THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June 2, 1902. 
years have furniBhed excellent examples of opposite 
workings. Segison 1900-1901 witli its heavy crop 
of indifferent quality gave a result little short of a 
crisis the market became clogged and prices 
tumbled away below bedrock level ; the evils 
continued their effects into season 1901-1902, but 
were counteracted by smaller supplies and 
improved quality, and before many weeks had 
passed there were signs of recovery winch have 
Bince developed into a quotable advance in the 
average price of all tea. The coming season can 
be viewed with contidenceso long as the outturn 
continues on a moderate scale. Although weather 
is not likely to tend to check supplies, Us place 
will be taken by scarcity of labour which is now 
occupying the serious attention of producers, ihe 
flow of labour from the recruiting districts has 
been seriously checked, chiefly by recent Govern- 
ment restrictions ; and the difficulty in obtaining 
coolies is, perhaps, greater than had ever before 
been experienced : it is doubtful it gardens have 
secured half their additional requirements for their 
labour force, and this will undoubtedly have its 
effect on outturn. Circumstances are all in lavour 
of a moderate output ; the past yeai's experience 
has infused a determination amongst growers to 
continue on last season's lines, and the labour 
difficulty, and abandonment of non-remunerative 
areas, which is considerable, will have a material 
effect in curtailing the supply. 
The conclusions which may reasonably be drawn 
are that the approaching year's crop will again 
be a moderate one, and no large increase on last 
year's export is likely to take place, while a 
very much greater off-take by new outlets may 
be anticipated if the local market is more liberally 
supplied. . , - 
In our last annual review we remarked as 
follows : , , 1 ^ f ii 
"As regards the outlook and prospects for the 
future it may be said that the position is almost 
entirely dependent upon the attitude of growers 
during the coming season. The remedies for 
dealing with the present depression are in their 
hands, anri they have only to make it evident 
that they are determined to curtail outturn, im- 
prove tlie standard of quality and devote more 
attention to the demands tor new outlets to 
bring about more prosperous times." 
It has been seen that endeavours to reduce 
supply and improve quality have been, with the 
assistance of weather, successful ; but no head- 
way, however, has been made towards fostering 
the demands for outside markets. Only 46i 
millions have been sold in Calcutta during the 
past year, which shows a falling-off of 3| millions 
in the supply to this market ; a short crop in 
some measure accounts for this, but not entirely 
and, it is onve more apparent that the importance 
of studying the requirements of new outlets is 
not yet realised. For some years past we have 
urged the uRcessity of a free supply to Calcutta, 
and at the conclusion of each season have shown 
the strength of outside demands, their relation 
to the supply and the disappointment that must 
cventnally foliow n continued disregard of them. 
Tlie season just closed indicates that Indian tea 
has lo-t ground in the marketsof the world outside 
the Unitcid Kingdom ; from year to year they 
have increased their ti-.uU', until in 19:0-1901 
they absorbed half the ollorings in Ciilculta, and 
there is no doubt tlmt fuiihur expansion would 
follow an increasing wnpply ; on tiie oMier hand, 
a retrograde movement must occur if the course 
of supi)ly becomes underfed. 
This is what has really happened during the la^t 
twelve months. Calcutta sales have shown a fall- 
ing-off of 3| millions, aird outside trade shows 4^ 
millions decrease. There are now no obstacles in 
the way of extending our connection with foreign 
markets ; shipping facilities to all parts of the 
world have marvellously improved of late and the 
only explanation lies in the reduction of supply on 
the Calcutta market. The various demands for 
tea, however, exists and are increasing rapidly, but 
Ceylon is reaping all the benefit ; she is not only 
getting the increase but is also cutting very 
seriously into our trade by reason of the better 
handling of her crop. 
In contrasting the two markets last year we re- 
marked : — " As Ceylon increases her business with 
new markets, so in like proportion is the supply 
and selection in that market increased by pro- 
ducers. Why should India continue to do the 
exact opposite?" 
The following is an interesting comparison of the 
two markets : 
CEYLON. 
1901 
1900 
1899 
1898 
1897 
1896 
Total Crop, 
millions. 
146j 
148i 
130 
119| 
116 
108 
Offered in 
Colombo, 
millions. 
51 
48 
38^ 
36 
33| 
32 
Shipped to 
outside markets, 
millions. 
40 
34J 
25* 
23| 
17 
14i 
INDIA. 
Offered in Shipped to 
Total Crop. Calcutta, outside markets, 
millions. millions, millioDs. 
1901 175i 46i 2(1? 
1900 178k SO 25 
1899 174| 50 22 
1898 154 49 17^ 
1897 148i 46 13 
1896 1354 47j 13 
In the six years it will be seen that Ceylon's 
outside trade shows an increase of 25| millions, and 
her oftVrings to meet it have increased 19 millions 
without a pause from year to year. 
During the same period India's outside trade has 
increased 7f millions; her offerings, however, have 
been irregular, and for three consecutive years were 
stationary while last year they were actually IJ 
millions less than five seasons ago when the total 
crop was 40 millions lighter. The whole of the 
increase in the crop from India from year to year 
has been forced on the London market, and no 
portion of it has been seen in Calcutta. Ceylon 
shows a very different record in 1899 and in 1900 her 
crop increased 18^ millions, but only 10 millions 
of it went to London, the remaining 8| millions 
being offered in Colombo. In 1901 her crop was less 
than the previous year, yet she recogni-ed the ad- 
vantages in obtaining on the local market andgave 
it 3 millions more. 
Comparing the two centres again, Colombo 
placed 44i percent of its supply in new markets 
in 1896, and ne.iily 80 per cent in 1901 ; while 
Calcutta figures are 27 per cent and 44| per cent 
respectively. 
The indications last year correspond to those 
in 1896 and 1897 and are unmistakeable ; sup- 
plies showed a decrease in ail three years, 
and exports were either less or could make no 
head vv;iy. 
Ceylon has therefore gone ahead so rapidly that 
her local offerings last year were nearly 5 millions 
more than Calcutta and ahe has diverted from 
Londonjustaboutdouble as much as India; she thus 
