594 THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [March 1, 1900. 
Your Committee regret to report that nine estates 
in Maturata haTa resigned membership of the As- 
sociation and that no member from Maturata haa 
attended any meeting during the year, and would, 
therefore, suggest that the word Maturata be deleted 
■.nd that in future this Association be called the 
Hevraheta Planters' Association. 
R. B. KoBEHTs, Hon, Secretary. 

PRODUCE AND I'LANTING. 
The Tea Trade of the Un'ited States. — Some 
statistics relative to the consumption of tea in Am- 
erica are sent by the New Yoik correspondent of 
the "Grocer.'' "The fiscal year of tlie United 
States ends June 30. The net imports of tea are 
taken as representing consumption. Prior to the 
levying of the present duty tea was not left in Govern- 
ment warehouses as is at present the custom. In 
1897 imports were unusually heavy exceeding any 
former year by nearly 20,000,000 lb. This was prob- 
ably due to importers buying heavily in anticipation 
of a duty being levied. This was ilone by War Revenue 
Act of 1898, when tea was taxed 10 cents per lb. 
During the year ending June 30, 1898, the 
imports were the smallest for any year since 
1879, notwithstanding the population increased 
25,000,000. When the Ten. Act went into 
force there was a heavy stock of inferior grades 
and trash on the markfit, somr^ of which was twenty 
years old, and had been unsaleable at 2d. per lb. 
The diminished imports of 189i and the 5d. duty 
enabled holders tc dispose of the old stocks, which 
were not entirely dissipated until the suo^mer of 
1899. It is a fact that the tra<;h offered at 2J. sold 
subsequently as high as lid. The result of counting 
uet imports as consumption causes considerable 
irregularity in the Government per capita estimate, 
as it leaves out of consideration stock? in fi.st and 
second hands." 
Thb Probable Demand. — "The present population of 
the United States," says the authority referred to, " is 
estimated at 74,000,000, and the requirements for 1999 
shonld be 96,000,000 lb. The net imports for the year 
ending June 30, 1899, however were only 72,833,070 lb., 
falling nearly 16,000,000 lb. below the annual aver- 
age, and can only be accounted for on the ground 
that old stocks were larger than estimated, or else 
that 1*31 lb. per capita is too high as representing 
consumption. The imports for eleven months ending 
November 30, 1899, ware 77,517,366 lb. So much for 
the Government returns, on which my statement 
was based, in connection with the fact that with- 
drawals in November were over 8,000,000 lb. According 
to private estimate the average monthly withdrawals 
averaged, June to November 30 7,300,000 lb., ur 
87,600,000 lb. per annum, and for the next six months are 
estimated at only 7,000,000 lb. If an average of 
7,375,000 lb. were used monthly for ten years ending 
June 30, 1898, which covers five years of trade de- 
pression, it is not fair to assume that, with prosperity 
never before equalled, and old stocks wiped out, the 
oODSumptioa should increase ? In a recent interview 
with the New York agent of a prominent tea firm 
having offices in Ceylon and London, and who is a 
careful student of the situation, he stated that his 
estimate of consumption was 92,000,000 lb. for the 
United States, less exports to other countries than 
Canada, a very small quantity. Undoubtedly roasted 
coffee at 10 cents per lb.," says the correspondent, 
" ii cutting into the consumption of tea. Possibly I 
have taken too optimistic a view of the situation, 
but if so it must be measured by the figures given 
above, viz., that monthly withdrawals for six months 
show an annual consumption of 88,000,000 lb." 
Ma. Buskin's Tea-shop. — At one time, Mr. Ruskiu, 
in addition to his other multifarious occupations, 
kept a tea-shop. " How good of you," he wrote on 
one occasion to a friend, " to go to the tea-shop; 
and I'm so glad of yonr report ; I must really get up 
my sign." Iriut the sign, we believe, never made its 
appearance. " Owing," Mr. Raski u has elsewhere 
explained " to that totol want of imagination and 
invention which makes me so impartial and so ac- 
curate a writer on subjects of political economy, I 
c Aild not for months determinr, whether the said 
sign should be of a Chinese character, black upon 
gold; or of a Japanese, blue upon white; or of 
pleasant English, rose colour on green ; and still less 
how far legible scale ot letters could be compatible, 
on a board only a foot broad, with a lengthy enough 
elucidation of the peculiar offices of ' Mr. Raskin's 
tea-shop.' " Whether it was due to the absence of a 
sign or not the Buskin tea-shop was not a success. 
It was established at 29, Paddington 8treet. W., 
"to supply the poor in that neighbourheod with 
pure tea in packets as small as they chose to 
buy, without making a profit on the subdivi- 
sion." The resi'.lt of the experiment was, says 
Mr. Ruskin, "my ascertaining that the poor only 
like to buy their tea where it is brilliantly lighted 
and eloquently ticketed ; and as I resolutely refuse 
to compete with my neighbouring tradesmen 
either in gas cr rhetoric the patient subdivision 
of my parcels by the two old servants of my 
mother's, who manage the business for me, hith- 
erto passes little recognised as an advantage by 
my nncalculacing public. The business, sad to re- 
t late, languished, and the rent and taxes absorbed 
the profits and something more. This was prior to 
the ascendency of Indian and Ceylon tea. — II. and C 
Mail, Jan. 26. 
CEYLON TEA IN SOUTH GERMANY. 
We are ^lad to welcome genial and well- 
informed Mr. Chas. Bohringer back, after an 
absence in Germ;iny of over two years. 
During thi.s time Mr. Bohringer ha.s not 
been idle, more particularly in trying to in- 
troduce Ceylon tea into the States of 
Bavaria, Wurtemburg and Baden; and he 
is well satisfied with the measure of success 
attained. The work has been a slow one, 
owing very much to the opposition of the 
Hamburg tea merchants ; but a considerable 
hold has now been got and Mr. Bohringer 
was gratified in November last to obtain a 
gold medal for his exhibit of Ceylon Teas at 
the Munich Food Products Exhibition. The 
"Thirty Committee" should pass a vote of 
thanks to Mr. Bohringer at their next meet- 
ing for the good work he has been doing 
for our staple. If, as he believes, the people 
of Southern Germany are going to take 
freely to good tea, how much more should 
we expect those in Central and Northern 
Germany to do so? Now that tea enters 
duty free into Belgium, Antwerp is becom- 
ing a chief port for imports to serve a large 
part of Central Europe. 
Sunflower-growing in Southern Russia.— 
According to a French consular report, there 
is in Southern Kus.sia a growing demand for 
oil-bearinfj seed, particularly sunflower-seed. Until 
recently there had been in that region but few 
e.stablishments for ^extracting this oil, and the 
producer.*, finding no market at home, sent the 
seeds to foreign countries. Now, however, there 
are mills in the south which are prepared to 
use considerable quantities of these products, and 
they otter to the cultivators better prices than 
they could secure in foreign markets. — Chemist 
and Druggist, Jan. 27. 
