January i, 1892.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
497 
THE CEYLON TEA CROP OF 1891. 
The exports up to the middle of Dcoember 
closely touohed the round number of 63 millions 
of pounds, the exaot figures being 62,918,000 lb. 
Wo may, therefore, fairly estimate the total to 
31st Deoember at miUions of pounds. Of the 
quantity already sent away, 58,814,000 lb. wont to 
Britain, and 4,134,000 lb. to other countries, the chief 
of which were : — lb. 
AustfRlia .. .. .. 3,022,000 
India .. .. .. 427,000 
China (I) .. .. .. 16 -',O0O 
America .. .. 158,0;i0 
Germany .. .. 90,000 
Austria .. .. 70,800 
Africa .. .. .. 69,000 
Mauritius .. .. .. 68,700 
France .. .. .. 2t,000 
Spain .. .. .. 17,000 
Knssia .. .. 11,000 
Other plaeee, eggregate about .. 20,000 
It seems extraordinary that India, which was a 
tea-growing country nearly half a century before 
Onylon was compelled, by the failure of coffee, to 
enter on the cultivation, should be our beat direct 
customer next to Britain and Australia. There is 
a taste for our tea amongst many Europeans in 
lU'ira ; but the larger portion of the tea exported 
to India is, doubtless, destined for the Persian Gulf. 
Still more extraordinary is it that China, which 
preceded both India and Ceylon by many CMitur- 
ies in the production of 'cha, should now import 
no leas than 162,000 of the fragrant loaf from 
her youngest rival in the enterprise, But very 
little of this q'.iantity is likely to be consumed by 
Chinese. Germany and Austria together, show 
better than America, which is diaapppointing 
while Russia is still more so. We must not, 
however, forget the exports of our tea from Britain, 
which are shown in Gow, Wilson, & Stanton's 
latest report. None, of course, went from Britain 
to Australia, but to other countries quantities 
want as follows, Germany, in this case, including 
Austria : — 
1891. 
lb. 
314,127 
353,671 
100,480 
419,640 
49,174 
34,581 
406,854 
United States 
Canada 
Holland 
Germany 
Russia 
Prance 
Other places 
Total 
1,678,.527 
Taking exports direct and from Great Britain, the 
quantities of our teas which will be taken by 
countries other than Britain in 1891 may be approxi- 
mately estimated as follows : — 
Countriea. Direct. From Britain. Total. 
lb. lb. lb. 
Australia 3,150,000 3,150,000 
India 450,000 450,000 
China 170,000 170,000 
Utiitcd States 165,000 330,000 495,000 
Canada 370,000 370,000* 
Holland 110,000 110,000 
Germany 139,800 440,000 579,800 
Rnesia 13,000 40,000 53,000 
France 25,000 40,000 65,000 
Othor places 150,000 440,000 590,000 
Total 4,262,800 1,770,000 6,032,800 
As over 4i inilhons of our exports will go to other 
countries than Brimin and nearly 1,800.000 will be re- 
oxportod, while of the 61:| shipped hence for Britain 
• Total to all America 865,000 lb. 
68 
only about 60 are likely to reach it before the close of 
the year, the proportions in which our teas art 
likely to be taken by Britain and other countries 
in 1891 will be about as follows : — 
Britain .. .. 58,000,000 1b. 
Other countries . . 6,000,000 „ 
Total 
64,000,000 lb. 
Of the whole of our crop, Britain and British Colo- 
nies, Australia (Canada, India, Mauritius. Ac.) take 
about 62,500,000 lb., against 1,500,000 taken by all 
foreign countries, — whether direct from Ceylon or 
by way of Britain ! 
Such figures strongly emphasize the necessity 
of abating no effort to open up and cultivate 
markets for our tea in countries beyond the bounds 
of the British Empire. 
The United States, instead of less than 600,0001b. 
of our tea, ought, before the close of this century 
to be our customer for at least 30 millions ; Russia 
instead of a beggarly 53,0001b., taking at least 
10 millions, and Canada an equal quantity. Ger- 
many and Holland should not be far behind, 
while even France ought to take 5 millions instead 
of a miserable 65,000. There are great possibilities 
too in the expansion of the Asiatic markets, if 
only peace and progress can be preserved. But 
"Push I push! push !" must still be the motto of 
Ceylon tea planters. 
THE REPORT OF THE LANKA PLANTATIONS 
COMPANY (LIMITED). 
The annual statement published by the directors 
of the above Company has always a particular 
interest. It is one of those Associations, now 
but comparatively few in number, which have bad 
to fight the battle of the changed conditions 
which some years back overtook this colony, and 
which yet continue the cultivation on any con- 
siderable scale of that product which, after giving 
to this colony a cycle of years of great prosperity, 
failed so suddenly and almost ao utterly. Coffee 
still finds mention, and in m insignificant dsgree, 
among the sources whence the Lanka Company 
derives its income, and on that account, as well 
as from the fact that the report under notice 
evidences that the Company is emerging from its 
long season of difficulty, that document will be 
regarded as one claiming particular attention by 
ourselves and by our readers. No less a sum 
than £9,603 18s 9d was obtained for the coffee 
produced during last year on the Company's 
estates, the weight ot the crop being 2,031 
cwt., or approximating to something like lOOs 
per cwt. This crop appears to have been 
a satisfactory one on five of the estates 
growing coffee, and we must presume that 
on other ot the Company's properties the yield 
had not been so good. It would seem that the 
directors were determined that nothing should ba 
left undone to maintain a high cultivation of such 
fields of coffee Rs continue to promise well, while 
they had decided to gradually substitute tea in 
those localities where the trees did not give evi- 
denoe of a lasting vitality. It would be interesting 
to know how it can be that a tree, which at one 
time flourished under almost all conditions in our 
hill country, now promises vitality only in certain 
restricted ureas. Might not consideration given 
to the conditions under which it sli.'l survives 
enable some couolusiona to be arrived at as to how 
such conditions mi(;ht be secured for other 
localities? Or io it simply a question of shelter 
and of soil, or, possibly, one of the date at which 
