48o 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [January i, 1892. 
doubled in quantity each time it has come until 
the latest one was for 100 chests. For Euseia 
too, the demand through London for Ceylon tea is 
very steadily bettering. Much can no doubt be done 
to advertise our tea at the Chicago Ejdiibition if gone 
about in the right way, and in this conneotion it 
is of interest to read the speech of the Secretary to 
the Society of Arts at the opening meeting two 
nights ago. I quote as follows : — 
The Attorney-General (Sir Richftrd Webster, M.P.), 
chairman of the counoil, last eight delivered tlie open- 
ing address of the huudred and thirty-eighth session 
of the Sooiety for the EccouraRement of Arts, Mann- 
lacturea, and Commerce at their rooms, in Johc-strett, 
Adelpbi. The Queen had appointed the president, 
Tioe-president, and council < f ' h > Societ y of Ar ts a Boyal 
Commiseion for the International Bxposition at Chicaeo 
in 1893, and he apjjealed to the members to justfy 
the selection. The founders of the Societ}' of Arts, or 
those who controlled its operations during the earliest 
periods of its existence, where the inventors of in- 
dustrial exhibitions, and the council were fully qualified 
to secure efficient representation of Brithsh interests 
at the coming exhibition. It was most important 
that the manufactures and art productions of the 
United Kingdom should be worthily represented. 
Jackson Park, in which the exhibition to be held 
was almost as large as Hyde Park, and the whole 
of its area would be devoted to buildings approprialcJ 
to the various sections. No dcubt the Chicago Ex- 
position would be a great success, but he looked 
forward to another internntional exhibit on in (.he 
metropolis iu a few years, which thould eclipse the 
American and every other display of the kind. (Cheers.) 
Our great Indan Empire and th<i British colouies would 
all show up well, .lud England mCist make a supreme 
efiort to sustain its high prestige. (Cheers.) The 
Attorney-General then presented the medals to thofe 
who had rendered distinguished service to the socifity 
and its members by the merit of those pppers read 
during the last setsion, and tho usual complimentary 
votes concluded the meeting. 
You will doubtless have had somo particulars of 
the meeting of tea dealers, brokers, &o., at the 
Ceylon room on the 11th to consider the need of 
some further means of accommodating the sales 
of increasing quantities of our teas. I did not 
hear of the meeting from Mr. Leake, when I saw 
him on the 7th, or I should gladly have been 
present, if only to look on the men dealing and 
interesttd in our produce : better luck next time, 
as Messrs. Gow, Wilson & Stanton will keep me 
apprized of any tea busiuesa or gatherings o£ 
interest. Buyers complain of the short time often 
allowed to draw and test samples before Tuesday's 
sale to which all Coylon agents, &o., wish to send 
their teas. It is true that nominally, Ceylon teas 
may be offered on Thursday, after the Indian 
teas; bvU as a rule, there is seldom time and still 
less oLauce of doing justice then. The remedy is 
to hh,v6 a separate room for Coylon teas, and tvo 
clear days for tho sales each week. There may 
be disadvantages though, and in any cade the 
ohange is not one to be made without delibera- 
tion and tho full consent of buyers or dealers, 
brokers, &c. 
The gekat losses in China tea form oce topic 
of City conversation at present. Our friends in 
Philpot Lane were making a calculation of the 
totals some days ago, and one of the partners 
worked tho tolal out at £800,000 for the present 
season to London buyers. Bow near he was may 
be seen from the following extract which appeared in 
a daily, a few days after: — [Cannot fin'i paragraph 
at last moment, but it gave the losses at £760,000.] 
I regret to loam through Mrs. Alez, Boss 
that bad news has arrived oonoerning our 
good friend and old colonist Mr. Arthur 
Sinclair, one of the Commieeioners to Peru. While 
Mr. Boss, with his spare, lith6 figure, kept his 
health in crossing the higher passes of the Andes, 
Mr. Sinclair being much stouter and heavier 
seems to have suffered a good deal — liver and 
heart got affected and in place of riding, be had 
to be carried. The latest news as I gather is 
that he was at a point close to the Amazon and 
hoped to get down the river by steamer, but was 
not yet well enough to travel. Mr. Boss, I gather, 
had to return to the West Coast again. I earnestly 
trust that Mr. Sinclair may soon be enabled to 
start and that both Commissioners may return 
in safety. Mr. Clarke of the Peradeniya Gardens 
has already come back, bringing various articles 
of interest, a sight of which I am promised on 
En early day. Possibly you may have later news 
direct from Peru. From Aberdeen I learn that 
Mr. Sinclair is expected before Christmas ; but 
I do not know if the news of the illness was 
sent there. 
• «■ 
THE CEYLON TEA CEOP AND DELIVERIES 
OF CEYLON TEA IN LONDON. 
We have alreedy shown that the export of tea 
from Ceylon in 1891, will not exceed, if even it 
reaches (55 millions of pounds, and, of course the 
whole of this quantity will not reach the London 
market in the year. There is the quantity which 
will go into the imports of Britain in 1892 apart 
from the now considerable portion diverted to the 
Australian and other markets. But it may be in- 
teresting to compare deliveries with crop. In the 
10 months ended October, then, the deliveries of 
Ceylon tea in London were 44,416,0001b. Adding 
for the remaining two months of the year at the 
same rate we get c total of deliveries for all 
1891 equal to 53 300000 lb. or 11 to 12 
millions less than our probable exports. Con- 
sidering, as we have said that a very consi- 
derably less quantity than 65 millions, say 60 at 
the utmost will reach Britain in 1891, the figures 
would be satisfactory but for the evil name and 
tha low prices which much of our tea has ob- 
tained The comparative figures for deliveries for 
the 10 months in London, were: — 
lb. 
Indian... ... ... 81,868,000 
China ... ... ... 67,658,000 
Ceylon... ... ... 44,416,000 
In one, or at most two years, Ceylon ^7ill super- 
sede China in the second place, and with good 
and wholesome and high quality tea we trust. 
All our efforts to obtain new markets will be 
in vain if strenuous efforts are not made to wipe 
away the disgrace which unprincipled (in some 
cases perhaps, thoughtless,) persons have brought 
on Ceylon tea. 
Tea in Foochow. — We are assured by teamen, well 
known to us, that they and all other holders of fine 
teas will keep them until next season. They probably 
exaggerate tho real stnte of the case when they tell 
us that present prices would not do more than cover 
the cost of labour carriage, chests, lekin, &c., but there 
is no doubt their losses are extremely heavy. Some 
are still so comparatively well off that they will live 
through these bad times, but others will be rniued. 
Whether they will do better by carrying over these 
teas to the new season remains to be seen. From all 
we Ota learn it is exceedingly doubtful. — Foochow Echo, 
