July 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTUEIST. 
41 
THE CEYLON COMMISSIONER ON THE 
AMERICAN TEA MARKET. 
The following letter has been addressed to Mr, 
E Tye, the secretary of the Indian Tea Asso- 
ciation (London) :— Deak Sir, — As requested by 
you, I send a short report on our tea business in 
America, as I found it during niy recent visit 
there. Although the progress made in the in- 
troduction of Ceylon and Indian teas has been, I 
think, very considerable during the last seven 
years, it might have been very much more so, 
were it not for the many unforeseen obstacles 
we have encountered. Four years ago " standards " 
with a sieve-test were sprung upon us, in order 
that leading American houses might, by keeping 
out low grade teas, sell an immense quantity they 
had in hand. The success of this political move 
will be understood when I say that the value of 
their stocks rose from 4 cents per lb to 10 cents, 
as soon as the law was passed. Then followed 
the 10 cents duty, which has lowered the consump- 
tion of tea in the U.S. by Jrd lb per head, or 
nearly 25,000,000 per annum. Our teas are the 
only kinds which have not fallen away, but on 
the contrary have increased year by year. 
Last year the war in China threw an im- 
mense surplus supply of China Congous into 
the States, ihis tea cost an average of 10 to 
11 cents in New York, but owing to quantity the 
price fell at once to 8 to 9 cents, and cheap as our 
blacks have been they could not compete. Houses 
already loaded with Congous could not purchase 
other black teas, however cheap. The imports to 
the States and Canada during eight years of Ceylon 
and India tea have been as follows ;— 1894, 
4,72.3,000 , 1895, 7,792,000 ; 1896, 9,474,000 ; 1897, 
11,361,000; 1898, 1,3,608,000; 1899, 16,700,100; 
1900, 16,130,000. This last year shows a slight 
falling off, but very slight indeed, considering the 
statistical position of Cliina Congous. The fall has 
been entirely in Indians, Ceylon showing a good 
increase. Can this be due to India's withdrawal 
of funds ? Ceylon : 1899, 8,298,000, 1900, 9,173,000. 
India: 1899, 8,487,000; 1900, 6,958,000. In the 
teeth of all those obstacles, and especially con- 
sidering the enormous decline in the U. S. con- 
sumption of tea generally, I think the expendi- 
ture incurred by Ceylon and India in introilucing 
their teas into America has been amply justified 
by results. 
The imports of Congous last year were over 
19,000,000 lb. against 11,300,000 1b. the previous 
year. These figures are the shipments from Shang- 
hai andFoochow, and with, say, 16,000,000 lb from 
India and Ceylon, represent the consumption of 
black teas in the States and Canada, 
Of green teas, and partly fermented Oolongs 
and Formosas, the imports are about as in this 
table : — 
Green Japans . . 36,000.000 lb. 
Green China .. 15,000,0001b. 
51,000,000 lb. 
Oolongs & Pormoaa8 17,000,000 lb. 
We have already got the market for 16,000,000 lb, 
out of an averageconsumption of about 28,000,000 lb 
of black teas. Not the taste of the consumer, but 
hia indifference to quality of tea and the vested 
interests in the East of the old established im- 
porters prevent us from rapidly acquiring the 
greater part of the remaining 12,000,000 lb. 
Now as to green teas and partly fermented teas, 
where the" field is 68,000,000 lb, as against 
6 
28,000,000 lb. of blacks — here again I must warn 
planters against the assertions of disappointed 
editors. 
To London alone more than this amount 
has come. There is one firm in Colombo that 
executes a contract vi'ith a Toi onto house for 
20,000 lb. of green tea per month. This same 
firm landed 1,OCO chests in America last week, 
in execution of an order entirely independent of 
the above Toronto firm. If only 16,000 lb. . have 
been shipped, what has become of the 4 to 
500,0001b. on which duty was paid during De- 
cember and January, i-ebruary and March? I 
think there are four firms doing extensive busi- 
ness with Canada who can account for most of it. 
I notice those editorial attacks only to show 
how difficult it is in the face of them to induce 
those interested in it to continue patiently the 
manufacture of green tea, until it becomes a factor 
on the American market. The enemy is in our 
own household. But, notwithstanding, I am more 
confident today of the ultimate success of Ceylon 
and Indian greens than I have ever been. 1 have had 
numberless opinions of its quality and merits from 
dealers able to judge and, except the coarseness 
and ugliness of the pekoe souchong, made 'when 
coarse plucking was in vogue, I have had only one 
complaint viz., that — for Quebec Province— the 
liquor was too fine. 
Of course there are very strong obstacles — the 
strongest being the vested interests in the East 
(China and Japan) of those who control the srocers, 
as brewers do " tied houses." These few firms are 
more united in opposing our greens than they were 
with the bla(!ks, because their trade in greens is 
so much larger. A second obstacle i.'i indifference, 
A Montreal gentleman, who has been pushing 
our greens, writing a fortnight ago, says: "It is 
not so much public indifference as it is trade in- 
difference, because Japans have an established sale 
and for Ceylon greens missionary work is neces- 
sary. Then the wholesale trade are showing a 
much more interested front in keeping out the 
greens ; their travellers poison the grocers' minds 
against giving our teas a chance. In dealing vi'ith 
the grocers we are not dealing with business 
men, but with mildewy fossils, who will not 
draw one tea against another. If they did 
they would be speedily convinced." Another 
writing me some months ago said he had 
bought a few hundred chests : " The 
liquor of Ceylon greens, in our opinion, is ex- 
cellent, but the leaf of the Oeylons being so 
different will make them hard to introduce. 
Can you not imitate the dry leaf more closely ? 
Try to please the eye as well as the palate. This 
is the time to push them ; one dollar spent now 
is worth double or treble six months hence, when 
Japans may be cheaper, and the sentiment for 
British goods not so strong." True, but I can 
spend nothing while I get nothing ; I can only 
include "green" with "black" in advertising, 
A few small subsidies just now would greatly 
help to remove prejudice. I believe the differ- 
ence in appearance of dry leaf is merely a matter 
of machinery. A roller need not necessarily twist. 
Another obstacle is the way business is done in 
America. When our teas are bought in Calcutta 
or Colombo they are consigned to an agent or 
broker, say, in Toronto. This agent 7Jiust sell to 
a wholesale house, not to the grocer direct. Now, 
wholesalers in the States and in Canada (French 
and English) have told me repeatedly they 
