THE TROPICAL 
Desceiptions. 
Duat 
Broken tea and fans.,.. 
Biokeo peb. souchongs 
Bouchougs and congou 
Fekob souchongs ... 
Pekoe ... 
proken pekoe 
Orange pekoe and bro. 
otaoge pekoe 
Sales firom 14th May 1691 to lOlh March 1892. 
433,678 packages sold. 
ner 
per 
per 
cent. 
cent. 
cent. 
H 
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6j 
7i 
8 
6| 
7i 
8f 
5 
6i 
20 
2ai 
22i 
33f 
32f 
33^ 
19f 
2('i 
21 
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2 
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Average Exchange — for 6 months' Documanta 1-5. 
Average Freight.— £2-11-3 per ton of 50 o feet. 
NOTES ON PRODUCE AND FINANCE. 
Advice to Growers as to Quality of Teas.— 
Messrs. Stenniog, Inskipp & Oo. have issued the follow- 
iog oiroular with reference to tea season, 1892-93 : — 
In view of the approaching manufacturing season, 
we leg to offer a few remarks for your consideration. 
The fact that common and medium grades have sold 
with difficulty for but little more than half the prices 
raling at this time last year, must be a source of 
aozious concern to producers. This he»vy depression 
is due to excessive quantity and poor quality, and to 
the sudden and enormous increase in the impcrta from 
Ceylon. Fine and 6uest b.^ve been rather scarce 
throughout the scanoD, and have sold readily at b itls- 
faotory prices. Ooylon to^a have shown some falling 
oK' in qiiility, but tho demand for thom has about 
kept pace with the import, as will bo scan by the 
figures for tho last nine raoiiths, viz: — Import, 
■16,C30,00<) lb; Uolivory, ■15,2;ir,,()0O lb. Tho imports 
from all India for tho season will probably average 
i)l millions per month, and tho deliveiiea half ft 
million of pounds less, giving an excess of supply 
over demand of about 6 million of pounds. The stock 
of Indian in London at the end of February latt stood 
at 47,558,000 lb. or more than five months coueurap- 
tion. Under those circumstacces it would seem that, 
while avoiding the danger of plucking too fine, the 
only course opc-n to growers is to improve the strength 
and flavour of their tea.«, atd thus make tbem more 
attractive. We think this may be done by plucking 
moderately ; by getting the leaf off in gcod time- 
that is, befo.'e it has beeome hard and coarse — and by 
giving tho closest possible attention to the manu- 
tacture. Vi'e slso think the endeavour should be to 
produce a fair proportion of true Pekoe and broken 
Pekoe, which would reduce the quantity of "medium," 
and help to bring up the average price. The export 
from China appears likely to still further fall away 
in the future, che teas being in disfavour, owing to 
their continued inferiority, and the blow the industry 
has fuatnined ia conseqaeoce must be held in mind by 
Indian and Ceylon i I«nters, who should not allow 
qunatity to be their lir'-t consideration, or prices may 
sink to a point below cost of production. 
Tea fhom Natal.— On Monday Mesarp. Gow, Wilson, 
and Stanton offered 303 boxes of Natal tea, containing 
about 15,0001b. from the Kearnsay eststp. The prices 
averaged 5J per lb. bnt we imagine that the Natal 
growers sent th ic first large consignment more with 
a view of testing prices than making regular ship- 
ments, as there is a good market in South Africa for 
their tea. Fears of the failure of the coffee crop seem 
to have first prompted the Natal colonitts to seriously 
contemplate tea cultivation, but although a few sam- 
ples were obtained from Kew many years ago, tha 
actual beginning of the industry reems to have been 
only made in 1877, when Afsam hybrid and Assam 
indigenous eeed were imported frorh Calcutta. Since 
that dote steady progr.ss lias been made, and even 
in 1884 the Assistant Executive Commissioner of 
Natal, reported that over 50,0001b. were produced 
and disposed of locally. The rainfall is low for a 
tea-growing country, but this ia supplemented by 
such excessive dewfalls that its want is not 
several felt, and the fact ot the cultivation 
thriving is a strong testimony of the adaptability 
of the colony for the purpose. The tea is grown near 
the coast where the loam is light. 
Last Week's Tea Mahke^-. — There has been a 
smaller quantity of Indian te^i brought forward at 
the j>nblc sales, namely, 24,763 packages against 34,900 
paclsases in the preceding week, says the Produce 
Marelds' Eevieio. This diminution in the quantity has 
not, however, improved the low quotations of common 
tea to any extent, although at the later sales a slightly 
firmer teniency was noticeable. However, as the 
supply of these grades will probably continue to be 
quite sufficient to meet the declining demand for 
them, there p.ppoars no immediate prospect of any 
reaction of importance in prices. The demand that 
prevailed some time ago for common kinds appears 
to have fallen off considerably, and it is evident 
that the consumer is prepftred to give a fair price 
for good tea. For the medium grades there is a 
good enquiry, and, as the proportidn of these ia 
gradually getting more resfricted, tbeir value has 
been well mnintaiued. Finest descriptions are ea- 
gerly competed for, and sell readily with an 
upward tendency, especially the finer Darjeelings, 
which have fetched extreme prices. The pudiic salea 
of Ceylon teas have again been remarkably small, 
but, as the demand hss not been good, there has been 
littla variation in values. The finest grades, both of 
whole and broken tea, are still in requst, and their 
valuo is fully maintained, but medium grade Pekoes, 
worth 81 to 10 1, are rather easier. There has been a 
slight increase in the demand for common teas, at 
last week's quotations. A material contraction in the 
supplies at auction has been noticed this week, 
saya the Gtoccr, the total quantity put up not ex- 
ceeding 25,010 packages, in comparison with 
31,C80 packages previously, but at the resumption 
of busiuess on Monday this diminution in the 
offeiiogs of Indian tea did not appear to have 4 
