March i, 1892.] THP TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
639 
of the year, but the low prices of the last three 
months have again given them an impetus, and 
when the figures are made up at the end of the 
year we expect deliveries will be just under 
102 million lb., or say, 1 million lb. less than last 
year. The total import for 1890-91 season was just 
under 100 million lb., so that there was some 
justification for a rise at the beginning of this 
year. Unluckily, speculators rushed in and raised 
prices so high that they drove the teas out of 
consumption, and got left high and dry with 
stock they had to take 2d. to ad. per Ib.^ loss on, 
whenever anyone could be found to relieve them 
of their burden. The year opened at |d. to Id. per 
Ih. advance, with a splendid demand for teas for 
price, say 9d, per lb., while Pekoes were also Id to 
2d per lb. higher at opening. Merchants offered 
their teas as fast as they could, but xjrices con- 
tinued to rise right up to the end of April, 
until lOi was reached for type grade, but good 
and stylish Pekoes only brought |d to Id 
per lb more. At the beginning of May 
undesirable teas began to waver, and from then 
onward prices dropped steadily, and holders were 
glad to find buyers at any price, so that by the end 
of June 8Jd was about the quotation for Pekoe 
Souchongs, and Pekoes only a little better. It will 
be remembered that the crop of 1890-91 was not so 
good as that of the previous season, while the 
present crop is still worse ; the bu)k is thin with no 
point, and more than half of the supplies up to date 
(say two-thirds of the crop) has been sold under 8d 
per \b. One exception must be made, and that 
must be for Darjeelings— some of the better teas 
this year having fine flavour and bouquet, whereas 
last season they were dull and pointless. Teas 
under 9d per lb. are now from Id to 2d per lb. 
cheaper than at this time last year, but goo'3 liquoring 
pekoes about lid to Is 2(1 of which we had an over- 
supply last season, a-e quite 1-1 lo 2d par lb dearer 
quality considered. Fine teas are again very scarce 
and realise extreme rates. The new season's have 
oome forward very ftist, and we have already had some 
10 milliou lb more than Uei season to date. The nes7 
crop is now estimated at- 118 million lb. for this market 
so that we have already had more than the surplus. 
Prices are temptingly low, ond there are already symp- 
toms of higher prices. The first of the new seaf on's came 
of in Julj very poor and thiu, from 7:ld to 8d for pekoes 
and pokoe souchongs, and old teas were being used 
instead, as Bhowini? much better value. Sales tot 
very heavy in September, and common and undesir- 
able teas were quoted easier every week up to the 
beginning of December, when there was a sadden rise 
of id to -Jd per lb. On tbe other hand, good-liquoring 
and finer teas continued to improve iu value and were 
well competed for at full prices and at over last 
ee>\son's rates, the rise in good Pekoes and Broken 
Pekoe being 2d to 3d per lb. between September and 
the middle of December. Before the end of the year 
dealers had got rid of all their oil stock, and the 
feeling was much more hopeful, lis there was a large 
tr.ide doing, and a very healthy, firm market. Stock 
on January lat, 1891, was 36:r million lb , or 
million lb. less than January 1st, 1890, while the season 
ended on May Slat with 26^- million lb. stock against 
under 27^ millions in 1890. 
CEYr.oN Tea. 
la nnlikn tbe ' f ided beauty, ' that U put on 
the sholf when youth and freshufss are past. No 
iiv«l can yet replace her, although the true rich 
Ooylon lUvour is seldom to ho mot with now. The 
bulk of this yeiir'a crop has bteu very poor, and 
many of the teas have been raw and coarse-burnt, 
and often characterised as 'Indian kind.' Quality 
Viirina several times n year and often a fall of 2d. 
to ;M. per lb. in cortain marks is no fall at all, but only 
an allovvaniio for the diffiTcncn iu quality. Ceylon, 
like all powerful and succoBsful pnoplo, is hated by 
itH rivals, and one often hi ars the wish expressed 
that tlio wretched little island wore at the bottom 
of the son. The public are infntimtod with Ooylon 
tea, and they luivcr noom to grumble, although 
quality bo often falls off. Tho growth of oonsump 
tion this year is enormous, viz., over 15 million lb., 
or say 10 million lb. since Judo 1. The total im- 
port for the year will be about 60 million lb , and 
delivery about 54 miliion lb. Next year they talk 
abcut sending us some 76 million lb., but if quality 
continues to decrease as quantity increases, the day 
will not be far distant when they will have nailed up 
their own coffin. Prestige will not last for ever. 
Prices now, as compared with the same time last year, 
might be summed up as follows : — Souchongs, Pekoe 
Souchongs, and low-priced and inferior liquoring brokens 
are quite 2d. per lb. lower, good Pekoes Id. to 2d. per 
lb. lower, while good liquoring broken Pekoes and finest 
lines are dearer and very scarce, although at two or 
three periods of the year they have been 2d. 
or 3rd. per lb. dearer than at present. The 
year 1891 opened with an advance of 4d. to Id. per 
lb. for low-priced teas on the closing prices of 1890, 
and a good trade was done up to the beginning of 
March at alwiys improving rates; sales then became 
large, and, with small trade demand, |d to Id drop 
iu toaa for price. Id to 2d drop iu Pekoes, and 2d 
to 3d drop in Broken Pekoes was registered by tbe 
end of April, During May another drop of Id per 
lb. was noted. In June and July supplies were very 
heavy, quality very bud, and few teas to be fonad 
with any true Oeylon flivour. Souchonga were quoted 
at 6d to ejd. Pekoes at 7d to 8d,an(l Broken Pekoea 
at 9id to lOjd, but fiae liquoring brokens were 
dearer than ever, and selling from Is 5d to Is 
lO^d per lb. Prices then kept steady, althongh 
with heavy supplip", for another month or so, when 
they began to fall off ; quality began to improve, 
and pi ices distinctly rose up to the end of the 
yrar for ali but common rubbieh, which kept 
Indisn, while even this class suddenly improved 
about il per lb. at the middle December Bale. 
From fome of the foregoing remarks we do not wish 
it to ba inferred that we disparage Oeyloo teas' 
When they are good we think (hey are the perfjotion 
of tea — they are most necessivry in blending with 
China tea, and the two go well together, as China 
tea tones down the rather too highly-flavoured Ceylon 
growths. As loug ns quality keeps fairly good we 
do not think that any tea will supersede it. China 
it has almost killed, and India, no doubt, is suffering 
from its competition. Let us only hope that her out- 
put may increase on account of new ground being 
brought under cultivation. This year the increase has 
principally been brought about by the heavy rains 
and early flushings, which had the effect of producing 
a heavier but coarser crop. This year has been noted 
for several salea of small lots of golden and silver- 
tipped t 'nE — the ex'ravagant prices realised were, how- 
ever, more of an advertisement, and not a represea- 
tatioa of actual value." — H and C. 3Iail, Jan. 8'.h. 
^ 
NOTES ON COORG. 
The administration of Coorg during 1890-91 does 
not call for much notice. The total revenue under 
all huads came to K815,988, and the total expenditure 
loK567,828. There is au increaae observable both in 
revenue and expenditure, the latter of which was 
due to the cost of th j new Survey Department. Sur- 
vey Works seems to have been energetically pushed 
on, and though men had to be procured and iustructed, 
the skeleton furvey of 278 villeges, having an area 
of 592 square miles, and the cadastral survey of 165 
villages, having au area of 27U square miles, was com- 
pleted at a cost of R19,798. Gnat success is reported 
to have attended the training of local men as mea- 
surers, and nearly all tho subordinates of the Depart- 
ment lire now Coorg.-i, who have worked well, while 
their emploj nient lias done a great deal towards les- 
seuiiig the unpopularity which the survey was at 
first tbraateued with. The increase in revenue was 
chiefly coniiibuted by the I'ore-t depaitiueut, the 
Bandalwood sah<B being unusually successful. The 
year'^ harvest was poor; tbe rice crop was generally 
a light one, and iu some places nearly a complete 
lailaro while the coffee crop was only 2,129.'; tona 
