178 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[Skpt. I, ]898. 
THE AMERICAN DUTY ON TEA. 
(Omaha B.c.) 
Ah to the expediency of the duty, it has been ques- 
tioned on the ground that it will impose a con- 
siderable tax upon American consumern, but on the 
other hand, it has been urged that it will give them 
a better quality of tea. But at all events, the duty 
ia one which can be easily collected and which will 
yield a considerable revenue, and in the present exi- 
gency this is what is needed. 
(Providence It. I , Journal.) 
We now have one more honest tax, entirely uncon- 
nected with any unfair attenipt to " protect " a 
favoured class of home producers at the expense of 
their fellow-citizens. It is distinctly a free-trade tax — 
the only kind of tax that ever ought to be levied b v a 
well-established couutvy on imported goods. That 
Congress has been forced to resort to this method of 
raising revenue at a time when an increase of national 
income has become imperatively necessary, is a rather 
striking proof of the comparative worthlessness of the 
''protective" taxes as revenue producers; and it is 
perhaps not too much to hope that, having once started 
on a more rational taxation plan, our national legis- 
lators will hereafter extend it as occasion arises, gradu- 
ally abandoning the less satisfactory and less equitable 
plan that has been applied for many years at the 
wholly unnecessary cost of many millions of dollars to 
their constituents. To collect import duties on non- 
competing products only is an essential part of a wise 
and effective tax system; and if the Spanish war teaches 
us that great truth it may, for that reason alone, be 
worth all its costs. — American Grocer, Juno 29. 
AN AMERICAN VIEW OF INDIA AND 
CEYLON TEA. 
Twenty-three years ago Ceylon exported 282 pounds 
of tea ; last season, 110,000,000 pounds. At pre.-5ent 
Ceylon and India can be counted upon to furnish the 
world 210,000,000 pounds or more of tea for the season 
of 1898-99. This vast quantity displaces an equal 
amount of Uhiua and Japan te;i, wliich displacement 
has been going on for 23 years, and has been most 
marked in the United Kingdom. In England the 
average price of India and Ceylou teas for eight 
months ranged from Oid to 9gd, or from 13 to 20 cents 
American currency . The average_for Assams was lOgd, 
or 20J cents. These low prices are likely to continue 
until there is a heavy shrinko. go in the world's total pro- 
duction. 
The fnture in this country is regarded as very 
promising for Ceylon and India tea. The fashion 
of blending and selling in bulk has been growing, 
and also the demand for blended packet teas, and this 
has increased the demand for India and Ceylon for 
blending purposes. It is to be regretted that so few 
American consumers have acquired the habit of drink 
ing high grade tea, the fla 
better than the low grades. The majority of tea drink 
THE INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION, 
LONDON. 
The following is an abstract of the Proceedings of 
a Meeting of the Committee held on Tuesday, July 5 
Present:— Mr. D Cruickshank, chairman; Messrs 
A Bryans, J K Boyle, G \V Chriotieou, It Lyell, J 
N Stuart, K G Shaw, J Stewart, A G Stanton, W 
H Verner, and C W Wallace. 
It was noted that two meetings of the Special Sub 
Committee on Currency appointed at the last meeting 
had been held under the presidency of Mr. D Cruick- 
shank, and that a letter dated the 21th nit. had been 
addressed by the secretary to the Right Uon. Sir 
Uenry Fowler, M P, expressing the views of the Am- 
sociation on the proposals of the Government of India 
and tendering the evidence of Mr. D C.uickshank Mr. 
lib Major, Mr. JN Stuart, and Mr. W H Verner 
India.n: Tea Fund.— It was noted that the sabscrip- 
tious promised t • the new levy were reported by the 
secretary of the Indian Tea Association, Calcutta, 
on June 16 to amount to U.->9,013 12a (ip 
It was noted that Mr. R. Blechynden left New 
York on the 2nd inst for London. 
Estimates of Ckoi-.— It was resolved that with a 
view to ensure greater accuracy in estimating the 
amount of the crop, the Indian Tea Association. 
Calcutta, should be asked to procure special estimateg 
from managers to be submitted by the end of June 
and published immediately afterwards, and that no 
estimate be published before that time. 
PuoposEi) Centhal Recki'iting Agency.— a letter 
dated the 1st inst. from Mr. J. Stewart was read, 
and It was decided to ask Jlr. H. C. Begg if he 
would be good enough to reply to the qocstions put 
by .Mr. Stewart, and that his answer be submitted 
to the committee. 
Inland Steamer Agbeement.— A telegram from 
Calcutta as follows, "Steamer agreement companies 
intimated expiration agreement rates June 13. Speedy 
settlement detirable," was read, and it was resolved 
that the agents of the two steamer companies bo 
asked vvhether they were prepared to consider and 
settle the terms for a new agreement on this side, 
or If the matier must be settled in Calcutta, and 
in case the question is to be considered here that 
Messrs. Hyell, Boyle, and Wallace be appointed a 
sub-committee to meet the representatives of the 
steamer companies. 
Copies of the report of Government on " Tea Culture 
in Assam for 1897," and copy of a letter from the 
secretary, Bengal Chamber of Commerce, to the secre- 
tary of the Indian Currency Committee, dated June 
lb, 1898, were laid upon the table. 
It was noted that the Calcutta Customs daily 
entries for the second half of June were 5,0'<0 000 lb 
making the total from April 1 to June 11,497,000, 
against 9,948.000 lb in 1897. 
Annual R^:roiiT.— Draft of the annual report was 
read, revised, and ordered to be printed. The date 
i u- 1 J i .V, a -c ,-u- • f aiink- of the annual meeting was fixed for Tuesday the 26th 
ing high grade tea, the flavor^of which is incomparably iuat., at 11 a.m.-ERNEST Tye, Secretary -iZ an^ C 
1 drink- Mail, July 8. ' 3- ■ • 
era seem satisfied if they have a warm and palatable 
drink. Their indifference to the niceties of flavor and 
the art of brewing robs them of much of the pleasure 
of the cup, for the highest grades of China, Japan, 
India and Ceylon tea afford the greatest delight to a 
sensitive palate. If tea planting is to be profitable, we 
believe it must come through greater attention to 
quality and less regard for quantity on the part of grow- 
ers all over the world. — American Grocer, June 29. 
Royal Botanic Gardens.— Three more of 
Mr. Willis's useful Circulars have come to hand : 
—No. V, The Botanic Garden, BaduUa (a brief 
Guide to the Garden) : No. VI, Insects Injurious 
to Stored Paddy (by Mr. Green and Mr. Willis); 
lind No. VII, Instructions for coUecbino; and 
pending specimens of Plants and Insects fpi" Ke- 
port (also by Messrs. Green .p-nd Willis). 
Mr. Kelm'ay-Ba.mbeu looks wonderfully fresh 
aiid vigorous, considering his seven years of 
scientific work in India. He came out to Ceylon 
this time on a special mission for pri\ate pro- 
prietors ; but is free to stay on-after perhaps a 
weeks visit to Calcutta-should the proposal 
formulated by the P. A. Committee to Govern- 
ment be accepted, as, of course, it ought. Mr. 
Kelway-Bamber's book showed that as a scientist 
he IS specially qualified to help the tea planter 
and moreover that his whole heart is in hia 
work. We sincerely trust he may be enga^'ed 
for several years to work for the benefit"of 
Ceylon planters.— His full name and designation 
are:— Mr. M. Kelway-Baniber, M.R.A.C., m.k.a.s. 
ENG., F.C.S., Analytical and Consulting Chemist, 
