Aug. 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
131 
Thus more than 9 million pounds were left in India 
on the average, of which 5-S7 millions were Indian 
and 3"24 millions foreign, the bulk of the foreign 
tea being Chinese, though a substantial quantity 
consists of Ceylon tea. More than a million 
pounds are purchased annually for the British 
army, and a larger quantity must be consumed by 
the European and Eurasian civil population, as 
also by natives who, in some of the larger towns, 
are adopting the tea-drinking habit. 
The principal markets for Indian tea are stated 
hereunder, with the quantity exported (in lb.) to 
each country in the last live years :— 
BY SEA. 
1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 
United Kingdom.. 135,456,884 137,655,957 139,245,995 
Australia .. 6,155,895 6,792,654 6,306,135 
United States and 
Canada .. 1,607,731 1,523,236 2,457,880 
Persia •• 1,993,823 1,464,394 3,456,791 
Rnasia ■• 457,634 689,271 500,889 
1899-1900 1900-01 
154,161,492 166,171,556 
8,362,797 10,438,984 
United Kingdom 
Australia 
United States and 
Canada 
Persia 
Russia 
TRANS-FKONTIER— 
4,677,797 
1.953,900 
467,451 
3,490,451 
2,429,140 
772,495 
Kabul, Kashmir, & 
other countries 
on the North- 
Western Fron- 
tier 
Other trans-fron- 
tier oonntries 
Kabul, Kashmir, & 
other countries 
on the North- 
western Fron- 
tier 
Other trans-fron- 
tier countries 
1896-97 1897-98 1898-99 
1,498,672 867,888 
13,552 
1899-1900 
18,144 
1900-01 
1,040,704 
23,968 
2,099,328 1,942,640 
25,312 25,760 
The production of tea in India and Ceylon has 
increased so much more rapidly than the consump- 
tion in the United Kingdom, which is the principal 
market for these teas, that there has been a heavy 
fall in price and the tea industry is at the moment 
in a position of great embarrassment. Producers 
are busily engaged seeking relief from the intro- 
duction of economies and from the enlargement of 
markets other than that in the United Kingdom. 
Prices. — The course of prices of tea in Calcutta 
is illustrated in the appended figures in which the 
price in March 1873 is taken as equal to 100. 
They represent the course of prices of fine Pekoe 
in January of each year as given by the Bengal 
Chamber of Commerce. It will be observed that 
the price in January 1901 fell to the lowest level 
yet known : 
1873 
100 
1888 
84 
1874 
123 
1889 
77 
1875 
123 
1890 
68 
1876 
136 
1891 
81 
1877 
148 
1892 
71 
1878 
135 
1893 
87 
1879 
129 
1894 
52 
1880 
126 
1895 
97 
1881 
135 
1896 
84 
1882 
126 
1897 
64 
1883 
110 
1898 
61 
1884 
116 
1899 
58 
18H5 
90 
1900 
64 
1886 
90 
1901 
45 
1887 
77 
In the Statistical Department the average prices 
of the various descriptions of tea sold at the public 
sales held in Calcutta during the tea season have 
been computed for some years past. From these 
accounts the figures below are taken, being the 
prices in annas and pies per pound of the three 
descriptions which form the largest proportion of 
the tea sold and the variations in the prices, the 
average price of 1888 being represented by 100 : — 
Broken Pekoe Pekoe Pekoe Sou. 
Price Varia- Price Varia- Price Varia- 
tion 
tion 
tion 
As. Pies, 
As. Pies. 
As. Pies. 
1888.. 
10 3 
100 
8 
1 100 
6 3 
100 
1889... 
9 9 
95 
7 
5 92 
5 7 
89 
1890. . 
8 lOi 
87 
7 
2 89 
5 8i 
91 
1891.. 
8 Ih 
85 
7 
Oi 87 
5 3,"; 
184 
1892.. 
11 Vs 
110 
8 
9^ 108 
6 51 
103 
1893.. 
9 2 4-5 
90 
7 
2S 90 
5 4 4-5 
87 
1894... 
11 8 
114 
9 
4 4-5 116 
7 2 5-7 
116 
1895.. 
9 - 
88 
7 
3 4-7 91 
5 11 
95 
1896., 
8 71 
85 
6 
9 9-10 85 
5 5* 
88 
1897.. 
7 5 5-7 
73 
6 
03 75 
4 lOi 
79 
1898.. 
7 — 
68 
5 
8 70 
4 7 
73 
1899.. 
6 9| 
66 
5 
82 71 
5 0# 
81 
1900. . 
6 — 
59 
5 
— 62 
4 l| 
66 
J. E. O'CONORi 
June 28th, 1901, Direcfcor-General of Statistics. 
— Capital, July 14th. 
GREEN TEA REPORT. 
[FOR THE WEEK ENDING JULY 4, 1901.] 
( Walker, Lambe & Co. ) 
London, July 5, 1901, E.G. 
Owing to the small shpply left in importers' 
hands, there has been no auction sale this week, 
but privately there have been a few transactions 
at fully late rates. 
CEYLON GREEN TEAS. 
The only offerings have been three small lines 
of very nice cup teas, which, being in such 
small quantity, buyers neglected and they sold 
very cheaply at from 4d to GJd. Buyers are 
remarking that, having taken trouble to intro- 
duce these teas, the supply is not continuous 
enough to meet the enquiries which have followed 
from the earlier sales, and that, as it is put 
by some, " They will have to do the work of 
introducing them all over again." 
THE RUBBER INDUSTRY IN NATAL. 
A few months ago the Government advertised 
for a man capable of carrying on experiments 
in connection with the institution of a "rubber" 
industry, and for a man competent to point out 
where rubber trees existed in a wild state, or 
where imported trees might grow. It is under- 
stood that such a man could not be found in 
South Africa. Messrs. Medley Wood and Maurice 
S Evans interested themselves in the subject, 
and it is probable that a Commission will start, 
when the labours of the session are over, for a 
part of the Colony in which it is probable good 
rubber soil will be found. — Natal Mercury, June 24, 
CiVSTOR Oil Trees in Natal,— The General 
Manager, Natal G, R., has seen that the new 
engine-sheds on the Zwaartkop Road have been 
constructed near large plantations of castor oil 
trees, and it is rumoured that a castor oil fac- 
ctory is to be started near the City, with the N.G.R. 
as chief consumer. — Natal Witness, June 18. 
