3*5 
Java, aud Oeylon tea liaving been shipped to the 
extent of nearly three miliion pounds to Persia from 
Bombny. This tradu is to a lurge extent a diversion 
from the overland route by which Cbiness tea used to 
(»nd still doeaiu dimiuishi ng quaulitv) go to Central Asia 
through Afghanistan. The region which is traversed 
northwards from Busbire and Bandar Abbas forms in 
itself a hotter and freer market than Afghanistan, and 
the transit of the tea to Meshed and placea beyond 
is not so expensive and so subjfiRt to tolls and extor- 
tions as transit through Afghanistan 
The quantity of Indian tea sent to Persia also 
slightly increased, but it amounted to only 1,221,478 lb. 
compared with the 2,973,817 lb. of foreign tea ex- 
ported," 
The " foreign tea" alluded to is China, Java and 
Ceylon. In the notice of the export trade to Aus- 
tralia it is stated : — 
" Our exports to Australia consist mainly of gunny 
bags, tea, ai d castor nil ; bags being the staple of the 
trade, of the valuo of vfbich thpy represent about 60 
per cent. The exports of these have kept fairly steady 
since 1887-88 when, with good wheat harvests and 
wool clips, they more than Houblcd in one year. List 
year there was another substantial increase. These 
Wis an increase also in castor oil, and a very eatie- 
faotory development in the export of tea. The ex- 
ports of tea to Australia in the last five years may be 
noted here : — 
Pounds. 
1886- 87 ... 1,645,888 
1887- 88 ... 2,471,927 
1888- 89 ... 2,880,596 
1889- 90 ... 3,419,139 
1890- 91 ... 5,118,714 
Rapid and largo as this increase baa been recently 
it is not so rapid as the increnae in the exports of 
Ceylon tea to the Oolonies. On this subject the 
following extracts are taken from a review of the 
tea season in the Melbourne Argus ot the 24th July; 
" From Calcutta wc find a large increase in shipments. 
* * Large as this increase has baeu, it does not 
fajfly indicate the increase in publio favour of those 
fu.l teas * * From Colombs wa havo even a more 
ra pid development of the exportations of teas to the 
colonies to chronicle, the shipments running up to 
2,900,000 lb., as agaiLst 1,500,000 lb. and 146,000 lb. for 
the two preceding years re.ipcctively. The publio taste baa 
certainly taken rapidly to the more flavoury and softer 
teas of Ceylon, aud there can be no doubt that not 
only China, but also India, has much to fear from 
the competition from Ceylon. The well-cured Ceylon 
teas are certainly most attractive, being remarkably 
flavoury, with good strength. Ceylon tea", h jwever, 
hive one serious drawback, and that appears to be 
their inferior keeping qualities; and, judging from 
the present year's receipts, tbis trade is certainly 
' the jam tart trade' in tea, they nre all better so'd 
fresh than stale and flut, which, in many irstnnoes, 
from inferior jnanufactui-e they soon become." 
AVo ought to supersede Chinese tea in Australia as 
we are doing in England, and it is not too much to 
anticipate that in another five years or so our exports 
of tea to the colonies, if the business is judiciou,'>ly 
and perseverinply worked, should reach 15 or 20 
million pounds. " 
In denouncing the flaoal regime of the ruler of 
Afghanistan, which has practioally suppressed the 
transit trade fiom India to Central Asia through 
Afghanistan, Mr. O'Conor gives the following il- 
lustration, which casts even Chiuese likin and other 
gxaotions into the shade : — 
"Dues on Kangra tea, first quality, purchased at 
four anuaa per pound, per camel load of 450 lb., 
average value of the load B140. 
10 Kabuli rupees at Dakka. 
15 do at Butkhak. 
37.^- do atKabul (townoriraportduty) 
37^ do „ ,, (export duty) 
19 or 12 do as the tea tiikes the Shaikh 
Ali orthe Bamiau route 
7 do at Kaluia 
9 do at IChuIm Tangi 
7 do between Khulm Tansi ancl 
Khilif 
Total 138 Kabuli rupees equal to RlOG or about 76 
per cent. 
The tea has further to piy 2^ per cent a<l valorem 
at Bokhara, the value being the value there not what 
was the value at Peshawar. Adding the cost of the 
conveyance by camel between Peshawar and Bokhara 
(the hire of a cjmel from Peshawar to Khilif ia 
ii81'4) it is manifest that it is cheaper to ship tea 
from Bombay up the Persian Gulf and send it through 
Persia (where a 5 per cent duty clears it through 
the country.)" 
Here we have the usual self-punishment of inordi- 
nate greed exemplified ; but surely the patienoe of 
Britain with her "faithful ally" of Afghanistan 
seems to border on weakness. When Russia resolves 
on a transit trade through Afghanistan to India 
(and it may pay to send the kerosene of the Caspian 
by this route) phe will adopt a different tone, W8 
suspect. 
As the oonclusion of the whole matter it may 
be well for ub to ponder the value o£ the criticism 
on the painting, that it would have been better, 
if the painter had taken more pains. We know 
what the diflioulties are and that planters generally 
do their best with the means available to them. 
Those means, in the shape of improved machinery, 
especially air-ohanging appliances, ought to be 
multiplied and improved. 
PHOSPHATIC MANUEES. 
Our planting readers have doubtless obser?ed 
that a Colombo mercantile firm has advertised 
superphosphate of lime and dissolved bones at 
the identical price of RlOO per ton. The most 
important ingredient of each, the soluble biphoa- 
phate of lime, ia only as 12 .53 per cent in the 
bones to 21-85 in the superphosphate. Other* 
wise stated the equivalents ot ordinary bone 
phosphate rendered soluble is only 19'62 in the 
bones to 34-21 in the superphosphate. In 
plant food immediately available, therefore, the 
superphosphate (bone superphosphate, we take it 
for granted) has greatly the advantage of the dis- 
solved bones. Hov/the bones are entitled, to be called 
" dissolved," when they contain 17 00 of insoluble 
phosphate, is a problem which, no doubt, chemical 
science can answer, as well as the fact 
that 3-20 per cent of insoluble phosphate 
resisted the action of sulphuric acid in the 
manufacture of the superphosphate. The insolub'e 
phoephates in the bone (not really insoluble, 
but only becoming soluble slowly to the action 
of soil, moisture and plant rootlets) so fat 
place th9 dissolved bones on a level in value 
with the superphosphate. But much more, we 
suppose, is the superiority of the superphosphate 
in soluble bi phosphate and bydrated calcium 
Bulphato (bone ol'GB to super-phosphate 
47-21) couQletbalanced by the fact that 
while the superphosphate contains only -29 
per cent of ammonia, this valuable constituent 
m the bone is up to 2 78 per cent. Both are 
" valuable manures for tea," as claimed, but, in 
application, they would be improved by admixture 
with white castor cake and such humio matter 
as may be available on the plantation. As the 
superphosphate is deficient in ammonia, we should 
suppose a small quantity ot ammonia sulphate, or 
good fiah manure would be a valuable addition 
to it. Otherwise, we should feel inclined to ad- 
viee a proportion of at least twice as much ca;tor 
cake to be milled with ths superphosphate as witll 
