October i, 1891.] THE TROPlCmi. AQRtOtll.TOmST. 283 
NOTES ON PRODUCE AND FINANCE. 
Indian and Ceylon Tkab in Australia.— It is clear 
that Indian .and Ceylon tois are makitig rapid hoad- 
way in Auatrelia. Gliiua ia losing the market. The 
quantity of tea recfived from Foochow in the twelve 
mi nths was fifteen-aud-a-qnnrtnr millions of ponuds, 
•gainst tweut}--one and twenty-four millions during 
the two preceding years. Mpanwhile the shipments 
from India and Ceylon ti Australia in the twelve 
months are given as : —From India, 4,800,000 lb ; from 
Ceylon, 2,90O,00Olh.; totxl, 7,700,0001b. The Melbourne 
Aratis, commenting on thie, says — " Ihore can be 
no doubt that not only Ohim, but also India, has 
much to fear from the competition from Ceylon. 
The well-cnred Ceylon teas nre certainly moat 
attmctive. being remarkably flavoury, with good 
strength. Ceylon teas, however, have one serious 
disadvantage, and that appears to be their inferior 
keeping qualities ; and, judging from ths present 
years' receipts, this trade is ccrlaiuly ' the jam tart 
trade ' in tea. Thfiy are all belter sold fresh than 
stale and flat, which, i(^ many instances, from in. 
ferior manufactu-e, they soon become. There is, how- 
ever, a somewhat bettor demand for choice Ceylon 
Pekoes, and it only requires time to tdncate the publio 
taste lor the demand to be good for choice teas from 
both Calcutta and Colombo," 
Tea Ke-packing in Bond. — Tha fol'owing order 
has been issued by H. M. Customs. " The Board 
anthorises insp. ctors of districts to allow remnants of 
blending and re-paokiog operations iu tea to be used 
without application to the Bo.ird in subsequently 
blending operations, provided that such remnants do 
not exceed the limits laid down in Port Order 50, 
1889." 
BoABD OF Trade [Statistics. — The board of trade 
Returns for August show that the imports of China 
teas are still falling off, while those of India and 
Ceylon are increasing, and this holds good as to the 
consumption also. The deliveries out of bond of articles 
liable to duty for home consumption is generally 
taken to indicate the prosperity or otherwise of the 
wage-earning portion of our p pulation, and their 
capacity for ab.^orbing the various beverages which 
are used in t'a.ily life. On these there has been a 
decline during the month in cofF-e, and an increase 
in chicory, cocoa and tea. There is an increase 
in all for the eight months of the present year as 
compared with the corresponding ptriod iast year. 
Coffee Culture in Java and Sumatka. — The asnuol 
report on the finances of the Netherlands (India) deals 
with the subject, and the Minister for the Colonies 
fully recognises the importance of the question, h'lt 
he points out that any proposal to introduce new eyttems 
must receive careful oonsideration, there being always 
the risk lest any modification of an existing fys'em 
may result only iu a sacrifice of certain interests iu 
order to acquire other uncertain advantages, it is 
furthermore poitited oat that there is no product 
which in any immediate future can be looked for to 
replace coffee as a source of revenue. Any ill- 
coDsidered change might increase the burden of in- 
debtedness and at the same time cripple the ad- 
ministative powers of the Goverument. The future, 
however, is stated not to be so dark as has been re- 
presented. Notwithstanding the coffee plant 
disease the harvests in 1888 and 1889 were fairly 
good ones, and it is mainly ou account of the un- 
propitious wonther that that of 1890 his been so do- 
fioieut— a very small amount of cotfee having, in fact, 
been collected. The pio peots for 1891 at the time 
this statement was drawn up were imt unpropitious, 
«nd made the gloomy anticipations which had beoL 
indulged ia quite unjust'hable. In dealing with the 
financial question generally, Baron Mackay again 
alluded to the impossibity of finding any substitute 
for colfco as a source of revenue. It was fortunate 
he said, the present deficiency from this source was' 
made up for by the results of previous years of 
prosperity. Had it not been for this a recourse to a 
loan would liavo been iuovitalile. JIo, however, fully 
recognised the gravity of the situation, and the 
oeocEbitj' for economy, holding out no prospect of 
being able to raise any considerable sum from new 
taxes. At the same time, he dfclined to admit that 
the prospect was rs unfavourable as it appeared to 
be iu some quarters, showing by a comparison cf 
1888 with 1891 that the total expenditure is con- 
siderably leas in the latter, although the amount in- 
cluded in the estimates for productive works is higher. 
It is not, however, denied that the relation between 
income and expenditure unconnected with produce hae 
become less favourable than formerly. This, it may 
be presumed, is principally on account of a diminution 
of income from land rents and from the opium 
monopoly. Much is hoped from a more prosperous 
coffee harvest to redress the balance of income and 
expenditure ; at the same time, it may be foreseen 
that even to carry out productive works it may be 
necessary to have recourse a loan. — 7f. and C. Moil. 
TEA rmiNf4 AT HIGH AND LOW 
TEMPEKATUEES. 
The letter o£ "Enquirer," on page 281, giving 
the results of some very careful experiment, 
in firing tea at various temperatures, is well 
worthy of attention from planters and tea-mei | 
The general conclusions are entirely in favour of 
the principles recently so emphatically enunciated 
by Mr. Davidson, of Sirocoo and " down-draft " 
fame. All the experiments gAve the same result : 
at the high temperatures, from 270° to 390°, all 
special tea flavour and aroma had disappeared, 
and a rich, malty taste and smell came instead ; 
not the peculiar violet flavour desiderated. A 
drying michine to fire at a low temperature, 
therefore, would be a great gain to planters. Such 
machines are provided in Mr. Davidson's " down- 
draft sirocco " and Mr. Jackson's " Britannia," 
excellent both, but both expensive. The claim 
for Mr. Jackson's machine, however, that it is an 
effective witherer as well as a good drier, is an 
important oonsideration in facing the first cost. 
We cannot help quoting from the private letter 
of a correspondent as to the general conduct of 
tea planting and manufacture : — 
" What we really require is that our teas should 
be made on some certain basis, and this can only 
be dona by the whole series of manufacture, growth, 
pruning, as to season &3., worked out in different 
districts, by an analytic chemist. Like beer 
and nearly all the principal food manufactures at 
the present day, all under guidance of the 
analytic chemist." 
A CHINESE TEA MERCHANT AT HOME. 
The Independent [American paper] says that the 
following glimpse of the domestic life of a Chinese 
millionaii'e is given by one of two British young 
ladies, who recently, and without male escort of any 
kind, made a tour round half the globe. The gentle- 
man whose home was thus laid open to view was a 
successful tea merchant at Canton, possessing * 
fortune estimated at thirty-five milions : — 
After walking ten minutes from the landing stage 
we reached a massive gate opening on a large court. 
Several men, apparently servants, w'ere lounging 
about, and to one of them the English friend who 
had met us on our arrival at Canton, gave his card, on 
which he had pencilled a few words in Chinese. With 
this the man went off, and while waiting his return, 
we curiously examined a handsomely decorated covered 
chair, evidently very heavy, which was standing in 
the court, with four coolies in attendance, all dressed 
alike in livery. Our friend said it was a mandarin's 
chair, and that probably the mandarin was calling 
on Mr. Howqua. The servant soon returned and 
marshalled us across the court, along passages, 
through rooms, and round corners while we mused on 
tlio mysteries of Chinese architecture. As our captain 
had said, " a Chinese house is a meaningless muddle 
from beginning to eud." At last wo entered another 
court, emallec than the first, with gome tiue vases 
