30 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [July 1, 1901. 
TEA PLANTING IN INDIA AND 
CEYLdN: 
A TOTAL OF 927,000 ACRES (OP WHICH 
132,000 YOUNG) TEA ; 
CHINA STILL THE LARGEST EXPORTER 
OP TEA ; 
LONDON OPINIONS OF TEA " PROS- 
PECTS" AND "MANURING." 
Against the 892,000 acres now under tea cul- 
tivation in Ceylon— with 30,000 acres not yet 
in bearing,— we may put the area of tea in 
all India at not less than 535,000 acres, of 
which as many as 100,000 acres have been 
planted from 1897 onwards and cannot there 
fore be considered to represent mature trees 
or fields in bearing. There is therefore 
altogether, 130,000 acres of young tea which 
must be taken into account, in order to 
emphasize the absolute necessity for both 
countries fighting for new markets in 
Russia and the Continent of Europe gener- 
ally, as well as in America. The case stands 
thus for the British Tea-growing industry : — 
Acres Young Tea Eatimate crop 
Total. in tea, crop when all in 
beariug. acres. 1890— lb. bearing with 
fine plucking. 
India .. 435,000 100,000 187,500,000 220,000,000 
Ceylon .. 360,000 32,000 148,400,000 160,000,000 
Totals.. 795,000 132,000 335,900,000 380,000,000 
[ludia has haJ planted over 250,009 acres with tea 
since 1885, and the greatest areas by far in single 
years were in 1896—37,000 acres ; and in 1897, over 
36,000.] 
Now, we do not think there is anything to 
frighten us in a total output— say three 
years hence— of 380,000,000 lb. of British-grown 
tea; and we are prepared to give good 
reasons for our hopefulness. In the first place, 
let it be remembered that China is still by 
for the largest exporter of tea. During 1899 
she sent away altogether no less than 
217,467,0001b. of tea and for 1900 we do 
not think the figures can be less. This 
includes overland supplies to Russia in Asia 
(in fact CentriJ Asia altogether) as well as 
to Russia in Europe. By sea China sent 
away 8 millions lb. more in 1900-01 than in 
1899-1900. This should make up for any 
shortage overland. In fact, China and 
Japan together still supply the world with 
no less than 270 to 280 million lb. of tea 
distributed to North America, Europe, Aus- 
tralasia, Central Asia, &c. Now we see no 
good reason why British-grown tea should 
not by 1904, supersede the teas of China and 
Japan to the extent of 45 million lb. of tea, 
apart from the natural growth of the world's 
consumption of our staple. This presup- 
poses of course, that the campaign on the 
Continent of Europe on behalf of both 
Ceylon and India will be carried on energeti- 
cally for the next three years, and that 
the "sinews of war" wili be supplied by 
an Indian, as well as by a Ceylon, Tea Cess. 
It may he of interest to learn that Travan- 
core (and Cochin) in all its divisions has 
now about 27,000 aci'es imder tea of which 
11,000 (tog(!ther with 1,700 acres of coffee, 
060 cinchona and 300 cardamoms) are reported 
lor Hiv John Muir's Kanan Devan and 
Anglo-America Companies in North Travan- 
core— all being of course, comparatively re- 
cent plantings. 
WHY RUBBER PERISHES, 
The latex of plants may be compared with 
the milk of animals ; it consists of a number 
of oil globules held in suspension in the form 
of an emulsion. In the case of rubber this 
oil is chemically a terpene C 10 H 16, which 
by oxidation becomes an oxidised terpene or 
resin. Hence they could understand why it 
was rubber eventually was said to '■ perish." 
The juice became oxidised to such an extent 
that resin was formed, and the mass becomes 
brittle. Mr. T Davis, Chemist 
— British and Colonial Druggist. 
RUBBER IN MEXICO. 
There are wild and cultivated rubber trees, 
now growing on the Isthmus, sufficient to 
make the country rich, without regard to 
any other product. Mexican rubber is now 
worth 80 cts, per lb. gold. A good, healthy, 
rubber tree will produce from two to four lb. 
of rubber annually at from eight to twelve 
years old, A rubber forest of KXK) acres, con- 
taining 250 trees per acre, would yield at 
least $1 per tree profit, or $2.50,000 annually. 
The Isthmus is the only natural rubber produ- 
cing country within the limits of civilization. 
The demand for rubber is increasing at a rapid 
rate, and those who are now growing rubber 
forests confidently expect to see Mexican 
rubber sell for $1 per lb. before their trees 
are in bearing. Those who have invested in 
rubber on the Isthmus will be well rewarded 
for their patient •wa.itmg.—Hovie j)aper. 
Bee-keeping in Ceylon.— Although greater 
interest is being shown in this pleasant and 
useful calling than, say, ten years ago, we 
are afraid as much attention is not paid to 
the domestication of the honey-bee by 
residents up-country and in the plains as 
might be done with profit. We fancy it is 
the sting of the bee, more than aught else, 
that deters people from experimenting as 
apiarists ; but with experience there is really 
little to fear. Anyway, it is of interest to 
read that " Mr. W K Morrison, the bee ex- 
pert attached to the Imperial Department of 
the West Indies, has recently discovered 
several colonies of stingless bees in the island 
of Montserrat. He is now trying what can 
be done by the use of modern hives to im- 
prove their honey-producing capabilities. 
Modern apiarists are of opinion that they 
can make the honey-bee conform to almost 
any conditions, so that Mr. Morrison's experi ■ 
ments will be watched with some interest. 
The honey of the stingless bee is clearer and 
thinner tha.n that of ordinary commerce," 
In certain years there has been a consider- 
able export of both honey and bees-wax from 
Ceylon to India ; but usually, there is a 
steady import of the former for local use and 
this ought certainly to be saved by local pro- 
duction. 
