180 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST, [Sept. 2, 1901. 
THE INDIAN TEA ASSOCIATION 
(LONDON), ' 
The following is from the annual reporli of 
the Association : — 
The General Committee of the Indian Tea 
Association (London) have the pleasure to submit 
to members the following statement on tbe con- 
clusion of the twenty-hrst j'ear of its operations. 
THE INDIAN TEA CROP OF 1900. 
The estimate of the crop issued by the Indian 
Tea Association in Calcutta on September 8, 1900, 
which was based on the actual outturns of tea to 
August 15, 1900, was in round figures as given 
below, the final results being alongside for com- 
parison -. — 
Estimated. Actual Crop. 
District. million lb. million lb. 
Assam ... ... 66i ... 68 
Cachar and Sylhet ... 60^ ... 61 
Darjeeling and Terai ... lOi ... 11 
Dooars ... ... 23 ... 30 
Kangra Valley, Dehra 
Dun, Chittagong, Ku- 
maon, and Chota Nag- 
pore ... ... 6 ... 6| 
Private and Native Gar- 
dens, including those 
from which no returns 
were received ... 16 ... Hi 
182 187J 
Owing to incomplete returns, about live millions 
pounds of tea were included in the last item of 
the estimated crop which should have been added 
to the figures furnished for Dooars. 
The crop of 1899 was 175 million lb. the 
increase in outturn last year being therafore 
12J million lb, exclusive of the tea produced in 
Southern India, of which no reliable statistics 
are obtainable. 
GREEN TEA. 
As mentioned in lasc year s report, a bonus ot 
14 anna per lb. was offered to planters who were 
prepared to manfacture green tea for the American 
market, but the committee regret to say that 
few applications were received for the same, and 
it is not, therefore, as yet definitely ascertained 
how far tea of this description can be made in 
India to take the place of the China and Japan 
greens, now so largely consumed in America. A 
misunderstanding also arose in Calcutta as to the 
terms on which the gardens applying for the bonus 
were entitled to receive it, and the proposed 
200,000 lb were not made. The offer of a bonus 
at the same rate has been renewed for the pre- 
sent year, and it is hoped that in view of the 
great' importance which attaches to the securing 
of this outlet for Indian teas, more advantage 
will be taken of the offer. 
The terms of the committee's resolution on the 
subject were as follows : — 
" That U anna per lb, up to a maximum of 
200,000 lb to be manufactured this season, be 
allowed out of the funds of the levy on 
shipments of green tea to the American 
market sent there direct from India, such 
funds to be distributed as a bounty at the dis- 
cretion of the Calcutta Committee, the ditinition 
of tlie term 'green tea' for the receipt of the 
bounty being taken to be tea made from the 
ordinary leaf plucked on the gardens such as would 
ordinar i>y be made into black tea, but which in 
its altered manufactured state would not compete 
with the sale of black tea in America or elsewhere. 
The bounty to be paid on the same quantity as 
before sanctioned, viz., 200,000 lb, until it is seen 
what success is attained in the manufacture of 
green tea. 
"The Association in Calcutta to be requested 
to notify the committee promptly if a larger 
quantity than 200,000 lb is likely to be specially 
prepared for shipment to America." 
In a report furnished by Mr. William Mac- 
kenzie in connection with a recent visit to America, 
he says that of green teas and partly fermented 
Oolongs and Formosas the imports are about as 
follows : — 
lb. 
Green Japans . . 36,000,000 
Green China .. 15,000,000 
Oolongs and Formosas 
51,000.000 
17,000,000 
68,000,0001b. 
[Then follows Mr Mackenzie's statement as to 
winning the market for green teas, familiar 
to our readers. — Ed. C. 0.] 
To attain success, however, Mr Mackenzie re- 
commends a syndicate being formed in Calcutta 
and another in Colombo, to take over the green 
teas manufactured, and to blend and pack the 
same in unitorm and attractive packages, making 
regular shipments to one or more firms in America, 
so as to ensure continuous supplies of teas of 
standard qualities. The committee have advised 
that steps should be taken in Calcutta to carry out 
Mr Mackenzie's commendation. 
It is essential also, the Committee consider, that 
Indian planters should make greater efforts to pro- 
duce the class of tea required, which, so far, they 
do not generally appear to have succeeded in doing. 
LEVY FOE 1901. 
The large increase in the crops of British grown 
tea in 1900 has rendered it imperatively necessary 
that continued efforts should be made to find new 
outlets for the growing output, and as will be seen 
by the lately issued report on the operations in 
America and other foreign markets for the year 
ending May 31, 1901, it has been decided to call 
for a levy for 1901 on the same basis as in previous 
years, viz. : — 4 annas per acre of cultivation and J 
anna per maund ot tea manufactured, to be paid 
as usual in Calcutta, and the Committee earnestly 
beg that all interested in the welfare of the industry 
will subscribe to the fund. 
WORK ON THE CONTINENT. 
Mr. JEM Haiington, as mentioned in last 
year's report, was deputed to visit Italy, Turkey, 
Austria, and Germany to inquire as to the pros- 
pects for Indian teas in those countries, and the 
best means of increasing their sale. Mr. Harington 
afterwards visited Belgium, and extracts from bii 
reports are annexed : — The tea rooms in Rome, 
which were subsidised on Mr. Harington's recom- 
mendation, have since been successful in enlarging 
thair sphere of operations, and branches have been 
opened by the i)roprietors in Flurence and 
Naples, where a taste for Indian seas appears 
to be developing. The question oc opening tea 
rooms in Berlin and Frankfort is now under 
consideration, as well as the establishment of au 
agency in Antwerp. 
The committee have come to the conclusion 
that now is the time to make a strong effort to 
develop the market in Kussia for Indian teas. 
