638 
THE TKOPICAL 
AGRICULTUIilST. [March 1, 1899. 
THE TKA Tl'tADE IN THE FAll EAST. 
We are just nearing tlie o|ieiiiii}^ of a new Tea 
Season in China, so liiat llie total exports lor 
1898 9 as coniiiared witli those of tlie previous 
year are intereriiing. Here they are : — 
EXPORT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO UNITED 
KINGDOM AND CONTINENT: 
Hoiikow and Shanfiliai 
Foocliow 
Amoy 
Canton ,, 
1898- 9a. 
lb. 
]3,178,7CG 
13,20U,.'')1<) 
088,818 
4,443,700 
1897 98. 
lb. 
13,808,361 
12,022.570 
085,6.51 
5,455,162 
31,811,393 32,631,744 
EXPORT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO UNITED 
STATES AND CANADA. 
Shanghai 
Anioy 
Foochow 
1898-99. 
lb. 
15,661,674 
12,034,017 
7,297,412 
1897 98. 
lb. 
20,228.971 
14,522,772 
7,126,204 
34,990,733 41,878,007 
EXPORT OP TEA FROM JAPAN TO UNITED 
STATES AND CANADA. 
1S08 99. 1897 98. 
lb. lb. 
Yclcohrma .. 24,96 1,.397 25,070,893 
Kobe .. 12,106.816 24,475,448 
7,131,213 50,146,311 
EXPORT OF TEA FROM CHINA TO ODESSA. 
1898-99. 1897-P8. 
lb. lb. 
Shanghai and Hankow 22,691,075 19,462,293 
The slif,'lit falling-off to Europe is not of 
ni'ich account ; bnt to North America China tea 
is less by very nearly 7 \nillion lb. Still more 
notable is the lallin<f o(F of 13 million lb. in tlie 
e.Njiort of Ja]ian teas to North America ; but 
wo do not see any figures {{iven foi tea c.n- 
ports from Furtno.'sa now beloii^iing to Ja|ian, and 
the Oolonirs of v. hicli ^eneially ;;<) to .4merica. 
Finally llussia has taken via C)iiessa 3J millions 
more of China tea lliis .'jea.son than in la.-<t. 
Tun One Kicmkdy koi; Aguicultuki:.— Sir 
Edmon.l Vcrney declares — in tiie Contemporarij 
Bcviciv that "until ajjricnhure is rej^arded as a 
scienlilic jirofcssion, a.nricullui al depression will 
always be with us." His contribution is all but 
entirely made nj) of a letter from a former far- 
mer who tells liow lie made his tarm to pay by 
brains, resolution, discipline, (juickness, and science. 
This eorre>})ondent's suggestion is : — 
Everj' county where aj^iiculture predominates onght 
to have one mise3 farm set opart as a trainii;g-farm 
for youn^ fellous about to embark their cash iu farm- 
ing ; let the staff lor teaching be, say roughly, a 
general niana.;er and secretary combiuecl, a farm 
bailiff, and a scientist, these men to be the smaitest 
aird most efficient obtainable, and the junior stnff the 
same. Why, with a big old-fasbioued larni-house and 
buiLiings, the whole thing could bs ligired up and 
etaited at vei'y moderate cost. Here tlie pupil would 
have ocular demonatration of smart and record work, 
and such a drilling as he would never forget. In 
ever}' bianch be v/ouldbe prepared to meet the rapid 
atid rushing composition of the age. There would be 
the library fully stocked and kept replete wich all agri- 
culturiil literature up to date . . . Such an insti- 
tution, in my miud, ouglit to be beacon-light, a 
" vallying-poiut " for the agriculturists of the county. 
KANAI'EDIWATTE TEA COMPANY. 
The Cn.vii'.MAN laid the '^>ire( ;oi'8' annual report 
for 1898 upon the table, and jaopobcd to take 
it as read, It reads : — 
Directors :— T N Chriitie, Erq., George Christie, 
Esq. End W B Kingsbury, l'>q 
The Directors have pleiisure in laj'iog before the 
Shareholders their Report and Accounts for the 
ypar ended 31st December, 1898. 
The amount of Tea secured on Eetate accoout waa 
142,267 ponndc, an increaBe over the previous year 
of 20,172 pounds but 2,733 pounda Bbort of ' tbo 
Estimate, which, conifideriii(» how uufavoorable the 
wfather was, may be considered highly taliefactory . 
The cost kid down in Colombo was cents 20 52 as 
against cents 2308 lor the previous year. 
A further quantity of 30,330 lb. tea waa made from 
bought Ic-iif. being, 7,623 lb. ujore Ih&o waa aecured 
the pieviouB Fcason. 
The total crop of 172,597 lb. cost iu Colombo cents 
2311 per lb. and realised a nett average price of 
cents 32 71 as t-gaiust cents 34 38 in 1897. 
The nett profits for tlie year aiuoniit to R40,667-99 
to which must be added Kl,163 25 biougbt forward 
from last Eeasou. Of this sum R13,30'i-00 waa absorbei 
by the paynient of nn Into im dividend of 4 per cent 
for the 6 monlhs ended :!0ili June last, and the 
Directors now recommand llixt a fiiifil dividend of 5 
per cent be paid, nuking 9 per cent for the year 
that R11,(X)0-0(J he placed to the Reserve Fund, 'thus 
biinciiig it up to lil5 000 0C, and that the balance 
of i{771 21 be carried forward to the next Account. 
The Nett earnings for the year are equal to over 
12 per cent on the paid up'Capital of the Company 
as against neaily 11 per cent in 1897. 
In terms of the Articles cf Association Mr. W B 
Ki:lg^bury retires from the Board of Directors, bat, 
being eligible, cffers himself for re election. 
The appointment of an Auditor for Season 1899 
will also rest with the Meeting. 
Teusts i.\ AMiii.iCA.— The induetrial monopoly 
known as a Tiust is only tome dozen yeais' old 
in the United States,— .^ay.s the S/'ccUitur—yei it 
already controls abosU one-half of the industrial 
capital of the Republic ; and as tliingn arc now 
going, it bids fair to control tliree-fourilis before 
tiif- century has e.xpire.l. With the j.re.sent re- 
vival of American indu.-tiy from the great de- 
pression which began in 1S9.3, an enormous e.\ pan - 
sion of Trusts is also taking place. In one day, 
we read, no fewer than .'^even of thee colossal 
undertakings were organised, with aggregated 
capitals leaching into the hundreds of inilMons 
of doliar.s. Aiiiong the industries thus chiseil to 
oat>ide competition were sewer-pipes. sil\ erwaie, 
writing paper, pottery, wire, had, ami linj.late! 
The capital of the lirst is put at 30,((X),0(X» dolliis. 
and of the last at 50,0:iO,()uO. This littplate mono- 
poly is absolute, 92 per cent, cf the manufacturers 
joining at the start, and the reinaininirS per cent, 
coining in soon after. At the jiresent time, iii 
addition to the Trusts mentioned, jief roleuin'oil, 
sugar, cotton-.sced oil, whisky, steel rails, and 
other commodities inodneed on a great .<!cale are 
all in the hands of Trusts. Even such a iirime 
nece.'suy of life as meat is controlled hy the "big 
four " of Cliicai'o,- t. c, four huge fiinis which 
control the immense stockyardt, of that city and 
which actually fi.K the retail price of meat in 
Boston. It is no wonder that t!ie attention of the 
American people is riveled on this stupendous 
capitalist development, that manifest anxiety i.-e- 
vailss and that Mr. Bryan is pieparing to fight 
the Presidential election of l.QOu on the Trust 
(juestiou. 
