Skpt. 1, 189S.j 
THE TROPICAL 
AGEICULTLKIST. 
213 
various modeg of advertisemenis have been detailed 
in previous report^^, aad these were combined with 
subsidies to persons and firms who interested them- 
selves strongly in the movement. It may be safely 
said that facilities for obtaining British-grown teas 
are no\w offered in nearly every important district iu 
New York, Brooklyn, Boston, &a. The n.imber of firms 
dealing with Indian tea has largely increased, and of 
these firms nine out of every ten, store our teas and 
offer them for sale to consumers. Efforts are being 
made in many quarters to take advantage of the 
trade in green tea, which is the predominant tea in 
the United States, by mixing with it a proportion 
of Indian and Ceylou g:-o\vths, and in this direction 
an increasing consumption is looked for. In response 
to the appeal made in Calcutta, subscriptions amount- 
ing to R102,089 were received in 1807, as compared with 
R103,674 inlSye.and R92,575 in 1895,aud in addition the 
sum of £200 was subscribed in London. The planters of 
Southern India contributed liberally. The committee 
issued on February 15 an interim report on the oper- 
ations iu Americfi, a copy of which will be found in 
the appendix, together with Mr. Blechynden's report 
to date. As will be seen from the interita report, 
the committee in view of the increased crops ex- 
pected yearly both from India and Ceylon, recom- 
mended a fresh levy to enable them to continue 
their special work in America. This recommendation 
has been supported by the General Committee of 
the Indian Tea Association, Calcutta, and it is hoped 
that subscriptions will not fall short of those of last 
year. The imposition of a duty of 10 cents per 
pound as a war tax is unfortunately likely to curtail 
considerably the consumption of tea in the States, 
as it will add appreciably to its cost and tend to 
make coffee the more popular beverage. It is hoped, 
however, that the tax will be only a temporai'y one. 
Our advertisements now point out, that owing to 
the strength and purity of our teas, buyers will 
not feel the tax so much as those who drink the 
weaker .Japan and China tea. In view of the in- 
creased ptrduction expected from the large area of 
new extensions to come into bearing, the Committee 
recognise the importance of giving attention to other 
markets beside that of America, especially to that 
of Russia, and will at the first opportunity, appro- 
priate a portion of the funds at their disposal towards 
that object. 
INDIAN TEA CROP, 
The first estimate of the crop for last year was 
l.'iej millions. The actual crop gathered was only 
148 millions, climatic conditions having been un- 
favourable for yield and quality. The actual quan- 
tity shipped to the United Kingdom was 131 millions. 
For the current season the total crop is estimated 
at 158J millions of which 110^ millions will, it is 
estimated, be available for the United Kingdom. 
Unseasonable weather, however, in Cachar and 
Byllhet, experienced since the above estimates were 
framed, will considerably reduce the crop. Travan- 
core is not included in the above estimate, and 
about 3 million lb. may ba expected from that district, 
making a gross total of 161| million lb. — //. and C. 
Mail, July 22. 
♦ 
MANAGING AGENTS' SHORTER 
CATECHISM. 
THE DISTORTliD VIEWS OF A MUCH-MANAGED 
MANAGER. 
(Contributed.) 
What are Managing Agents ? 
We are the middlemen between the Board of 
Directors in London and the Managers of the Tea 
Estate. 
What is a Board of Directors ? 
A small body of kindly disposed elderly gentlemen, 
who, knowing nothing about the working of tea estates, 
and believing all planters are unbusiness like and 
unreliable, wisely leave the control of the gardens 
to us. 
What is a Tea Estate ? 
In the eyes of Government Tea Estates are farms 
started by wealthy philanthrcpists for the redistribu- 
tion of population and the comfort and happiness of 
the laboui'ing classes ; in the eyes of the Directors they 
are tea plantations where planters will persist, in spite 
of insti actions to the contrary, in growing mora 
Pekoe than Orange Pekoe bushes ; but irc look upoa 
them as forming a most reliable and lucrative source 
of income. 
What is a Manager ? 
He is a planter appointed by the Board to work and 
look after the gardens, but v/bose whole time is much 
better employed in supplying us with information and 
statistics. 
What is the chief aim of Managing Agents ? 
Our chief aim, after taking care of Dowb, is to 
impress the Board with the enormous amount of skil- 
ful siiperviaing we bring to bear on the Manager ? 
How is this best accomplished? 
By constantly inventing new forms of elaborate 
stati.-tics to be supplied by the Manage)-, which, 
republished and setit home in neat typewritten 
columns, causes the lioard to feel how fortunate the 
company is to posses such able and zealous Agents. 
What is the great secret of successful management 
by an Agent ? 
It is to keep the Jlanagor well under control. 
Is this easily done? 
Yes, it is very simple. 
Can you give an example? 
Yes, if a Manager in the middle of the season wires 
us : " l.")0 Cacharees offering, can I employ ? " we do 
not wire back " yes " or '' no." 
What do you reply in such a case ? ■ 
We reply thus : " Estimated expenditure must not 
be exceeded, but cultivation and efficiency of garden 
must be maintained." 
What is the result of this ? 
Tbe result of this is, that if the Manager employs 
tlip Cacharees, we send him a set of statistics to 
show he is exceeding his estimate ; while if he does not 
employ the Cacharees, we send him another set of 
statistics to show the cultivation is falling off. 
Is it desirable that Managing Agents should under- 
stand the working of a Tea Estate ? 
No;iti3inost undesirable. 
Why ? 
Because such knowledge would seriously hamper the 
freedom of our criticising. 
Without Buch knowledge can tho Managing Agents 
with confidence instruct a M; nager as to how he is 
to work his garden ? 
Yes, certainly ; we do so with the greatest confi- 
dence. 
Do such instructions given at the beginning of a 
season ever produce a disastrous failure at the end 
of it ? 
Yes, frequently. ' 
What do Managing Agents then ? 
We express to the Board our great disappointment 
in the Manager; and recommend, reluctantly, that ia 
the interest of the company he be dismissed. 
What effect has this system an the Alanagers ? 
The effect is distinctly good, for we have every 
reason to believe that the Manager frequently rises 
up (from his statistics) and calls ua Blessed 1 
\yhat is a Shareholder ? 
He is a man of no importance.- Hanters' 
Gazette, July 2U. 
Sanitation in Assam.— Tiie death-rate on tea 
gardens in Asssani of 6 82 per 1,000 from cholera 
is serious. Fever also clainied a terrible amount 
of vietlm.s. Deaths in Cachar increased from 
3,691 to 12,97-4: ; and in Sylhet from 33,850 to 
66,550 -as the Englishman truly remarks : 
" With cholera, fever, and a destructive earth- 
quake, Assam passed through what appro[)riately 
may be called ' a record year of tribulation.'" 
