8i8 
tHE TROPSOAL AGRICULTURIST. [May 2, 1892. 
ESTIMATES OF THE TEA CROPS. 
It is satisfactory to learn that Mr. Roberts, of 
Messrs, S. Eucker and Co., whose views as to 
the position occupied by our teas in the London 
market have been so repeatedly verified, hBs 
expressed the opinion that whatever the outcome 
of this year's crop may prove to be, whether in 
excess of or below the eBtimates made by ourselves, 
it is not likely to afieot prices to be obtained for our 
teas. Several years ago, our readers will remember, 
Mr. Eoberts told our London correspondent that, 
even if the time came when Oeylon should export 
80 million, or even 100 million, pounds of its tea, 
an adequate market could be found for it. Indeed Mr. 
Eoberts, while naming those figures, stated that, so 
far as he as an expert could foresee, there need 
be necessarily nc limitation to the export. The 
sole effect of this, whatever its amount might 
be, would, in his judgment, be the displacement 
of a similar amount of China tea. To such a 
view, it appears, he still adheres ; and his former 
prophesying has hitherto been so entirely justified 
by results, that we must perforce feel bound 
to attach great weight to his opinion. China 
tea is, as Mr. Eoberts predicted it must 
be, succumbing year after year as the 
result to the production of this island hav- 
ing been placed in annually increasing quantity 
upon the London market, and although the assur- 
ance derived from this fact could not justify us in 
abstaining from making every exertion to open 
up new sources of consumption, we may take it 
for granted, we think, that up to the utmost 
limits of the capacity for tea-growing in Ceylon 
means may be found for its profitable disposal. 
We learn that Mr. J. L. Shand, who, during his 
late stay in Ceylon, has been actively engaged in 
visiting our upcountry estates, has written that 
he believes our export of tea for the year now 
current will be barely up to 74 million pouuds, 
That gentleman has further written, we under- 
Bland, that he has seen many fields, the bushes 
on which have shown unmistakable symptoms of 
having suffered from over-plucking ; and he augurs 
from this that, unless more discretion be exer- 
cised, many gardens that have hitherto annually 
yielded large crops must gradually show a great 
falling-off in their production. We have little doubt 
that in this opinion Mr. Shand will be supported 
by many other experienced planters. Bushes that 
have never been allowed any chance of attaining 
a certain amount of maturity for their leaves 
that have been constantly stimulated towards re- 
production of bud by denying to their sap its 
natural outlet must, like all forced forms 
of growth, suffer ere long, and must need 
a period of rest for recuperation. The fact stated 
by Mr. Shand might perhaps well account for 
the difference between the estimate first made by 
ourselves and that his late experience compels 
him to adopt. If we had heard of Mr. Shand's 
figures without the assurance given ua by Mr, 
Eoberts, we think it might have bpcn justifiable 
to assume that his reduced estimate would have 
been one upon which our planters and others 
interested in tea might bo congratulated. But Mr. 
Eoberts tells us that if our or ginal estimate had 
been likely of fulfilment we need not to have 
feared from the fact that any lowering of prices 
obtainable for Ceylon teas would result. As it is 
we believe wo may look upon tho issue to this 
year's operations, whatever it may be, with almost 
entire indifference. Of late many alarmist pre- 
dictions have found utterance as to the probable 
conse(|uenoes of our greatly increased production, 
and there are many who with ourselves have 
ftttftobed W importanoe to them wbich, we now I 
hardly think they can be said to deserve. It 
must, at all events, be some time yet before our 
exports can rise to the figure of 100 million 
pounds, at which it may be that Mr. Eoberts 
would feel disposed to reconsider his present de- 
cision respecting this matter ; and we fully 
adopt his view that until that figure of export bo 
reached we may regard the extension of tea 
cultivation in this island with a satisfied oalmnees. 
This is, however, but ens light in which to regard 
the facts communicated to us. The second in 
which these may be viewed is of importance as 
regards the financifil prospects before our planters. 
If the tea bushes are to be weakened by a course 
of overpluckicg systematically pursued, it is possible 
that it will be found that planters will have to 
face a large destruction of trees on their estates. 
They will in fact find that they have " killed the 
goose that laid the golden eggs," and they will 
have to lie by to await the attainment to maturity 
of new trees put in to take the place of those which 
have been killed by persistence in an unwise course. 
And it may well be assumed, we think, that for 
recent largely increased exports this system of 
over-plucking has been largely responsible. It will 
be well, perhaps, if the diminished estimate of 
yield made by Mr. Shand opens the eyes of all of 
us to check the prosperity of our planting 
enterprise is likely to receive by persistence in 
a course which in the long run must, as it seems 
to UP, prove very uneconomical. It will be better 
that we should be contented with lighter returns 
from our estates than that we should find ourselves 
compelled to in many cases lie by for several 
years to obviate the effect of excessive plucking 
in the consequent destruction of our trees. 
SCIENTIFIC TEETOTALISM. 
[The following is a specimen of the extravagant 
nonsense in which others besides Sir Andrew Clarke 
indulge. Tea is valuable as a food as well as a 
non-alcoholic stimulant. The use of tea has greatly 
increased the value of life and even its abuse is not 
to be corrpared for a moment to the ravages of 
alcohol Ed. T. a.] 
In the current number of the Aiistraladan Medica 
Gazette, Dr. J. Murray-Gibbes, of Boort, Victoria, ha^ 
an interesting paper on wlijat he calls " Scientific 
Teetotalisni." After admitting that the teetotallers 
are right in saying that alcohol in fermented liquors 
is injurious to the body, he proceeds to ask whether 
teetotalism as carried out now is advantageous to the 
hfiman race and how it is carried out. 
" It is a total abstinence from alchoholic stimu- 
lants. But are these the only stimulants consumed 
now-a-days? By no means so, for in no period of the 
world's history has the consumption of stimulants 
been so prevalent as at the present moment. But it 
may be said, how can this be when teetotallers who 
now muster by the thousand, never touch stimulants ? 
Don't they ? "Why they consume as much, or even 
more stimulants than the non-abstainers, for instead of 
taking them in the form of alcohol they take them as 
tea and coffee, for thein or caffein is as strong a 
stimulant as alcohol.* They have simply substituted 
one form of stimulant for another. Tea and coffee 
rapidly spread over Bur-ope when it was first intro- 
duced in the seventeenth century, because it 
acted as a substitute for fermented beverages, in 
that the tannic acid in it delays the digestion of 
nitrogenous substances. Thein is a pure stimulant 
to the nervous system, only it acts in a more subtle 
way. With alcohol you see most of the effects at 
once, but with thein it is different, for it acts like 
a most insidious poison. There is a certain balance 
in the power of the nervous system, for if it is over- 
stimulated it afterwards suffers from a subsequent 
exhaustion which we see in nervous irritability, 
atonic dyspepsia, nciiralgia, decayed teeth, consti- 
* A Wataut fuilsohood.— Ec ~" 
