satisfied with a hot beverage so long as there 
is no objectionable feature. The Americans are 
yet to be educated up to an appreciation of fine 
flavour ; and to some extent this is true of 
coffee. It is a significant fact that in the older 
settled sections and wherever wealth abounds 
such articles are bought on tlieir merits, while 
in the newer sections anything seems to go. 
New England pays the highest price for coffee ; 
so do the Middle States ; while the West and 
South are the large consumers of low-priced 
coffee. The great field for British growers of 
tea to exploit is in the large cities. The con- 
sumption of tea is about 95,000,000 lb. per annum, 
or 1"28 lb. per caiiita, that of beer 15 gallonSi 
cofieo 1S"1 gallons. 
