Dec. 1, 1903.] THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
391 
INDIAN TEA MARKETS EXPANSION COMMISSION 
continues ios work, with the satisfactory resulc 
tliat tea is becoming popular amo.;g the poorer 
clas«e^ and that there is an increas-iiig demand for 
good tea througliout the country, as the consumer 
is being educated to like sound tea, and therefore 
refuses the rubbish sold by the irresponsible native 
hawker. The report of tlie two years' work of the 
Commission is extremely interesting. The princi- 
pal method adopted for inducing the natives to 
drink tea, as we explained last year, is the sale of 
packets of dry tea and of cups of brewed tea at 
one pice (^d.) each. The sale of the packets and 
cups increased enormously during the first 18 
months of the Commission's operations. Daring 
the last six months the sale slightly decreased, 
but not because tea was not growing in favour. 
On the contrary, the deeiease was due to the fact 
that many smnll traders, after selling packets for 
a time, ask for the same class of tea in bulk and 
retail it. 1 his shows that the habit of tea drink- 
ing has taken root. The Commission took ad- 
vantage of the opportunity aliorded by the im- 
mense assemblage of peisons of all ranks and 
many nations at the Delhi Durbar, to bring Indian 
tea prominently forward. Dep6t3 were opened 
in several of the camps and in the city, 
where very large quantities of tea were sold. 
It was also hawked about the streets. At 
the restaurants in the Fine Arts Exhibition 
and the Polo Club nothing but pure Indian tea 
was sold. In addition to the work done by the 
Commission, a similar system is being carried out 
in the city of Madras and in other parts oi South 
India. In Madras hawkers go round with kettles 
of prepared tea morning and evening, and supply 
the naiive population at a pice a cup. Tuey also 
visit the officials in the various |;ublic offices dur- 
ing tiffin time. The sales of brewf d tea and of 
tea in packets are going up every month, These 
efforts of private enterprise are now assisted by 
what is known as the tea cess, which is a voluntary 
taxof Jof a pie (equivalent to 1-48 of a penny) 
levied on every pound of tea exported from I'ldia. 
The money thus raised is devoted to exploiting 
new markets lor Indian tea. 
Turning t') the consideration in detail of the 
world's consurapiion of British-grown tea outside 
the land of its production during the year 1902 3, 
we find that the United Kingdom is still the largest 
customer, Australia, America, and Russia follow- 
ing in order. The uncertainty as to the duty on 
tea in the United Kingdom naturally greatly 
affected the trade during the earlier part of the 
year ; no more tea was imported than was 
absolutely necessary. It does not appear, how- 
ever, that less tea was drunk, There was already 
a large quantity in the country, which supplied 
the deficit. On May 31, 1903, this stock was 
12,000,000 lb less than on the same date in 1902. 
The consumption per head has not declined. As the 
lessenisd production is owing greatly to finer pluck- 
ing, the diminution of supply has been chiefly of 
low-priced teas. It is impossible now to supply 
good tea at as cheap a rate as heretofore. Tea 
is not really dearer, as the higher-priced teas go 
a great deal farther than the so-called cheap 
ones. Consumers are beginning to realise that 
a .pound of 2s tea makes twice as many cups as 
a pound at Is 4d, and that the higher the price 
paid the smaller is the proportion absorbed by 
' the tax aud the larger the proportion really 
speat ill tea. Those persous who insist on having 
]ow pric?d tea may find they are using what has 
been rrjected by foreign markets. 
AUSTRALIA 
has taken rather less tea iluring the last two 
years than during previous years, owing, doubtless, 
to the depression in trade caused by droughts 
Until lately 
AMIiRICA 
has been a coffee-drinking country, and of the 
small quantity of tea she consumed the black 
came almost entirely from China aud the green 
from Japan. Now lea is becoming popular, and 
imports of British-grown tea have risen in a few 
years neaily 100 per cent. Two clubs in New 
York make a feature of afternoon tea. Men who 
drink it are not laughed at, even by their enemies. 
There are very few villages, no matter how ymall, 
where it is not possible to get good tea. These 
chane-es are owing almost entirely to the enter- 
prise of certain tea-producing fijuis in India and 
Ceylon. I'he utmost pains, assisted by wonderful 
machinery, are devoted to preparing tea, parti- 
cularly gieen tea, for the American market. 
Green tea has always been more drunk in America 
than black. Therefoie Ceylon planters have taken 
up the manufacture of green tea, aud turn out 
blends equal to the best Japanese production. 
As it is found that the same kind of tea does 
not suit all parts, samples of water from all the 
great cities in North America are sent out and 
tea is manufactured to suit them. The sale of the 
tea is also vigorously pushed by good advertising 
and by demonstrations. Both iu the United Statea 
and in Canada people are learning that a pound 
of British grown tea produces two or three limes 
as much beverage as a pound of China or Japan 
tea, and also that the siroTig Indian and Ceylon 
teas are as sustaining as coffee, which the weaker 
growths from China and Japan are not. The 
removal, in January, of the 10 cent (5il.) tax on 
tea doubtless increased the demand in the United 
States. 
EXPORTS TO RUSSIA 
of Indian tea have more than doubled during the 
year. The Kus-ian Government has lately io" 
creased the duty on British grown teas, leaving 
the duty onCiiina tea uncharged. The intention 
doubtless is to check the growing trade in Indian 
tea, and encourage the import of Cliinese tea by 
the new Trans-Siberiau Eiilway. It is quite 
certain, ho\»ever, that the Russian merchant, 
who is a very business like man, will buy the 
tea he prefers wherever he can get it cheapest. If 
he finds that Indian tea suits bis purpose best, 
Indian tea he will have. Russia consumes more 
liquid tea per head than any other country; but 
the people take it very weak, generally making 
five brews from one spoonful of ilry leaf. This fact 
makes Indian tea very valuable to the Russian 
blender, as no other crowth will bear so 
much watering. A proposal is under con- 
sideration to use the Trans Siberian line 
for the purpose of importing British grown 
tea, whicli will be sent from Calcutta, via Shanghai, 
to Port Dalni (Arthur), and thence, to Moscow, so 
that instead of retarding our trade with Russia 
the new railway may help it. If Indian and Ceylon 
planters will study the Russian market, they may 
feel sure of securing a very valuable and increasing 
trade with that country. 
Tea drinking is aho gaining ground iu 
