83G THE TROPICAL AQRICULTURIST. [June 2, 1902- 
TEA CROPS AND PROSPECTS IN 
INDIA AND CEYLON : 
IS THE MAXIMUM OUi'TURX OF TE.V 
CLOSi'] AT HAND 
CONSENSUS OF OPfN ION AS TO "A 
GOOD TIME COM [KG." 
We are surprised that in their interesting 
review of the Indian Tea Mai lcet for 1901-2 
(which we reproduce elsewhere), Messrs. 
Uarritt & Co. do not dwell more cle;irly on 
the ^risk arisinj^ from an unusually lar^e 
croP^ during season 1902-8, owing tirsfc to the 
extensiv'e .'irea planted in 1898 now coniiug 
into bearing and, secondly, to the unlikeli- 
hood of a' second unfavourable season in 
reo-ird to weather. Leading Calcutta- mer- 
chants in December last made special men- 
tioti to us of the above risk, adding that, 
if 1902 were once rounded off without any 
serious blow to tea. they had the utmost 
confidence in the future of the uuhistry. 
There have been no plantings of any serious 
consequence since 1898 and probably in 
India, as in Ceylon, the very maxunuin of 
crop outturn is close at hand. As regards 
vouno- tea coming into full be;u'mg, Messrs. 
Cirritt & Co. seem, indeed, to thuik the 
neriod is pnssed ; hut they must have over- 
looked the figures of 1898 .ind their relatmn 
to the present season. They say the 
coming season can be viewed with con- 
fidence so long as the outturn continues 
on a moderate scale." and they are inchned 
to think that "scarcity of labour" may 
counterlnUance any chmotic advantage. We 
shall see Hub "^ve trust in any case that 
careful i>lucking " will distinguish the 
niaiority of Indian gardens, so as to pre- 
vent a disastrously large export to the London 
market during 1902 3. _ , 
Turnin"- to Ceylon, it is becoming increas- 
in-lv evident that oar export of black tea 
to° London will be moderate this year. Still 
more the opinion is gaining ground that we 
have 'probably seen our maximum total 
exDort of tea in the 148 million lb. sent 
aw IV in 1900. The limit of "ten years" 
civen by Mr. Robert Porter for average tea 
eirdens in Ceylon— including the many 
formed out of old coffee plantations -beyond 
■which their crop outturn cannot be main- 
tained without the application of inanure, 
is we find, generally accepted ; and what 
vi'th the abandonment of imjn-ofitable fields 
here and there, the general cessation of 
Dlanting beyond small clearings tew and 
tar between,-we cannot see how Ceylon can 
send away more than between U<J and loO 
millions of lb. of tea during each of the next 
two or three years. Considering, therefore, 
the natural expansion of consumption in the 
larger consuming countries, the good pro- 
spect of gaining ground tor British grown 
tl'iH on the Continent ot Europe, especially 
in' Kussia ; the favourable future before 
" </rccn teas,' particularly in America; the 
likelihood of the Imperial war-tax being taken 
oiV te I in 190:{, or at latest in 190-t ; ;i.nd, 
tboutfii last, not least, the prospect of the 
Huread of a taste for tea among iiiany 
Willioua who can atlord to drink it, ni Ittdia, 
—we certainly agree that there must be " a 
good time coming" for planters both here 
and in the Indian districts, who arc favoured 
with fertile ^'.udens, or who ciin keep their 
gardens in g(jod heart by judicious cultiva- 
tion, including the application of suitable 
fertiliseis, 
'i'o back our o|)inion we may quote the 
following sentences from the letter of an 
authority who hiis a wide practical know- 
ledge of v/hat tea is doing both in Ceylon 
and India. He writes, after a tour of inspec- 
tion through certain local districts :—" Pro- 
perties generally seem to be flushing well ; 
but this is the season for flush, and exports 
are still 4i million lb. behind those ot last 
year; and yet (Jeylon was plucking fine last 
year during this period." As regards the 
oufcloolc generally the same writer says : — 
" My opinion about tea in general is that 
it is bound to turn the corner before long 
(though it may take longer than was expected) 
and that, it cultivation of estates is main- 
tained -so that the bushes do not go b.ack, 
and yields consequently decrease,— tea pro- 
perties will yet pay ;is well as ever they did 
in the past, even in the low-country and at 
medium elevations."— So mote it be ! 
CEYLON TEN IN CANADA. 
GREEN TEAS NOT PERFECT : PINE- 
WOOD TEA.- CHESTS INJURIOUS. 
We have had placed at our disposal, and 
have much pleasure in publishing, the 
following extract of a letter received hj a 
leading Colombo firm from ,a large tea im- 
porter in Montreal, which will interest a large 
section of our readers, while it scarcely needs 
any special comment at our hands. The 
letter speaks for itself and with no uncertain 
voice : — 
" 111 reply to your enquiry re the prospect of 
Ceylon and Indian teas with the Ctiuadian market, 
I "may tell you my own opinion, which is, that 
they have a good prospect in blacks as much as 
Japan has in its green. They try quite hard to 
compete with us in green tea recently, but unless 
they make still further improvements, I do not 
thiiilc tliey can evei displace us from the market. 
There are many defects on their part if I point out, 
but it is needless to tell you about its make, 
etc. , except something wherewith you are interested 
directly. — It may be interesting to you to know that 
I have seen many packages of Ceylon tea which are 
not of Motni wood, but of Pine ; the latter, in my 
opinion, is not from Japan and rei^embles very niuoh 
Chinese Pine. As you have some idea of tea, you 
should know that lioxes for tea made out of Pine- 
wood, either from Japan or elsewhere, cannot be 
good for tea, and I am greatly surprised to see the 
Ceylon merchants (who are so earnest in pushing 
tlieir tea and affecting all kinls of improvements) 
use boxes made of Pine. Perhaps Cliina Pine is 
cheaper, but cheap things always come out dearer 
in the end." 
We may add that the writer is the Repre- 
sentative of the Jajian Central Tea Trader's' 
Association, and the ji-b,ive is interesting as 
giving an idea of the view taken by our com- 
petitors as to the success of our ctimpetitiou 
with them in the Oanadiau rai^rket^ 
