44 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [July 1, 190L 
boom of 2, 3 oi' 4 years : but the increase 
in the quantity taken from Ceylon is a true 
indication of a growing taste in Russia for 
our teas. Compared with China, too, Ceylon 
is well off— for recent telegraphic advices 
mention that out of the last offerings 
of China tea, usually sold in a day, not 
more than 8 breaks could be disposed of and 
that this took 3 days to effect ! The fact is, 
Mr. Tchokoff thinks, that China has been at- 
tempting to compete with Ceylon in the 
matter of cheap teas and that in these it is 
unable to iiold its own against our local 
product. 
" Have you any information as to the ex- 
pense of representation at St. Petersburg ? " 
we asked. 
" No, but if you apply at the Chamber of Com- 
merce you should be able to see the papers with 
regard to the Exhibition, which have only just 
been received. I am to see Mr Bois on the subject 
very shortly. I have heard nothing about the 
date of the exhibition; which £ do not think has 
been fixed, so that news of its postponement is a 
little premature." (Mr Tchokoff here referred to the 
Daily Mail announcement which we had already 
showed hin).l 
Thankina; Mr Tchokoff for all he had told us, 
we next proceeded to the Chamber of Commerce ; 
but first had a word with Mr Tokmakoff, of 
another Kussiati firm — Tokmakoff, Molotkofif «& Co 
— whose early departure from Ceylon has just been 
announced. We asked if Mr Tokmakoff would be 
doin? anythini; at St. Petersburg. " No : you 
see we can do all we want in the ordinary 
course of our present business, by sending 
samples througih our Russian offices to our cus- 
tomers in Russia." Mr Tokmakoff was uncer- 
tain when he would be returning to Ceylon. He 
felt in need of a holiday, but did not know how 
much he might require. 
AT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 
we learnt- that Mr Renton had forwarded the 
papers dealing with the Exhihition and had offered 
to look after the installation of a Ceylon section 
at St. Petersburg, as he proposed in any ease 
going to the Russian Capital in October to open a 
CEYLON TEA EOOM AT ST. PETERSBURG. 
The space in the Exhibition would be charged 
at S^s per square foot. Mr Renton's offer will 
doubtless receive early consideration, whether the 
Exhibition be postponed till next spring, or be 
openefl in November, which is now reported to be 
impossible, 
THE COMMITTEE AKD PATRONESS 
From the official papers, which are headed simply 
"British Exhibition in St. Petersburg, 1901-2," 
we found that the Exhibition [confined solely to 
British producers and manufacturers) is to be 
" held in the Tauride Palace and Grounds, St. 
Petersburg." Though these are " graciously 
lent for that purpose " by Her Imperial Majesty 
the Empress Alexandra Feodorovna, the Ex- 
hibition will be under the patronage of H.I.H. the 
Princess Eugenie of Oldenburg and administered 
by a diRtinguished Russian Committee of 18 
persons; amonf>;st them^^the most important are: 
— H. K. Count Lanisdorf, Foreign Minister ; Mde 
Staal, iiussi.in Ambassa.lor in London; the Rev. 
Alex. ,>Fraiifi s'JPastor of the Biitish-Amerisan 
Church at St. Petersburg, and M.A. Bilbasoff 
Secretary to the Russian Section at Glasgow 
The 
COMMISSIONER FOE THE UNITED KINGDOM 
is^Mr George Collins Levey, c.M.G. ; the Secretary. 
Mr.Edward Gorery, and there is a British Advisory 
Committee of 21 per-vons, chief of whom is 
LordAvebury, President of theBritishChambers of 
Commerce, and among whom we notice : Sir Jas. 
Fergusson, Sir Chas. Dilke, Mr. Geo. AVyndhara, 
M. P., Sir Edward Sassoon, Sir H Seymour King, 
Su' Albert RoUitt, Sir Christopher Furness and 
Sir Jas. Linton. 
The inteiition is to open the Exhibition on 
November 14th, 1901, and to continue it till 
February Utli, 1902., It is at this season of the 
year that Russian aristocracy, officials, army 
and navy, "professional and mercantile classes, are 
resident in the capital, and Ceylon will thus have 
A SPLENDID OPPORTUNITV 
of bringing its products before the wealthy and 
intelligent classes of Russia. Part of the 
raison detre of the Exhibition is the decline 
between 1888 and 1899 of British trade 
with Russia : in exports from Russia 15 
per cent C36-5 of the total, to 21'5), and in 
imports 4'1 per cent (25-9 to 21 8). In 1899 
TEA 
is the first of a list of articles showing increase as 
compared with 1898. Meanwhile Germany's trade 
had increased during the decade to 38 8 percent 
of the total imports of Russia or 17-3 more than 
those from Great Britain. The national prosperity 
is at stake and it is pointed out that Russia's 
magnificent display at Glasgow betokens Russia's 
desire to extend her trade with the United King- 
dom. There are no less than 31 
RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR EXHIBITORS 
which will doubtless be marie fully known 
in due time. The most important are : (3) 
The Exhibition will be proclaimed a Bonded 
Store Warehouse ; (4) space will be charged at 
8s per square foot, arrangements for over 100 feet, 
or for special positions, being procurable. Mini- 
mum charge, £10; (15.) No articles of alimenta- 
tion, refreshment, food, drink or tobacco shall be 
either sold or given away by any Exhibitor 
except by special arrangement with the Admin- 
istration ; (14) all goods to be in St. Petersburg 
not later than October I5th— penalty, forfeiture 
of both space and any money paid ; (31) 25 per 
cent of the space money to be payable on appli- 
cation, the balance on allotment. 
OTHER ARRANGEMENTS. 
Juries of Russian and British subjects will award 
diplomas on the same principle as at Paris. The 
profits of the Exhibition will be devoted to the 
erection of improved dwelling-houses for the 
poorer classes of St. Petersburg on a site which 
has been granted by the Municipality. The 
Countess Elizabeth Sehouvaloff, (who is on the 
Exhibition Committee) is president of the society 
devoted to the work. The Russian Committee 
will heat, light, andguard the buildings and grounds 
of the Tauride Palace and will make the neces- 
sary arrangements for music, publicity &c. It 
is intended that the Exhibition should be 
OPEN AT NIGHT. 
In conclusion, the following facts, indirectly 
affecting Ceylon (as a dependency of Britain 
and a colony trading with Russia) may be 
added. "The Russian Empire" covers one- 
half of Europe and one-third of Asia ; con- 
tains every soil and climate, from arctic to sub- 
