August 1, 1898.] THE TROPICAL AGEICULTUPJST. 
113 
OUH EXPORTS FOR THE FIRST HALF 
OF 1S98 : 
THE WIDE DISTRIBUTION OF CEYLON 
TEAS. 
It will liave been seen from the statistics else- 
where that even more interesting than the satisfac- 
toiy develepnient of some of onr staple products, 
has been the change in the destination ct some 
of our more prominent cxporls. The diversion 
ot trade from one country or from one centre, 
to another, is of more than academic interest, 
whether as evidence of the appreciation of our 
wares by new customers, or of the desire of old 
consumers to deal directly with the producing 
country. In either case, the producer niust de- 
rive some beuetic from increased competition, or 
from the removal of at least one middleman 
and his appropriations: It is in this vie.v we 
welcome the growth in the Exports of Tea to 
Germany, to America, Africa, " China ' 
(which means the Pacific Coast of America), 
and to "Singapore'' (as a distributing port) 
which has nearly doubled its orders ; to 
Australia wliich is our best customer after the 
mother-country, and which has already taken 
nearly a million lb. more than last year— we are, 
of course, speaking only of the first half of the 
year— and especially to Russia which, as we saw 
in our last article, claimed 1,198,555 lb. up to 
28th Jitue last, against only 176,2.57 lb. lor the 
corresponding period of 1897 ! Most of tliese coun- 
tries, especially America and Russia, receive con- 
siderable quantities of our tea through London and 
the Continent, so that the figures before us do 
not represent anything like all onr trade with 
tho.se countries ; but the direct trade is full of 
hope ; and we regard with special satisfaction 
the opening of direct commuuication with Rus- 
sia. She is a great country, her population is 
immense, and the people are great tea-drinkers. 
Much as the Thirty Committee, and thier prede- 
cessors in pushing" the Tea trade into likely 
markets, have done through Mr. Rogivue and 
other aa-encies in making our Teas known in 
Russia, we feel sure that w-hat they have ac- 
con'iplished will be as nothing compared with 
what may be achieved through direct means_ and 
from tUepiesence of Russian buyers in our midst. 
They know their countrymen and their wants ; 
their countrymen will be naturally more ready 
to deal witii them than with strangers ; and 
altogether we look very hopefully, to the ex- 
pansion of this brancli of our Export trade. 
We shall deal separately with the question of 
the tea duty as it affects the Russian trade- 
Curiously enough, Tea is the only one of our nume- 
rous Exports which is sent direct to all the nine- 
teen countries which find a place in our Export 
tables. Coconut Oil comes next with a list of 
eleven countries, to which it finds its way direct 
—though this j'ear, so far, the number is reduced 
to ten, withont any shipments to Italy; while 
Cinnamon, Plumbago and Coir Yarn are claimed 
by ten countries. The other Exports are sent 
to less than half the countries on the list- 
Ebony finding an outlet in the United Kingdom 
alone, and Coir Rope in India and Singapore. 
"With apologies to old King Collee for the omis- 
sion, we are bound to say that he is still sought 
in eleven countiies ; but of these i weden and 
Singapore have taken only one cwt. each ! 
Again, while the United Kingdom has taken 
ftway more or les=s— generally niore !— of all our 
products, save rope, Malta and Mauritius have 
been content with Tea alone, Turkey with Tea 
and cardamoms, und Sweeden with Oott'ee. Tea 
and Plumbago. But Kussia, although slie too 
has put in a bid for only three products, has 
claimed full quantities of eacii — standing third 
on the list for Tea, first for Copra, and fourth 
for Coconuts with 6OU00 against her nanie. 
Altogether, Russia is .'-.howing herself a customer 
whose friendship must be S)iecially cultivated. 
We must add a few lines on some of the 
products to which we were unable to make 
special reference in our previous article. Of these 
Phinibago is the most considerable and shows a 
gratifying increase, with a total of 200,922 cwt., on 
the Exports of previous years. For the whole of 
last year the Exports weie 357,257 cwt. and 
topped the four previous years. Should w'e send 
away as muoli duricg the current half year as 
during the past, 1S9S will show the largest 
quantity of Plumliago even exported in any year 
save 1889 when 475.516 cwt. were sent away. 
America, vrhich was our largest customer in 
1896, and the second in order last year, claims 
first place again wdth 79,527 cwt.^ against 
62,182 by the United Kingdom, and 37,137 by Ger- 
many. Coir, in its various forms of Rope Yarn 
and Fibre seldom shews any remarkable growth 
or fluctuation ; but this year in both Rope and 
Fibre, we are well-ahead ot the three previous 
years, while in Yarn there has been a corre- 
sponding drop. Palmyra fibre shows an increase 
after tAvo years' falling-off'; but that is scarcely 
matter for congratulation, as young trees are 
reported to be seriously injured in collecting the 
fibre. Citronella Oil continues to develop : and 
Cinnamon Oil too, shews an advance this year : 
but it IS noteworthy that Germany has s;o far 
made no demand for this Oil : w hile as regards 
Cinnamon, in both Quills and Chi];s she heads the 
list, distancing even the United Kingdom for the 
first time. 
THE BOGAWANTALAWA DISTRICT 
TEA COMPANY, LTD. 
Directors. — Henry Bois, Esq., Charles Fetherslon- 
haugh, Esq., John Geoflrey Fort, Esq., Alfred 
Tabor, Esq. 
Agents in Colombo. — Messrs. J. M. Robertson & Co. 
Agents and Secretaries. — Messrs. Bobertson, Bois 
& Co. 
Report. — To be presented at the first ordinary an- 
nual general meeting ot the Company, to be held at 
the office of the Company on Monday, 27th June, 
1898, at 12 o'clock noon. 
The Directors have the pleasure to submit the 
balance sheet and accounts of the Comp'kny for tha 
year ending 31st March, 1898, duly p. f.dited. The higher 
rate of exchange and fall in the T-ta Market reduced 
the profits of the estates as compare'd with the years 
prior to the formation of the Company. The expen- 
diture compares favourably with the estimates, and 
the crops have somewhat exceeded the quant'ty ex- 
pected at the beginrdDg of the season. In accord- 
ance with the prospectus, the factory cn Bogawana 
is being enlarged eo as to take in the leaf from 
the adjacent Bridwell estate. These alterations will 
shortly be completed, and the sum expected thereon 
to the 31st Morch, 1898, aruountii g to £'1,331 t'lS lOd, 
has been charged to capital account. The total yield 
was P94,413 lb. tea, plucked off 2,011 acres, of which 
111 acres are only in paitial hearing, beirg at the 
rate of 487 lb. per acre all round, costing free on 
board Colombo 26i cents, or 4-22d per lb. The 
gross average price of the 985,330 lb. sold in Loudon 
was 8'20d per lb, The grops for the current seaspu 
