200 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTCJRIST. 
[Sept. 1, 1898. 
sideratum that must be seriously felt, especially when 
the labour force is not over strong, and any extensive 
improvement must obviously be thus considerably 
retarded. A long and intimate acquaintance with 
these Gardens, hovi'ever, enabled me to notice evidences 
of indomitable energy and ambition possessed by 
those at present in ohaige of them. 
The work of beautifying and utilising the grounds 
by thinning out ungainly and common ti'ees and by 
the judicious replanting of only useful and handsome 
kin ts, goes on apace with important though limited 
agricultural experiments, to which numerous plots are 
now being devoted. The extensive lawns never 
seemed to me finer than they are at present ; and fresh 
acres are now aradually having their rough surfaces 
cleared and made even. A new avenue of iloyal 
Palms has just been planted in a position with a 
commanding aspect. Bare and beautiful plants are 
being gradually planted along frequented drives, and 
some of the latter also are now undergoing a great 
improvement in being made wider where necessary. 
Additional flower borders planted with the newest 
varities of cannas have just been completed, and their 
design is in good taste. The nurseries too are well 
worth a visit, being full of young stock of every des- 
cription, but with economic plants predominating. 
W. H. W. 
THE TEA, COFFEE, &c., TRADE. 
TO TIIK KDIIOR, " PlONKER." 
Sir, — Apropos of your recent articles on the Indian 
tea industry, it may be of interest, to give some 
figures (taken from the latest, the 189.5, edition of 
Dr. Paul Langhans' h'kint} Ilandels'itnlni ; Gotha, 
Justus Pertlies), showing the annual importation per 
head of population, in kilogramme.':, of tea, coffee, 
sugar and tobacco by the principal naiions of the 
world. The figures are very instructive, those for 
sngar, more especially, as they show what a boon to 
our country, upon the whole, is the free entry of 
sugar, as affecting manufactures in which sugar is 
largely used, and its domestic consumption. 
TEA. 
Great Britain 
. 2-10 
Holland 
0-50 
Australia 
. l-r,o 
Russia 
C-40 
United States 
, . 1-00 
Austria-Hungary . . 
0-15 
France 
. . 0 92 
Germany 
, 0 05 
COFFEE. 
Holland 
.. 5'00 
Sweden . , 
, 2-27 
Belgium 
.. 4-14 
France 
, 1-38 
Norway 
. . 3-91) 
Austria Hungary . . 
, 1-00 
United States 
. . 375 
Italy 
, 0 47 
Cape Colony 
.. 3 50 
Great Britain 
, 0-45 
Switzerland 
. . 3 02 
Portugal 
, 0,34 
Denmark 
.. 2-37 
Spain 
. 016 
Germany 
. . 2 ;32 
Russia 
, 0.10 
SUGAU. 
England 
.. 30-5C 
Switzerland 
. 8-00 
United States 
.. 25 50 
France 
. 8-00 
Canada 
.. 22'5C 
Sweden 
, 7-75 
Denmark 
. . 15-II0 
Norway 
Russia 
. 5-50 
Holland 
.. 11-25 
. 4 00 
Belgiuui 
.. 10-50 
Brazil 
. 4-00 
Germany 
. . 8-00 
Portugal, 
. 4-00 
Austria-Hungary , 
. . 8-00 
Greece 
, 8-00 
TOBACCO. 
United States 
, . 3-10 
Sweden 
, 1-20 
Holland 
.. 2-80 
Norway 
Russia 
, 1-40 
Belgium 
,. 2-50 
. 0-90 
Switzerland 
. . 2-30 
France 
. 0-80 
Germany 
. 1-90 
Italy 
. 0-70 
Austria-Hungary . 
. 1-90 
Great Britain 
. OfiO 
Denmark 
, . 1-50 
Spain ., 
. 0-55 
Aldobeand Oldenbuck. 
MINOR PRODUCTS REPORT. 
Coca Leaves. — Offered, 13 packages; sold 5. Some 
Truxillo leaves, offered without reserve, were dis- 
posed of at 4d, a low price considering the quality, 
part of the leaves being of fair green coloar, though 
the rest were faded ; nice pale brownish green 
Ceylon leaves fetched 7d. 
Kola Nuts. - Offered, 79 packages. Bold 0. 
Nothing was sold, pale brown medium nuts being 
bought in at 4cl, and ordinary dark small at 3d. 
JsuiJiKos. — West Indian kind fetched at auction from 
Is lid for O's to lid; for 'M's for ordinary to 
good nut. 
CiTito.NELLA Oil. — Quiet. The spot value is la Id 
for drums, and Is lid for tins. The last bueineea 
for arrival was done at Is Oid c.i.f., but now 
there are no sellera under 1b O^d, whilst there are 
buyers at Is. 
Lemo.vgiias i Oil. — Quiet, and lower since tlie end 
of last week. For arrival it is now offered at SJd c.i.f, 
— /iiiti/ili and Colonial /tnirfgift, July 8. 
Lkmon Oil. — Tending dearer. For oil of k"^''^* 
teed citral content, 4s 6d, per lb f.o.b. Messina, ia 
wanted, and holders are not disposed to part with 
it at that, as they expect higher rates. Fair quality 
may be had at 4s per lb, c.i.f. t«!rin8. 
Cocoa Lkaves. — The exports from Java during April 
amounted to 65 bales, and from July 1st 1879 to 
April 30th 1898, the total exports were 918 bales, 
lu 1894 only 12 bales were exported, in the following 
year 901, and fonr more in 1895-9G, but in 189t;-97 
the exports fell to 825 bales. Fine bright Ceylous 
sold ac 7d per lb and Uuanoco (put np without 
reserve) realised 4d. The later was partly broken, 
but of fair colour. 
Croton SEEns are still high, 703 per cwt being 
refu-^edfor afair medium seed. 
KoL*. Nuts.— Very lint, the demand having lately 
gone off considerably. Sales of W^st Indian have 
be^n made privately at Ltd to 2d per lb. 
Vanii.la. — The following are some of the prices 
obtained: — For Mauritius fine 4 J to 5 Inches, ISs 
Gd to iGs fair frosty. From 6 to 7 inches part 
frosty, 14s 6d to IG.s. Fine frosted 8 to 8J inches 
22s (id. Short sizes 12s to 14s. For Madagascar we 
noted the following : 4i to 5 J inches 13* ; (i to 7 
inches 15. — Clmuut and Drtniijisi, July 9. 
♦ 
INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION. 
DuT\-— Teas for Thibet— Crop Estimatics. 
The following is an abstract of proceedings of a 
meeting of the General Committee, held on 6th 
June 1898 :— 
The General Committee noted the Londjn Secre- 
tary's remarks with reference to the Budget State- 
ment and the duty on tea, and regretted that the 
Chancellor of the Exchequer, although admitting 
that the tax on tea was oppressively heavy in re- 
lation to its prime cost, and that India supplies 
more than half the consumption of the United 
Kingdom, could not see his way to reduce this tax. 
His argument was that the Government at home 
should " settle their system of taxation rather with 
regard to the necessities and advantage of those who 
have to bear the taxation than anybody else." 
This was recognised to be right in principle, if it 
were strictly adhered to, as taxes had been 
imposed upon India against the wishes of Indian 
taxpayers and purely in the interests of English 
industries, it was thought that this principle need 
not have been so strictly adhered to in the case 
of the tea industry. 
The London Secretary suggested as a possible 
outlet for Indian tea that tlie Bengal Chamber of 
Cimmeroe might be able to move the Government 
of India to obtain an " open door " for our teas 
on the Frontier of Thibet. The General Com- 
mittee noted this suggestion, bat considered that 
at present the difficulties appeared to be in- 
superable. 
A number of letters were read by the Chairman 
on the subject of Tea Crop Estimates. After a full 
discussion, in which the proposition was made that 
a revised estimate shoirld be made up, now, or at 
