March i, 1892.] THE TROPlCAl. A13rat3iJl.TUmST- 
649 
she ever exported. Large quantities go to Russia, 
England, theUuited States and Canada, Australia and 
New Zealand ; and emaller quantities to South America, 
South Africa, and the Contineufc of Europe ; while 
even India takes 3,000,000 this year, being about the 
usual quantity. The falling off in the revenue in 
Fooohow may be accounted for by the considerable 
increase at Kinkiang and Haukow. The reduction of 
the export duty miglit prove a temporary expedient 
for the importing of China tea into England ; but it 
is better teas from China that vpe require. The small 
export duty would have little prejudicial effect in 
their competition with either India or Ceylon. I am 
of opinion that the present China tea gardens are 
exhausted. The tea shrubs have become rank, and 
nothing but replanting will bring about the consump- 
tion of China tea to any great extent iu England." 
Tea in Upper Siam. — In his paper on the Laos 
States of Upper Siam, read before the Society of 
Arts on Tuetday, Mr. Ernest Satow, in describing 
hi» joarney round the highest mountain in the 
neighbourhood, Doi Suthtip, said he met with some 
old tea plantatiouB, where the plant reached from 12ft. 
to 15tt. in height. The leaf was longer and more 
pointed than that of the Japanese tra plant, and it 
was probably the snme variety as that which furnished 
the As!-am te». The Laos did not drink the infusion, 
but prepared the leaf for chewing by burying the 
leaf in pots and sallinR it. No exterior trade was 
done with the tea, which was issued for domestic 
consumption only. 
Last Week's Tea Sales. — The IProduce Marhds' 
Ueview siiys . — The Indian tea market has been sevtrely 
tested by the heavy supply, amounting to upwards 
of 48,000 packagfs, or about 4,500,000 lb. It 
was expected that with this heavy supply, 
coupled with the probability of a still .larger quan- 
tity to be cfiered next week, prices would be forced 
down to a lower level, but this has not been the case 
as the market not only opened firmly, but closed so, 
for most descriptions. If importers, however, continue 
to force their teas ou the market regardless of the 
ability of tbe trade to take them, the inevitable result 
will be that they must submit to a lower level of 
prices. The stock in the bonded warehouses under 
ordinary circnmstdncts would certainly indicate a de- 
cline in values, but Indian tea is so moderate iu price 
and the consumption so largely increasing, as evidenced 
by the deliveries of the past three months, which 
amounted to atjouti30,000,0U0 lb., that any further mate- 
rial decline will only be brought abouS by excessive 
supplies. At this perioJ last year Pekoe Souchong, and 
in fact, all the lower grades, were from id to 3d higher 
than at present, which was due to a speculative demand, 
but at no period of last seafon were prices below those 
now ruling. With a coniinued improving demand, 
therefore, there is no reason why prices should fall 
unless supplies are indiscriminately pressed forward, in 
which case the decline will only be temporary. The 
opening sales of Ceylou teas have been smaller than 
was anticipated, and prices up to the present are some- 
what higher than the closing rates of 1891. This re- 
sult was, however, mainly due to the large buying of 
some of the packet companies who aeem to anticipate 
still higher rates, a belief evidently not participated in 
by the dealers in general, who nbstained from buying in 
a perfectly marked manner. The sales advertised for 
next week are quite up to tbe average quantity, and no 
pcaroity of tea need bo anticipated at present. The 
quaitly of the week's pales has shown some improvement 
but still leaves much to be desired. 
Ooi'TKE IN ISyi.— The course of the coffee market last 
year may be summarised thus. It steadily advanced 
until the middle of March, when the highest prices 
of the year were reached, middling plantation 
Ooylou touching 1103. Importers, tempted by the high 
■ prices ruling then, offered rather freely, and value 
gi^o way fomewhat, bnt the demand being gnod, 
especially for the finer grades, the decline was only 
a gradual one. At the turn of the year the upward 
movement was nRnin reaunicii, the supplies being light 
and the trade demand good, but at the beginning of 
September the heavy receipts in Brazil and free offer- 
ings on cost and freight terms caused a considerable 
relapse, middling plantation Ceylon declining to 90s. 
A rsther better demand from the trade then caused 
a steadier tone, and the revolution in Brazil gave an 
additional fillip to the market, the fear that ship- 
ments might be delayed causing holders to raise their 
quotations, For a time the advance was not readily 
paid, but with unusually light supplies exporters and 
home buyers were soou compelled to pay the prices 
demanded, and the market has continued to 
advance to the close, 103s 6d being now the ruling 
price for middling plantation Ceylon. The terminal 
miirket has been dull throughout, and at no time 
can it be said to have displayed any real animation, 
Santos has been almost entirely neglected. Daring 
the earlier part of the year prices improved somewhat, 
Rio standing at 82s 6d in May, but from this time the 
receipts at Kio commenced to increase, and as these 
grew the quotations dropped away until, at the begin- 
ing of October, 53s was the current value of Rio, and 
56a for Santos. At this date the heavy crop move- 
ment began to fall off, and with less pressure on the part 
of importers to sell on o. and f. terms, prices gradually 
recovered. The stocks of Europe, according to Messrs. 
Duuring and Zoon's last returns, were 38,5.50 tons, 
against 62,750 tons at the end of last year. The 
visible supply amounted to 140,951 tons, against 
143,491 tons last year. The landings in London during 
the year have been 34,157 tons, against 41,172 tons 
last year. The quantity taken for home consumption 
was 14,y95 tons, against 13,642 tons, and for export 
21,556 tons, against 30,932 tons.— iJ. and V. Mail, Jan. 
15th. 
A NEW TEA CHEST. 
Under the title of the Acme Tea Chest Syndicate, 
a company has been formed and registered in Scot- 
land with a capital of £8,000, in 1,100 ordinary and 
500 deferred shares of £5 each, to acquire certain 
patent rights, held by Henry James Stewart Brown, 
Egremont, Cambuslang, relative to the manufacture 
of chests ; to adopt and carry out an agreement en- 
tered into with Mr. Brown ; and to carry on the 
business of making and manufacturing, and to sell, 
hire, let, and deal in metal or other chests or boxes 
for holding or carrying tea or other commodities, or 
chests or boxes of all kinds. That regulations in 
Table A of the Companies Act, with slight modifl- 
oation. to be the articles of association. The first 
directors are Arthur Machan, Anderston Iron WorjkB, 
Cranston-hill Glasgow; John Binnie, Star Engineer ng 
Works, Moncur Street, Glasgow ; William Cook, 74, 
Galbraith Street, Glasgow ; James Conper, jun. (of 
James Oouper and Sons), City Glass Works ; Glas- 
gow ; and William Porteous, Anderston Galvanising 
Works, Glasgow. Mr. Peter S. Brown, late manager 
of the Iron and Steel Fencing and Buildings Com- 
pany, Glasgow, is to be manager. — II. and C, Mail, 
Jan. 15th. 
. « 
INDIAN TEA. 
TO THE EDITOR OF THE " MORNING POST. ' 
SiK, — The rapid growth of the Indian and Ceylon tea 
trades, not only in this, bnt in Russia and other tea 
drinking countries, appears to be causing the old traders 
in China teas some trouble, the rapid decline in con- 
sumption of China tea, especially in,this country, obliging 
them to employ various methods, by advertisment 
and otherwise, to endeavour to prevent the drinking 
of the teas of British competitive growth, which are 
daily becoinins more appreciated by the public. It is 
unfortunately true that much tea is being sold now under 
the titk'S of Ceylon and Indian that contain only a small 
percentage of either of the abovebeing composed largely 
of ordinary China tea, to the detriment of the former ; 
and several prosecutions have been successfully under- 
taken to stop this practice, by parties interested in 
f-iiciog that the public get the genuine articli". In 
the ('ei/lon Ohservir, juet to hand, an article appears 
in which these China traders are charged withisauiug 
