THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 63^ 
March 1, 1892. j 
CEYLON TEA IN LONDON IN 189L 
We plaoo below Messrs. StenninR, Inskipp & Go's, 
review of Ceylon tea for 1891. In the past year, 
out of 59,708,000 lb. imported into London, the 
delivery was 53,480,000 lb. Prices had, however, 
unhappily gone down in proportion to quantity 
sent to the London market, from Is 3Jd for 58,1)21 
packages in 1885, to9jd per lb. for 755,562 packages 
in 1891. The reasonable hope now is that the 
large amount of our teas which have gone into 
consumption will create a demand at better prices. 
Poor China is likely to be driven out of the market, 
as at present the favourite tea ia certainly Ceylon. 
Our deliveries were 53^ million lb. against 10. 
million Indian and 50,817,000 China. The per- 
centages now are : — Indian 49 ; Ceylon 25J ; total 
Indian and Ceylon 74f against 24:1 China. The 
latter figure is likely to become small by degrees and 
beautifully less. 
The Course of the Market. — A good demand at 
higher prices took place on the resumption of busi- 
ness, but in March, owing to indifferent quality, 
values receded until April, when an enquiry for 
teas "for prices" up to lid took place; with heavy 
auctions in May the market gave way except for 
really good invoices ; from June to Augvist values 
for all but good Teas declined, the imports contain- 
ing a large proportion of undesirable kinds. In 
September arrivals were of better quality, and more 
firmness was shown, the superior parcels going 
dearer; this position continued throughout October 
and November ; the year closed firmly with an advance 
on all descriptions. 
Quality. — The abnormal weather experienced during 
the greater part of the year in Ceylon caused a 
large yield of leaf, but at the cost of quality ; still, 
a fair proportion of the Teas has been exceedingly 
good, and, in many instances, with fine flavour. 
The Imports generally have met a' ready sale, their 
freshness and freedom from coarseness being in 
contrast with much of the China crop which it so 
largely supplants. 
Ueuvemes in 1891. — Although the supply has so 
rapidly increased, being 59,708,000 lb. against 40,012,000 
in 1890, or equal to 49i per cent, the Delivery has 
likewise shown a remarkable expansion, viz. : 53,486,000 
lb. against 37,(552,000 lb , in 1890, or an increase of 42} 
per cent. The poor quality and comparative dear- 
ness of so much of the China Crop have undoubt- 
edly given a great impetus to the use of Ceylon 
growths, which, combined with Indian, are steadily 
forcing the produce of China out of the market ; 
at all events, the preference on the part of con- 
sumers for Ceylon and Indian Tea is now so strong 
that it seems impossible China can recover any of 
its lost ground ; on the contrary a further displace- 
ment is probable. 
Imtorts. — It is calculated that the area under cul- 
tivation is about 2.50,000 acres, and that the crop 
1st January to 31st December 1891, will total about 
07,000,000 lb., and in 1892 about 72,000,000 lb. The 
Imports have increased so rapidly, that it would be 
to t)ie advantage of all concerned if Auctions were 
held more frequently in the week than hitherto, the 
one day and a part of another, as at present, com- 
l)rcssing too great a quantity into that space. We 
would' point out that much may be done by managers 
of gardens to ensure their Teas being more fully 
cxainined by buyers, by keeping the qualities down 
to four at the outside in each invoice, and thus 
making larger breaks. 
Average Price 
1S91 . 
. 755, .562 Packages 
, average Os 9Jd per lb 
1890 . 
. 535,611 
J) 
Os lOid „ 
1889 . 
. 431,043 
)) 
Os lid „ 
1888 . 
. ,303,284 
)} 
)) 
03 Hid „ 
1887 . 
, 182,955 
n 
}} 
Is Did „ 
188G , 
. 101,145 
)» 
n 
Is Id „ 
1885 . 
. 68,921 
}) 
n 
la aid „ 
80 
INTERESTING CASE TO TEA-TRADERS, 
FOEGING A TRADE MARK, 
Under this heading the Overland China Mail reports 
a case in which, on 30th Deo., 1891, at the Magis- 
tracy Ho Yip Chi, broker, was charged before Mr. 
Wise with having, on 19th Dec, falsely applied to 
certain packages or boxes of tea a trade mark pur- 
porting to bo the trade mark of the Yuen Shun firm, 
of Canton, without the assent of the proprietor ol 
the said firm. Mr. Bwens conducted the prosecution, 
and Mr. Pollock defended. 
Inspector Stanton stated that some time ago ho re- 
ceived a warrant for the seizure of some tea bearing the 
forfi;ed trade mark of the Yuen Shun firm. By virtue of 
that w.irrant he seized sixty empty tea boxes bearing 
the trade mark of another firm, thirty-five packages of 
tea bearing the trademark of the Yuen Shun firm, four- 
teen bags of tea in the top floor of a house at 74 
Qui-en's Koad West. There were also three boxes 
contaming some tea, some seals, and a number of 
stencil plates. The three boxes bore no mark. 
* * * When the tea and boxes had been at 
the Station a long time an application was made to 
the Captain Saperintendent of Police for the four- 
tefn bags of tea and the thirty- five packages. The 
application was for tea marked ' Yuen Sin ' not Yuen 
Sbuu. The tea was not given up. Afterwards the 
Captain Snperinteodent was summoned in the Sum- 
mary Court for the value of the fourteen bags of tea 
and the thirty-five packages. So far as witness knew 
nothing further hupponed till the defendant came 
and claimed the ten. He believed there was an- 
other application made before that, but he did not 
see it. He was present when the tea was delivered 
up to the defendant, who said he claimed it under 
a power of attorney. Defendant ordered the coolies 
to take the tea back to the house where it had 
been seized. 
Inspector Haddon stated that he arressted the 
defen'iant by virtue of a warrant. He asked the 
defendant if the tea was bis, and the defendant 
answered in the afBrmitive. Witness then produced 
the warrant, arrested the defendant, and seized the 
tea. He seized the whole thirty. five packages of tea, 
one of which was produced in Court. 
Chi Yu Tiu, the complainant, ttated that he was the 
master of the Kwong Mau Tai shop in Hongkong. He 
was also a partner in the Yuen Shun firm and was 
their agent iu Hongkong. The firm had been in exis- 
tence for 22 years. Its headquarters are at Honamj 
Canton, and the firm dealt only in teas, making special- 
ties of two kinds. This kind was known as Wau-loo 
tea and it was principally sold in America. Shown 
labels — These were not the labels ol his firm. They 
were initiations. Shown box— That was not one of his 
firm's boxes. He was sure it was an imitiation. The 
trade mark was not put upon this tea with his consent. 
It had been put on without his knowledge. Shown 
wrappers of small parcels of tea— These seemed to be 
the same as those used by his firm. There was only 
one shop in Honam bearing the name of the firm. 
Cross-examined—* * * He knew the tea produced 
was not from the Yuen Shun shop because the charac- 
ters on the wrappers were not indentical. It read the 
same, but the shape of the characters was not the 
same. The strokes on the imitation were very thin 
whereas the strokes on the genuine wrappers were 
thick. The imitation could cot possibly have been is- 
sued by the Yuen Shun shop. After a minute exami- 
nation of the wrappers, witness pointed out that the 
real wrappers and the forged wrappers could not have 
been printed from the tame stamp. The Yuen Shun 
firm had only one stamp, which they bad been using 
for several years. They had no duplicate. 
Mr. Pollock submitted that the case for the proEccu- 
tion had broken down, as the only thing that had been 
proved was that the defendant got the tea under a 
power of attornoy, 
Mr Wise soul it was his opinion that there had been 
an attempt to swindle. This t heuu Yiik Pan was 
apparently guilty and ho was trying to get the 
tea out by mca-is of the dclcudaut. Ho w^s uol 
