532 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. 
fFEB. 1, 1902. 
the year. Against 1,007 tons imported in 
1900, 270 tons only were imported in the 11 
months ending 30th November, 1901. 
Hardware. — Under this heading the Cus- 
toms returns give the value of imports in 
1900 as Bl, 727,225, whilst the value for 11 
months of 1901 is R888,920. This falling off 
is no doubt due to over-trading in 1900. 
Rice. — The quantity imjjorted during the 
year is somewhat under figures for 1900, but 
the shrinkage is trifling. Prices fluctuated 
very little during the year. 
(JoALS — Imports of coal up to 30th Novem- 
ber of last year aggregate 598,721 tons against 
590,099 tons for tlie whole of the preceding, 
year, showing an increase of 8,622 tons for 
11 months of last year over the whole im- 
port of 1900. Indian coal did not make such 
a great stride last year compared with 19u0 
as the latter year did compared with pre. 
ceding years ; still the import of Indian coa 
keeps increasing in volume. 
Prices were compai-atively cheap, and during 
the year just entered upon, steamship owners 
are reckoning on a "small coal bill." 
SHIPPING. 
CEYLON EXPORTS IN RELATION TO FREIGHT 
AND TONNAGE 1888-19C1. 
The following figures — compiled from the 
Ceylon Chamber of Commerce annual re- 
turns of exports and shipping — give the quan- 
tities of cargo exported fro Ceylon, and the 
number of vessels by which this cargo was 
taken. In this instance the Chamber's 
figures are reduced to " Shipping Tons " 
according to the Ceylon tonnage scale. 
Readers must bear in mind that cargo 
brought for transhipment in bond at Ceylon 
ports is not included in our returns :— 
No. Vessels Cargo taken Average taken 
1b Year. 
cleared with 
in Shipping 
per vessel. 
cargo. 
tons. 
tsns. 
1888 
573 
120,481 
210 
lb90 
698 
156,169 
253 
1891 
872 
174,316 
200 
1892 
871 
200,986 
239 
1893 
848 
197,823 
233 
1894 
808 
200.489 
248 
1895 
784 
213,843 
272 
1896 
830 
216,844 
261 
1897 
756 
245,830 
325 
1898 
773 
297,211 
384 
1899 
856 
293,507 
343 
1900 
826 
316,004 
382 
1901 
984 
309,716 
314 
These figures show a nett decrease last 
year of 6,288 shipping tons, compared with 
the year immediately preceding, but they 
are well ahead of all other former years. 
Ths following are the more noticeable fluc- 
tuations last year compared with 1900 :— 
Shipping 
tons. 
Tea shows a decrease of 2,133 
Cinnamon Chips do do 560 
Coir Yarn do do 1,935 
Palmyra Fibre do do 923 
Copra do an increase of 8,870 
Desiccated Coconuts do an increase of 460 
Piurabftgo do an increase of 3,495 
As coir yarn when in ballots only pays 
half freight, the falling-off in this is not 
pl BO much impoitauce to shipping. 
Grouping together the products of the 
coconut pahn— coconut oil, copra, poonac, 
coconuts, desiccated coconut, coir rope, yarn 
and fibre— we lind last year shows ]2i8,243 
shipping tons, and the following figures for 
previous years in connection may interest 
readers : — 
COCONUT PAIM PRODUCTS EXPORTED. 
Shipping Shipping 
tons. tons. 
1888 
1891 
]892 
3893 
1894 
J 895 
61,375 
69,879 
94,550 
79,935 
85,711 
84,567 
189C 
189 V 
1&98 
1899 
1900 
1901 
80,570 
1(10,614 
139,334 
119,154 
13?, 137 
128,243 
Of the total exports last year. 
Tea gives 47^ per cent of shipping tons ; 
Products of the coconut palm 41^ per cent 
•hipping tons ; 
Plumbago 7 per cent of shipping tons ; 
Other products 4 per cent of shpping 
tons^. 
These figures show how dependent is 
tonnage calling at Cej'lon on the tea and 
coconut industries. 
The number of vessels which cleared with 
cargo last year was 984 compared with 826 
in tlie preceding year. Tonnage was in 
ample supply all the year round w^ith the 
exception of an occasional tightness for 
Australian ports. As the carrying capacity 
of most steamers calling— especially those 
of the regular lines— is yearly increasing, 
exporters have good grounds for relying on 
ample tonnage being in supply during the 
current year. 
Freights ruled on the average low all the 
y«ar round, if we except those to Aus- 
tralian ports— as the following table will 
show:— 
Rough Cargo. Tea. 
Max. rate. iMin. rate. Max. rate. Min, rate 
20s 
20 
20 
20 
20 
26 
32/6 
London 
Antwerp 
Hamburg 
Marseilles 
Genoa 
Trieste 
New York 
25s, 
25 
25 
25 
203. 
20 
20 
20 
25 20 
25 20 
35 32/6 
freight ruling 
Australasia are 
10s. 
10 
10 
10 
12/6 
20 
27/6 
The exorbitant rates of 
last year fiom Colombo to 
still in force, notwithstanding the frequency 
with which these are commented upon in 
the press. How to get a reduction, to put 
the .Ceylon tea exporter on a level with the 
exporter of China tea to Australasia, is a 
question which should receive the early and 
earnest consideration of the Planters' Asso- 
ciation and the Chamber of Commerce. The 
following are fluctuations in rate of freight on 
tea to London during the last decade : — 
Max. Min. Max. Min. 
1892 
1893 
1894 
1895 
1896 
35 
30 
35 
30 
2S 
15 
12-6 
20 
17-6 
7-6 
1897 
1898 
1899 
1900 
1901 
35 
40 
30 
30 
25 
10 
20 
as 
25 
30 
Among the more important articles (pro- 
duce and manufactures of the island) not so 
far enumerated in the Chamber of Commerce 
returns of exports, we notice : — 
Unmanufactured tobacco, 2,785,164 lbs, igx eleiea 
