November 2, 1891.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
THE QUALITY OF OUJRTEAS, AND SUGGES- 
TIONS IN THE DIRECTION OF IMPROVEMENT. 
INDIA TEA PEODUCTION AND EXPORT. 
We continue to receive complaints as (0 the 
quality of our teps which have of late reaohed 
the London market, and it is asserted that their 
inferiority has been the main cause of the low 
prices of late obtained for them. The eomphiints 
have been of so ttrong a charaottr, and have been 
received from quarters occupying so high a position 
in the trade, that it seems to be most desirable that 
attention should bo forcibly directed to the matter. 
It is all very well, exclaim our homo friends 
and mentors, to say that at certain eeasons 
of the year the leaf produced in Ceylon is of a 
quality inferior to the general average, and that 
it is from this cause that the complaining in 
question has arisen. But the poin^, should then 
be considered whether it may not be possible to 
obviate this, for it must manifestly be of great 
harm to the reputation of Ceylon teas that whole 
shipments should be received in London of an 
undesirable quality. Our London correspondent has 
informed us that it was within bis knowledge 
that very recently a large purchaser returned to 
the broker fully one-half of the quantity bought 
by him as being far below the qunlity ot the 
samples upon which he was induced to buy. Herein 
we see the element of uncertainty introduced indepen- 
dently of the inferior quality of the break dealt 
with. If buyers cannot roly upon their purchases 
being up to samplo at least, however poor that 
sample may be, further great harm must result. 
It may be said, perhaps, that the selection ot 
the samples rests with the broker or bis agents, 
but it must be exceedingly difficult to discriminate 
in the case of a larger break which is ot uneven 
quality. The blame, therefore, in suoh a esse 
oannot be said to be wholly due to the agent at 
home, and it is manifest that moro earn shouM be 
exercised in keeping distinct and separata portions of 
shipments which may be below the stiiudard ot the 
tea generally. But quite apai't from this view of the 
matter is the question of seasonal general inferiority 
upon which we first touched. Some time ago 
it was determined upon, as the result to the 
prices obtained in London, that it would pay 
our planters better to produce teas of a description 
below the standard of the highest class. Against 
this conclusion we could find nothing to urge, 
the difference between the prices obtained for 
medium and higher class teas being not sufficient 
to render, it worth the while of the planter to 
incur the extra cost involved in the production 
ot the higher descriptions. But what has now to be 
considered, in view of the recent depression in prices 
obtained for our teas in London, is whether at the 
season which is known to be thit at which 
our leaf degenerates, it would not be wiser for oar 
planters to pluck it at earlier stages than is usual 
and so maintain a standard at least love! with 
that of the teas shipped during seasons more 
favourable to the quality of the leaf. We cannot 
see that there could be any insuperable difficulty 
in doing this. It is jtruo that shipments at such 
times would have been more costly to the planter 
than the average of the production of the year 
taken all round ; but two great advantages would 
be gained which must go far, we should say, to 
compurjsiito for the extra outlay. In the first place 
we should not annually have to look forward to 
the serious dimimition in prices obtained which, 
under present conditions, we seem to bo fated to 
expect ; and in the sooond place, the reputation 
ot our teas would be steadily maintained, and all 
40 
concerned with tho tea trade in London urge that 
this is a most important factor in regard to the 
tea trade t'enerally. If plucking the Hush at an 
earlier stage of development than is usual, ia 
objected to as hard on the bushes, then every 
effort should be made to have space and appliances 
for good withering available. Mr. Jackson claims 
for his Britannia drier that it is a most effective 
witherer. Some extra expenditure in this direction 
would bo well applied, For we can realiz 3 that the con- 
Blimer who, we will say, is just making trial ot our tea 
and has had every reason to be satisfied with his first 
two or thrca tria's of it, would bo very likely to 
discontinue the use of Ceylon tea if he found that 
his next purchases were of quite a different quality 
and flavour to those of his first essay. It may 
be, as we have already indicated, that practical 
planters may say that there would be difficulties in 
carrying out what;we suggest, namely finer plucking 
during what may be termed the off-season ot our tea 
bushes. But if there be such difficulties, it is, for 
the reasons that wo have pointed out, only the more 
necessary that measures should be sought for and 
adopted to overcome them, or to improve watery 
leaf to the utmost my extra care in manufacture. 
The matter as it stands is an exceedingly serious 
one, and one that needs active measures to redress 
if the reputation we have earned is not to suffer 
materially. We hear much complaint ot the 
insufficincy ot the prices of late obtained to give a 
fair return for the cost the grower has incurred. 
But, we would ask, is the latter not himself largely 
responsible for this very disagreeable fact ? We feel 
quite sure that unless a uniformity of quality — not 
necessarily in the highest classes of teas — can be 
maintained all the year round, much ot the ground 
that we have gained will be lost. We ought 
never to hoar of Ceylon teas being spoken ot as 
"rubbish," and yet that is the unfortunate term, 
we are assured, applied to many of the shipments 
which have recently bean sold in Mincing Lane. 
We do not profess to have proposed an infaUible 
remedy against the evil, bui; what we have written 
seems to us likely io aliford some hints ia that 
direction. 
After all is said and done, however, it is the Ceylon 
tea which is finding chief favour in Britain and her 
Australian colonies, in the f Ace of all the clamour 
about occasional descents in certain conditions of 
weather, from the high standard of quality to which 
consumers had become accustomed. The deliveries 
of Indian as well as China teas in Britain showed 
at latest date a comparative falling off, while the 
whole of the increase was in Ceylon. For the 
three months from June 1st to Aug. Slst the pro- 
portionate deliveries were : — 
Indiaa ' .. .. 21,000,000 lb. 
China .. .. 19,532,000 ,, 
Ceylon . . . . 16,000,000 „ 
Deliveries ot Ceylon at the same rate for the 
twelvemonths would total 64,000,000; and even if this 
figure were not increased, deliveries would be well up 
to our rapidly increasing production. Then, we may 
take it for granted that Australia will take 5,000,000 
lb. at least and other countries 1,0(X),000 more. 
We quoted, when it appeared, Mr. O'Conor'a general 
review ot the Indian tea trade ; and now the more 
detailed report has reached us, from which we 
quote significant figures and deductions. Eeview- 
ing the export trade of 1890, the Assistant Secretary 
of the Indian Commereial and Statistical Depart- 
m'int wrote regarding Indian tea : — 
" The oxp uts hiuoiuiied to 107,014,993 lb., which 
was bat littio moro than ;i per cent in excess of the 
quantity expjrtod in tho previoiia year. This ia a 
slower rate of progress than haa been made in 
